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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, February 28
Auburn, Ala.
7:30 p.m.
Ole Miss
at
Auburn
Men's Basketball Travels to Auburn for Final Road Game of Season
2/27/2026 | Men's Basketball
AUBURN, Ala. – The Ole Miss men's basketball team takes to the road for one last time during the regular season, as they will head to Auburn, Alabama, to face the Tigers on Saturday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-17, 3-12 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-41) • 292-139 career record (14th Season)
Auburn Tigers (Record: 15-13, 6-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Steven Pearl • 1st Season at Auburn (15-13) • 15-13 career record (1st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal
Analyst: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. AUBURN
The Tigers and Rebels have played in 151 games during their history, with Auburn owning the series lead 87-64. When playing in Auburn, the Tigers holds a series lead 57-17 and have won four straight. This is the second meeting between these two teams this season, matching up earlier in the SEC schedule on January 20.
LAST MEETING: January 20, 2026 (L, 66-78, Oxford, Miss.)
• A battle through the first half, Auburn led by one point at the midway break before scoring 50 in the second half to win by 12.
• AJ Storr (Ole Miss): 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal.
• Keyshawn Hall (Auburn): 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Auburn holds a record of 15-13 overall and 6-9 in conference play, recently falling to Mississippi State, defeating Kentucky, and dropping a game at Oklahoma over their last three. They currently sit in 11th place in the latest SEC Standings, and own a NET Ranking of 35 and are 37th in the latest KenPom. One of 11 SEC teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament according to the latest ESPN Bracketology, the Tigers are sitting as a 10 seed with one of the last four byes.
UCF transfer forward Keyshawn Hall paces Auburn offensively, averaging 20.8 points per game for the fourth-best clip in the SEC, while pulling in 7.0 rebounds as well. Much of his production comes from drawing fouls, as he leads the SEC and ranks fourth in the nation with 193 made free throws while shooting 86.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Free throw attempts per game, 27.7, 2nd
- Free throws made per game, 20.7, 3rd
- Offensive rebounds per game, 13.8, 12th
- Points per game, 83.5, 36th
- Turnovers per game, 10.1, 46th
- Blocks per game, 4.3, 60th
In his first season at the helm, Steven Pearl took over for his father Bruce Pearl this past offseason after spending 2023-25 as an associate head coach and 2017-23 as an assistant coach at Auburn. He previously played for his father while at Tennessee from 2007-11.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 28 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 17 contests, including 12 of their 15 SEC games. Their season average of 9.5 turnovers per game is the 21st-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.2 per game is the best in the SEC during conference play.
After finishing last year with an average of 9.0 turnovers per game and setting a new school record, their current average would rank second, just ahead of Chris Beard's first season in Oxford (10.8), giving him the three-best marks in school history.
During Beard's three years in Oxford, Ole Miss leads the SEC in fewest turnovers per game at 9.7, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 30.7 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 26th in the country and third in the SEC. Spearheading the output is senior guard AJ Storr, who has been coming off the bench in each of the last 14 games. He's posted six 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.1 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.5 points per game in SEC games, the 14th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas on February 7, they played in their fourth-straight road game, having played in hostile territory at Kentucky, at Vanderbilt, and at Tennessee prior. It marked the first time since the 1978-79 season that Ole Miss had played in four straight away games, when they lined up with Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU in mid-February. Ole Miss played on the road in seven of their first 10 SEC games, but will get six of their final eight in the SJB Pavilion.
I THOUGHT I TOLD YA, I'M A STARR
A key component in the consecutive SEC wins over Missouri, No. 21 Georgia, and Mississippi State was senior guard AJ Storr. In a home game with Mizzou, Storr caught fire early, knocking down four three-point shots in the first half before finishing with a then season-best 26 points. He followed that up with a strong game on the road at No. 21 Georgia, scoring 18 points in the second half and overtime period combined to finish with a season-best 27 points and eight rebounds, adding three steals on defense. Storr helped Ole Miss come out on top of a battle in Starkville with 17 points before scoring a team-high 18 against Auburn.
Over the past 14 games, Storr is averaging 18.1 points per game, all off the bench.
PATTON PINKINS PHRESHMAN PHENOM
In the team's SEC opener at Oklahoma, freshman guard Patton Pinkins scored a career-best 25 points on an impressive 9-11 (.818) shooting while draining four three pointers. His game-high 25 points were the most for a freshman at Ole Miss since November 2022, when Amaree Abram score 26 against Stanford. Pinkins has also hit game-winning shots in an overtime win at No. 21 Georgia, and in hostile territory at Mississippi State this season.
Among SEC programs, Pinkins leads all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just seven turnovers on the season. The freshman is one of just two within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by sophomore Ruben Dominguez of Texas A&M with nine.
THA BLOCK IS HOT
A strong defense has been a staple for Ole Miss under head coach Chris Beard, and this year's team has used their length and athleticism to average 4.3 blocks per game, the 64th-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 28, 25 from Malik Dia, and 23 from Corey Chest.
MALIK DIA-DIA
Entering this season with four career double-doubles, senior forward Malik Dia has matched that total number this year, hitting the milestone against St. John's, NC State, Alcorn State, and Missouri.
KEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT
The Ole Miss men's basketball program recently welcomed two signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding small forward Jaron Saulsberry and combo guard Yohance Connor.
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.
Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., 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.
50 VICTORIES
With an Ole Miss win over Southern Miss on Saturday, December 13, head coach Chris Beard picked up his 50th win at the helm in Oxford. He became the 13th coach to win 50 games at Ole Miss, the fifth coach to reach that mark in their third season, and the third-fastest to 50 in school history.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-17, 3-12 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-41) • 292-139 career record (14th Season)
Auburn Tigers (Record: 15-13, 6-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Steven Pearl • 1st Season at Auburn (15-13) • 15-13 career record (1st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal
Analyst: Jon Sundvold
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. AUBURN
The Tigers and Rebels have played in 151 games during their history, with Auburn owning the series lead 87-64. When playing in Auburn, the Tigers holds a series lead 57-17 and have won four straight. This is the second meeting between these two teams this season, matching up earlier in the SEC schedule on January 20.
LAST MEETING: January 20, 2026 (L, 66-78, Oxford, Miss.)
• A battle through the first half, Auburn led by one point at the midway break before scoring 50 in the second half to win by 12.
• AJ Storr (Ole Miss): 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal.
• Keyshawn Hall (Auburn): 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Auburn holds a record of 15-13 overall and 6-9 in conference play, recently falling to Mississippi State, defeating Kentucky, and dropping a game at Oklahoma over their last three. They currently sit in 11th place in the latest SEC Standings, and own a NET Ranking of 35 and are 37th in the latest KenPom. One of 11 SEC teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament according to the latest ESPN Bracketology, the Tigers are sitting as a 10 seed with one of the last four byes.
UCF transfer forward Keyshawn Hall paces Auburn offensively, averaging 20.8 points per game for the fourth-best clip in the SEC, while pulling in 7.0 rebounds as well. Much of his production comes from drawing fouls, as he leads the SEC and ranks fourth in the nation with 193 made free throws while shooting 86.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Free throw attempts per game, 27.7, 2nd
- Free throws made per game, 20.7, 3rd
- Offensive rebounds per game, 13.8, 12th
- Points per game, 83.5, 36th
- Turnovers per game, 10.1, 46th
- Blocks per game, 4.3, 60th
In his first season at the helm, Steven Pearl took over for his father Bruce Pearl this past offseason after spending 2023-25 as an associate head coach and 2017-23 as an assistant coach at Auburn. He previously played for his father while at Tennessee from 2007-11.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 28 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 17 contests, including 12 of their 15 SEC games. Their season average of 9.5 turnovers per game is the 21st-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.2 per game is the best in the SEC during conference play.
After finishing last year with an average of 9.0 turnovers per game and setting a new school record, their current average would rank second, just ahead of Chris Beard's first season in Oxford (10.8), giving him the three-best marks in school history.
During Beard's three years in Oxford, Ole Miss leads the SEC in fewest turnovers per game at 9.7, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 30.7 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 26th in the country and third in the SEC. Spearheading the output is senior guard AJ Storr, who has been coming off the bench in each of the last 14 games. He's posted six 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point games, and has averaged 18.1 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate is averaging 17.5 points per game in SEC games, the 14th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
ROAD WARRIORS
When Ole Miss took the floor in Austin, Texas on February 7, they played in their fourth-straight road game, having played in hostile territory at Kentucky, at Vanderbilt, and at Tennessee prior. It marked the first time since the 1978-79 season that Ole Miss had played in four straight away games, when they lined up with Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU in mid-February. Ole Miss played on the road in seven of their first 10 SEC games, but will get six of their final eight in the SJB Pavilion.
I THOUGHT I TOLD YA, I'M A STARR
A key component in the consecutive SEC wins over Missouri, No. 21 Georgia, and Mississippi State was senior guard AJ Storr. In a home game with Mizzou, Storr caught fire early, knocking down four three-point shots in the first half before finishing with a then season-best 26 points. He followed that up with a strong game on the road at No. 21 Georgia, scoring 18 points in the second half and overtime period combined to finish with a season-best 27 points and eight rebounds, adding three steals on defense. Storr helped Ole Miss come out on top of a battle in Starkville with 17 points before scoring a team-high 18 against Auburn.
Over the past 14 games, Storr is averaging 18.1 points per game, all off the bench.
PATTON PINKINS PHRESHMAN PHENOM
In the team's SEC opener at Oklahoma, freshman guard Patton Pinkins scored a career-best 25 points on an impressive 9-11 (.818) shooting while draining four three pointers. His game-high 25 points were the most for a freshman at Ole Miss since November 2022, when Amaree Abram score 26 against Stanford. Pinkins has also hit game-winning shots in an overtime win at No. 21 Georgia, and in hostile territory at Mississippi State this season.
Among SEC programs, Pinkins leads all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just seven turnovers on the season. The freshman is one of just two within the conference to have less than 10 turnovers on the season, joined by sophomore Ruben Dominguez of Texas A&M with nine.
THA BLOCK IS HOT
A strong defense has been a staple for Ole Miss under head coach Chris Beard, and this year's team has used their length and athleticism to average 4.3 blocks per game, the 64th-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 28, 25 from Malik Dia, and 23 from Corey Chest.
MALIK DIA-DIA
Entering this season with four career double-doubles, senior forward Malik Dia has matched that total number this year, hitting the milestone against St. John's, NC State, Alcorn State, and Missouri.
KEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT
The Ole Miss men's basketball program recently welcomed two signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding small forward Jaron Saulsberry and combo guard Yohance Connor.
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.
Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., 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.
50 VICTORIES
With an Ole Miss win over Southern Miss on Saturday, December 13, head coach Chris Beard picked up his 50th win at the helm in Oxford. He became the 13th coach to win 50 games at Ole Miss, the fifth coach to reach that mark in their third season, and the third-fastest to 50 in school history.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
Players Mentioned
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HIGHLIGHTS: Men's Basketball vs. LSU (2/25/26)
Wednesday, February 25
PRESSER: Chris Beard (LSU Postgame)
Wednesday, February 25
PRESSER: Chris Beard (Florida Postgame)
Saturday, February 21
PRESSER: Chris Beard & Malik Dia (Florida Postgame)
Saturday, February 21