OXFORD, Miss. – Another challenge approaches for the Ole Miss men's basketball team during their SEC schedule, as they are set to visit No. 1 Auburn on Wednesday, February 26 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 19-8, 8-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (39-20) • 276-118 career record (13th Season)
No. 1/1 Auburn Tigers (Record: 25-2, 13-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Bruce Pearl • 11th Season at Auburn (225-121) • 687-266 career record (30th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Karl Ravech
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. AUBURN
This will be the 149th meeting between Ole Miss and Auburn in men's basketball, with the two first meeting in 1928 when the Rebels won 43-42. The Tigers own the all-time series lead 84-64 and hold the advantage when playing in Alabama, 56-17. The Rebels are searching for their first victory over Auburn since they swept them in two games during the 2020-21 season, as the Tigers have taken the last seven matchups. The top-ranked Auburn team won the first game of this season just weeks ago, picking up a 10-point victory in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: February 1, 2025 (L, 82-92, Oxford, Miss.)
• Ole Miss jumped out to an early lead, but trailed at the half by seven. They climbed back to hang with the top-ranked Tigers most of the second half, getting within one point as late as eight minutes left to play.
• Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss): 29 points, 10-16 FG, five rebounds, two assists, three steals.
• Johni Broome (Auburn): 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The top-ranked team in the nation, Auburn owns an overall record of 25-2 and SEC record of 13-1. Their lone loss in non-conference action came at the hands of No. 9 Duke during the SEC/ACC Challenge, but they picked up massive wins early this season over No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 North Carolina, Memphis, and No. 16 Purdue. Their single loss during SEC action came on February 8 when No. 6 Florida took them down at home. Auburn not only sits at the top of the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls, but the latest NET Rankings as well, a position they've held since December 10.
A preseason SEC Player of the Year candidate and preseason NCAA All-American candidate, Johni Broome has led Auburn all season and currently averages 18.6 points per game (third in the SEC) and a conference-best 11.1 rebounds per game. The fifth-year forward also ranks among the nation's best in blocks per game at 2.6, best in the SEC and ninth in the NCAA, and double-doubles with 17, best in the SEC and fifth in the NCAA as well.
Six players average double digits in scoring to help make it the sixth-highest scoring offense in the nation, paced by Broome's 18.6, Chad Baker-Mazara at 12.4, Tahaad Pettiford at 11.0, Denver Jones with 10.9, Miles Kelly with 10.8, and Chaney Johnson at 10.3.
Auburn ranks among the top-10 nationally in numerous categories, including: blocks per game (6.5, 2nd in NCAA), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.83, 3rd in NCAA), turnovers per game (9.1, 5th in NCAA), scoring offense (84.3, 6th in NCAA), and scoring margin (+16.2, 7th in NCAA).
Currently in his 30th season as an NCAA head coach, Bruce Pearl has guided Auburn for 11 seasons. His 687 wins are the 12th-most among active coaches, with his win percentage of 72.1% ranking 13th among actives. Prior to earning the position at Auburn, Pearl was the head coach at Tennessee from 2005-2011, at Milwaukee from 2001-2005, and Southern Indiana from 1992-2001. He is an eight-time conference coach of the year, earning the honor in the SEC three times. He's won three regular season SEC titles, two SEC Tournament titles, and has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament as a Division I head coach 13 times.
BATTLE TESTED
The schedule for Ole Miss has been, and continues to be, one of the most difficult in the nation. As of February 24, they own the nation's seventh-toughest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their past opposition's win percentage of 62.8 ranks as the 10th-highest in the nation, while their remaining opponent's win percentage of 81.3 is the third-highest in all of college basketball. Their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 65.2 is the fourth highest in the country.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking third in the nation with a turnover margin of +5.9 while leading all of college basketball in turnovers per game at 8.9. The Rebels are forcing an average of 14.7 turnovers per contest which ranks 29th in the NCAA. They lead the SEC in all three turnover metrics.
Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.70 also ranks among the nation's best at eighth, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.97 (18th in NCAA, second in SEC). They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 9.0 steals per game (22nd in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks among the top 50 in the country in steals with 53.
The Rebels have efficiently turned their opponent's turnovers into offense, besting their foes in points-off-turnovers in 21 games, with a season total of 449 (16.6 per game) compared to their opposition's 254 (9.4 per game).
GIANT KILLER
Ole Miss is one of just four schools in the country that has taken down a top-10 opponent in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball, joined by Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee. On the gridiron, the Rebels took down No. 3 Georgia in a historic 28-10 win in early November in Oxford. Women's hoops recently picked up a massive victory over No. 8 Kentucky 66-57 on February 10, while the men's basketball program toppled No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa 74-64 in January.
LUNARDI SAYS "DANCE"
Updated each Tuesday and Friday, the latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a six seed in the Midwest Region. They are projected to face 11-seed UC San Diego in Milwaukee, Wis., paired with three-seeded Arizona vs. 14th-seeded Utah Valley. The highest seed for the Ole Miss program came in the 2001 tournament, when they were set as a three seed and reached the Sweet 16. Lunardi's latest projections has 12 teams from the SEC earning a ticket to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, a number that would be the most for a single conference all time.
SPECIAL WEAPON OFF THE BENCH
A consistent starter over the past three seasons at Ole Miss, Jaemyn Brakefield has embraced a role off the bench this season and still been one of the best players on the court. With a season average of 10.8 points per game, Brakefield ranks second in the conference with 18 double-digit point games when coming off the bench.
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
...
6. Breein Tyree - 1,797
7. Justin Reed - 1,785
8. Matthew Murrell - 1,697
9. Keith Carter - 1,682
...
20. Tim Jumper - 1,375
21. Devontae Shuler - 1,319
22. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,316
23. Cob Jarvis - 1,313
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 26 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 13th on January 20 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of February 24, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 13 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, seven in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
RECORD BOOK WRECKER
Senior guard Matthew Murrell enters his fifth season with Ole Miss and continues to put his name up and down the program record book. The Memphis native currently ranks eighth in school history in career points with 1,697, and fourth in three-point shots made (250) and three-point attempts (713). He also ranks ninth in most field goal attempts at 1,389, and is sixth in career steals with 164.
I AM IRON MAN
A consistent member of the lineup for each of the past five seasons, Matthew Murrell recently became the program's all-time leader in games played and minutes played. On January 22, Murrell passed Zach Graham at 135 games played for Ole Miss, and has since pushed his number to 144. At South Carolina on February 12, he surpassed Elston Turner for the most minutes played in a Rebel uniform, now with 4,167 minutes on the court for Ole Miss.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 19-8, 8-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (39-20) • 276-118 career record (13th Season)
No. 1/1 Auburn Tigers (Record: 25-2, 13-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Bruce Pearl • 11th Season at Auburn (225-121) • 687-266 career record (30th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Karl Ravech
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. AUBURN
This will be the 149th meeting between Ole Miss and Auburn in men's basketball, with the two first meeting in 1928 when the Rebels won 43-42. The Tigers own the all-time series lead 84-64 and hold the advantage when playing in Alabama, 56-17. The Rebels are searching for their first victory over Auburn since they swept them in two games during the 2020-21 season, as the Tigers have taken the last seven matchups. The top-ranked Auburn team won the first game of this season just weeks ago, picking up a 10-point victory in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: February 1, 2025 (L, 82-92, Oxford, Miss.)
• Ole Miss jumped out to an early lead, but trailed at the half by seven. They climbed back to hang with the top-ranked Tigers most of the second half, getting within one point as late as eight minutes left to play.
• Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss): 29 points, 10-16 FG, five rebounds, two assists, three steals.
• Johni Broome (Auburn): 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The top-ranked team in the nation, Auburn owns an overall record of 25-2 and SEC record of 13-1. Their lone loss in non-conference action came at the hands of No. 9 Duke during the SEC/ACC Challenge, but they picked up massive wins early this season over No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 North Carolina, Memphis, and No. 16 Purdue. Their single loss during SEC action came on February 8 when No. 6 Florida took them down at home. Auburn not only sits at the top of the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls, but the latest NET Rankings as well, a position they've held since December 10.
A preseason SEC Player of the Year candidate and preseason NCAA All-American candidate, Johni Broome has led Auburn all season and currently averages 18.6 points per game (third in the SEC) and a conference-best 11.1 rebounds per game. The fifth-year forward also ranks among the nation's best in blocks per game at 2.6, best in the SEC and ninth in the NCAA, and double-doubles with 17, best in the SEC and fifth in the NCAA as well.
Six players average double digits in scoring to help make it the sixth-highest scoring offense in the nation, paced by Broome's 18.6, Chad Baker-Mazara at 12.4, Tahaad Pettiford at 11.0, Denver Jones with 10.9, Miles Kelly with 10.8, and Chaney Johnson at 10.3.
Auburn ranks among the top-10 nationally in numerous categories, including: blocks per game (6.5, 2nd in NCAA), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.83, 3rd in NCAA), turnovers per game (9.1, 5th in NCAA), scoring offense (84.3, 6th in NCAA), and scoring margin (+16.2, 7th in NCAA).
Currently in his 30th season as an NCAA head coach, Bruce Pearl has guided Auburn for 11 seasons. His 687 wins are the 12th-most among active coaches, with his win percentage of 72.1% ranking 13th among actives. Prior to earning the position at Auburn, Pearl was the head coach at Tennessee from 2005-2011, at Milwaukee from 2001-2005, and Southern Indiana from 1992-2001. He is an eight-time conference coach of the year, earning the honor in the SEC three times. He's won three regular season SEC titles, two SEC Tournament titles, and has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament as a Division I head coach 13 times.
BATTLE TESTED
The schedule for Ole Miss has been, and continues to be, one of the most difficult in the nation. As of February 24, they own the nation's seventh-toughest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their past opposition's win percentage of 62.8 ranks as the 10th-highest in the nation, while their remaining opponent's win percentage of 81.3 is the third-highest in all of college basketball. Their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 65.2 is the fourth highest in the country.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking third in the nation with a turnover margin of +5.9 while leading all of college basketball in turnovers per game at 8.9. The Rebels are forcing an average of 14.7 turnovers per contest which ranks 29th in the NCAA. They lead the SEC in all three turnover metrics.
Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.70 also ranks among the nation's best at eighth, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.97 (18th in NCAA, second in SEC). They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 9.0 steals per game (22nd in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks among the top 50 in the country in steals with 53.
The Rebels have efficiently turned their opponent's turnovers into offense, besting their foes in points-off-turnovers in 21 games, with a season total of 449 (16.6 per game) compared to their opposition's 254 (9.4 per game).
GIANT KILLER
Ole Miss is one of just four schools in the country that has taken down a top-10 opponent in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball, joined by Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee. On the gridiron, the Rebels took down No. 3 Georgia in a historic 28-10 win in early November in Oxford. Women's hoops recently picked up a massive victory over No. 8 Kentucky 66-57 on February 10, while the men's basketball program toppled No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa 74-64 in January.
LUNARDI SAYS "DANCE"
Updated each Tuesday and Friday, the latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a six seed in the Midwest Region. They are projected to face 11-seed UC San Diego in Milwaukee, Wis., paired with three-seeded Arizona vs. 14th-seeded Utah Valley. The highest seed for the Ole Miss program came in the 2001 tournament, when they were set as a three seed and reached the Sweet 16. Lunardi's latest projections has 12 teams from the SEC earning a ticket to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, a number that would be the most for a single conference all time.
SPECIAL WEAPON OFF THE BENCH
A consistent starter over the past three seasons at Ole Miss, Jaemyn Brakefield has embraced a role off the bench this season and still been one of the best players on the court. With a season average of 10.8 points per game, Brakefield ranks second in the conference with 18 double-digit point games when coming off the bench.
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
...
6. Breein Tyree - 1,797
7. Justin Reed - 1,785
8. Matthew Murrell - 1,697
9. Keith Carter - 1,682
...
20. Tim Jumper - 1,375
21. Devontae Shuler - 1,319
22. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,316
23. Cob Jarvis - 1,313
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 26 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 13th on January 20 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of February 24, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 13 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, seven in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
RECORD BOOK WRECKER
Senior guard Matthew Murrell enters his fifth season with Ole Miss and continues to put his name up and down the program record book. The Memphis native currently ranks eighth in school history in career points with 1,697, and fourth in three-point shots made (250) and three-point attempts (713). He also ranks ninth in most field goal attempts at 1,389, and is sixth in career steals with 164.
I AM IRON MAN
A consistent member of the lineup for each of the past five seasons, Matthew Murrell recently became the program's all-time leader in games played and minutes played. On January 22, Murrell passed Zach Graham at 135 games played for Ole Miss, and has since pushed his number to 144. At South Carolina on February 12, he surpassed Elston Turner for the most minutes played in a Rebel uniform, now with 4,167 minutes on the court for Ole Miss.
