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MILWAUKEE − For the first time since 2013, the Ole Miss Rebels have reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They'll face Iowa State on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16.
Ole Miss (23-11) also had NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances in 2015 and 2019, but it was unable to get past the round of 64 each time. The sixth-seeded Rebels fended off a comeback effort by No. 11 North Carolina and held on for a 71-64 opening-round win on Friday.
The Rebels had some ups and downs in a challenging Southeastern Conference, finishing 10-8 during the regular season against SEC opponents, but they got notable home wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and a 10-point road win at Alabama.
Iowa State (25-9) dismantled 14th-seeded Lipscomb in Friday's NCAA Tournament first-round action. The Cyclones put together an all-around effort and won, 82-55.
Here's a preview of Sunday's game and what to expect from the Cyclones' next challenger:
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger was pleased with his team's physicality and effort on both ends of the court in the Cyclones' win over Lipscomb. They'll have a tougher opponent Sunday, but they'll need to channel a similar effort, if not higher, against the Rebels.
Ole Miss has seen many different types of battles throughout its up-and-down run through conference play. The Rebels were able to stay poised during the Tar Heels' comeback attempt Friday and hung on for the win. They play solid defense, ranking No. 18 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Offensively, the Rebels have tremendous balance. Point guard Sean Pedulla leads with 14.9 points per game, but Ole Miss also has five other players averaging in double figures − Jaemyn Brakefield, Matt Murrell, Malik Dia, Dre Davis and Jaylen Murray.
Pedulla is the cornerstone for Ole Miss. He dictates the flow of the game and during the NCAA Tournament first-round win over North Carolina, it appeared the Rebels' momentum swings coincided when Pedulla was able to score or get key plays for his team. He isn't afraid to show his emotions or get fired up, and the Ole Miss crowd seems to feed off of him getting animated. Iowa State will have to contain the senior point guard.
Ole Miss is scrappy and senior-laden. Sunday's matchup features two of the more experienced teams in all of college basketball.
One glaring weakness for the Rebels is on the glass, which is where the Cyclones' focus on effort-based aspects and physical traits will be important. Ole Miss outrebounded North Carolina, 40-33, but the Rebels had only three second-chance points. According to KenPom, Ole Miss ranks 312th in offensive rebounding rate and 221st in defensive rebounding.
In addition to that, the Rebels are prone to fouling. They are 315th in free-throw rate allowed and will send their opponents to the line. Physicality is an imperative for Iowa State on both ends. It needs to set the tone.
After a stretch late in the regular season during conference play in which Iowa State had turnover issues, the Cyclones have started to cut back on their giveaways, but can they continue down that path against Ole Miss?
Both teams excel at generating turnovers. Iowa State forces turnovers in 21.9% of opponents' possessions (13th in Division I), while Ole Miss isn't far behind at 20.3% (35th).
However, Ole Miss takes excellent care of the ball and turns it over on only 13.0% of its possessions, the third-lowest rate in the country.
The Cyclones are at their best when they're making opponents uncomfortable and scoring off turnovers, so this will be a key margin to watch in Sunday's game.
Before Chris Beard was at Ole Miss, he was the coach at Texas, when the Longhorns were still in the Big 12.
He and Otzelberger went head-to-head twice in the 2021-22 season, Otzelberger's first season at the helm of the Cyclones.
That year, Iowa State won 79-70 at home, before losing in the rematch at Texas, 63-41.
Going back even further, Beard had five more seasons of coaching in the Big 12 with Texas Tech. He guided the Red Raiders to an Elite Eight in 2018, then a national runner-up finish the following year in 2019.
Ole Miss feels like a better matchup than the up-and-down, run-and-gun style of North Carolina, but nothing is guaranteed in this tournament.
The Cyclones preach and pride themselves on doing the effort-based things in basketball. If they can start strong, be physical and set the tone early, they should be in good shape to reach the Sweet 16. They may not pile up 50 points in the paint for the second game in a row, but the Cyclones should be capable of winning on the glass and the turnover battle. Iowa State 71, Ole Miss 64
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: NCAA Tournament second-round game preview: Iowa State vs Ole Miss
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Ole Miss (23-11) also had NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances in 2015 and 2019, but it was unable to get past the round of 64 each time. The sixth-seeded Rebels fended off a comeback effort by No. 11 North Carolina and held on for a 71-64 opening-round win on Friday.
The Rebels had some ups and downs in a challenging Southeastern Conference, finishing 10-8 during the regular season against SEC opponents, but they got notable home wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and a 10-point road win at Alabama.
Iowa State (25-9) dismantled 14th-seeded Lipscomb in Friday's NCAA Tournament first-round action. The Cyclones put together an all-around effort and won, 82-55.
Here's a preview of Sunday's game and what to expect from the Cyclones' next challenger:
Physicality is a non-negotiable for Iowa State
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger was pleased with his team's physicality and effort on both ends of the court in the Cyclones' win over Lipscomb. They'll have a tougher opponent Sunday, but they'll need to channel a similar effort, if not higher, against the Rebels.
Ole Miss has seen many different types of battles throughout its up-and-down run through conference play. The Rebels were able to stay poised during the Tar Heels' comeback attempt Friday and hung on for the win. They play solid defense, ranking No. 18 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Offensively, the Rebels have tremendous balance. Point guard Sean Pedulla leads with 14.9 points per game, but Ole Miss also has five other players averaging in double figures − Jaemyn Brakefield, Matt Murrell, Malik Dia, Dre Davis and Jaylen Murray.
Pedulla is the cornerstone for Ole Miss. He dictates the flow of the game and during the NCAA Tournament first-round win over North Carolina, it appeared the Rebels' momentum swings coincided when Pedulla was able to score or get key plays for his team. He isn't afraid to show his emotions or get fired up, and the Ole Miss crowd seems to feed off of him getting animated. Iowa State will have to contain the senior point guard.
Ole Miss is scrappy and senior-laden. Sunday's matchup features two of the more experienced teams in all of college basketball.
One glaring weakness for the Rebels is on the glass, which is where the Cyclones' focus on effort-based aspects and physical traits will be important. Ole Miss outrebounded North Carolina, 40-33, but the Rebels had only three second-chance points. According to KenPom, Ole Miss ranks 312th in offensive rebounding rate and 221st in defensive rebounding.
In addition to that, the Rebels are prone to fouling. They are 315th in free-throw rate allowed and will send their opponents to the line. Physicality is an imperative for Iowa State on both ends. It needs to set the tone.
The turnover battle
After a stretch late in the regular season during conference play in which Iowa State had turnover issues, the Cyclones have started to cut back on their giveaways, but can they continue down that path against Ole Miss?
Both teams excel at generating turnovers. Iowa State forces turnovers in 21.9% of opponents' possessions (13th in Division I), while Ole Miss isn't far behind at 20.3% (35th).
However, Ole Miss takes excellent care of the ball and turns it over on only 13.0% of its possessions, the third-lowest rate in the country.
The Cyclones are at their best when they're making opponents uncomfortable and scoring off turnovers, so this will be a key margin to watch in Sunday's game.
Familiar faces in coaching matchup of Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger, Ole Miss' Chris Beard
Before Chris Beard was at Ole Miss, he was the coach at Texas, when the Longhorns were still in the Big 12.
He and Otzelberger went head-to-head twice in the 2021-22 season, Otzelberger's first season at the helm of the Cyclones.
That year, Iowa State won 79-70 at home, before losing in the rematch at Texas, 63-41.
Going back even further, Beard had five more seasons of coaching in the Big 12 with Texas Tech. He guided the Red Raiders to an Elite Eight in 2018, then a national runner-up finish the following year in 2019.
Prediction
Ole Miss feels like a better matchup than the up-and-down, run-and-gun style of North Carolina, but nothing is guaranteed in this tournament.
The Cyclones preach and pride themselves on doing the effort-based things in basketball. If they can start strong, be physical and set the tone early, they should be in good shape to reach the Sweet 16. They may not pile up 50 points in the paint for the second game in a row, but the Cyclones should be capable of winning on the glass and the turnover battle. Iowa State 71, Ole Miss 64
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: NCAA Tournament second-round game preview: Iowa State vs Ole Miss
Continue reading...
