NCAA Basketball: Butler, Gonzaga among teams under most pressure to win this week

Ole Miss Rebels - 19-8 (6-8 SEC)

In the first year with HC Chris Beard, the Rebels were one of the early surprises in all of NCAA Basketball, going 13-0 in the non-conference. It included wins over NC State and Memphis, along with a few close calls as well that brought into question how good they’d be.

So far, the Rebels have had their share of ups and downs. Key wins over Florida and Mississippi State are good but they’ve yet to get a signature resume victory. Plus, since both NC State and Memphis have fallen off the bubble, the overall resume has become very shaky,  hence why they’re in the Last 4 In area.

Having lost 5 of the last 6 games, Ole Miss needs to go 2-0 this week. But it’s going to be fairly difficult. They’re at home against Alabama, the top-scoring offense in NCAA Basketball but one of the worst power conference defenses as well. It’s the last chance for a signature win before the SEC Tournament.

The game this weekend at Missouri is just as important, for opposite reasons. The Tigers have completely cratered since SEC play, currently without a league win. A loss against them would be a Quad 3 setback and an awful blemish on the resume. That makes it just as much of a “must-win” as the Alabama matchup.