Ole Miss brings an 'unorthodox" style of defense, iso-style offense

Kentucky is really going to have to take care of the ball Tuesday.

Jan 29, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard huddles with guard Sean Pedulla (3), forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4), and guard Matthew Murrell (11) during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kentucky is ready to bounce back after a dissappointing loss to John Calipari and Arkansas in Rupp Arena on Saturday when they take on the #25 Ole Miss Rebels on the road. The Wildcats are faced with nearly the same challenges as a week ago against Tennessee, but the Rebels can really turn teams over.

Andrew Carr knows the challenges they will face on Tuesday, and one of the keys is protecting the ball. Ole Miss is 4th nationally in turnovers forced, but are also one of the best at protecting it offensively. With two players averaging over two steals per game, Carr knows they will need to watch out for them, as well as their ability to get to the rim offensively.

"They're a super talented team. Their defense is a little unorthodox. They switch everything. They're super aggressive to the basketball, a little unpredictable, send two to the ball sometimes. We're ready to go against something new. We haven't really faced a full five interchanging, switching team so far. We're excited to be able to attack that in a lot of different ways that we have talked about. Offensively, they're probably one of the better iso type of teams that we've played against, and have super talented players. It's gonna be a big test for us on some of the things that we've talked about coming out of our last game. So, we're excited to be able to put that to the test (Tuesday) and go out and get another road win."

Carr on Ole Miss.

The biggest things that jumps out with Ole Miss is their turnover margin, assist-turnover-ratio, and their ability to use isolation on offense. The Wildcats will need to take care of the ball. It's worth noting, Kentucky is 5-0 this season when entering the game as an underdog, and as of right now, they are 3-point underdogs on the road in Oxford.