Mississippi forward Sebastian Saiz (11) drives the ball past South Carolina forward Michael Carrera (24) during a game last season. (File Photo)
Ole Miss (12-7, 3-3 SEC) and Mississippi State (9-10, 2-4 SEC) will meet up for the 250th time tonight, which is the SEC’s most-played rivalry. This matchup is very important for the Rebels as they have a golden opportunity ahead of them to stack wins to improve on their NCAA Tournament hopes. Ole Miss is ranked 46th in the latest RPI rankings released by the NCAA. The Rebels are taking on a Mississippi State team that has yet to gain any consistency this season, like Ole Miss. One impressive statistic for the Rebels this season is that they lead the NCAA in free-throw percentage at 80% on the season. Needless to say, tomorrow’s game is crucial for Ole Miss if they want to stay alive for the dance in March.
Impact Player: Ole Miss- Dwight Coleby
Sophomore center Dwight Coleby has been on a tear lately, scoring in double-figures in three of his last four outings. Coleby lifted the Rebels with a season-high four blocks in the 72-71 win over Florida. Dwight Coleby has a tough challenge on his hands as he’ll go up against a physical Bulldog frontline. There’s no question that Coleby is skilled enough to be an asset to this Ole Miss Basketball team. He’s a little uncoordinated at times, but with his improving rim protection, he can definitely be a guy that sees consistent late game minutes from head coach Andy Kennedy. Even more impressive about Coleby is his free-throw percentage (.794). Former Ole Miss center Reginald Buckner shot below .500 from the foul line during his tenure at Ole Miss. If Coleby can finish better at the rim, make his foul shots, and play good defense in the middle, then he’s going to be a game changer in this matchup and for the remaining stretch of the season.
Impact Player: Mississippi State- Roquz Johnson
Senior stretch forward Roquez Johnson is having a consistent season for the Bulldogs as he lead them in scoring at 11 points per game. Fresh off a 25-point performance against Georgia, Johnson has the hot hand. For the most part, the wings on Ole Miss are small, so this will be a tough matchup for the Rebels. The Bulldog offense is not stellar as they only average 61 points per game. Expect the Rebels to send multiple defenders at Johnson as he is poised to cause Ole Miss problems in this rivalry game.
