After impressive victories in the first Two Rounds of March Madness, both Rebel basketball teams advanced to the 2025 Sweet 16.
Ole Miss is one of only four schools with both men’s and women’s teams moving on to the Sweet 16 of their respective NCAA Tournaments.
Ole Miss Men’s Basketball has not gotten this far in tournament play since 2001. Head coach Chris Beard, who is in his second year coaching the Rebels, has taken this team to a new level that Rebel fans are not used to. Across all the schools he has coached at, Beard is 5-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Women’s head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels look to move on to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007.
Men’s basketball
Ole Miss faced North Carolina in the First Round of the tournament. The Rebels came in as underdogs, according to multiple sportsbooks. However, the game was a beatdown in the first half as the Rebels jumped out to a 18-point lead at half-time. The Rebels were led in scoring by Sean Pedulla and Dre Davis.
Despite North Carolina never taking the lead during the matchup, the Rebels slowed down the pace and the Tar Heels caught up the second half, cutting the Rebels’ lead to two points with 53 seconds left. Pedulla hit a late three to make the lead five, and the Rebels sealed a 91-78 First Round win.
Ole Miss moved onto No. 3 seed Iowa State in the Second Round, with the Rebels still labeled as underdogs. On paper, this was an uneven matchup for Ole Miss. The Cyclones were a much taller team, and they played very physical basketball, something that Ole Miss has not handled well all season.
The Rebels started out slow on offense, as Iowa State got off to a 15-8 lead. After that, the Rebels got hot, and they ended up shooting 57% from the three-point line. The Iowa State Cyclones struggled all night, shooting 36% from three-point range.
Pedulla led the way for the Rebels again scoring 20 points, and Jaemyn Brakefield added 19 points as the Rebels cruised to the Sweet 16 to face No. 2 Michigan State.
Michigan State is a semi favorable matchup for Ole Miss. The Spartans are not a very good shooting team, placing last in three-point percentage in the Big 10. However, they rebound the ball well, as they are led by 6-foot-9 forward Jaxson Kohler, who averages 7.5 rebounds a game.
The Rebels need to continue their success from three, while also playing sound defense and forcing turnovers. The coaching battle between legendary coach Tom Izzo and Beard should be exciting to watch.
The battle between Pedulla and Spartans guard Jaden Akins will be fun, as both guards love to control the tempo.
The Rebels and Spartans are set to play Friday, March 28 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Tip off is set for 6:09 p.m., and the game will be streamed on CBS.
Women’s basketball
Head coach McPhee-McCuin and the Lady Rebels have been on a tear recently, winning their last two games.
Ole Miss had made the Sweet 16 just once in the past 25 years before hiring McPhee-McCuin in 2018. The Rebels’ game on Friday against No. 1 seed UCLA will be their second appearance in the Sweet 16 in the past three years.
The Lady Rebels’ first matchup during this year’s tournament was against the No. 12 seed Ball State. The Rebels jumped out to an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and after that it was all Rebels.
Starr Jacobs led the team with 18 points on an efficient 6 of 7 shooting. Scott also added 15 points in the dominant 83-65 win.
Ole Miss then faced a talented Baylor team in the Round of 32. The Bears, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, started the game with an impressive 20-16 lead over the Rebels.
After halftime, the Rebels outscored Baylor in both the third and the fourth quarters. Sira Thienou was elite for Ole Miss, scoring 16 points and securing six rebounds. KK Deans added 13 points off the bench and was a huge spark in the game as she hit some crucial shots.
UCLA, the Rebels’ next opponent, is 32-2 in the regular season. UCLA is led by star center Lauren Betts, who averages 19.7 points per game and shoots 60 % from the floor.
What is unique about this matchup is the relationship Ole Miss forward Christeen Iwuala has to UCLA Women’s Basketball. Iwuala played two seasons with the Bruins before transferring to Ole Miss this season.
Despite Iwuala’s decision to transfer, UCLA head coach Cori Close spoke of the team’s commitment to supporting their former teammate.
“We have actually watched Ole Miss a lot because Christeen Iwuala is on their team, and we love her, even though she used to be a Bruin,” Close said in an interview with Athlon Sports. “But we are ‘Wually’ fans, as we call her, and we just think she’s spectacular. So we’ve tuned in, as a team, to a lot of games.”
Bruins forward Janiah Barker is also an excellent player, scoring and rebounding at a high level.
The key for the Rebels is to continue to go to the free throw line while also stopping the paint production of the Bruins. It is important that McPhee-McCuin is prepared to play physical defense and try to speed up UCLA to tire out their bigs.
The Lady Rebels and the Bruins will tip off at 9 p.m. Friday, March 28 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. The game will be streamed on ESPN.
