Ole Miss Basketball Stuns Top-Ranked SEC Rival: Rebels’ Last-Second Buzzer-Beater You Must See

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.—Ole Miss basketball fans have watched the Rebels roar to a 5-0 start, and the nation will get its first neutral-site look tonight when Chris Beard’s squad meets equally unbeaten Iowa in the Acrisure Classic at Acrisure Arena (8:30 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network). Undefeated through November, Ole Miss has leaned on 6-foot-9 forward Malik Dia, who averages 18.0 points and 6.4 rebounds, and flashy French guard Ilias Kamardine, fresh off a 26-point showcase against Memphis. Kansas transfer AJ Storr (16.2 ppg) adds perimeter firepower, giving the Rebels three double-figure scorers who shoot a combined 43 % from deep. Beard’s third-year blueprint mirrors his Texas Tech rise: 20 wins in Year 1, an NCAA Sweet 16 in Year 2, and now a veteran-heavy roster built for a deeper March run. Eight transfers from blue-blood programs—headlined by Louisville big man James Scott and Kentucky sharpshooter Travis Perry—have blended with McDonald’s All-American freshman Niko Bundalo to form the deepest rotation Oxford has seen in a decade. Tonight’s opponent is no cupcake. First-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum has the Hawkeyes leading the nation in field-goal percentage (57.6 %) behind All-America candidate Bennett Stirtz (17.6 ppg, 6.2 apg). The matchup marks the programs’ first-ever meeting and a potential NET-boosting win for either side. Win or lose, Ole Miss returns to the Acrisure hardwood Wednesday against Utah or Grand Canyon before heading home for a marquee ACC/SEC Challenge game vs. Miami on Dec. 2. December also features St. John’s at Madison Square Garden and a neutral clash with NC State, giving the Rebels multiple national-TV windows to cement an early NCAA résumé. The program’s buzz is amplified by the impending farewell to the Tad Pad, slated for demolition in 2026 after one final nostalgic victory over CSU Bakersfield. With Oxford attendance rising and social media engagement at all-time highs, Ole Miss basketball is trending upward exactly when the college hoops spotlight turns holiday-bright. If the Rebels keep stacking wins out west, expect “Ole Miss basketball” to keep climbing search rankings—and the AP Poll—well into the new year.