The SEC has become perhaps the most competitive conference in men’s college basketball. Last season, 14 of the conference’s 16 teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Half the teams in the Elite Eight were from the SEC, and Florida won the National Championship.
Last season, the No. 6 seed Rebels advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where No. 2 seed Michigan State knocked them off 73-70. The last time the Rebels advanced that far was in 2001. Despite the loss, head coach Chris Beard’s second season in Oxford was a success.
The SEC released conference schedules for each team in early August. Here is how the Rebels stack up against some of the best teams in the conference.
Arkansas
The Rebels will face the Razorbacks in Oxford on either Jan. 6 or 7. This offseason, Arkansas head coach John Calipari demonstrated his knack for the dying art of high school recruiting by signing Darius Acuff, the highest-ranked point guard in the class of 2025. Senior forward Malique Ewin (14.2 points per game at Florida State) should lock down the interior.
Still, the losses of guards Boogie Fland to Florida and Adou Thiero to the Los Angeles Lakers are tough to look past. The Rebels beat the Razorbacks twice last season, once in the regular season and again in the SEC Tournament. The Rebel backcourt will have difficulty containing Acuff, but with the Rebels’ length in the paint, Ewin may struggle to score.
Auburn
The complexion of Auburn’s season changed before it even began when head coach Bruce Pearl, the reigning SEC coach of the year, announced his retirement in late September. His son Steven is expected to take over.
Returning point guard Tahaad Pettiford (11.7 PPG) should anchor the Tiger backcourt, and transfer forwards Keyshawn Hall (18.8 PPG at UCF) and KeShawn Murphy (11.7 PPG at Mississippi State) are a formidable duo. This matchup will, once again, hinge on the Rebels’ ability to defend inside the paint.
Although, without forward Johni Broome — the Sporting News National Player of the Year and an AP First-Team All American — the Tigers may lack the star power they had last season. Guard Chad Baker-Mazara’s transfer to USC also stings.
The Tigers beat the Rebels three times last season; Beard, against an inexperienced Steven Pearl, will not let that happen again. Their two matchups will take place in Oxford on either Jan. 20 or 21, then in Auburn, Ala., on Feb. 28.
Kentucky
The Rebels travel to Lexington, Ky., to play the Wildcats on Jan. 24. Head coach Mark Pope returns leading scorer Otega Oweh (16.2 PPG). He was also active in the transfer portal and earned the Wildcats the second-best transfer class in the nation, per ESPN.
Forward Jayden Quaintance, a potential NBA Lottery pick in 2026, headlines the class. The 6-foot-10 Arizona State transfer’s 2024-25 season was cut short after he tore his ACL on March 19. The Wildcats have released sparing updates about his recovery, though as of a month ago, there was still no timetable for his return.
Kentucky, with 29 players currently on NBA rosters, has long been a factory for producing top-tier talent, especially at the guard level.
This season will be no different. Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen, a solid mid-range scorer who can bury the open three (35% from beyond the arc), is another good addition, as is guard Jaland Lowe (16.8 PPG at Pittsburgh).
Ole Miss guards Kezza Giffa, Koren Johnson and Kentucky transfer Travis Perry will have a tall task on their hands. Quaintance’s health, too, is a big variable. Though, the Rebels stopped Oweh last season in a 98-84 home victory, and they have all the tools to win again this year.
Florida
The Rebels will take on the Gators on Feb. 21 in Oxford. The reigning champions lost their outstanding backcourt of Will Richard and AP First Team All-American Walter Clayton Jr.
The Gators remain a force to be reckoned with. Arkansas transfer Fland (13.5 PPG) and Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee (16.9 PPG) will facilitate what should be another high-volume offense. Forward Thomas Haugh, whose clutch shooting against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight fueled a 10-point Gator comeback in the final six minutes, can get hot at a moment’s notice.
Rebounding will be key for the Rebels, especially against Third Team All-SEC selection Alex Condon. Ole Miss forwards James Scott, Augusto Cassiá and Niko Bundalo (#35 recruit in the ESPN Top 100) will need to rake in rebounds to prevent second-chance points. The Gators can score at all three levels, and can do so in a hurry.
Other matchups
Tennessee finished fourth in the conference last season and will be a tough matchup even without guards Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler. Oklahoma brings in Miami veteran Nijel Pack (13.9 PPG) and St. Joseph’s guard Xzayvier Brown (17.6 PPG).
The depth of the SEC was evident last season, when Texas — who finished a measly 6-12 in conference play — still qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Though these are the biggest SEC games on Ole Miss’ schedule currently, no in-conference team should be a pushover.
