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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, February 25
Oxford, Miss.
8 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
LSU
Men's Basketball Ready to Battle LSU in SJB Pavilion Wednesday Night
2/24/2026 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team will host LSU in the SJB Pavilion on Wednesday, February 25 at 8 p.m., broadcasting on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-16, 3-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-40) • 292-138 career record (14th Season)
LSU Tigers (Record: 14-13, 2-12 SEC)
Head Coach: Matt McMahon • 4th Season at LSU (59-66) • 213-133 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. LSU
This will be the 220th time Ole Miss and LSU have faced off, a series that dates back to 1910 with the second-most games played among all opponents for the Rebels and sixth-most played series in the SEC. While the Tigers hold the all-time lead 127-92, Ole Miss has won four of the last five and owns a 56-42 advantage when playing in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: February 8, 2025 (W, 72-70, Baton Rouge, La.)
• Trailing by six at the half in hostile territory, Ole Miss stormed back late. Trailing by 10 with just under four minutes left, Jaemyn Brakefield tied the game at 70 with a three at the 45-second mark, before Dre Davis leapt up for a tip-in as the clock hit zero on the next possession.
• Dre Davis (Ole Miss): 22 points, seven rebounds, one steal.
• Cam Carter (LSU): 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
LSU brings a season record of 14-13 to Oxford, having gone 2-12 during conference play with their SEC wins coming over Missouri at home and at South Carolina. They sit at the bottom of the current SEC standings, and rank 67th in the NET Rankings and 53rd in KenPom.
They are led offensively by Max Mackinnon at 14.8 points per game and Marquel Sutton at 14.0 per game. Sutton also paces the Tigers on the boards, ranking fourth in the SEC by averaging 7.6 rebounds while Pablo Tambra ranks eighth in the conference at 7.1. The conference leader in free throw shooting, Mackinnon is making 91.3 percent of his shots from the charity stripe, while Michael Nwoko leads the SEC in field goal percentage at 61.4 percent.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Free throws made per game, 18.5, 23rd
- Free throw attempts per game, 24.3, 42nd
- Free throw percentage, 76.3, 47th
- Field goal percentage, 47.3, 64th
- Turnovers per game, 10.5, 72nd
In his fourth season at the helm, LSU is led by head coach Matt McMahon who was hired before the 2022-23 season after a successful run at Murray State. While with the Racers, McMahon put together four 20-win seasons in his seven years, including three NCAA Tournament births and a historical 31-win season in 2021-22. He helped guide Murray State to four regular season and three tournament conference titles, and was named the OVC Coach of the Year in 2022.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 27 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 16 contests, including 11 of their 14 SEC games. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 27th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.4 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.
During Beard's three years in Oxford, Ole Miss leads the SEC in fewest turnovers per game at 9.8, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 30.9 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 25th 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 13 games. He's posted six 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.1 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.4 points per game in SEC games, the 12th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas on February 7, 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 13 games, Storr is averaging 18.1 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 seven 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 nine.
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 4.3 blocks per game, the 62nd-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 27, 23 from Malik Dia, and 23 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: 11-16, 3-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-40) • 292-138 career record (14th Season)
LSU Tigers (Record: 14-13, 2-12 SEC)
Head Coach: Matt McMahon • 4th Season at LSU (59-66) • 213-133 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. LSU
This will be the 220th time Ole Miss and LSU have faced off, a series that dates back to 1910 with the second-most games played among all opponents for the Rebels and sixth-most played series in the SEC. While the Tigers hold the all-time lead 127-92, Ole Miss has won four of the last five and owns a 56-42 advantage when playing in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: February 8, 2025 (W, 72-70, Baton Rouge, La.)
• Trailing by six at the half in hostile territory, Ole Miss stormed back late. Trailing by 10 with just under four minutes left, Jaemyn Brakefield tied the game at 70 with a three at the 45-second mark, before Dre Davis leapt up for a tip-in as the clock hit zero on the next possession.
• Dre Davis (Ole Miss): 22 points, seven rebounds, one steal.
• Cam Carter (LSU): 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
LSU brings a season record of 14-13 to Oxford, having gone 2-12 during conference play with their SEC wins coming over Missouri at home and at South Carolina. They sit at the bottom of the current SEC standings, and rank 67th in the NET Rankings and 53rd in KenPom.
They are led offensively by Max Mackinnon at 14.8 points per game and Marquel Sutton at 14.0 per game. Sutton also paces the Tigers on the boards, ranking fourth in the SEC by averaging 7.6 rebounds while Pablo Tambra ranks eighth in the conference at 7.1. The conference leader in free throw shooting, Mackinnon is making 91.3 percent of his shots from the charity stripe, while Michael Nwoko leads the SEC in field goal percentage at 61.4 percent.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Free throws made per game, 18.5, 23rd
- Free throw attempts per game, 24.3, 42nd
- Free throw percentage, 76.3, 47th
- Field goal percentage, 47.3, 64th
- Turnovers per game, 10.5, 72nd
In his fourth season at the helm, LSU is led by head coach Matt McMahon who was hired before the 2022-23 season after a successful run at Murray State. While with the Racers, McMahon put together four 20-win seasons in his seven years, including three NCAA Tournament births and a historical 31-win season in 2021-22. He helped guide Murray State to four regular season and three tournament conference titles, and was named the OVC Coach of the Year in 2022.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 27 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 16 contests, including 11 of their 14 SEC games. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 27th-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.4 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.
During Beard's three years in Oxford, Ole Miss leads the SEC in fewest turnovers per game at 9.8, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 30.9 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 25th 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 13 games. He's posted six 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.1 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.4 points per game in SEC games, the 12th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas on February 7, 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 13 games, Storr is averaging 18.1 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 seven 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 nine.
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 4.3 blocks per game, the 62nd-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 27, 23 from Malik Dia, and 23 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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