OXFORD, Miss. – The last chance to catch the Ole Miss men's basketball team this season in Oxford has arrived, as the Rebels are set to welcome No. 5 Tennessee to the SJB Pavilion on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 20-9, 9-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (40-21) • 277-119 career record (13th Season)
No. 4/4 Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 24-5, 11-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Rick Barnes • 10th Season at Tennessee (226-106) • 830-420 career record (38th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Rece Davis
Analyst: Jay Williams
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
This will be the 125th game between Ole Miss and Tennessee, a series that dates back to 1924 when Ole Miss won a pair of games on back-to-back days in January. Overall, the Volunteers lead the series 79-45 and hold the advantage in Oxford as well, 28-26. Tennessee has won nine of the last 10 including four straight.
LAST MEETING: January 6, 2024 (L, 64-90, Knoxville, Tenn.)
• A pair of ranked teams battling in the 2023-24 SEC schedule opener, Tennessee defended their home court with a 26-point win.
• Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss): 22 points, two rebounds, two steals.
• Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee): 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists.
SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS
Tennessee holds a season record of 24-5 overall, having gone 11-5 in conference action. They opened their year with an undefeated non-conference slate, picking up wins over Louisville, Virginia, No. 13 Baylor, Syracuse, Miami, and Illinois. The Volunteers are coming off a game-winning-shot victory over No. 6 Alabama this past weekend. They currently sit in fourth in the SEC Standings, and own a NET Ranking of No. 5, and sit in fourth in both national polls.
The Vols are led offensively by Chaz Lanier, who ranks fifth in the SEC with an average of 17.8 points per game. A big part of his game has been the three-point shot this season, as he leads the SEC with an average of 3.4 makes from deep per game, ranking third in the conference with a shooting percentage of 40.7 from beyond the arc. Their offense is orchestrated by senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, who for the second year in a row eclipsed 200 assists, and is averaging an SEC-best 7.2 assists per game.
Much of Tennessee's success this season has come from their suffocating defensive efforts. The Volunteers rank second in the country in both field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal percentage defense, holding their foes to 37.4 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from deep. Their average points allowed per game of 61.3 ranks seventh in the nation. They lead the SEC in each of those three defensive stats.
Tied with John Calipari for the most wins among all active NCAA head coaches at 830, Rick Barnes is in his 38th season as a college coach and his 10th season with Tennessee. He's guided the Vols to six NCAA Tournaments during his tenure in Knoxville, including three Sweet 16 appearances and a run to the Elite Eight last year. Prior to joining Tennessee, Barnes spent 17 years at Texas, where he helped guide the Longhorns to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Final Four run in 2003. He spent four seasons from 1994 to 1998 as the head coach at Clemson, after six years at Providence from 1988 to 1994. Barnes got his first head coaching job for the 1987-88 season at George Mason.
BATTLE TESTED
The schedule for Ole Miss has been, and continues to be, one of the most difficult in the nation. As of March 3, their remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index ranks fifth in the country. Their past opposition's win percentage of 63.1 ranks as the sixth-highest in the nation, while their remaining opponent's win percentage of 84.5 is the second-highest in all of college basketball. Their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 64.6 is the fourth highest in the country.
MAGIC NUMBER
With their win over Oklahoma on March 1, Ole Miss posted a 20-win campaign for the second year in a row, a feat last accomplished in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. While just the 19th 20-win season in program history, it's the 14th since the year 2000. This is the sixth time head coach Chris Beard has guided his team to 20 wins as a Division I head coach, and the seventh time as an NCAA head coach.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 56 steals for an average of 1.93 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 26 of 29 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 16 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 53rd in the NCAA in steals per game and 45th in total steals. The senior guard has also entered the top-10 for most in a single season in program history, currently tied for eighth with Devontae Shuler.
Ole Miss - Single Season Steals
1. 89, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1988-89)
2. 80, Myles Burns (33 games, 2022-23)
3. 73, Jason Smith (33 games, 1998-99)
4. 70, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989-90)
5. 58, Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2012-13)
58, Rod Barnes (29 games, 1987-88)
7. 57, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
8. 56, Sean Pedulla (29 games, 2024-25)
56, Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2018-19)
10. 55, Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 1999-2000)
55, Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1993-94)
55, Eric Laird (28 games, 1983-84)
LUNARDI SAYS "DANCE"
Updated each Tuesday and Friday, the latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a seven seed in the Midwest Region. They are projected to face 10-seed Baylor in Cleveland, Ohio, paired with two-seeded Michigan State vs. 15th-seeded Robert Morris. Lunardi's latest projections has 13 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.
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 - 1,719
9. Keith Carter - 1,682
...
19. Jack Waters - 1,384
20. Tim Jumper - 1,375
21. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,345
22. Devontae Shuler - 1,319
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 28 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 March 3, 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 is in 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 1,719, and fourth in three-point shots made (252) and three-point attempts (717). He also ranks ninth in most field goal attempts at 1,402, and is sixth in career steals with 167.
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 146. At South Carolina on February 12, he surpassed Elston Turner for the most minutes played in a Rebel uniform, now with 4,231 minutes on the court for Ole Miss.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 20-9, 9-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (40-21) • 277-119 career record (13th Season)
No. 4/4 Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 24-5, 11-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Rick Barnes • 10th Season at Tennessee (226-106) • 830-420 career record (38th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Rece Davis
Analyst: Jay Williams
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
This will be the 125th game between Ole Miss and Tennessee, a series that dates back to 1924 when Ole Miss won a pair of games on back-to-back days in January. Overall, the Volunteers lead the series 79-45 and hold the advantage in Oxford as well, 28-26. Tennessee has won nine of the last 10 including four straight.
LAST MEETING: January 6, 2024 (L, 64-90, Knoxville, Tenn.)
• A pair of ranked teams battling in the 2023-24 SEC schedule opener, Tennessee defended their home court with a 26-point win.
• Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss): 22 points, two rebounds, two steals.
• Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee): 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists.
SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS
Tennessee holds a season record of 24-5 overall, having gone 11-5 in conference action. They opened their year with an undefeated non-conference slate, picking up wins over Louisville, Virginia, No. 13 Baylor, Syracuse, Miami, and Illinois. The Volunteers are coming off a game-winning-shot victory over No. 6 Alabama this past weekend. They currently sit in fourth in the SEC Standings, and own a NET Ranking of No. 5, and sit in fourth in both national polls.
The Vols are led offensively by Chaz Lanier, who ranks fifth in the SEC with an average of 17.8 points per game. A big part of his game has been the three-point shot this season, as he leads the SEC with an average of 3.4 makes from deep per game, ranking third in the conference with a shooting percentage of 40.7 from beyond the arc. Their offense is orchestrated by senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, who for the second year in a row eclipsed 200 assists, and is averaging an SEC-best 7.2 assists per game.
Much of Tennessee's success this season has come from their suffocating defensive efforts. The Volunteers rank second in the country in both field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal percentage defense, holding their foes to 37.4 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from deep. Their average points allowed per game of 61.3 ranks seventh in the nation. They lead the SEC in each of those three defensive stats.
Tied with John Calipari for the most wins among all active NCAA head coaches at 830, Rick Barnes is in his 38th season as a college coach and his 10th season with Tennessee. He's guided the Vols to six NCAA Tournaments during his tenure in Knoxville, including three Sweet 16 appearances and a run to the Elite Eight last year. Prior to joining Tennessee, Barnes spent 17 years at Texas, where he helped guide the Longhorns to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Final Four run in 2003. He spent four seasons from 1994 to 1998 as the head coach at Clemson, after six years at Providence from 1988 to 1994. Barnes got his first head coaching job for the 1987-88 season at George Mason.
BATTLE TESTED
The schedule for Ole Miss has been, and continues to be, one of the most difficult in the nation. As of March 3, their remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index ranks fifth in the country. Their past opposition's win percentage of 63.1 ranks as the sixth-highest in the nation, while their remaining opponent's win percentage of 84.5 is the second-highest in all of college basketball. Their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 64.6 is the fourth highest in the country.
MAGIC NUMBER
With their win over Oklahoma on March 1, Ole Miss posted a 20-win campaign for the second year in a row, a feat last accomplished in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. While just the 19th 20-win season in program history, it's the 14th since the year 2000. This is the sixth time head coach Chris Beard has guided his team to 20 wins as a Division I head coach, and the seventh time as an NCAA head coach.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 56 steals for an average of 1.93 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 26 of 29 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 16 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 53rd in the NCAA in steals per game and 45th in total steals. The senior guard has also entered the top-10 for most in a single season in program history, currently tied for eighth with Devontae Shuler.
Ole Miss - Single Season Steals
1. 89, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1988-89)
2. 80, Myles Burns (33 games, 2022-23)
3. 73, Jason Smith (33 games, 1998-99)
4. 70, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989-90)
5. 58, Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2012-13)
58, Rod Barnes (29 games, 1987-88)
7. 57, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
8. 56, Sean Pedulla (29 games, 2024-25)
56, Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2018-19)
10. 55, Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 1999-2000)
55, Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1993-94)
55, Eric Laird (28 games, 1983-84)
LUNARDI SAYS "DANCE"
Updated each Tuesday and Friday, the latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a seven seed in the Midwest Region. They are projected to face 10-seed Baylor in Cleveland, Ohio, paired with two-seeded Michigan State vs. 15th-seeded Robert Morris. Lunardi's latest projections has 13 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.
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 - 1,719
9. Keith Carter - 1,682
...
19. Jack Waters - 1,384
20. Tim Jumper - 1,375
21. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,345
22. Devontae Shuler - 1,319
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 28 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 March 3, 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 is in 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 1,719, and fourth in three-point shots made (252) and three-point attempts (717). He also ranks ninth in most field goal attempts at 1,402, and is sixth in career steals with 167.
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 146. At South Carolina on February 12, he surpassed Elston Turner for the most minutes played in a Rebel uniform, now with 4,231 minutes on the court for Ole Miss.
