Oral Roberts Golden Eagles vs. Mississippi Rebels Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
Ole Miss will face off against Oral Roberts on Thursday night in Oxford, Miss, marking their first game of the season as an unranked team.
The Rebels (4-0) were initially ranked No. 24 in the AP preseason poll, but have since slipped to No. 25 after their first two wins and have now fallen out of the rankings entirely after their last two games. This includes their most recent 84-69 victory against Colorado State on Saturday in Southaven, Miss.
Despite the lack of recognition from pollsters, head coach Chris Beard remains optimistic about his team's progress, stating that they are "headed in the right direction."
See also:
"Top 25 Recap: No. 8 Alabama Defeats No. 25 Illinois"
See also:
"Marquette's No. 15 Ranking Prevails Against No. 6 Purdue in Top 25 Recap"
"As a coach, you are always striving for 40 minutes of consistent play," Beard said. "That is what you need when you start facing conference opponents."
The Rebels still have eight nonconference games before their SEC opener, giving them plenty of time to fine-tune their game. According to Beard, the team has a lot to build on offensively from their recent win against Colorado State.
In that game, Ole Miss had five players score in double figures, with Jaylen Murray leading the way with 16 points. Beard praised the team's balance and also noted their impressive feat of only committing four turnovers.
While the Rebels had a comfortable lead of 24 points in the first half, they saw it shrink to just nine points in the second half. This is something they will need to work on in order to maintain their dominance throughout the entire game.
Oral Roberts, on the other hand, experienced an even bigger drop-off in their last game against Belmont. Despite leading 45-31 at halftime, they ended up losing 90-80 in Nashville, Tenn.
Rice transfer Sam Alajiki had a career-high 28 points for the Golden Eagles, but only six of those came in the second half. Issac McBride, the Summit Conference Preseason Player of the Year, added 19 points and a career-high eight assists.
According to Golden Eagles coach Russell Springmann, McBride has shown significant growth in his ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
See also:
"Louisville Forward Aboubacar Traore Sidelined for Several Weeks with Arm Injury"
See also:
"Top 25 Recap: No. 19 Wisconsin Fends Off Upset Attempt"