Alabama vs Ole Miss Prediction and Preview

The Alabama Crimson Tide is back home after a two game road trip and will welcome another AP top 25 team to Coleman Coliseum in Ole Miss. Read more for an Alabama vs Ole Miss prediction and preview.

Alabama basketball is coming off a rock fight for 40 minutes against the Texas A&M Aggies in a 94-88 win. Alabama welcomes Ole Miss to town in a series that the Tide have owned the Rebels, winning the last seven matchups between the two programs.

Both teams and Auburn are all 3-0 to begin SEC play.

“Ole Miss has been good, and they have the best defense thus far in SEC play,” said head coach Nate Oats.

Game Information:

Teams: Alabama (14-2, 3-0) and Ole Miss (14-2, 3-0)

Tip-Off:  6 p.m. CST (7 p.m. EST)

Where to Watch: ESPNU

How to Listen: Tide 100.9

Latest on Ole Miss basketball:

The Ole Miss Rebels are entering year two under Chris Beard and are off to another good start at 14-2. They have big time NCAA Tournament aspirations, and their roster is built around returning veterans and the transfer portal.

So far this season, Ole Miss’s marquee victory in non-conference play came in a throttling 86-63 win over the Louisville Cardinals. So far in SEC play, it has beaten Georgia, Arkansas, and most recently, LSU in a 77-65 win where Belmont transfer Malik Dia had 19 points. 

The Rebels have a veteran back-court with portal players Dre Davis from Seton Hall and Sean Pedulla from Virginia Tech. Matthew Murrell is also back for another year with the team. All three guys average 30-plus minutes per game.

The Rebels only have three returning players from a season ago. This season, Pedulla leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 PPG. Jaylen Muray is back for his second season in Oxford and leads the team in assists, averaging 4.1 APG. Dia leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.8 RPG. 

Per KenPom, the Rebels are ranked 31st in offensive efficiency numbers and just outside the top 20  at 22nd in defensive efficiency. The team is the eighth-ranked team in its conference in the rankings by the numbers. The team averages around 79 PPG and shoots 35.7% from the three-point line.

Last year, the Rebels were 20-12 (7-11 in conference play).

Latest on Alabama basketball:

Alabama is coming off its second road win in conference play against 10th-ranked Texas A&M. Mark Sears led the way with 27 points. Sears was also named SEC Player of the Week. 

Alabama finished the game strong against A&M after the Aggies cut the lead to one possession, the Tide held strong to pull out the win.

Sears continues to lead the team in scoring and is up to 19.1 PPG on the season, which continues to climb up slowly closer to 20. Grant Nelson continues to be a force around the glass in the rebounding department and leads the team in averaging 8.6 RPG. Sears leads the team in assists at 4.5 APG, whereas the team averages 17.5 APG.

Per KenPom, Alabama is in the top 5 in offensive efficiency at 2 and defensively, with an efficiency ranking of 39, which is down two spots from the last game. Alabama is averaging 91.1 PPG while shooting 32.3% from three. Alabama averages the most points per game in the country.

Alabama continues to move up in the AP Poll rankings and is now ranked 4th in the country.

Alabama vs Ole Miss prediction: Crimson Tide by 10

Alabama will be in for another challenge, but the Rebels have not been fully tested thus far in conference play. The Tide will defend home floor and win by 10.