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Ole Miss Basketball: Rebs Hanging On And Peaking At Right Time

By Daniel Skipper

Feb 25, 2017; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Breein Tyree (4) Mississippi Rebels forward Sebastian Saiz (11) Mississippi Rebels forward Marcanvis Hymon (5) Mississippi Rebels guard Deandre Burnett (1) and Mississippi Rebels guard Terence Davis (3) look on as free throw shots are being taken after a technical foul called against them during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mississippi Rebels defeat the Missouri Tigers 80-77. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2017; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Breein Tyree (4) Mississippi Rebels forward Sebastian Saiz (11) Mississippi Rebels forward Marcanvis Hymon (5) Mississippi Rebels guard Deandre Burnett (1) and Mississippi Rebels guard Terence Davis (3) look on as free throw shots are being taken after a technical foul called against them during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mississippi Rebels defeat the Missouri Tigers 80-77. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports /
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For Ole Miss basketball, hanging on to the last two games could mean some surprises in March for Rebel fans.

Ole Miss basketball managed to hang on to their NCAA tourney hopes, with the win over the Missouri Tigers last Saturday in The Pavilion. Deandre Burnett led the Rebels with 28 points in the 80-77 win, with Breein Tyree adding 15 points.

Missouri, who came into the match-up with a 7-20 overall record, made it interesting in the second half and closed the margin within the final minutes of the contest. The Rebels strong offensive finish, combined with poor shooting from the arc by Missouri in the final seconds, was enough to seal the victory for Ole Miss.

So Where Are We In Basketball?

The win pushed the Rebels to record to 18-11 overall and 9-7 in the SEC, which puts them in fifth place in conference play. Will it be enough to also push the Rebels into the tourney? Time must tell, but historically we know from Kennedy, his teams always seem to get better during the month of February. This is good with us sitting on the cusp of a possible tourney bid.

More from Ole Miss Basketball

Of course, there are still games ahead in which we must continue to depend on the tough physical play we’ve seen from the Rebels in the past month. The Rebels will travel to T-town Wednesday for a must-win game against Bama, who are coming off their second straight loss. The Rebels regular season basketball finale will come Saturday, March 4 as The SC Gamecocks come to The Pavilion.

Sitting Pretty….

No? Well, this Rebel and others, like where we are right now. We’ve seen Coach Kennedy in this spot before, and we have seen him deliver.  During his tenure as the Ole Miss basketball coach, AK and his Rebel teams, have consistently finished strong every season.

Coach AK has made the Rebels a name in the tourney mix every year. In his 10 seasons at Ole Miss, AK has gotten the Rebels into post season play seven times. Only twice in those 10 seasons, has Kennedy NOT had 20  wins. AK has this Ole Miss basketball team poised to hit 20 wins beginning March 1, in T-town.

The Rebels are in position to take the win against the Bammers Wednesday night, and also against the struggling Roosters. This Rebel team has multiple weapons on the floor, all of which could help control these last two games. Naturally, these last two games are must wins to hit the 20 win pinnacle before the SEC Tourney. It will also prove the Rebels are peaking at just the right time.

We Rebel fans need something to good to happen in Oxford for a change, and this could be it. This AK team could make things exciting for Rebel nation in the coming weeks. With two regular season games left, and the 20 win season in sight before the SEC tourney begins, Rebel fans are hoping for a long month of March Madness.

Are You Ready?

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