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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, January 10
Oxford, Miss.
5 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Missouri
Men's Basketball Hosts Missouri Saturday Afternoon
1/9/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team gears up for a second consecutive home matchup, taking on conference foe Missouri on Saturday, January 10 in the SJB Pavilion at 5 p.m. on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 8-7, 0-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (52-31) • 289-129 career record (14th Season)
Missouri Tigers (Record: 12-3, 2-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Dennis Gates • 4th Season at Missouri (67-49) • 117-89 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Analyst: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI
This will be the 27th game all-time between the Rebels and Tigers, with Ole Miss leading the series 17-9. Only meeting for the first time once Missouri joined the SEC, the Rebels claimed 15 of the first 18 matchups, with the Tigers taking six of the last eight. When playing in Oxford, Ole Miss has won eight of the 11 games.
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 25, 2025 (L, 75-83, COLUMBIA, MO.)
• A ranked matchup as No. 16 Ole Miss traveled north to face the No. 22 Tigers, the home team took a lead into the break and never looked back.
• Malik Dia (Ole Miss): 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block, two steals.
• Tamar Bates (Missouri): 26 points, five rebounds.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Missouri comes to Oxford with a 12-3 record on the year, having begun SEC play with a 2-0 record following wins over Florida and on the road at Kentucky.
The team has been led in scoring by returning guard Mark Mitchell, who averages 17.2 points per game and recently helped the Tigers take down the Wildcats in Lexington with 21 points and four assists. Mitchell paces the team on the boards as well, averaging 5.1 per outing.
As a team, Missouri ranks among the nation's best in field goal percentage, with their clip of 51.4 ranking inside the top 20 in the NCAA. The Tigers are among the top-100 as well in rebound margin (+6.5), opponent field goal percentage (41.7 percent), points per game (82.5), and scoring margin (+11.1).
Currently in his fourth season at Missouri, head coach Dennis Gates has accumulated 67 total victories with the Tigers, including a record of 25-10 in his inaugural year and 22-12 last season. He was previously the head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons, guiding them to the postseason twice.
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 4.9 blocks per game, the 32nd-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. So far this season, 12 different players have recorded a block paced by Scott's 21, 14 from Corey Chest, 13 from Malik Dia, and eight from Ilias Kamardine.
PATTON PINKINS 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.
NON-CONFERENCE CLOSER
In their final game before SEC action, Ole Miss hosted Alcorn State on December 29, picking up a dominating 79-43 victory. Their success stemmed from impressive rebounding, posting a margin of +25 for the first time since 2008, led by Malik Dia and James Scott with 11 rebounds, and Corey Chest with 10. It had been nearly a decade since the Rebels had a trio of players with 10+ boards in a single game.
Paired with their 11 rebounds, both Dia and Scott posted double-doubles as well, marking the first time Ole Miss had two double-doubles in a single game since 2021. For Dia, that was his third double-double of the season, all of which occurred in a five-game stretch, and second in a row. He became the latest Ole Miss player to record double-doubles in back-to-back games since Sebastian Saiz in 2017. After beginning the season with an average of 4.8 rebounds per contest over the first six games of the season, Dia averaged 9.0 per game over the final seven in non-conference action.
SHAKE, RATTLE, AND WIN
For the first time since 2004, Ole Miss traveled down to Tupelo, Mississippi for a game, taking on Alabama A&M in Cadence Bank Arena. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by 15 at the half before winning 80-66. Malik Dia set a new high for his Ole Miss career with 27 points while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots. Ilias Kamardine ran an efficient offense at point guard, dishing out eight assists with just one turnover. As a team, the Rebels set a new season-high by shooting 54.0 percent from the floor.
50 VICTORIES
With an Ole Miss win over Southern Miss on Saturday, December 13, head coach Chris Beard picked up his 50th win at the helm in Oxford. He became the 13th coach to win 50 games at Ole Miss, the fifth coach to reach that mark in their third season, and the third-fastest to 50 in school history.
"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.
BLACKJACK
For the third season in a row, the Ole Miss Rebels traveled down to Biloxi, Mississippi to take on Southern Miss in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Holding a narrow lead at halftime, 31-29, guard AJ Storr helped fuel a second-half surge where the team shot 63.6 percent from the field, their second-best shooting performance in a half this season. The senior guard finished with a season-best eight made shots and a game-high 21 points while adding three offensive rebounds, and a pair of steals.
The Ole Miss bench outscored Southern Miss 29-6, led by 13 points from Kezza Giffa and 12 from Patton Pinkins. For the third game in a row, the Ole Miss defense had 10 or more steals, led by Giffa with three.
DEFENDED HOME COURT
On November 18, Ole Miss played in their fifth-straight game in Oxford to open the regular season, hosting Austin Peay in what turned into a battle. Leading by eight at the half and as much as 17 early in the second period, the visiting Governors clawed their way back in, tying the game at 52 with just over six minutes to go. The Rebels would hold on, reclaiming the lead and never looking back en route to a victory to remain undefeated, 72-65.
Ole Miss was led by Malik Dia with 18 points, while Ilias Kamardine stuffed the box score with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
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 their toughest matchup to date, 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.
KEPT IT ROLLING
In their second game of the season, the Rebels handled Louisiana Monroe 86-65. AJ Storr led Ole Miss with 19 points, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc for the second game in a row. Ilias Kamardine loaded the box score, dropping 15 points while dishing out seven assists with a block and three steals on defense.
CONVINCING OPENER
One of the most anticipated seasons in program history got off to a great start, as Ole Miss took down Southeastern Louisiana in their opener 88-58 on Monday, November 3. The Rebels out-rebounded the Lions 44 to 26, posting their best rebound margin of +18 under head coach Chris Beard. The team was paced offensively by Malik Dia, who scored 20 points with four rebounds, an assist, and two steals.
In his Ole Miss debut, AJ Storr dropped 18 points while going 4-5 from beyond the arc, adding six rebounds and four assists. His 18 were the most for a Rebel debut in a season opener since 2016, when Deandre Burnett scored 23 vs. UT Martin.
International guard Ilias Kamardine flashed his skill on both ends of the floor in his first college game, scoring 13 points with three boards, four assists, and a pair of steals. James Scott led the team on the boards with nine while blocking three shots (eighth career game with 3 or more blocks), while Kezza Giffa came off the bench and added 12 points in just 15 minutes.
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: 8-7, 0-2 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (52-31) • 289-129 career record (14th Season)
Missouri Tigers (Record: 12-3, 2-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Dennis Gates • 4th Season at Missouri (67-49) • 117-89 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Analyst: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI
This will be the 27th game all-time between the Rebels and Tigers, with Ole Miss leading the series 17-9. Only meeting for the first time once Missouri joined the SEC, the Rebels claimed 15 of the first 18 matchups, with the Tigers taking six of the last eight. When playing in Oxford, Ole Miss has won eight of the 11 games.
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 25, 2025 (L, 75-83, COLUMBIA, MO.)
• A ranked matchup as No. 16 Ole Miss traveled north to face the No. 22 Tigers, the home team took a lead into the break and never looked back.
• Malik Dia (Ole Miss): 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block, two steals.
• Tamar Bates (Missouri): 26 points, five rebounds.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Missouri comes to Oxford with a 12-3 record on the year, having begun SEC play with a 2-0 record following wins over Florida and on the road at Kentucky.
The team has been led in scoring by returning guard Mark Mitchell, who averages 17.2 points per game and recently helped the Tigers take down the Wildcats in Lexington with 21 points and four assists. Mitchell paces the team on the boards as well, averaging 5.1 per outing.
As a team, Missouri ranks among the nation's best in field goal percentage, with their clip of 51.4 ranking inside the top 20 in the NCAA. The Tigers are among the top-100 as well in rebound margin (+6.5), opponent field goal percentage (41.7 percent), points per game (82.5), and scoring margin (+11.1).
Currently in his fourth season at Missouri, head coach Dennis Gates has accumulated 67 total victories with the Tigers, including a record of 25-10 in his inaugural year and 22-12 last season. He was previously the head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons, guiding them to the postseason twice.
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 4.9 blocks per game, the 32nd-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. So far this season, 12 different players have recorded a block paced by Scott's 21, 14 from Corey Chest, 13 from Malik Dia, and eight from Ilias Kamardine.
PATTON PINKINS 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.
NON-CONFERENCE CLOSER
In their final game before SEC action, Ole Miss hosted Alcorn State on December 29, picking up a dominating 79-43 victory. Their success stemmed from impressive rebounding, posting a margin of +25 for the first time since 2008, led by Malik Dia and James Scott with 11 rebounds, and Corey Chest with 10. It had been nearly a decade since the Rebels had a trio of players with 10+ boards in a single game.
Paired with their 11 rebounds, both Dia and Scott posted double-doubles as well, marking the first time Ole Miss had two double-doubles in a single game since 2021. For Dia, that was his third double-double of the season, all of which occurred in a five-game stretch, and second in a row. He became the latest Ole Miss player to record double-doubles in back-to-back games since Sebastian Saiz in 2017. After beginning the season with an average of 4.8 rebounds per contest over the first six games of the season, Dia averaged 9.0 per game over the final seven in non-conference action.
SHAKE, RATTLE, AND WIN
For the first time since 2004, Ole Miss traveled down to Tupelo, Mississippi for a game, taking on Alabama A&M in Cadence Bank Arena. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by 15 at the half before winning 80-66. Malik Dia set a new high for his Ole Miss career with 27 points while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots. Ilias Kamardine ran an efficient offense at point guard, dishing out eight assists with just one turnover. As a team, the Rebels set a new season-high by shooting 54.0 percent from the floor.
50 VICTORIES
With an Ole Miss win over Southern Miss on Saturday, December 13, head coach Chris Beard picked up his 50th win at the helm in Oxford. He became the 13th coach to win 50 games at Ole Miss, the fifth coach to reach that mark in their third season, and the third-fastest to 50 in school history.
"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.
BLACKJACK
For the third season in a row, the Ole Miss Rebels traveled down to Biloxi, Mississippi to take on Southern Miss in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Holding a narrow lead at halftime, 31-29, guard AJ Storr helped fuel a second-half surge where the team shot 63.6 percent from the field, their second-best shooting performance in a half this season. The senior guard finished with a season-best eight made shots and a game-high 21 points while adding three offensive rebounds, and a pair of steals.
The Ole Miss bench outscored Southern Miss 29-6, led by 13 points from Kezza Giffa and 12 from Patton Pinkins. For the third game in a row, the Ole Miss defense had 10 or more steals, led by Giffa with three.
DEFENDED HOME COURT
On November 18, Ole Miss played in their fifth-straight game in Oxford to open the regular season, hosting Austin Peay in what turned into a battle. Leading by eight at the half and as much as 17 early in the second period, the visiting Governors clawed their way back in, tying the game at 52 with just over six minutes to go. The Rebels would hold on, reclaiming the lead and never looking back en route to a victory to remain undefeated, 72-65.
Ole Miss was led by Malik Dia with 18 points, while Ilias Kamardine stuffed the box score with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
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 their toughest matchup to date, 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.
KEPT IT ROLLING
In their second game of the season, the Rebels handled Louisiana Monroe 86-65. AJ Storr led Ole Miss with 19 points, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc for the second game in a row. Ilias Kamardine loaded the box score, dropping 15 points while dishing out seven assists with a block and three steals on defense.
CONVINCING OPENER
One of the most anticipated seasons in program history got off to a great start, as Ole Miss took down Southeastern Louisiana in their opener 88-58 on Monday, November 3. The Rebels out-rebounded the Lions 44 to 26, posting their best rebound margin of +18 under head coach Chris Beard. The team was paced offensively by Malik Dia, who scored 20 points with four rebounds, an assist, and two steals.
In his Ole Miss debut, AJ Storr dropped 18 points while going 4-5 from beyond the arc, adding six rebounds and four assists. His 18 were the most for a Rebel debut in a season opener since 2016, when Deandre Burnett scored 23 vs. UT Martin.
International guard Ilias Kamardine flashed his skill on both ends of the floor in his first college game, scoring 13 points with three boards, four assists, and a pair of steals. James Scott led the team on the boards with nine while blocking three shots (eighth career game with 3 or more blocks), while Kezza Giffa came off the bench and added 12 points in just 15 minutes.
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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