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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, January 24
Lexington, Ky.
10 a.m.
Ole Miss
at
Kentucky
Men's Basketball Set to Battle Kentucky in Rupp Arena
1/23/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The grueling SEC schedule continues for the Ole Miss men's basketball team, as they head to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Wildcats in Rupp Arena on Saturday, January 24 at 10 a.m. CT on ESPN.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-8, 3-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-32) • 292-130 career record (14th Season)
Kentucky Wildcats (Record: 13-6, 4-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Mark Pope • 2nd Season at Kentucky (37-18) • 224-126 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Wes Durham
Analyst: Dennis Scott
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
A battle that has gone Kentucky's way for a majority of history, Ole Miss began the series winning two of the first three matchups from 1925 to 1928. The Wildcats lead 111-15 all time, and have won 59 of 61 games played in Lexington. Last season, the Rebels took down the ranked Wildcats in a statement win 98-84.
LAST MEETING: February 4, 2025 (W, 98-84, Oxford, Miss.)
• A ranked matchup in the SJB Pavilion, Ole Miss stormed out the gates and led by 23 at the half. The Rebels would finish with 24 assists and just one turnover, eventually tying their largest margin of victory over Kentucky during the SEC era.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 24 points, six made 3PFG, five rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 15 points, three rebounds, 10 assists.
• Otega Oweh (Kentucky): 24 points, six rebounds, one assist.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kentucky enters this game with a season record of 13-6, going 4-2 to begin SEC action. They picked up non-conference wins over Indiana and St. John's, and have recently won four games in a row over Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas. The Wildcats currently sit in fifth in the SEC standings, and are earning votes in both the AP and Coaches Poll. They rank 31st in the most recent NET Rankings and 25th in KenPom.
Returning guard Otega Oweh paces Kentucky offensively with a clip of 15.7 points per game, while Malachi Moreno leads them in rebounding with an average of 6.3 per game. On the defensive end, Moreno leads the charge down low with 1.6 blocks per game, as Oweh averages a team-high 2.0 steals per contest.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Fastbreak points: 18.3, 9th
- Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.68, 20th
- Bench points per game: 31.8, 33rd
- Turnovers per game: 10.2, 39th
- Scoring margin: +12.4, 42nd
- Three-point defensive percentage: 30.1, 42nd
Mark Pope is in his second season at Kentucky and 11th overall as an NCAA head coach. He guided the Wildcats to 24 wins and a Sweet 16 run at the NCAA Tournament in his first season. At BYU, he won 20 or more games in four of his five seasons, including a 23-win campaign and NCAA Tournament birth in BYU's first year as a member of the Big 12 conference in 2024. Prior to his time with BYU, Pope was the head coach of Utah Valley for four seasons, guiding them to 23 and 25 wins in his last two seasons. Pope was a second-round draft pick out of Kentucky, playing for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets as a forward.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In their 19 games this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 11 contests, including each of their six SEC games. Their season average of 9.9 turnovers per game is the 30th-best mark in the nation and third in the conference, while their clip of 7.3 per game is the best in the SEC during conference play.
After finishing last year with an average of 9.0 turnovers per game and setting a new school record, their current average would rank second, just ahead of Chris Beard's first season in Oxford, giving him the three-best marks in school history.
I THOUGHT I TOLD YA, I'M A STARR
A key component in the consecutive SEC wins over Missouri, No. 21 Georgia, and Mississippi State was senior guard AJ Storr. In a home game with Mizzou, Storr caught fire early, knocking down four three-point shots in the first half before finishing with a then season-best 26 points. He followed that up with a strong game on the road at No. 21 Georgia, scoring 18 points in the second half and overtime period combined to finish with a season-best 27 points and eight rebounds, adding three steals on defense. Storr helped Ole Miss come out on top of a battle in Starkville with 17 points before scoring a team-high 18 against Auburn. Over the past four games, Storr is averaging 22.0 points.
AS SWEET AS SUGAR
Heading into hostile territory against a ranked opponent, Ole Miss entered Stegeman Coliseum on January 14 to take on the No. 21 Georgia Bulldogs, a facility that had the longest active win streak in the SEC against unranked foes. Trailing by five at the half, the Rebels continued to scrap with the top-ranked scoring offense in all of college basketball, keeping pace behind 16 second-half points from AJ Storr and 14 from Travis Perry. Trailing by four with under a minute to play, Storr cut the deficit to two, 87-85 with 38 seconds remaining. Following a missed layup from the Bulldogs, Storr collected the rebound and drove the length of the floor for a bucket to force overtime.
With 18 seconds left in OT, Storr dropped in a quick layup off an inbound pass to go up 95-94. The home team would go 1-2 on the other end of the floor from the free throw line, before a missed floater from Storr was batted to Patton Pinkins, who tipped in the rebound as the clock hit zeros for a game-winning score.
The 97 points from Ole Miss marked the most scored against a ranked opponent on the road in school history.
TIGER TAMER
Ole Miss picked up their first conference victory with a 76-69 victory over Missouri in the SJB Pavilion on January 10. The Rebels survived an early onslaught of threes from the Tigers, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the first half to eventually win by seven. Coming off the bench, AJ Storr played 33 minutes and scored a game-high 26 points while grabbing five rebounds with zero turnovers. Ole Miss got another elite performance from forward Malik Dia, who recorded yet another double-double with 21 points and 11 boards, adding a steal and three blocks on the defensive end.
MALIK DIA-DIA
Entering this season with four career double-doubles, senior forward Malik Dia has matched that total number this year, hitting the milestone against St. John's, NC State, Alcorn State, and Missouri. Each of those double-doubles has come over the past 11 games alone.
THA BLOCK IS HOT
A strong defense has been a staple for Ole Miss under head coach Chris Beard, and this year's team has used their length and athleticism to average 4.8 blocks per game, the 35th-best mark in the nation. They have been led by forward James Scott, who's average of 1.4 blocks per contest ranks among the top 10 among SEC programs. Thirteen different players have recorded a block paced by Scott's 24, 21 from Malik Dia, and 19 from Corey Chest.
PATTON PINKINS PHRESHMAN PHENOM
In the team's SEC opener at Oklahoma, freshman guard Patton Pinkins scored a career-best 25 points on an impressive 9-11 (.818) shooting while draining four three pointers. His game-high 25 points were the most for a freshman at Ole Miss since November 2022, when Amaree Abram score 26 against Stanford. Pinkins has also hit game-winning shots in an overtime win at No. 21 Georgia, and in hostile territory at Mississippi State this season.
"WHEN IT'S TIME TO EAT A MEAL, I ROB AND STEAL"
In a heated road battle in Madison Square Garden with St. John's, Kezza Giffa played a key part in the Ole Miss second-half comeback attempt. On the floor for 17 of the final 20 minutes of action, Giffa helped keep one of the nation's best offenses at bay, collecting six steals to bring his game total to seven. He became one of 11 Rebels all-time to grab seven or more steals in a game, tying him for the fifth-most in school history. It was the most steals for an Ole Miss player in a single game since Matthew Murrell had seven as well against Grambling State on November 8, 2024.
ONE LAST GOODBYE TO THE TAD PAD
Nearly 60 years ago, the C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum opened its doors for the first Ole Miss basketball game, when they hosted Kentucky on February 21, 1966. Decades of memories and historic moments later, what was thought to be the final game in the arena was played on December 22, 2015 as the Rebels defeated Troy in a thrilling overtime victory. With the hiring of current head coach Chris Beard came the throwback games, as Ole Miss has since played a pair of games in the former arena still standing on campus. However, the University announced in the fall of 2025 that the coliseum would be demolished in 2026, opening the door for one final game in the Tad Pad early in the 2025-26 season.
Hosting Cal State Bakersfield, Ole Miss earned one final victory in front of a capacity sellout crowd, defeating the Roadrunners 82-60.
"WHOOP" THERE IT IS
Ole Miss defended their home court to move to 3-0 on the new season in a tough matchup, taking down Memphis 83-77 in front of a raucous crowd. While the two would go back-and-forth to begin the matchup, the Tigers held their final lead midway through the first half as Ole Miss stepped in front and held the visitors at bay.
Newcomer Ilias Kamardine continued to dazzle and impress, as he paced the Rebels with 26 points by going 11-14 from the field, knocking down a trio of three pointers while adding four rebounds, four assists and a block and steal on defense. Senior guard Kezza Giffa made his first start of the season and took advantage of his opportunity with 15 points while dishing out five assists with zero turnovers.
The win gave Ole Miss a win in six of the last nine meetings with Memphis, while the Rebels have won five straight games when playing in Oxford.
KEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT
The Ole Miss men's basketball program recently welcomed two signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding small forward Jaron Saulsberry and combo guard Yohance Connor.
Saulsberry will come to Oxford from Marietta, Georgia and Wheeler High School, and is ranked as a top-10 player in his home state by both ESPN and 247Sports. A 6'6" four-star recruit, he is ranked as the No. 28 small forward in the class of 2026.
Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., Connor ranks among the best in his state, tabbed the No. 3 player in North Carolina by 247Sports and No. 5 by Rivals. He is listed as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, and ranked as the No. 5 combo guard in the class of 2026 by Rivals.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-8, 3-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-32) • 292-130 career record (14th Season)
Kentucky Wildcats (Record: 13-6, 4-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Mark Pope • 2nd Season at Kentucky (37-18) • 224-126 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Wes Durham
Analyst: Dennis Scott
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
A battle that has gone Kentucky's way for a majority of history, Ole Miss began the series winning two of the first three matchups from 1925 to 1928. The Wildcats lead 111-15 all time, and have won 59 of 61 games played in Lexington. Last season, the Rebels took down the ranked Wildcats in a statement win 98-84.
LAST MEETING: February 4, 2025 (W, 98-84, Oxford, Miss.)
• A ranked matchup in the SJB Pavilion, Ole Miss stormed out the gates and led by 23 at the half. The Rebels would finish with 24 assists and just one turnover, eventually tying their largest margin of victory over Kentucky during the SEC era.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 24 points, six made 3PFG, five rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 15 points, three rebounds, 10 assists.
• Otega Oweh (Kentucky): 24 points, six rebounds, one assist.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kentucky enters this game with a season record of 13-6, going 4-2 to begin SEC action. They picked up non-conference wins over Indiana and St. John's, and have recently won four games in a row over Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas. The Wildcats currently sit in fifth in the SEC standings, and are earning votes in both the AP and Coaches Poll. They rank 31st in the most recent NET Rankings and 25th in KenPom.
Returning guard Otega Oweh paces Kentucky offensively with a clip of 15.7 points per game, while Malachi Moreno leads them in rebounding with an average of 6.3 per game. On the defensive end, Moreno leads the charge down low with 1.6 blocks per game, as Oweh averages a team-high 2.0 steals per contest.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Fastbreak points: 18.3, 9th
- Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.68, 20th
- Bench points per game: 31.8, 33rd
- Turnovers per game: 10.2, 39th
- Scoring margin: +12.4, 42nd
- Three-point defensive percentage: 30.1, 42nd
Mark Pope is in his second season at Kentucky and 11th overall as an NCAA head coach. He guided the Wildcats to 24 wins and a Sweet 16 run at the NCAA Tournament in his first season. At BYU, he won 20 or more games in four of his five seasons, including a 23-win campaign and NCAA Tournament birth in BYU's first year as a member of the Big 12 conference in 2024. Prior to his time with BYU, Pope was the head coach of Utah Valley for four seasons, guiding them to 23 and 25 wins in his last two seasons. Pope was a second-round draft pick out of Kentucky, playing for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets as a forward.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In their 19 games this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 11 contests, including each of their six SEC games. Their season average of 9.9 turnovers per game is the 30th-best mark in the nation and third in the conference, while their clip of 7.3 per game is the best in the SEC during conference play.
After finishing last year with an average of 9.0 turnovers per game and setting a new school record, their current average would rank second, just ahead of Chris Beard's first season in Oxford, giving him the three-best marks in school history.
I THOUGHT I TOLD YA, I'M A STARR
A key component in the consecutive SEC wins over Missouri, No. 21 Georgia, and Mississippi State was senior guard AJ Storr. In a home game with Mizzou, Storr caught fire early, knocking down four three-point shots in the first half before finishing with a then season-best 26 points. He followed that up with a strong game on the road at No. 21 Georgia, scoring 18 points in the second half and overtime period combined to finish with a season-best 27 points and eight rebounds, adding three steals on defense. Storr helped Ole Miss come out on top of a battle in Starkville with 17 points before scoring a team-high 18 against Auburn. Over the past four games, Storr is averaging 22.0 points.
AS SWEET AS SUGAR
Heading into hostile territory against a ranked opponent, Ole Miss entered Stegeman Coliseum on January 14 to take on the No. 21 Georgia Bulldogs, a facility that had the longest active win streak in the SEC against unranked foes. Trailing by five at the half, the Rebels continued to scrap with the top-ranked scoring offense in all of college basketball, keeping pace behind 16 second-half points from AJ Storr and 14 from Travis Perry. Trailing by four with under a minute to play, Storr cut the deficit to two, 87-85 with 38 seconds remaining. Following a missed layup from the Bulldogs, Storr collected the rebound and drove the length of the floor for a bucket to force overtime.
With 18 seconds left in OT, Storr dropped in a quick layup off an inbound pass to go up 95-94. The home team would go 1-2 on the other end of the floor from the free throw line, before a missed floater from Storr was batted to Patton Pinkins, who tipped in the rebound as the clock hit zeros for a game-winning score.
The 97 points from Ole Miss marked the most scored against a ranked opponent on the road in school history.
TIGER TAMER
Ole Miss picked up their first conference victory with a 76-69 victory over Missouri in the SJB Pavilion on January 10. The Rebels survived an early onslaught of threes from the Tigers, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the first half to eventually win by seven. Coming off the bench, AJ Storr played 33 minutes and scored a game-high 26 points while grabbing five rebounds with zero turnovers. Ole Miss got another elite performance from forward Malik Dia, who recorded yet another double-double with 21 points and 11 boards, adding a steal and three blocks on the defensive end.
MALIK DIA-DIA
Entering this season with four career double-doubles, senior forward Malik Dia has matched that total number this year, hitting the milestone against St. John's, NC State, Alcorn State, and Missouri. Each of those double-doubles has come over the past 11 games alone.
THA BLOCK IS HOT
A strong defense has been a staple for Ole Miss under head coach Chris Beard, and this year's team has used their length and athleticism to average 4.8 blocks per game, the 35th-best mark in the nation. They have been led by forward James Scott, who's average of 1.4 blocks per contest ranks among the top 10 among SEC programs. Thirteen different players have recorded a block paced by Scott's 24, 21 from Malik Dia, and 19 from Corey Chest.
PATTON PINKINS PHRESHMAN PHENOM
In the team's SEC opener at Oklahoma, freshman guard Patton Pinkins scored a career-best 25 points on an impressive 9-11 (.818) shooting while draining four three pointers. His game-high 25 points were the most for a freshman at Ole Miss since November 2022, when Amaree Abram score 26 against Stanford. Pinkins has also hit game-winning shots in an overtime win at No. 21 Georgia, and in hostile territory at Mississippi State this season.
"WHEN IT'S TIME TO EAT A MEAL, I ROB AND STEAL"
In a heated road battle in Madison Square Garden with St. John's, Kezza Giffa played a key part in the Ole Miss second-half comeback attempt. On the floor for 17 of the final 20 minutes of action, Giffa helped keep one of the nation's best offenses at bay, collecting six steals to bring his game total to seven. He became one of 11 Rebels all-time to grab seven or more steals in a game, tying him for the fifth-most in school history. It was the most steals for an Ole Miss player in a single game since Matthew Murrell had seven as well against Grambling State on November 8, 2024.
ONE LAST GOODBYE TO THE TAD PAD
Nearly 60 years ago, the C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum opened its doors for the first Ole Miss basketball game, when they hosted Kentucky on February 21, 1966. Decades of memories and historic moments later, what was thought to be the final game in the arena was played on December 22, 2015 as the Rebels defeated Troy in a thrilling overtime victory. With the hiring of current head coach Chris Beard came the throwback games, as Ole Miss has since played a pair of games in the former arena still standing on campus. However, the University announced in the fall of 2025 that the coliseum would be demolished in 2026, opening the door for one final game in the Tad Pad early in the 2025-26 season.
Hosting Cal State Bakersfield, Ole Miss earned one final victory in front of a capacity sellout crowd, defeating the Roadrunners 82-60.
"WHOOP" THERE IT IS
Ole Miss defended their home court to move to 3-0 on the new season in a tough matchup, taking down Memphis 83-77 in front of a raucous crowd. While the two would go back-and-forth to begin the matchup, the Tigers held their final lead midway through the first half as Ole Miss stepped in front and held the visitors at bay.
Newcomer Ilias Kamardine continued to dazzle and impress, as he paced the Rebels with 26 points by going 11-14 from the field, knocking down a trio of three pointers while adding four rebounds, four assists and a block and steal on defense. Senior guard Kezza Giffa made his first start of the season and took advantage of his opportunity with 15 points while dishing out five assists with zero turnovers.
The win gave Ole Miss a win in six of the last nine meetings with Memphis, while the Rebels have won five straight games when playing in Oxford.
KEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT
The Ole Miss men's basketball program recently welcomed two signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding small forward Jaron Saulsberry and combo guard Yohance Connor.
Saulsberry will come to Oxford from Marietta, Georgia and Wheeler High School, and is ranked as a top-10 player in his home state by both ESPN and 247Sports. A 6'6" four-star recruit, he is ranked as the No. 28 small forward in the class of 2026.
Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., Connor ranks among the best in his state, tabbed the No. 3 player in North Carolina by 247Sports and No. 5 by Rivals. He is listed as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, and ranked as the No. 5 combo guard in the class of 2026 by Rivals.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Men's Basketball vs. Auburn (1/20/26)
Tuesday, January 20
PRESSER: Chris Beard (Auburn Postgame)
Tuesday, January 20
PRESSER | Yolett McPhee-McCuin (01-20-26)
Tuesday, January 20
PRESSER | Chris Beard & Ilias Kamardine - Postgame at Mississippi State (01-17-26)
Saturday, January 17