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Ole Miss Basketball: Ranking Rebels’ 2019-20 non-conference opponents

By Donovan Darlington

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against Breein Tyree #4 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against Breein Tyree #4 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: The Mississippi Rebels mascot reacts in the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: The Mississippi Rebels mascot reacts in the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

3. Norfolk State (Nov. 12)

2018-19 Record: 22-14

Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic

The Spartans were one win away from the 2019 NCAA Tournament, falling short to NC Central in the MEAC Championship. They then went on to the NIT and upset #1 seed Alabama. This year, the Spartans return their four leading scorers and have an experienced backcourt-heavy lineup that will test the guards of Ole Miss. I believe Ole Miss will pull out the win, but with this game being just the second of the regular season, it could very easily end up being a battle.

2. Oklahoma State/Syracuse (Nov. 29, NIT Tip-off)

Ole Miss will face either of these two on Friday, Nov. 29 after their first-round NIT tip-off game against Penn State. Regardless of which of these two teams the Rebels ultimately face, it will be sure to be the second toughest on the schedule due to its magnitude of importance within the regular season. This game represents a huge opportunity to not only win a regular-season tournament but also take down a non-conference opponent that typically performs well in its respective conference. Playing in a tournament early in the season will put pressure on the Rebels, so a match with Oklahoma State or Syracuse will be challenging, but one that is ultimately very revealing of how good Ole Miss is.

1. Memphis (Nov. 23)

2018-19 Record: 21-13

Conference: American

The Memphis Tigers are certainly receiving more hype heading into this season than any other team in the country. This is due to the program having the strongest recruiting class in the country in 2019. Head Coach Penny Hardaway has done a great job getting top players there, but now, what will he do with them? This new talent Memphis possesses will cause the rotation to look completely different this season. Freshmen James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa, Boogie Ellis, and others will look to bring Memphis basketball back. I am excited to see what the game between Ole Miss and Memphis will bring. The battle-tested talent of Ole Miss facing off against the incredible freshmen Memphis now has will certainly be a game that could end up being fantastic.

Next. Ranking SEC head coaches for 2019-20. dark

Overall, this is not an overly challenging non-conference schedule, but Ole Miss does have plenty of big opportunities to impress. I believe they will do just that and pick up some key victories that suggest they are an NCAA Tournament team yet again.

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