What to Know About Ole Miss Basketball Ahead of Mizzou's Ranked Contest

Life isn't getting any easier in the SEC for the Missouri Tigers, who are entering arguably the most challenging stretch of its conference schedule. The next team up on the gauntlet is the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels, coached by Chris Beard.

Ole Miss is not only one of the most experienced teams in the conference but in the country as well. Its starting lineup is made up of five seniors, some of which who have played more than four years of college basketball. Two of those players are new to Oxford and one of them is on his third stop in his career.

The Rebels have a reputation for playing hard-nosed, physical basketball. It might sound like a cliche but that's exactly how a Beard-run team operates. Ole Miss is full of physical and talented defenders who make life unbearable for their opponents.

It's for that reason that they lead the SEC in multiple defensive statistics. For a team that just faced a tough defense and crumbled, Missouri needs to be ready for what Ole Miss throws at them on the defensive side of the ball.

Here are three things to know about the Ole Miss Rebels:

Veteran Starters

From top to bottom, the Ole Miss starting lineup has a veteran at each position. Guard Matthew Murrell is the most seasoned Rebel of the bunch, with Murrell in his fifth season with the team. They've been consistent cornerstones for this team throughout their tenure and this season is no different.

When Murrell elected to stay in Oxford for a fifth (and presumably final) season, it may have come as a surprise. For a player who had some NBA draft hopes, one more year in college certainly could have tanked that stock. Whether his draft stock has changed or not is up in the air but there is no doubt he's impacted winning so far.

Point guard Jaylen Murray is in his fourth season of college basketball and second with the Rebels. The small and shifty guard is one of the most efficient players on this team and helps them play at a comfortable pace. He also leads the Rebels in assists with 4.1 per game.

Next to him is another smaller guard, former Virginia Tech Hokie Sean Pedulla. Known for his shooting prowess, usually from outside, Pedulla walked into Oxford and quickly became the leading scorer. Despite his three-point percentage sitting at 38.5%, not much more could be asked of Pedulla right now. Dre Davis is the fifth and final starter coming from Seton Hall, a bigger guard and steady presence on both sides of the ball.

It's also worth mentioning that five-year forward Jaemyn Brakefield has been in and out of the starting lineup but has spent four years with the Rebels. Brakefield is an important offensive piece to the roster whether he's a starter or not.

New Faces

Among those starters are three brand-new transfers, all of which are making an impact so far. Pedulla has quickly jumped into the leading scorer role for Ole Miss. He fits into Beard's system very well as both a point guard and scorer and there's a reason why he's a statistical leader for the Rebels.

Five other transfers joined the program in the offseason, four of which have been high-impact players so far. Forward Malik Dia and guard Davon Barnes have both moved in and out of the starting lineup but have made their presences felt regardless. Dia's averaging 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, leading the team in that category.

Davis, again, is another starter that was acquired through the transfer portal. He's a steady presence that is not prone to mistakes. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing has skills of both a guard and forward, making him one of the most dynamic players on the roster.

Mikeal Brown-Jones is another fifth-year player who plays a powerful brand of basketball. He's a bruiser inside and a good rebounder as well. Ja'Von Benson also transferred in from Hampton but has yet to see consistent minutes this season.

An SEC-Leading Defense

Ole Miss leads the SEC in turnovers forced per game with 16.2, which is also No. 12 in the country. At the same time, they only turn the ball over 9.4 times per game. That's the second-best mark in the conference. The physical and lengthy nature of this Ole Miss defense jumps out of the stat sheet, which is scary for any opponent.

On top of that, they only allow 65.5 points per game, the third-best mark in the SEC. There are now no doubts that the Rebels have a reputation for strong defensive play, providing another test for the Tigers.

Both Missouri and Ole Miss are the two best teams in the conference when it comes to generating steals, with the Rebels leading with 10.1 per game and the Tigers with 10 on the dot. This creates an interesting dynamic with two of the best defenses in the SEC.

Veteran Starters

New Faces

An SEC-Leading Defense

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