Ole Miss men’s basketball still on for in-state rival against Mississippi State

Almost every Ole Miss sport underwent cancellations or postponements this week due to winter weather conditions. Despite the LSU game — originally scheduled for Feb. 18 — being postponed, the Rebels will still prepare to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a Saturday match-up.

The Rebels are on a four-game winning streak after their previous victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks (81-74). The team’s current overall record sits at 12-8 and 7-6 in the SEC, and Ole Miss landed at No. 6 in current SEC rankings. The Rebels have won eight games at home with three losses and have also won four games away.

Meanwhile, Mississippi State sits at an 11-11 overall record and a 5-8 record in the SEC. The Bulldogs rank at No. 11 in the current SEC standings and are on a two-game losing streak. With losses coming from LSU (94-80) and Vanderbilt (72-51), the Bulldogs added two more home defeats to their record for a total of five losses and eight wins.

In the Bulldogs’ previous match-up against the Vanderbilt Commodores, team leader Iverson Molinar put up a total of 19 points, six rebounds and two steals. Iverson has 321 points, 55 assists and 21 steals on the season. Another leader for the Bulldogs is redshirt sophomore D.J. Stewart Jr.. The Mississippi native leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 367 and has 68 rebounds and 56 assists. Stewart Jr. put up nine points against the Commodores.

For the Rebels, reigning Co-SEC Player of the Week Devontae Shuler leads the Rebels with 325 points and 71 assists on the season. The guard also has 63 rebounds. During the South Carolina game, Shuler put up a career-high of 31 points and had seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks and steals each.

Forward Romello White falls behind Shuler in points with 220 on the season. The forward also has 110 rebounds, 22 assists and 23 blocks. To round up the leading trio is junior Jarkel Joiner, who totals 219 points on the season with 48 rebounds, 25 assists and 25 steals.

Last season, the Rebels beat the Bulldogs during the Feb. 11 game 83-58 as alumni Breein Tyree scored a total of 40 points to set the Rebels on top. However, during the March 7 game in Starkville, the Bulldogs redeemed themselves with a 69-44 win over the Rebels to round out the regular season.

Tipoff against the Bulldogs is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday in Oxford at the Pavilion. The game will air on the SEC Network.