The Ole Miss men’s basketball team is preparing for a rivalry game against Mississippi State, set to take place on January 17 at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. The matchup will be broadcast on the SEC Network at 7:30 p.m.
Both teams enter the contest with identical records of 10-7 overall and 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play. Ole Miss is led by head coach Chris Beard, now in his third season with a record of 54-31 at the school and an overall career record of 291-129 over 14 seasons. Mississippi State’s head coach Chris Jans is in his fourth season, having achieved a 73-47 record at the university and a 216-91 career mark across ten seasons.
This game marks the 273rd meeting between the two programs, making it one of college basketball’s most frequently played rivalries. Mississippi State holds a series lead of 152-120 and has won 99 out of the previous meetings played in Starkville.
In their last encounter on February 15, 2025, Mississippi State defeated Ole Miss 81-71 in Oxford. Jaylen Murray led Ole Miss with 14 points, while RJ Melendez scored 17 points for Mississippi State.
Mississippi State’s season has included wins over Georgia Tech, Utah, Memphis, Texas (in overtime), and Oklahoma. However, they have recently lost consecutive games to Kentucky and No. 18 Alabama. According to recent rankings, Mississippi State sits at No. 78 in KenPom and No. 92 in NET.
Key players for Mississippi State include guards Josh Hubbard (averaging 22.8 points per game) and Jayden Epps (15.6 points per game). Quincy Ballard leads the team with an average of 7.5 rebounds per game, while Achor Achor averages seven rebounds per outing. The Bulldogs are ranked among the top teams nationally in defensive rebounds (24th) and total rebounds (28th), as well as blocks per game (43rd).
Ole Miss enters this matchup following a significant road win against No. 21 Georgia on January 14, where AJ Storr scored crucial late-game points to help secure a victory that marked the highest number of points Ole Miss has ever scored against a ranked opponent on the road.
AJ Storr has been central to recent successes for Ole Miss, scoring a season-best 26 points against Missouri before tallying another season-high of 27 points versus Georgia.
Malik Dia has also contributed with multiple double-doubles this season, matching his career total within just nine games this year.
Defensively, Ole Miss averages five blocks per game—27th best nationally—with James Scott leading individual efforts at an average of 1.4 blocks per contest.
Freshman guard Patton Pinkins had a standout performance during SEC play with a career-best effort against Oklahoma and strong shooting percentages over recent games.
Earlier non-conference action saw Ole Miss defeat Alcorn State by a wide margin thanks to rebounding dominance from Dia, Scott, and Corey Chest—marking rare statistical achievements for the program.
Head coach Chris Beard reached his milestone of fifty wins at Ole Miss after defeating Southern Miss on December 13.
Kezza Giffa made notable contributions earlier this season by recording seven steals during a comeback attempt against St. John’s—a feat tied for fifth-most in school history.
Ilias Kamardine impressed during a home win over Memphis with efficient scoring and all-around playmaking.
Looking ahead to future seasons, Ole Miss recently announced commitments from Jaron Saulsberry—a four-star small forward from Marietta—and Yohance Connor—a four-star combo guard from Charlotte—for its recruiting class of 2026.
