The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 13
Nashville, Tenn.
6 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Alabama
Men's Basketball to Face Alabama in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
3/13/2026 | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A pair of wins in the first and second rounds of the 2026 SEC Tournament have lined up the Ole Miss men's basketball team with a quarterfinal game against No. 15 Alabama on Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m. in Bridgestone Arena and on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 14-19, 4-14 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (58-43) • 295-141 career record (14th Season)
Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 23-8, 13-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 7th Season at Alabama (168-71) • 264-114 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Analyst: Dane Bradshaw
Reporter: Alyssa Lang
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 188th game played between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold the series lead 128-59, and lead when the two have met in the SEC Tournament 6-2.
LAST MEETING: February 11, 2026 (L, 74-93, Oxford, Miss.)
• Trailing by just two at the half, Ole Miss was unable to step in front in the second half, eventually falling to the Tide.
• AJ Storr (Ole Miss): 27 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Alabama): 21 points, three rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama brings a record of 23-8 to Nashville for their first game of the SEC Tournament, having gone 13-5 in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed in the bracket. The Crimson Tide closed out their regular season slate with wins in nine of their last 10 games. They hold the No. 15 spot in both the AP and Coaches Poll, and sit in 17th in the NET Rankings and 15th in KenPom.
The number one scoring offense in the nation, Alabama is led by two of the SEC's best scorers, as Labaron Philon leads the team at 21.5 points per game and Aden Holloway adds 16.8 per outing. They're paced on the boards by Amari Allen at 7.0 per game, while their defense is led by Aiden Sherrell who ranks second in the SEC in blocks per game at 2.3.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Points per game, 92.1, 1st
- Three-point attempts per game, 35.5, 1st
- Three pointers made per game, 12.8, 2nd
- Defensive rebounds per game, 28.4, 10th
- Rebounds per game, 40.8, 12th
- Blocks per game, 5.1, 16th
- Free throws made per game, 18.8, 19th
Head coach Nate Oats is in his seventh season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of just over 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four in 2024 and Elite Eight in 2025, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
AS SWEET AS THE FIRST
Following a regular season overtime win in Athens, Ole Miss matched up with the Georgia Bulldogs in the second round of the 2026 SEC Tournament on Thursday. Storming out to an early lead and holding off a second-half comeback, the Rebels picked up a 76-72 victory behind 19 points from AJ Storr, 17 from Malik Dia, and 16 from Travis Perry. James Scott pulled in a season-best 13 rebounds and added a trio of blocks on defense, while Ilias Kamardine scored eight and dished out four assists with four steals.
While Georgia entered the night as the third-highest scoring offense in the nation, Ole Miss held them to their lowest point total and field goal percentage in a first half this year.
The last time Ole Miss earned two wins at the SEC Tournament came in 2013, during their title run.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
Facing each other for the first time ever in the SEC Tournament, Ole Miss picked up the lone victory for the lower seeds in the first round, defeating Texas 76-66 on Wednesday night. Behind a strong defensive performance, blazing start by Malik Dia, and season-best 50 points in the paint, the Rebels earned another day of basketball as they moved on to the second round. A season-high 12 steals combined with six blocks kept the Longhorns at bay, while Ole Miss matched the SEC Tournament record with just three turnovers.
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Since playing in their first SEC postseason tournament back in 1933, Ole Miss has gone 36-61 all-time. They've come out on top of the bracket twice. First in 1981 as the six seed under Bob Weltlich by defeating Dominique Wilkins and Georgia in the final, and once again in 2013 led by tournament MVP Marshall Henderson.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 33 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 20 contests, including 15 of their 20 games against SEC foes. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 31st-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.8 per game was second best in the SEC during regular season 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 9.8, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 29.8 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 28th 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 19 games. He's posted seven 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point performances, and has averaged 17.8 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, Storr averaged 17.5 points per game in regular season SEC games, the 13th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
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 led all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just nine turnovers during the regular season, and is the only player with less than 10.
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 57th-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 41, 28 from Malik Dia, and 25 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.
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: 14-19, 4-14 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (58-43) • 295-141 career record (14th Season)
Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 23-8, 13-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 7th Season at Alabama (168-71) • 264-114 career record (11th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Analyst: Dane Bradshaw
Reporter: Alyssa Lang
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 188th game played between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold the series lead 128-59, and lead when the two have met in the SEC Tournament 6-2.
LAST MEETING: February 11, 2026 (L, 74-93, Oxford, Miss.)
• Trailing by just two at the half, Ole Miss was unable to step in front in the second half, eventually falling to the Tide.
• AJ Storr (Ole Miss): 27 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Alabama): 21 points, three rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama brings a record of 23-8 to Nashville for their first game of the SEC Tournament, having gone 13-5 in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed in the bracket. The Crimson Tide closed out their regular season slate with wins in nine of their last 10 games. They hold the No. 15 spot in both the AP and Coaches Poll, and sit in 17th in the NET Rankings and 15th in KenPom.
The number one scoring offense in the nation, Alabama is led by two of the SEC's best scorers, as Labaron Philon leads the team at 21.5 points per game and Aden Holloway adds 16.8 per outing. They're paced on the boards by Amari Allen at 7.0 per game, while their defense is led by Aiden Sherrell who ranks second in the SEC in blocks per game at 2.3.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Points per game, 92.1, 1st
- Three-point attempts per game, 35.5, 1st
- Three pointers made per game, 12.8, 2nd
- Defensive rebounds per game, 28.4, 10th
- Rebounds per game, 40.8, 12th
- Blocks per game, 5.1, 16th
- Free throws made per game, 18.8, 19th
Head coach Nate Oats is in his seventh season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of just over 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four in 2024 and Elite Eight in 2025, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
AS SWEET AS THE FIRST
Following a regular season overtime win in Athens, Ole Miss matched up with the Georgia Bulldogs in the second round of the 2026 SEC Tournament on Thursday. Storming out to an early lead and holding off a second-half comeback, the Rebels picked up a 76-72 victory behind 19 points from AJ Storr, 17 from Malik Dia, and 16 from Travis Perry. James Scott pulled in a season-best 13 rebounds and added a trio of blocks on defense, while Ilias Kamardine scored eight and dished out four assists with four steals.
While Georgia entered the night as the third-highest scoring offense in the nation, Ole Miss held them to their lowest point total and field goal percentage in a first half this year.
The last time Ole Miss earned two wins at the SEC Tournament came in 2013, during their title run.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
Facing each other for the first time ever in the SEC Tournament, Ole Miss picked up the lone victory for the lower seeds in the first round, defeating Texas 76-66 on Wednesday night. Behind a strong defensive performance, blazing start by Malik Dia, and season-best 50 points in the paint, the Rebels earned another day of basketball as they moved on to the second round. A season-high 12 steals combined with six blocks kept the Longhorns at bay, while Ole Miss matched the SEC Tournament record with just three turnovers.
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Since playing in their first SEC postseason tournament back in 1933, Ole Miss has gone 36-61 all-time. They've come out on top of the bracket twice. First in 1981 as the six seed under Bob Weltlich by defeating Dominique Wilkins and Georgia in the final, and once again in 2013 led by tournament MVP Marshall Henderson.
"SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK"
In 33 games played this season, Ole Miss has had 10 or less turnovers in 20 contests, including 15 of their 20 games against SEC foes. Their season average of 9.7 turnovers per game is the 31st-best mark in the nation and second in the conference, while their clip of 8.8 per game was second best in the SEC during regular season 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 9.8, and is the only program averaging under 10.0.
HOT BENCH
Averaging 29.8 points of the bench per game, Ole Miss ranks 28th 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 19 games. He's posted seven 20-point games during that span, including a pair of season-best 27-point performances, and has averaged 17.8 points per game. Including his lone start in conference play, Storr averaged 17.5 points per game in regular season SEC games, the 13th-best mark overall and most among non-starters.
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 led all qualifying players averaging at least 20 minutes per game with just nine turnovers during the regular season, and is the only player with less than 10.
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 57th-best mark in the nation. All fifteen student-athletes that have played this season have recorded a block paced by James Scott's 41, 28 from Malik Dia, and 25 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.
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.
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