MCBB: Ole Miss moves up six spots, Mississippi State stays put in latest AP Top 25

Ole Miss surged and Mississippi State remained idle in the latest rankings from the Associated Press after another round of action against Southeastern Conference opponents.

The Rebels (18-6, 7-4 SEC) were on the verge of dropping out of the previous top 25, but a sweep of Kentucky and LSU has moved Chris Beard’s club to No. 19 in the most recent poll. A strong first half paired with an overall 55% shooting performance earned Ole Miss a 98-84 win over the Wildcats this past Tuesday.

In the midweek matchup, the Rebels had 24 assists on 35 made baskets and just one turnover — the best by an SEC versus a conference foe in 25 years. Matthew Murrell had a season-best 24 points and Jaylen Murray ended the night with a double-double.

Ole Miss did not carry its consistent offensive scoring into Baton Rouge against a struggling LSU squad. Instead, the Rebels were tasked with closing out on a 15-2 run in the waning minutes of the game to amass a 72-70 win. The contest ended in thrilling fashion with Sean Pedulla missing a layup that was subsequently tipped in by Dre Davis near the buzzer’s sound. Davis had 22 points in the matchup and Pedulla had 17.

The Rebels will face South Carolina in Columbia on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT before returning home for a rematch against Mississippi State on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

The Bulldogs (17-6, 5-5 SEC) maintained their No. 22 ranking after a one-point win over Georgia in enemy territory on Saturday. Chris Jans’ bench outscored the opposing Bulldogs’ secondary players 32-5. Mississippi State also used its size to its advantage, outscoring Georgia 46-28.

Josh Hubbard, who has recently emerged to his true form as one of the conference’s most consistent shooters, had 22 points in the weekend affair.

Mississippi State will return to the hardwood on Tuesday to face top-five Florida at home at 6 p.m. CT ahead of Saturday’s in-state rivalry. The last time the two faced off, the Bulldogs earned an 84-81 overtime win in Humphrey Coliseum.

Looking into where both Ole Miss and Mississippi State stand in NCAA Tournament projections, both squads are sitting comfortably in the March Madness conversation — for now. The Rebels are currently No. 22 in the NCAA’s NET rankings while the Bulldogs are No. 29.

As always, Ole Miss and Mississippi State games are aired on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations as well as various TV providers. The full AP Top 25, which features nine SEC teams, can be found below: