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Ole Miss

Chris Beard calls out accusation that Ole Miss is a 'fraud'

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•03/17/25•

BarkleyTruax

NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma at Mississippi
Mar 1, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss was recently labeled a “fraud” by a college basketball analyst after the Rebels were revealed to be a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This sparked outrage from Rebels fans online, and head coach Chris Beard was asked about it during the Rebels’ pre-tournament press conference.

Beard moved on from the question quickly. However, by the time the next reporter was finished with his question it was clear that Beard had that word, ‘fraud,’ still on his mind. He addressed the accusation more directly this time.

“I think we’ve got a good team. We just played in what people are calling the best conference in the history of college basketball as the [NCAA] Tournament starts, so we’ll see how it plays out,” Beard told reporters. “10 [SEC] wins — some interesting things about our resume. Road wins, non-conference, BYU in the NCAA Tournament, Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament, Louisville in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue, we lost a one-possession game in overtime, and certainly in a conference with road wins at places like Alabama, recent home win against teams like Tennessee.

“So, yeah, I think a lot of things could be said about our team, both good and bad. But fraud would not be a word that I would think about when I think about this year’s Ole Miss team.”

As it stands, Ole Miss enters the NCAA Tournament 22-11 overall, which includes a 10-8 record against SEC competition. The Rebels are also 8-10 against Quad 1 opponents, featuring victories against the likes of the aforementioned Alabama and Tennessee, as well as the Kentucky Wildcats, and Arkansas Razorbacks twice during the regular season.

The Rebels also took the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed, the Auburn Tigers, to the limit during the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament last week. They would go on to suffer a 62-57 defeat, but led by as many as five points during the contest.

For now, Ole Miss still doesn’t know exactly who their opponent will be in the first round. They’re set to play either No. 11 seed North Carolina, or No. 11 seed San Diego State.

These two teams will do battle in the First Four on Tuesday night for a chance to face the Rebels and keep their season alive throught the first weekend. Tip-off between Ole Miss and the First Four victor is set Friday at 4:05 p.m. ET live on TBS.