The Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team represents the University of Mississippi in the sport of basketball. The Rebels compete in the NCAA Division I and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They started the 2015–16 season playing home games at Tad Smith Coliseum on the university's Oxford campus, but played their final game in that facility on December 22, 2015. The Rebels opened a new on-campus arena, The Pavilion at Ole Miss, on January 7, 2016. The Rebels were led by 12-year head coach Andy Kennedy until his resignation on February 18, 2018. Tony Madlock, an assistant under Kennedy, served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2017–18 season. On March 15, 2018, the school hired former Middle Tennessee head coach Kermit Davis as the new head coach and was formally introduced on March 19. Davis was fired in his sixth season on February 24, 2023, after posting a 2–13 conference record with two games remaining on the schedule. Assistant coach Win Case took over as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Ole Miss has appeared ten times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2025. The Rebels made their deepest tournament run in school history at the 2001 NCAA tournament and the 2025 NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 both seasons. The Rebels have participated in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 11 times. In 2008 and 2010, they made it to the NIT Semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The Rebels have won the SEC Western Division five times.

History

Recent history Rob Evans arrived in Oxford in 1992 as the school's first black coach in a revenue sport. He led the Rebels to only their second and third NCAA Tournament appearances in school history, in 1997 and 1998. These were also the first 20-win seasons in school history; the Rebels had been one of the few longstanding members of a "power conference" to have never tallied a 20-win season.

Evans left for Arizona State in 1998. His top assistant, Rod Barnes, took over at Ole Miss and compiled a record of 141–109 during his eight-year tenure. During his tenure, the Rebels reached the 1999, 2001, and 2002 NCAA Tournaments. The 1998–99 team notched the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament win, while the 2001 team advanced all the way to the Sweet 16. His tenure crested at that point, however, and he would not have another winning season after 2002.

Following the 2005–06 season, Ole Miss hired Andy Kennedy, and the Rebels tied for first place in the SEC West during the 2006–07 season. Led by the senior trio of Clarence Sanders, Bam Doyne, and Todd Abernethy, the Ole Miss men finished the year with a 21–13 record, including a 16–1 record at home inside Tad Smith Coliseum. They advanced to the second round of the NIT, before falling at Clemson. In his debut season with the Rebels, Kennedy was named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press after guiding Ole Miss, a preseason last-place pick in the SEC West, to its first division title and most wins since 2001.

In the 2012–13 season, Ole Miss won just their second SEC tournament title and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. Ole Miss also set a school record for most SEC wins in a season. Kennedy was again named SEC Coach of the Year. On February 23, 2013, Kennedy became the all-time winningest coach at Ole Miss.

Active NBA players Terence Davis – Sacramento Kings Sean Pedulla – Los Angeles Clippers

Active international players

Romello White (born 1998) - basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League

Postseason

NCAA tournament results The Rebels have appeared in the NCAA tournament ten times. Their combined record is 7–10.

1981 No. 10 First Round No. 7 Kansas L 66–69 1997 No. 8 First Round No. 9 Temple L 40–62 1998 No. 4 First Round No. 13 Valparaiso L 69–70 1999 No. 9 First RoundSecond Round No. 8 VillanovaNo. 1 Michigan State W 72–70L 66–74 2001 No. 3 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen No. 14 IonaNo. 6 Notre DameNo. 2 Arizona W 72–70W 59–56L 56–66 2002 No. 9 First Round No. 8 UCLA L 58–80 2013 No. 12 First RoundSecond Round No. 5 WisconsinNo. 13 La Salle W 57–46L 74–76 2015 No. 11 First FourFirst Round No. 11 BYUNo. 6 Xavier W 94–90L 57–76 2019 No. 8 First Round No. 9 Oklahoma L 72–95 2025 No. 6 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen No. 11 North Carolina No. 3 Iowa StateNo. 2 Michigan State W 71–64W 91–78L 70–73

NIT results The Rebels have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 13 times. Their combined record is 15–13.

1980 First RoundSecond Round Grambling StateMinnesota W 76–74L 56–58 1982 First RoundSecond Round ClemsonVirginia Tech W 53–49L 59–61 1983 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals Alabama StateSouth FloridaDePaul W 87–75W 65–57L 67–75 1987 First Round Southern Miss L 75–93 1989 First Round St. John's L 67–70 2000 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals CharlotteSW Missouri StateNC State W 62–45W 70–48L 54–77 2007 First RoundSecond Round Appalachian StateClemson W 73–59L 68–89 2008 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals UC Santa BarbaraNebraskaVirginia TechOhio State W 83–68W 85–75 OTW 81–72L 69–81 2010 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals TroyMemphisTexas TechDayton W 84–65W 90–81W 90–87 2OTL 63–68 2011 First Round California L 74–77 2012 First Round Illinois State L 93–96 OT 2017 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals MonmouthSyracuseGeorgia Tech W 91–83 W 85–80 L 66–74 2021 First Round Louisiana Tech L 61–70

All-Americans

PlayerPositionYear(s)Selectors Ary Phillips Guard 1928 Associated Press B.L. "Country" Graham Center 1938 Helms Athletic Foundation Denver Brackeen Center 1955 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press Joe Gibbon Forward 1957 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press, UPI Don Kessinger Guard 1964 Associated Press Jack Waters (2) Guard/Forward 1969, 1971 UPI Johnny Neumann Forward 1971 Helms Athletic Foundation, Associated Press, UPI, United States Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches John Stroud (2) Forward 1979 & 1980 Associated Press Carlos Clark Forward 1982 Associated Press Rod Barnes Guard 1988 The Sporting News Gerald Glass (2) Forward 1989, 1990 Ansu Sesay Forward 1998 Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball Coaches Keith Carter Guard 1999 Associated Press Rahim Lockhart Forward 2001 Basketball Times Source:

References

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