TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 4 Alabama men’s basketball team will face No. 21 Ole Miss at home in Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday night. This is Alabama’s seventh opponent of the season.

Ole Miss joins the Crimson Tide and Auburn as the only three members of the SEC to start 3-0 against the best conference in college basketball this season. The game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT tip on ESPNU.

Here are three things to watch for in Tuesday’s matchup:

Rebels head coach Chris Beard relies on the small-ball style of play, as each of his top four scorers is under 6-foot-3. Despite the team size, opponents have struggled to score inside the zone, and these speedy playmakers are quick swipes across the basketball to score steals.

“Matthew Murrell, who we tried to recruit out of high school, was unsuccessful. He went to Ole Miss and had an incredible career there. I have a lot of respect for him,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said at Monday’s press conference. “He’s tough, physical, can shoot and paint at a high level. He’s really good. (Sean) Pedulla, who we also wanted to recruit as a transfer, chose Ole Miss. Super skilled, really tough. “I love him and think he’s a great player.

“They bring (Jaylen) Murray off the bench. He has a lot to offer – he’s quick, he’s explosive, he can get in the paint, he’ll be strong coverage. He’s a jet. He can shoot threes.” (Dre) Davis, I mean, he’s really good too. They put someone in the starting lineup (Davis or fellow guard Davon Barnes) and brought someone off the bench.

Alabama forward Derrion Reid’s presence on Monday’s availability report was somewhat surprising since Oats didn’t mention anything about an injury during Monday’s press conference. However, it was listed as down in Tuesday’s final availability report.

So who are the candidates to step up and get more minutes because of the striker’s absence? Starter Jarin Stevenson has a good chance of seeing more playing time, especially since he was the hard-hat winner in two straight games. Mouhamed Dioubate’s all-round defensive presence could also earn him more minutes tonight.

Alabama Preseason All-American guard Mark Sears has been on fire lately, especially in SEC play. Sears has scored at least 20 points in the last four games, including a 27-point performance in the Crimson Tide’s final game against then-No. 10 Texas A&M, which earned him the title of SEC Co-Player of the Week. During Alabama’s eight-game winning streak, Sears scored 20 or more points in seven games (he had 16 against Kent State).

WHO: No. 4 Alabama (14-2, 3-0 SEC) at No. 21 Ole Miss (14-2, 3-0 SEC)

When: Tuesday, January 14th, 6pm CT.

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Bryan Passink). The pregame show begins one hour before the start of the game.

TV: ESPNU

series against Ole Miss: The Crimson Tide leads 125-58, the first meeting taking place on February 13, 1921. Alabama has won the last seven meetings.

Last meeting with Ole Miss: Alabama defeated the Rebels 103-88 on February 28, 2024. Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears led Alabama with a team-high 26 points on 8 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 8 from downtown, to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Aaron Estrada (18 points), Davin Cosby (15), Rylan Griffen (14), Nick Pringle (10) and Grant Nelson (10) also finished in double figures. Most notably, Estrada recorded a triple-double as he also had ten rebounds and ten assists along with four steals.

Last time in Alabama: The Crimson Tide fell to No. 10 Texas A&M 94-88 on Saturday night. With less than eight minutes left in regulation, the Crimson Tide had a 15-point lead, but the Aggies almost came all the way back, ultimately leading to a troubling win for Alabama. Mark Sears had a fantastic outing as he scored 27 points on 7 of 18 from the field, including 4 of 10 from downtown and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe. Guards Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway also scored 14 and 15 points, respectively, off the bench.

Last time, Ole Miss: The Rebels defeated LSU 77-65 on Saturday night after a strong second-half performance. Malik Dia led Ole Miss with points (19) on 8 of 14 from the field, rebounds (7) and blocks (3). Jaemyn Brakefield (16), Sean Pedulla (11), Dre Davis (10) and Jaylen Murray (10) each scored in double figures. Brakefield, Pedulla, Murray, Eduardo Klafke and Davion Barnes each grabbed two steals.

Alabama State Leaders

Ole Miss Stat Leaders