Mississippi Jarvis Summers passes the ball in game last week. (File Photo | Ariel Cobbert)
The Rebels (17-8, 8-4 SEC) travel to Starkville tonight to take on Mississippi State (12-13, 5-7 SEC) in search of a regular season sweep over the rival Bulldogs. Shockingly, Ole Miss has not won in Starkville since 2009. This game can be seen as extra motivation for seniors LaDarius White and Jarvis Summers, who were on the 2012 team that could’ve solidified an NCAA Tournament spot had they won in Starkville against a struggling Bulldogs team that year.
Despite losing to Arkansas by one point, Andy Kennedy’s squad looks to get back on the winning track as they look to earn a top-four seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament in March. The standings show that Ole Miss stands at third in the conference, holding a tiebreaker over Texas A&M. As of now, the Rebels would be in the NCAA Tournament according to ESPN “Bracketologist” Joe Lunardi who has Ole Miss as an eight seed in his bracket. The Rebels are more than deserving of a tournament spot as they rank 37th in RPI and stand at 3-4 against the RPI Top 50, including wins over No. 18 Arkansas, No. 35 Cincinnati and No. 44 Texas A&M.
On the other hand, Mississippi State is coming into this matchup playing better basketball as of late after winning three of their last five games.
It is unlikely that the Bulldogs can make a run to the NCAA Tournament unless they win the conference tournament. Their remaining schedule doesn’t help either with home matchups against Ole Miss, 18th ranked Arkansas and No. 1 Kentucky in the upcoming week.
Impact Player- Ole Miss
It’s been an up-and-down season for Ole Miss senior point guard Jarvis Summers as his production has fallen off quite a bit since last season. The preseason All-SEC guard is only averaging 12.4 points per game this year compared to 17.3 points per game last year. His field goal percentage is the statistic that has fallen drastically since last year as he’s shooting 35 percent this year compared to 48 percent last year. It is vital for Summers to have a good game as he’s averaging over 15.3 points per game in Starkville for his career. Summers must get back on track as he’s shot just 3-for-14 in his last two games. The senior can use his past experience to help some of the younger Rebels as this game is huge for their NCAA Tournament implications. Summers must come out and prove why he is the SEC’s active leader in career points tonight. Leadership and production from Summers is key in order for the Rebels to escape Starkville with a win.
Impact Player- Mississippi State
Junior shooting guard Craig Sword is arguably one of the most improved players in the conference this season. The sharpshooter continues to play well in conference play as he’s scored in double-figures in eight of his last nine games. Sword torched Ole Miss back on Jan. 28 with 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Ole Miss did not defend him well at all in that game as he also caught fire making five three-pointers in that contest. If Sword can do more of the same tonight, then Ole Miss could have problems.
TV: ESPN 2
Time: 8 p.m. C.T.
Location: Humphrey Coliseum
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