The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Alabama (Exh.)
Men's Basketball to Face Alabama in Ballin in Boutwell Exhibition Tilt
10/13/2026 | Men's Basketball
SERIES HISTORY
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 189th game played between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold the series lead 128-60. This is the first ever exhibition for Ole Miss with a SEC foe in program history.
LAST MEETING
• Ole Miss survived a half-court heave at the buzzer, defeating tournament two-seed No. 15 Alabama 80-79 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals inside Bridgestone Arena.
• It was just the second time a double-digit seed had won three games at the SEC Tournament, with the previous time coming from 13-seeded Auburn in 2015.
• It was also the third time Ole Miss had won three games at the SEC Tournament, with the other two coming during their title runs in 1981 and 2013.
•Key returnees, Ilias Kamardine and Patton Pinkins combined for 29 points on 12 made field goals.
•Kamardine recorded 10 steals during the SEC Tournament which was the seventh most in the tournament's history.
•With the victory, Ole Miss became the first team seeded 15 or higher to make the semifinal round of a conference tournament in Division I history.
BALLIN IN BOUTWELL
For 45 years, Boutwell Auditorium sat quiet on basketball. No court. No crowd. No games. Just a historic downtown Birmingham auditorium waiting on its next act.
Ballin in Boutwell brought the house lights back up. Now the best in the country play a few feet from the front row, in a building where every seat feels like center court and October already sounds like March.
NEW BLOOD IN THE SIP
The Rebels' new roster features a blend of high-level college transfers and international experience, including four players who averaged at least 10.0 points per game last season: Budd Clark (12.7), Dasear Haskins (11.1), Roman Siulepa (10.0) and Corey Stephenson (18.0).
The group also includes 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten, a former Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and Florida national champion, along with 7-foot Stefan Cicic. Clark brings 1,513 career points and 491 assists, while Stephenson scored 559 points last season at FIU, the fifth-most in a single season in program history. Ben Henshall brings a wealth of experience after playing three seasons with the Perth Wildcats in Australia.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The Ole Miss men's basketball program also welcomed three signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding Yohance Connor, Daniel Patton and Jaron Saulsberry.
Patton was ranked as one of the top players in his class from the state of Texas, listed as the 12th overall player by 247Sports. He joins the program a 3-star recruit and nearly cracked the top-200 nationally.
Saulsberry will come to Oxford from Marietta, Georgia and Wheeler High School, and is ranked as a top-10 player in his home state by both ESPN and 247Sports. A 6'6" four-star recruit, he is ranked as the No. 28 small forward in the class of 2026.
Connor ranks among the best in his state, tabbed the No. 3 player in North Carolina by 247Sports and No. 5 by Rivals. He is listed as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, and ranked as the No. 5 combo guard in the class of 2026 by Rivals.
SHUFFLING THE STAFF
Petar Aleksić, Josh Baskin, Austin Cox, Anthony Fobb and Noah Stansbury joined the Ole Miss men's basketball staff this offseason.
Additionally, Brian Burg has been promoted to general manager, while Matt Eisele and Matt Winsberg have been elevated to assistant coach positions.
