Mississippi was enjoying a nice ride at the top of the SEC West until two straight road losses saw them fall in the standings. The loss of momentum certainly does not help their chances as they prepare to face Kentucky on Tuesday night and then Florida on Saturday. As the Rebels prepare for a tough stretch in conference play, the Wildcats are simply focused on bouncing back after a tough loss at home set them back in the standings.
Stakes are high for Mississippi this week. If the team can escape with at least one win against two ranked conference opponents, they stand a solid chance at getting an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. The team is in an uphill battle after losing to both Alabama and Georgia in the previous week, making their games against Kentucky and Florida crucial for postseason play.
Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers continue to carry the team throughout SEC play. Henderson is one of the league's best, averaging 19.5 points per game while Summers continues to add 16.8 points per game. However, their youth seems to be the issue. Sophomore Anthony Perez and Sebastian Saiz have been inconsistent at best as they take care of the frontcourt. Their issues could be what lose the Rebels the game against some of Kentucky's best big men.
William Cauley-Stein continues his rise this season as the center has moved past early-season struggles. He put up 18 points and 11 rebounds in his last game against the Rebels. The Wildcats frontcourt is considerably better than Ole Miss' with Julius Randle and Dakari Johnson rotating in and out. They will make Henderson their focus this game.
Kentucky might be nearly unstoppable at home, but on the road they have suffered their fair share of heartbreakers. The team is 4-3 on the road while Ole Miss is 10-3 at home. The crowd will make this a tough one.
