Ole Miss Basketball Releases 2020-21 Non-Conference Schedule
OXFORD, Miss. (Ole Miss Athletics) – The Ole Miss men's basketball team will tip off the 2020-21 season at home by hosting three teams during the week of Thanksgiving. The Rebels will welcome Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Jackson State to The Pavilion for the Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic (Nov. 25-27).
"What a great way to tip off our season with three straight days of basketball leading up to the Egg Bowl," head coach said. "We could not find a finer man to name our classic after than Justin Reed, one of the most popular players in Ole Miss history."
The tournament is named in honor of Reed, a fan favorite and four-year starter during his time at Ole Miss (2001-04). Reed etched his name in the school record books before getting drafted in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Along with becoming the first Rebel to be named All-SEC in four different seasons, he ranks seventh all-time in scoring (1,785 points) and ninth in rebounds (766).
The season-opening event is a round robin format with each team playing three games over three days. The Rebels are set to begin the tournament against Central Arkansas (Nov. 25), coached by Ole Miss alum Anthony Boone. An in-state battle is featured on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) when Ole Miss faces Jackson State. The Tigers are led by former Ole Miss assistant coach Wayne Brent, who helped guide Reed and the Rebels to three NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in Oxford. The Rebels conclude the tournament with a Friday matchup against Arkansas State (Nov. 27).
Ole Miss also finalized the remainder of its non-conference schedule. On the first Saturday of the month (Dec. 5), a rivalry is renewed as the Rebels battle Memphis on Craddock Court. One week later (Dec. 12), UNCW makes the trip to Oxford.
Back-to-back road games begin with Ole Miss traveling north to face Davis' former team, Middle Tennessee (Dec. 16). It marks the first time Davis leads a visiting team into Murfreesboro, Tennessee after spending 16 seasons as head coach of the Blue Raiders. The two programs meet for the fifth straight season with Davis the victorious coach in each of the previous four matchups, twice at Middle Tennessee (2016, 2017) as well as the past two seasons at Ole Miss (2018, 2019). Three days later (Dec. 19), Ole Miss heads to Ohio to square off against Dayton. The Flyers are coming off a historic 29-2 season, finishing the year ranked No. 3 in the country.
Three days before Christmas (Dec. 22), Ole Miss hosts UT Martin. Following the first game of SEC play to end competition for the 2020 calendar year (date and opponent to be announced), the Rebels ring in 2021 and wrap up non-conference play by welcoming Wichita State to The Pavilion (Jan. 2). The matchup against the Shockers is part of a scheduling alliance with the SEC and the American Athletic Conference. Participating schools play a home-and-home series, which began last season when the Rebels traveled to Kansas.
Full 2020-21 Ole Miss Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule:
- Nov. 25: Central Arkansas (Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic)
- Nov. 26: Jackson State (Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic)
- No.v 27: Arkansas State (Justin Reed Ole Miss Classic)
- Dec. 5: Memphis
- Dec. 12: UNCW
- Dec. 16: at MTSU
- Dec. 19: at Dayton
- Dec. 22: UT Martin
- Jan. 2: Wichita State
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