GameDay Primer: Ole Miss set for Top 25 showdown on the road at Auburn
Two weeks into conference play and No. 22 Ole Miss is still searching for its first road win over a Southeastern Conference opponent and Saturday’s opponent makes this task even more difficult.
Falling at LSU on Wednesday put the Rebels (15-2, 2-2 SEC) in a tough spot as the week-long road trip concludes at No. 13 Auburn (15-2, 4-0) at 7:30 p.m. CT. Similar to Ole Miss the Tigers are undefeated at home inside Neville Arena.
Once again first-year head coach Chris Beard is looking for the Rebels to respond and bounce back like they did coming off the loss at Tennessee on January 6 to open up conference play, but this will be a tall order against a second Top 15 team in the last five games.
Ole Miss is searching for consistency after an up and down start to its SEC schedule but the Tigers might not allow for that.
Through his first four games of SEC play Beard is still learning about his team and is aware a loss in January does not end a season.
“I think we’re like every other team in the country. We’re still kind of a work in progress,” Beard said after the loss to LSU. “I think we’ve had some good moments this season. I believe that we can play with any team in the country but we’re really striving for consistency and tonight you kind of saw that.”
Related: Ole Miss striving for ‘consistency’ after up and down start to open up SEC play
SERIES HISTORY — OLE MISS vs. AUBURN
This will be the 146th meeting between Ole Miss and Auburn on the basketball court, with the Tigers leading the all-time series 81-64. Auburn holds an advantage when playing at home, 57-17, and has won six of the last 10 games.
Auburn defeated the Rebels, 78-74, when the two teams last met on February 24, 2023.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Entering with a record of 15-2, the No. 11 Auburn Tigers have won all four of their SEC games thus far, defeating Arkansas, Texas A&M, LSU, and Vanderbilt. This will be their second matchup with a ranked team this season, after falling to No. 20 Baylor in their season opener.
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Forward Johni Broome has been the leader for Auburn this season, averaging a team-high 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. Guard Aden Holloway has orchestrated the offense with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.50, the third-best in the SEC and 10th in the country.
Auburn leads the SEC and is one of the best in the nation in scoring margin category.
The Tigers have a scoring margin of 18.2 points, holding their opponent to an average of 65.6 points and just 37.9 percent shooting from the field.
Ole Miss enters the game averaging 77.8 points per game and shooting 46.1 percent which is good enough for fifth in the SEC.
THA OLE MISS BLOCK IS HOT
Ole Miss ranks third in college basketball averaging 6.6 blocks per game, and is keeping opponents to just 41.1 percent shooting from the floor which ranks 69th in the nation.
The muscle in the paint for the Rebels has been Jamarion Sharp, who leads the SEC in blocks per game (3.88) and blocks (49), ranking among the top five in each category nationally.
