MSU-Ole Miss Bound to be Close Contest

The Michigan State Spartans will take on the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sweet 16. This matchup has the makings to be a close affair.

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Iowa State Cyclones at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans have eliminated two teams already from the NCAA Tournament to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. The Spartans, under head coach Tom Izzo, are very familiar with what it takes to win at this point in the tournament, but the task ahead against the Ole Miss Rebels will be a tall one.

The Rebels made a strong statement against their round two opponents in Iowa State, defeating them by the score of 91-78. During the regular season, Ole Miss hovered around the top of the SEC before ultimately landing in sixth place, but that doesn't take away from the danger they possess.

Luckily for the Spartans, their program heads into the Sweet 16 round holding an impressive statistic above the heads of their opponents. Throughout the 2024-25 season, MSU, as a team, ranked eighth in the Big Ten in average points scored per game with 78.2, complementing its strong defense.

Looking at the same statistic for the Rebels, they were able to score 77.4 points per game, placing them 10th overall in the SEC. Given the rest of the stacked competition in the division, MSU would have still placed higher than their upcoming opponents.

The Spartans were heavily led by senior guard Jaden Akins, who was the leading scorer and averaged the most points per game during the regular season. It wasn't until down the stretch that freshman guard Jase Richardson joined the cause and earned the second-highest scoring average on the team.

Following the win over New Mexico, MSU will be hoping that the performance that Richardson put up was a fluke in the matrix. Luckily for the program, however, Akins came through, dropping 16 points in the 71-63 victory.

Senior guard Sean Pedulla for Ole Miss has dropped back-to-back 20 bombs for his team, leading them to where they sit in the tournament now. If MSU wishes to keep the contest close, it needs to be a priority to get as many offensive and defensive rebounds as possible to counteract the inevitable production from Pedulla.

The small break in action will truly be a testament of who has the better team, as the game is scheduled to take place on Friday at State Farm Arena.

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