Ole Miss Announces Non-Conference Basketball Schedule

OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss men’s basketball coach Andy Kennedy has announced the non-conference schedule of his second season at the helm, which includes the San Juan Shootout and a pair of alternate-site games in Mississippi.

The Rebel slate features encounters with 2007 NCAA Sweet 16 team Winthrop in Jackson on Dec. 13 and 20-game winner Southern Miss in Southaven on Dec. 28.

Following an exhibition with Delta State, Ole Miss will play its first six games at Tad Smith Coliseum, including the 2007-08 season opener against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 10. However, a Dec. 1 home bout with New Mexico will be the team’s last game in Oxford until a Jan. 2 meeting with Alabama A&M the final tuneup before SEC play.

“One thing we learned last year is that timing is very important when scheduling non-league games,” said Kennedy, the reigning SEC Coach of the Year. “We open with six consecutive home games while our students are still in town for the fall semester, which we feel is important.”

The Rebels tip off with a pair of postseason teams in MVSU and South Alabama followed by Lamar, Louisiana-Monroe, Troy and the Lobos, who will in their first season under head coach Steve Alford.

“Losing Memphis from the schedule threw us a curve, and we feel real fortunate to have New Mexico filling that date to give us another quality home opponent,” said Kennedy.

Ole Miss begins its December travels at UCF, who finished second in Conference USA with 22 wins a year ago, followed by the Winthrop matchup at Jackson’s Mississippi Coliseum and a road game at New Orleans.

“It was important to us to get into Jackson and play in front of our fan base there,” Kennedy said. “We’re playing a team in Winthrop that has been to the NCAA Tournament seven of the last nine years and is coming off a banner season.”

Ole Miss faces eight teams that posted 18 or more wins a year ago, including a pair of 20-game winners in Clemson and DePaul at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. The Rebels also take on LaSalle as part of the holiday tournament, which run Dec. 20-22.

After Christmas, the Rebels will be competing at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven for the first time since debuting there in 2001 and will face in-state foe Southern Miss for the first time since 1995.

“We felt it would be good for basketball in the state to start the series with Southern Miss,” said Kennedy. “(Coach) Larry (Eustachy) has done a great job, and they’re going to have a quality team this year.”

The SEC season opens on Jan. 9, and the complete schedule will be announced at a later date.

Ole Miss rolled through the non-conference portion of its schedule last year with an 11-3 mark en route to a 21-13 final record and an NIT berth. Since the 1993-94 season, the Rebels have posted an impressive 134-45 record (.749 winning percentage) against non-SEC opponents.

2007-08 Ole Miss Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 2	Delta State (Exhibition)
Nov. 10	Mississippi Valley State
Nov. 13	South Alabama
Nov. 16	Lamar
Nov. 24	Louisiana-Monroe
Nov. 27	Troy
Dec. 1	New Mexico
Dec. 8	at UCF
Dec. 13	Winthrop (Jackson)
Dec. 20	vs. DePaul (San Juan Shootout)
Dec. 21	vs. LaSalle (San Juan Shootout)
Dec. 22	vs. Clemson (San Juan Shootout)
Dec. 28	Southern Miss (Southaven)
Jan. 2	Alabama A&M

* Times and TV dates TBA

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos