Three Things to Know: Ole Miss Rebels

What Kentucky fans need to know before the Wildcats take on Ole Miss in Rupp Arena on Saturday.

Jan 20, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Travis Perry (11) reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and his Kentucky Wildcats will return to Rupp Arena on Saturday to take on the Ole Miss Rebels, looking to extend their winning streak to five games. The Rebels enter the game with an 11-8 overall record, just 3-3 in SEC play so far, with wins coming against #21 Georgia, Missouri and Mississippi State. Plus, they feature former Kentucky Wildcat, Travis Perry.

The Wildcats are aiming to keep their big winning streak going, as they have looked like a much better team throughout this four-game win streak, as they have most recently came away with wins at Tennessee and at home against Texas. As for Ole Miss, they're looking to get a much-needed big Quad 1 win after previously getting one two weeks ago against Georgia, as another one would really boost their NCAA Tournament hopes since they're currently projected to miss it.

Let's take a look at what head coach Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels will bring to Rupp Arena on Saturday. Here are three things you need to know before the matchup.

Excellent at taking care of the ball

Jan 20, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Corey Chest (1) and guard AJ Storr (2) reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This is one of the few things Ole Miss is very good at. The Rebels are one of the top teams in the entire country at taking care of the ball, ranking 38th in the country, and since SEC play, they are first in the conference in turnover percentage. This area will be tested on Saturday, as Kentucky is known to be aggressive on defense, but it's only a matter of if the Wildcats can stay aggressive often enough to really make an impact there. If Kentucky can make the Ole Miss offense uncomfortable, there is not much Ole Miss can do in order to be able to score, especially an offense that features a player who takes the most shots in the SEC, AJ Storr. A pretty impressive amount of their offense runs through him.

Not very efficient from two

Jan 14, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0) dribbles against Georgia Bulldogs forward Kanon Catchings (6) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In many of their losses, Ole Miss has not been very efficient shooting from inside the arc. In fact, in conference play, the Rebels are ranked 14th in the SEC in two-point percentage, and their loss to Auburn is a great example, as they went just 12-33 from inside. That was also the case against Oklahoma, as they shot just 13-35 from there. Kentucky needs to run them off the three-point line and defend without fouling.

One of the worst rebounding teams in SEC

Jan 20, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This is an area where Kentucky can really exploit, as their effort on the glass recently has been excellent. Coming off tying the best offensive rebounding team in the country in Texas, the Wildcats have a really good opportunity to find even more success on the glass, and really make an impact against a vulnerable Rebels squad. Since SEC play began, Ole Miss ranks 15th in the conference on the offensive glass and just 14th on the defensive end. Kentucky's effort on the glass lately has been effective, and they will want it to continue on Saturday.

Oh, and not to mention Kentucky can find similar success on Saturday with getting to the free-throw line as easily as they did against Texas, because Ole Miss ranks 266th in the country in free-throw rate defense. Since conference play, they have allowed the second-most free throws to opponents. Kentucky needs to come away with a win on Saturday, because on paper, this is their easiest game left.