Ole Miss Basketball: Are Rebels playing their way on the bubble?

Is Ole Miss Basketball currently playing its way onto the Bubble? Yes, the Rebels have been up and down throughout this season, but Ole Miss has won three in a row, and are making their case to be included in the conversation.

The Rebels have won their past three games, two of which came against a Top 15 team, and currently, sit at 11-8 overall and 6-6 in the SEC. Ole Miss recently defeated Missouri 80-59 on Wednesday night, and have also picked up two close two-point wins over Tennessee and at Auburn.

A big reason for those wins? Senior guard Devontae Shuler and senior transfer Romello White. Shuler is averaging 18 points and five rebounds during this three-game stretch, which includes the game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime against Auburn. White is averaging 16 points during this stretch, which included a career-high 30 points in a double-double performance against Auburn. If anyone can carry the Rebels to keep this current stretch going, it’s these two senior leaders.

As mentioned previously, Ole Miss has been up and down throughout the entire season. The Rebels have suffered bad losses to both good and bad teams. You can make the argument that losses on the road to Alabama and Florida were expected, but two losses to Georgia and losses to Arkansas, Wichita State, and Dayton could be considered missed opportunities for the Rebels. In fact, Ole Miss really hasn’t had an overly impressive stretch this season other than the three-game winning streak they are currently on.

So, is Ole Miss capable of keeping this current run going, and fully cementing themselves on the Bubble? It’s possible.

Ole Miss is currently playing arguably their best ball of the season, and have numerous chances to improve their NCAA Tournament chances in the coming weeks. The Rebels have five more scheduled regular-season games, three of which are on the road against South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt, as well as two home games against Mississippi State and Kentucky.

Can they win at least three of those games? Yes.

Will they? Based on their inconsistent play throughout the season, I’m not sure.

The Rebels will surely have to win at least three to four of their remaining five games, while also winning at least one to two games in the SEC Tournament to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament.

Ole Miss is on the verge of firmly cementing themselves in the Bubble conversation, and will need to continue what they are currently doing to improve their standing, win.

The opportunity is right in front of the Rebels, can they take advantage of it?