Ole Miss got its first SEC win of the season and looking for more at struggling No. 25 Arkansas
Saying a game is ‘must win’ is a hyperbolic term in the sports media profession but on Saturday no other phrase might be truer for the Ole Miss and No. 25 Arkansas men’s basketball teams.
The Rebels are coming off its first Southeastern Conference win of the season after defeating South Carolina on the road this past Tuesday. Their next opponent got its first SEC win in its second game of the conference schedule and has lost the last four since.
The win in Columbia, S.C. was one Ole Miss (9-9, 1-5 SEC) needed for many different reasons beyond getting the zero off the win column in SEC play. A locker room that was sitting on a six-game skid and reeling after its most recent loss at home to Georgia.
Confetti and streamers did not fall from the ceiling nor was champagne bottles popped or cigars smoked, but the Ole Miss locker room was of a mood that knew how big the first SEC win was at that particular juncture of the season.
Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis met with the media on Friday for the first time since the win and expounded on the emotions.
“It wasn’t just this jubilant locker room, but I think they were just proud to get the first win. We all were,” Davis said. “You guys have seen the games. You knew how close we’ve been and we didn’t get them done. I think they felt good that the things that we’ve emphasized we did better in the last 10 minutes (at South Carolina).”
Now Ole Miss is tasked with carrying that winning feeling to Bud Walton Arena where road teams struggle to steal a victory from.
There is no magic formula or a way for Davis to bottle up what happened on Tuesday and give it to his team Saturday, but it would be nice if he could.
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Instead Ole Miss has to go into one of the historically toughest basketball arenas in the country and play an Arkansas team that is on its heels and looking for that winning feeling themselves.
The Razorbacks (12-6, 1-5) are part of a four-way tie at the bottom of the SEC with the Rebels, LSU and Mississippi State. This was a team considered a top contender in the SEC and a Top 15 program. Now, they are looking at the teams they thought they’d be fighting with for a conference title.
“Probably the closest (environment we’ve played in) would be at Memphis and Alabama had a good atmosphere,” Davis said. “A team desperate for win. Again, we’re desperate for a win and everybody knows there’s so much basketball in front of all of us with all these great opportunities. There’s plenty of those chances left. I’m sure Arkansas feels the same way we do.”
Arkansas is without a key player after Trevon Brazile tore his ACL a month into the season, which has aided in the Razorbacks struggles once conference play began.
Ole Miss and Arkansas are set to tip off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday and the game will air on ESPN2.
Watch Davis’ full press conference from Friday below. Video courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Productions.
