Ole Miss Coach Chris Beard Believes Auburn Game 'Validates' Rebels' Top 25 Status

Ole Miss basketball's Chris Beard reflected on a tough loss to No. 1 Auburn on Saturday.

Feb 1, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard reacts during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss basketball lost a tough matchup to No. 1 Auburn 92-82 on Saturday.

Despite the double-digit loss, 10 points was the biggest deficit of the game for the Rebels, who trailed by as little as a point, and even captured a lead in the first half.

"I think it validates that we're a top-25 program," head coach Chris Beard said in an interview postgame. "This was the second time that Auburn and Ole Miss have played in all these years, that both teams were ranked.

"We're going to continue to try and build our program where we're in the position we were today, where we're more than competitive."

Auburn shot 50% from three-point range and outrebounded the Rebels 41-30. But the fact remains that Ole Miss was neck-and-neck with the Tigers for the majority of the game and were undoubtedly a handful for the No. 1 team in the country. It's hard to keep pace with an offense that had such a prolific performance, and the Rebels did an admirable job.

"We needed a couple of those shots to rim-out, and to grab the rebound," Beard said. "We were right there today. We just have to keep fighting. I'm extremely proud of our players. I thought we competed against a worthy No. 1 team in the country."

Ole Miss finished just 7-11 in SEC play last season, had no wins over a ranked conference opponent, and lost both matchups with Auburn by 14 and 23 points, respectively. Auburn is an even stronger team this season, so for Beard and the Rebels to cut that deficit to only 10 points while keeping it close the majority of the game is impressive.

While many may not put stock into "moral victories," in only his second season, Chris Beard seems to be transforming Ole Miss basketball into a legitimate contender for the coming years.

The Rebels' next matchup is with No. 12 Kentucky in the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.