Ole Miss basketball moved to 9-1 on the season after Saturday's win over Southern Miss, resulting in a jump up in the AP Poll again. Chris Bears's side moved to No.17, two spots from last week's rankings.
It's the program's highest AP Poll ranking since 2013, and the Rebels are not done. The team has three more nonconference games remaining. The next two against Southern and Queens should be wins, and the final one against Memphis will give the team another opportunity to climb the rankings.
1️⃣7️⃣#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/ZXIJBEcC7r
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) December 16, 2024
Second season bump for Ole Miss under Chris Beard
Before the season started, it was said that a second-season bump had occurred wherever Chris Beard had been. That looks like the case for Ole Miss at the start of the 2024-25 season.
The Rebels started strong last season, staying unbeaten in nonconference play. However, this time, despite the one loss, there is much more excitement around the team, playing quality basketball.
The team has recorded a Quad 1 win (Louisville) and a Quad 2 win (BYU). Their only loss came against a Quad 1 team in Purdue, a two-point loss that the Rebels had chances to win. They have one more nonconference Quad 1 matchup against Memphis before SEC play. Winning that would see them climb the rankings further, but it won't be easy.
Conference play was the problem last season, preventing the team from an NCAA Tournament appearance. That is the goal this season, and the Rebels seem in a much better place to make it in, something they last did in 2019.
What is likable about this season's roster is that Ole Miss doesn't need to rely on the same players being superheroes to win. It feels more well-rounded, with any one of six or seven players being able to take the game to the opposition. This will be important when SEC play begins.