Three Keys For Ole Miss Basketball in Crucial SEC Matchup Against Texas

The Ole Miss Rebels' season so far has consisted of some of the highest highs and the lowest lows, including their first ever road AP Top 5 win taking down No. 4 Alabama at the end of a 4-0 start to SEC play as well as losing the following three games, including two one-possession games.
With the Rebels in the midst of a three-game skid, they are looking for change in order to come away with a win on Wednesday against the Texas Longhorns. So what are three major things Ole Miss should harp on tonight?
Most importantly is rebounding. The Rebels have been out rebounded 138-83 (44-19 in offensive rebounds) over their losing streak.
This is due to a multitude of reasons. Firstly, the Rebels' normal center is Malik Dia, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound transfer out of Belmont. Dia is a great rebounder, including a 19-board game against Alabama, but after Dia, there are only two Rebels averaging more than four rebounds a game: Jaemyn Brakefield and Dre Davis.
As a team, Ole Miss averages 34.3 rebounds a game, but Texas only averages 35.2 rebounds a game. Texas does, however, have three players averaging over five rebounds a game, including 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward Arthur Kaluma who is currently bringing in over eight.
Closing the 0.9 rebounding differential could be key for Ole Miss tonight as head coach Chris Beard said in his latest post game piece after a loss to Mizzou "[The Tigers] were the more aggressive team." The Rebels could be looking for a change in that department.
Ole Miss has not just struggled on the glass, but it has also struggled overall offensively. The Rebels have become reliant on their three-point shooting ability and have drifted away from the paint. A vital piece of tonight's game if they want to win (and win convincingly) should be establishing their presence inside.
Texas has three players listed as the same height or taller than Dia on their roster, but only one is a starter. The 6-foot-11 Kadin Sherdrick is the Longhorns' starting center, and he is averaging 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this season. The Rebels have the talent to battle down low including Dia, Brakefield, Mikeal Brown-Jones, and John Bol; they just have to find their big man and make it known they can battle in the paint.
Not only will this increase their productivity by taking higher percentage shots, but it will then open the three-point line that the Rebels have become so reliant on, creating more flow in the offense and eliminating the challenge of facing end-of-shot-clock situations.
Finally, the Rebels need to get more trips to the free throw line. This will come naturally if Ole Miss finds itself playing a more paint-favored game. But over the last three games, Ole Miss has shot significantly less free throws than its opponents. Ole Miss has only shot 36 times from the charity stripe to their opponents' 76 free throws and is not shooting more than their opponents in any losses this season.
The charity stripe could be a lethal weapon for the Rebels as they have shot 73% this season including guard Jaylen Murray who has shot 86% so far.
Ole Miss is heading into tonight's matchup with "must-win" being on the minds of some, and with the Rebels returning to their home floor, this could be a great way to get back on track.
The Rebels' first ever conference matchup with Texas is set to tip-off at 8 p.m. CT where it will be televised on ESPN2.