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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, February 14
Oxford, Miss.
5:30 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
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Mississippi State
Men's Basketball Welcomes Rivals to SJB Pavilion on Saturday
2/13/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team will look to follow up a win in Starkville last month with a second victory over their in-state rivals Mississippi State, as they host the Bulldogs in the SJB Pavilion on Saturday, February 14 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-13, 3-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-36) • 292-134 career record (14th Season)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Record: 11-13, 3-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Jans • 4th Season at Mississippi State (74-53) • 217-97 career record (10th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Richard Hendrix
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The 12th-most played rivalry in the history of college basketball, this will be the 274th time Ole Miss and Mississippi State have faced each other, and second time this season. While the Bulldogs lead 152-121 in a series that dates back to 1914, Ole Miss holds an 89-48 advantage when playing in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: January 14, 2026 (W, 68-67, Starkville, Miss.)
• A strong defensive effort by Ole Miss kept State's two leading guards to just 20.5% (7-34) from the floor, as the Rebels escaped hostile territory with a win.
• Ilias Kamardine (Ole Miss): 17 points, four rebounds, five assists.
• Jayden Epps (Mississippi State): 14 points, four rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State comes to Oxford with a season record of 11-13, having gone 3-8 in conference play. Prior to the SEC slate, the Bulldogs picked up wins over Georgia Tech, Utah, and Memphis, and have since defeated Texas, Oklahoma and LSU in conference. They currently sit in 88th in the latest KenPom rankings and 100th in the NET Rankings.
State continues to be led by their guards, as Josh Hubbard ranks second in the SEC and 14th in the nation with an average of 21.0 points per game, while Jayden Epps averages 14.4. One of the stronger rebounding teams in the country, they are led on the boards by Kansas State transfer Achor Achor at 6.7 per game and Wichita State transfer Quincy Ballard at 6.3 per game.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Defensive rebounds per game, 27.8, 20th
- Rebounds per game, 39.8, 32nd
- Three-point percentage defense, 30.4, 38th
- Blocks per game, 4.5, 47th
Currently in his fourth year with the program, head coach Chris Jans has won just over 70 games during his time in Starkville. He's won 21 games in each of his first three seasons with State, and joined the program from New Mexico State, where he accumulated 122 wins to just 32 losses over five seasons. He got his first Division I head coaching position at Bowling Green during the 2014-15 season, after years of success at the junior college level.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 24 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 15 contests, including 10 of their 11 SEC games. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 25th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.1 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.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 31.6 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 24th in the country and third in the SEC. Spearheading the output is senior guard AJ Storr, who has been coming off the bench in each of the last 10 games. He's posted four 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.5 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.6 points per game in SEC games, the 13th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
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 10 games, Storr is averaging 18.5 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 two within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by 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 53rd-best mark in the nation. Fourteen 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.
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: 11-13, 3-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-36) • 292-134 career record (14th Season)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Record: 11-13, 3-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Jans • 4th Season at Mississippi State (74-53) • 217-97 career record (10th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Richard Hendrix
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The 12th-most played rivalry in the history of college basketball, this will be the 274th time Ole Miss and Mississippi State have faced each other, and second time this season. While the Bulldogs lead 152-121 in a series that dates back to 1914, Ole Miss holds an 89-48 advantage when playing in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: January 14, 2026 (W, 68-67, Starkville, Miss.)
• A strong defensive effort by Ole Miss kept State's two leading guards to just 20.5% (7-34) from the floor, as the Rebels escaped hostile territory with a win.
• Ilias Kamardine (Ole Miss): 17 points, four rebounds, five assists.
• Jayden Epps (Mississippi State): 14 points, four rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State comes to Oxford with a season record of 11-13, having gone 3-8 in conference play. Prior to the SEC slate, the Bulldogs picked up wins over Georgia Tech, Utah, and Memphis, and have since defeated Texas, Oklahoma and LSU in conference. They currently sit in 88th in the latest KenPom rankings and 100th in the NET Rankings.
State continues to be led by their guards, as Josh Hubbard ranks second in the SEC and 14th in the nation with an average of 21.0 points per game, while Jayden Epps averages 14.4. One of the stronger rebounding teams in the country, they are led on the boards by Kansas State transfer Achor Achor at 6.7 per game and Wichita State transfer Quincy Ballard at 6.3 per game.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Defensive rebounds per game, 27.8, 20th
- Rebounds per game, 39.8, 32nd
- Three-point percentage defense, 30.4, 38th
- Blocks per game, 4.5, 47th
Currently in his fourth year with the program, head coach Chris Jans has won just over 70 games during his time in Starkville. He's won 21 games in each of his first three seasons with State, and joined the program from New Mexico State, where he accumulated 122 wins to just 32 losses over five seasons. He got his first Division I head coaching position at Bowling Green during the 2014-15 season, after years of success at the junior college level.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 24 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 15 contests, including 10 of their 11 SEC games. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 25th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.1 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.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 31.6 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 24th in the country and third in the SEC. Spearheading the output is senior guard AJ Storr, who has been coming off the bench in each of the last 10 games. He's posted four 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.5 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.6 points per game in SEC games, the 13th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
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 10 games, Storr is averaging 18.5 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 two within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by 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 53rd-best mark in the nation. Fourteen 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.
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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