Ole Miss Basketball Gears Up for March Madness Showdown

OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball’s opponent in the first round of the NCAA tournament is yet to be confirmed. The Rebels (22-11) have landed the sixth seed in March Madness, set to face an 11 seed on Friday at 3:05 p.m. in Milwaukee. The opponent will be determined from a play-in match between North Carolina and San Diego State.

North Carolina (22-13), recognized for its offense with an average of 80.8 points—ranking second in the ACC—stands as a formidable team, despite struggles on defense, allowing an average of 75 points this season. If Ole Miss encounters the Tar Heels, they will need to maintain their defensive strategy to avoid a high-scoring affair, particularly by containing veteran RJ Davis, who scores an average of 17 points and hits 88.5% of his free throws.

Assessing San Diego State’s Threat

Should San Diego State (21-9), third in the Mountain West, become the opponent, Ole Miss must approach the game differently. Keep an eye on 7-foot center Magoon Gwath, a freshman whose 8.5 points per game might not sum up his impact. Notably, Gwath is a strong rim protector with 66 blocks this season and addresses the Rebels’ rebounding challenges.

Tickets for the March Madness Showdown

Fans of Ole Miss basketball looking to catch the action can purchase tickets via StubHub to ensure they do not miss out on this critical matchup.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. You can reach him via email at Shutchens@gannett.com or on X at @Sam_Hutchens_