Where Does Ole Miss Men's Basketball Land in Latest Bracketology Update?
The No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels started on the right foot in SEC play this season, taking down the Georgia Bulldogs 63-51 on Saturday in the league opener. Before the Rebels continue conference action on Wednesday against Arkansas, it's worth taking a look at how they stack up in current NCAA Tournament projections.
According to the latest bracketology update released by Joe Lunardi, Ole Miss is projected to be a 7-seed in Cleveland, grouped with 10-seed Cincinnati, 2-seed Marquette and 15-seed Central Connecticut. That group would be paired against whoever comes out of Wichita, whether it be 3-seed Kansas, 6-seed Michigan, 11-seed Texas Tech/Penn State or 14-seed UMass Lowell.
As a testament to the strength of the SEC so far this season, 11 conference teams are projected to be in the NCAA Tournament field, according to this update.
That means in order for Ole Miss to remain in the field, it will need to keep winning its league games like it did over the weekend against Georgia. The Rebels used this game against the Bulldogs to bounce back from a stinging loss at the hands of the Memphis Tigers, and head coach Chris Beard liked the response he saw from his team on the hardwood.
"We fought. In the first half against Memphis, we didn't play our best," Beard said after the Georgia game. "It's a two-point game, and then we got out-fought in the second half. Today, it's the same type of thing. The first conference game, a lot of nerves, both teams wanted to win, both teams have had good non-conferences.
"I thought in the second half, we fought. The stats are what they are, but we fought. We competed...We had some things not go our way today, but we just kept fighting."
One key performance the Rebels received against Georgia came from forward Jaemyn Brakefield who finished the contest tied for the team lead in scoring with 15 points. Brakefield credited the win to his team's efforts in the week leading up to the game against the Bulldogs.
"I believe bouncing back from the Memphis game, we really focused as a group and kind of had to refocus," Brakefield said. "We had a couple of days to prepare for Georgia. Obviously, they're a great team, so when it came down to preparation, I believe that we were prepared."
Next, the Rebels will travel to face the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Wednesday night in a continuation of SEC play. The Razorbacks are led by a legendary head coach in John Calipari, and even though this is his first year on the job, you can still see his efforts paying off for the Hogs so far this season.
"I would say even though it's Coach Cal's first year at Arkansas, the team and the roster has his DNA all over it," Coach Beard said in his media opportunity after practice Monday. "You've got talented players, some guys on this team that will play in the NBA, a balance between veterans, portal guys, and some young talent."
Tip-off between Ole Miss and Arkansas is slated for 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.