.png&width=48&height=48&type=webp)
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, February 11
Oxford, Miss.
6 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Alabama
Men's Basketball Returns to Oxford Wednesday Night Against Alabama
2/10/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – Following four consecutive road games, the Ole Miss men's basketball team is back at home, hosting Alabama in the SJB Pavilion on Wednesday, February 11 at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-12, 3-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-35) • 292-133 career record (14th Season)
Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 16-7, 6-4 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 7th Season at Alabama (161-70) • 257-113 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 187th game played between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold the series lead 127-59, but Ole Miss has a slight edge when playing in Oxford 44-43.
LAST MEETING: January 14, 2025 (W, 74-64, Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
• A historic win, No. 21 Ole Miss rallied from down four at halftime, dominating the No. 4 Tide 42-28 in the final 20 minutes.
• Malik Dia (Ole Miss): 23 points, 19 rebounds, two blocks.
• Aden Holloway (Alabama): 15 points, six rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama brings a record of 16-7 to Oxford, having gone 6-4 in conference play to sit in sixth in the recent SEC Standings. Highlights from their non-conference action include wins at No. 5 St. John's, No. 8 Illinois, Maryland, and Clemson. Their six wins in SEC play have come over Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, and most recently Auburn. The Tide sit on the edge of the latest AP and Coaches Polls, earning 72 points via votes in the AP to rank 26th and 24 points via votes in the Coaches to rank 27th. They hold the 20th spot in the most recent KenPom rankings and 23rd in the NET.
Alabama's high-powered offense which ranks third in the nation in points per game is led by two of the SEC's best scorers, as Labaron Philon leads the team and conference at 21.5 points per game and Aden Holloway adds 17.1 per outing. They're paced on the boards by Amari Allen at 7.4 per game, while their defense is led by Aiden Sherrell who ranks second in the SEC in blocks per game at 2.5.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Three-point attempts per game, 35.6, 1st
- Made three pointers per game, 12.6, 2nd
- Point per game, 91.8, 3rd
- Blocks per game, 5.8, 6th
- Defensive rebounds per game, 28.7, 9th
- Rebound per game, 41.1, 17th
- Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.65, 25th
- Free throws made per game, 18.3, 28th
Head coach Nate Oats is in his seventh season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of nearly 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four in 2024 and Elite Eight in 2025, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 23 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 14 contests, including nine of their 10 SEC games. Their season average of 9.8 turnovers per game is the 28th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.0 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 (10.8), giving him the three-best marks in school history.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas last Saturday, they played in their fourth-straight road game, having played in hostile territory at Kentucky, at Vanderbilt, and at Tennessee prior. It marked the first time since the 1978-79 season that Ole Miss had played in four straight away games, when they lined up with Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU in mid-February. Ole Miss played on the road in seven of their first 10 SEC games, but will get six of their final eight in the SJB Pavilion.
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 eight games, Storr is averaging 18.3 points per game, all off the bench.
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.
Among SEC programs, Pinkins leads all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just three turnovers on the season. The freshman is one of just three within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by fifth-year player Houston Mallette of Alabama with nine and sophomore Ruben Dominguez of Texas A&M with seven.
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.
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 4.4 blocks per game, the 52nd-best mark in the nation. Thirteen different players have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 27, 22 from Malik Dia, and 21 from Corey Chest.
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.
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.
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: 11-12, 3-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-35) • 292-133 career record (14th Season)
Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 16-7, 6-4 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 7th Season at Alabama (161-70) • 257-113 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 187th game played between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold the series lead 127-59, but Ole Miss has a slight edge when playing in Oxford 44-43.
LAST MEETING: January 14, 2025 (W, 74-64, Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
• A historic win, No. 21 Ole Miss rallied from down four at halftime, dominating the No. 4 Tide 42-28 in the final 20 minutes.
• Malik Dia (Ole Miss): 23 points, 19 rebounds, two blocks.
• Aden Holloway (Alabama): 15 points, six rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama brings a record of 16-7 to Oxford, having gone 6-4 in conference play to sit in sixth in the recent SEC Standings. Highlights from their non-conference action include wins at No. 5 St. John's, No. 8 Illinois, Maryland, and Clemson. Their six wins in SEC play have come over Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, and most recently Auburn. The Tide sit on the edge of the latest AP and Coaches Polls, earning 72 points via votes in the AP to rank 26th and 24 points via votes in the Coaches to rank 27th. They hold the 20th spot in the most recent KenPom rankings and 23rd in the NET.
Alabama's high-powered offense which ranks third in the nation in points per game is led by two of the SEC's best scorers, as Labaron Philon leads the team and conference at 21.5 points per game and Aden Holloway adds 17.1 per outing. They're paced on the boards by Amari Allen at 7.4 per game, while their defense is led by Aiden Sherrell who ranks second in the SEC in blocks per game at 2.5.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Three-point attempts per game, 35.6, 1st
- Made three pointers per game, 12.6, 2nd
- Point per game, 91.8, 3rd
- Blocks per game, 5.8, 6th
- Defensive rebounds per game, 28.7, 9th
- Rebound per game, 41.1, 17th
- Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.65, 25th
- Free throws made per game, 18.3, 28th
Head coach Nate Oats is in his seventh season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of nearly 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four in 2024 and Elite Eight in 2025, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 23 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 14 contests, including nine of their 10 SEC games. Their season average of 9.8 turnovers per game is the 28th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.0 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 (10.8), giving him the three-best marks in school history.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas last Saturday, they played in their fourth-straight road game, having played in hostile territory at Kentucky, at Vanderbilt, and at Tennessee prior. It marked the first time since the 1978-79 season that Ole Miss had played in four straight away games, when they lined up with Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU in mid-February. Ole Miss played on the road in seven of their first 10 SEC games, but will get six of their final eight in the SJB Pavilion.
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 eight games, Storr is averaging 18.3 points per game, all off the bench.
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.
Among SEC programs, Pinkins leads all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just three turnovers on the season. The freshman is one of just three within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by fifth-year player Houston Mallette of Alabama with nine and sophomore Ruben Dominguez of Texas A&M with seven.
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.
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 4.4 blocks per game, the 52nd-best mark in the nation. Thirteen different players have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 27, 22 from Malik Dia, and 21 from Corey Chest.
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.
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.
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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
PRESSER | Chris Beard & Eduardo Klafke - Texas Postgame (02-07-26)
Saturday, February 07
PRESSER | Chris Beard - Tennessee Postgame (02-03-26)
Tuesday, February 03
PRESSER | AJ Storr & Chris Beard - Vanderbilt Postgame (01-31-26)
Saturday, January 31
HIGHLIGHTS | Men's Basketball at Vanderbilt (01-31-26)
Saturday, January 31