Ole Miss Basketball: Rebels Hoops Stay On Road To Face Hogs
Ole Miss basketball is coming off a heartbreaking loss against Texas A&M and are staying on the road to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks tomorrow.
The road has not been pretty for Ole Miss basketball (10-8, 3-3) so far this season. The Rebels are 0-4 when travelling and it doesn’t get any easier as this season progresses. Besides Arkansas tomorrow, the Rebels still have SEC road games against Tennessee, LSU, Miss State, Missouri and Kentucky. Of course, that doesn’t include a non-conference game against Texas in Austin.
Tomorrows game against the Razorbacks is huge for the Rebels. The Rebels need a road win to stay above .500 in SEC play and this team could really use a road win as a confidence booster moving forward. However, if the Rebels expect to get to the 20-win mark this season they will have to pick up road wins. The work begins tomorrow in Fayetteville.
Scouting The Hogs
Ole Miss Rebels Basketball
Of course, the game against Arkansas won’t be an easy task for coach Andy Kennedy and the Rebels. Arkansas (12-6, 2-4) is always tough and Bud Walton Arena is never an easy place to play. The Hogs are 9-1 at home so far this season. Lets take a look at the Hogs.
Don’t let the Hogs four conference losses fool you. Despite coming off a 15 point loss to the Gators, this is a Razorbacks team which plays hard and fast and can work down low. They have great perimeter shooters as well and are one of the highest scoring teams in the SEC.
Jaylen Barford is the Hogs leading scorer and averages 18.9 points per game. Barford is also a 44% shooter from beyond the arc. He is a quick and very dangerous weapon for Arkansas.
Another player to watch for is Daniel Gafford. Gafford is averaging 12.1 points per game and shoots 63.2% from the field. Gafford also leads the Hogs in rebounding pulling down 6+ boards per game.
What To Expect
We can expect fast and faster from Arkansas. I believe they will move the ball in transition and attack Ole Miss inside the paint. Defensively the Hogs will do whatever they can to disrupt the Rebels and force bad outside shot decisions. Of course, we know coach Mike Anderson is ready for this game and will have a tough game-plan ready for the Rebels.
We really can’t be sure what to expect from Andy Kennedy and the Rebels. However, after numerous starting line-ups and questionable game plans Ole Miss has managed to break even in SEC play. Although I’m not sure what Andy Kennedy will do, I know what he should do.
Bruce Stevens has emerged as a baller and has scored 20+ in his last two games. Of course, I’d really like to see Kennedy put more focus on getting the ball to Stevens down low. Stevens is big-bodied and plays with authority around the basket. Fewer poor outside shots and more paint action could go a long way towards a Rebels win.
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Thank goodness we don’t have to wait long to see what coach Andy Kennedy and Ole Miss basketball will do in Fayetteville. Tip-off from Bud Walton Arena is set for 2:30pm CT on Saturday. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. Good luck to Rebels hoops! Hotty Toddy!