Ole Miss Basketball Rises in Newest AP Poll Following Wins Over Arkansas, LSU

Ole Miss basketball rose in the latest installment of the AP Top 25.

Jan 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) reacts after a basket during the second half against the LSU Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss basketball has been on a hot streak as of late.

The Rebels have won three straight SEC games, with the most recent coming on Saturday over rival LSU 77-65.

With three consecutive conference wins under their belt, the Rebels rose two spots from No. 23 to No. 21 in the newest AP Poll, released on Monday. The Rebels are one of eight SEC teams ranked in this week's poll.

You can view the rankings below with SEC teams listed in bold.

1. Auburn

2. Iowa State

3. Duke

4. Alabama

5. Florida

6. Tennessee

7. Marquette

8. Kentucky

9. Kansas

10. Houston

11. Texas A&M

12. Michigan State

13. Oregon

14. UConn

15. Mississippi State

16. Gonzaga

17. Purdue

18. Memphis

19. Illinois

20. Michigan

21. Ole Miss

22. Utah State

23. Georgia

24. Wisconsin

25. Baylor

The Rebels were ranked as high as No. 16 before suffering a 87-70 loss to Memphis in the Mid-South Rivalry in December and have rebounded in a major way since then. Wins over Georgia, Arkansas and LSU have Ole Miss on the right foot in the beginning of the SEC slate, and forward Malik Dia has been a key component of this hot streak.

Dia spoke to the media on Saturday following the win over LSU and discussed what has been working for him as a player and his team.

"I think everything's the same in the gym every day," Dia said. "I watch film, I'm with my coaches every single day, I get coached hard, and it's just non-stop. I think the thing with me that's changed is not trying to look to be aggressive.

"I think everything is just coming with the flow, and we're all just trying to play team basketball now, and it's opening up."

A tough test awaits the Rebels on Tuesday, however, as Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 Alabama. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPNU.