Bracket Watch: Where do the Ole Miss basketball teams stand heading into the postseason?
March is in full swing and the Ole Miss basketball teams are still playing meaningful games, though one is already in a do or die mode while another is simply trying to better their postseason view.
This week is the Southeastern Conference’s Women’s Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina and the Rebels are entering it as the 3-Seed, their highest seed in the tournament since 1991-92.
For them this week is all about trying to improve on its NCAA Tournament seeding as a third-straight trip to the dance is all but locked up. Not playing until Friday around 7:30 p.m. CT will give Ole Miss a good idea of where it stands as most of the teams around the country will have played at least one game in conference tournaments.
Tuesday’s latest ‘Bracketology’ update by ESPN’s Charlie Creme has the Rebels (22-7) slotted in the 7-Seed spot of the Albany 1 Region and playing in Los Angeles with host and 2-Seed Southern California.
This is not a win and you are in type of situation but a win and get as high up the seeding food chain as possible for Ole Miss. Earning the No. 3 Seed in this week’s SEC Tournament provides them the opportunity to not face No. 1 South Carolina until potentially in the championship game on Sunday. This also means the Rebels get two prime opportunities for major wins with No. 2 Seed LSU their presumed semifinal match up on Saturday.
For the Ole Miss men’s team it has already entered tournament mode with a week left of the regular season.
Last Saturday saw the Rebels (20-9, 7-9 SEC) escape Columbia, Missouri with a close win over the Tigers despite have a near 20-point lead at one time.
A victory was needed but Ole Miss needs more of them with games at Georgia on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT and closes out the regular season in Oxford on Saturday, hosting Texas A&M at 1 p.m. CT.
Finishing this week 2-0 is the only option and the Rebels need have a very lengthy stay in Nashville for next week’s SEC Tournament. They are currently ninth in the SEC standings and would start in the second round on March 14.
With the way the back half of SEC play has gone for Ole Miss it finds itself on the very outside looking in. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the third team in his Next, Next Four Out. Essentially the Rebels are behind 10 other teams waiting to slide into the Field of 68.
Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has Ole Miss in the same situation with his NCAA Tournament projections.
Might be too little too late for them but keeping the winning going and a deep run next week is all the Rebels can do to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Otherwise they are all but a lock for the NIT as things stand now.
