Ole Miss Basketball's Chris Beard Breaks Down Crucial SEC Win Over Oklahoma

Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard broke down an important conference win over Oklahoma on Saturday.

Mar 1, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard calls for a review during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss basketball won a thriller over Oklahoma 87-84 on Saturday.

On an afternoon that saw both teams trade punches, Ole Miss was able to weather the storm and come out on top with the victory. The win moves Ole Miss to 9-7 in SEC play and snapped a three-game skid for the Rebels.

"A reporter at our pregame meal mentioned we had dropped three in a row, and I didn't realize that," Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said in an interview postgame. "This is the SEC, it's an 18-round fight, you better have a short memory.

"We all kind of recognize when we're on a winning streak because other peoples perceptions change, and we enjoy that. I don't think of us 'losing.' You either win the game or run out of time. And either way, you get back to work quickly."

While many feel as though winning and losing streaks matter, Beard is absolutely right in that it's a long conference season. It's better to focus on the game in front of you rather than dwelling on games behind you on the schedule.

While on the topic of schedule, the Rebels are set to take on two top-five teams to close out the regular season: No. 5 Tennessee at home on Wednesday and No. 3 Florida in Gainesville on Saturday. Winning even just one of those games could have a big impact on the team's momentum heading into the SEC Tournament next week.

"We understand the opportunities we have coming after this game," Beard said. "Must win? Absolutely. But it's March. What win in March isn't a 'must-win?'

"Some teams may go to their conference tournament and don't value that as much, but that isn't us. We've always thought you want to go into the NCAA Tournament winning games. So this is March, the whole idea of 'must win,' it's real."

Ole Miss has been in every NCAA Tournament projection so far this season, and if they do hear their name called on Selection Sunday, it would mark the Rebels' first tournament appearance since 2019. Ole Miss has been to the Big Dance just nine times in program history, and Chris Beard & Co. leading the Rebels back in just his second season is impressive, to say the least.

"It's what I was hired to do," Beard said. "It's a conversation the Chancellor (Glenn Boyce) and Keith (Keith Carter, Ole Miss' Athletic Director) had. And I take that very, very serious. I never forget the bottom line."

Ole Miss is enjoying arguably it's most successful season since the 2018-2019 campaign. Chris Beard is in the midst of elevating Rebels' basketball back to the standard it once held. And while there is plenty of basketball left to be played, the results are already visible.

Tip-off for the Rebels' next matchup against No. 5 Tennessee is set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.