Three conference champs, six 20-win/postseason teams make up Ole Miss’ non-con basketball slate

Ole Miss basketball has released its non-conference schedule for the upcoming season. 

Or perhaps better known as the inaugural season of the Chris Beard era.

The Rebels are poised to square off off against three conference champions, six 20-win teams and six schools who reached the postseason last year. And that’s all before they enter the always-grueling SEC slate.

This season will be the ninth for the Rebels in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. They’ll tip off the 2023-24 campaign against Alabama State (November 6) before Eastern Washington rolls into town (November 10).

Eastern Michigan is coming off a 23-win season and Big Sky regular season title.

Ole Miss brings Detroit Mercer to Oxford on November 14 and hosts the Throwback Game at the Tad Pad three days later. The Rebels will honor former head coach Rob Evans, who, over a six-year Ole Miss career, won 86 games. Evans helped lead the 1996-97 Rebels to 20 wins. He earned both national and SEC Coach of the Year honors.

Vaught Society members and current men’s basketball season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets to the game on Tuesday, September 5. A release to the general public is set for Thursday, September 7.  The game will not be televised or streamed.

“When coach Beard first mentioned the idea, we all thought it could be a great way to bring exposure to the program and incorporate some of the people that helped put Ole Miss basketball on the map,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said. 

“Tad Smith Coliseum hosted many great games over its 50-year lifespan. It will be fun to bring back some nostalgic feelings for our long-time basketball fans, as well as showcase the history of the building to some of our younger fans.”

RELATED: Ole Miss and Chris Beard are turning back the clock with a throwback game in the ‘Tad Pad’

The Throwback Game at the Tad Pad will pit Ole Miss against Sam Houston State. 

Sam Houston State won 26 games last season and reached the postseason.

Ole Miss doesn’t play its first away game until November 22 — a road trip to Temple. They return home to host NC State for the ACC/SEC Challenge on November 28. They’ll renew their rivalry with Memphis on December 2. 

NC State and Memphis were both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago. The pair accounts for two of four 20-win teams from last season the Rebels face off against in this season’s first seven games.

“It’s almost September,” Beard said Monday, when asked of the makeup of his first Ole Miss roster. “I’ve got to feel good now. Obviously recruiting never stops, but right now, our roster’s intact.”

Notably, however, Ole Miss is still waiting on the NCAA regarding waivers for transfers Moussa Cisse and Brandon Murray.

Beard added, “We had 16 players at practice this morning. There’s 16 guys I believe in. The first step is believing in somebody. The next step, which is a big one, is trusting guys. I don’t trust all 16 guys yet, but I believe in them and I could see what each of them could be and what we could be together.”

RELATED: Ole Miss basketball officially releases roster for 2023-24 season

Ole Miss hosts Mount Saint Mary’s December 5.

The Rebels then get back on the road for a showdown at UCF. The Golden Knights reached the postseason last season, too. 

Ole Miss takes on California in San Antonio on December 16. Ole Miss and Cal are among the teams participating in the 2023 Naismith Hall of Fame Series at the AT&T Center. Closing out the non-conference schedule: Troy (December 19), Southern Miss (in Biloxi, on December 23) and Bryant (December 31).

In all, the Rebels will go up against 19 20-win teams from 2022-23. The Rebels have 20 games against postseason teams. Nineteen of those teams finished the year ranked in the Top 100 NET rankings. Twelve finished in the Top 50.

Season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting OleMissTix.com.