Ole Miss vs. Georgia: How to watch, start time, TV channel

Memphis was the first of seven Quad 1 opportunities for Ole Miss basketball in its next eight games. 

Such wins are the gold standard for NCAA Tournament resumes. The Rebels haven’t been to the tournament going on six years. They’ve gotten there all of nine times in their 100-plus-year history.

So much for getting off on the right foot. 

Ole Miss was walloped in Bluff City, 87-70. Still, the Rebels won 11 of their first 13 games and enter SEC play on Saturday ranked No. 24 by the Associated Press.

“From where I was sitting Memphis was emotionally attached to the this game,” second-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said afterwards. “We matched that part of the game for segments, but nowhere near the 40 minutes that it would have required to win. 

“We have to do a better job of embracing each possession. We’ve got some veteran guys that have played a long time. It’s just like they think everything’s just going to be OK. When you’re playing against a team like Memphis you don’t have that margin for error. Certainly the start in the first half and the start of the second half were really the difference in the game.”

The Rebels are one of 10 SEC teams in the Top 25. Five (Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Kentucky) are in the Top 10.

All 16 conference teams tip off league play on Saturday. Ole Miss (11-2) hosts Georgia (12-1) at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network. Other notable games include No. 6 Florida at No. 10 Kentucky, No. 23 Arkansas at No. 1 Tennessee and No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 5 Alabama.

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HOW TO WATCH

Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Pat Bradley

HOW TO LISTEN

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes

SERIES HISTORY

Ole Miss and Georgia are meeting for the 126th time in history. Georgia leads the all-time series, 78-47.

Ole Miss is three games better (28-25) in games played in Oxford. However, the Bulldogs have taken each of the previous two such matchups. The teams have split the last 10 at five apiece. Georgia, though, has won five of the last seven.

SCOUTING GEORGIA

Georgia rolls into Oxford on a seven-game winning streak. The Bulldogs picked up notable non-conference wins over Georgia Tech, St. John’s and Notre Dame.

Five players are averaging double-digit points. De’Shayne Montgomery, a transfer from Mount St. Mary’s, leads all scorers at 16.0 per game. He was only recently cleared and has played the last three games. Montgomery is shooting 73.1 percent from the field. He has nine steals. 

Freshman Asa Newell is averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds to go along with 15.5 points. Newell is third in the SEC in field goal percentage (59.0).

Georgia’s fifth nationally in blocks (6.0 per game). Somto Cyril has the most of all Bulldogs with 26. The Bulldogs have also out-rebounded their opponents by a +10.4 margin, the 11th-best mark in the country.

Georgia is No. 13 in the NCAA in FG percentage, No. 18 in scoring margin and No. 18 in three-point percentage defense.

All-time Ole Miss basketball great Mike White is in his third season as Georgia head coach. He’s posted a 48-34 record. White was at Florida for seven seasons prior to Georgia. He was 142-88 in Gainesville and reached the NCAA Tournament four times. 

White received his first head coaching opportunity at Louisiana Tech in 2011. He coached those Bulldogs for four years and over 100 wins. White was also an assistant under former Ole Miss head coaches Rod Barnes and Andy Kennedy for seven seasons.

White was a four-year starter for Rebel basketball. He helped Ole Miss to two SEC West titles and a third of the Rebels’ all-time NCAA Tournament appearances. 

His 370 career assists are the seventh-most in school history. White was the team leader in the category in each of his four Ole Miss seasons.