The SEC Tournament continues Saturday with a semifinal featuring Arkansas and a surging Ole Miss squad that has produced one of the event’s most surprising runs. Ole Miss entered the tournament as the 15th seed and has already taken down Texas, Georgia, and Alabama, including a dramatic 80-79 win over the Crimson Tide in the quarterfinal round. The Rebels now face an Arkansas team that spent much of the season near the top of the conference standings and brings one of the league’s most explosive offenses into this Ole Miss vs Arkansas contest.
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ole Miss Rebels vs Arkansas Razorbacks
- Date & Time: Saturday, March 14, 2026, 3:30 PM ET
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
- Broadcast: SEC Network
Key Storylines
- Ole Miss has already knocked off multiple higher-seeded teams during its SEC Tournament run. They shocked the second-seed Crimson Tide on Friday and will try to build on that result with another upset win here.
- Arkansas owns one of the most efficient offenses in the conference, averaging over 90 points per game. They managed to hold off a spirited effort from the Oklahoma Sooners in the quarterfinals and will try to end the Cinderella run of Ole Miss in this game.
- The Rebels are playing their fourth game in four days, raising fatigue concerns late in this contest. The sheer adrenaline of being this close to stealing a bid to the NCAA Tournament bid could help the Rebels push through, but this is not an easy situation for them.
Key Players
Arkansas Razorbacks
- Darius Acuff Jr. leads the Razorbacks with about 22 points and 6 assists per game. The explosive guard is the engine of Arkansas’ offense and can break down defenses off the dribble while creating shots for teammates.
- Trevon Brazile anchors the frontcourt with around 19 points and strong rebounding production in key games. His size and athletic ability make him a difficult interior matchup.
Ole Miss Rebels
- Malik Dia is one of the best weapons for Ole Miss with about 15 points per game and roughly 6 rebounds. The versatile forward provides scoring inside and on the perimeter.
- A.J. Storr has been a difference maker during the tournament run, scoring 17 points in the upset win over Alabama. His ability to create his own shot has given Ole Miss a late-game scoring option.
Stat Comparison
| Category | Ole Miss | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 75.3 | 90.2 |
| Points allowed per game | 75.6 | 79.9 |
| Team Field Goal % | 44% | 50% |
| Rebounds per game | 34.2 | 35.8 |
| Assists per game | 13.6 | 17.1 |
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 94-87 in their only regular-season meeting this season on January 7.
- Ole Miss is 14-20 against the spread going into this matchup.
- Arkansas is 21-10 against the spread entering this contest in Nashville.
Ole Miss vs Arkansas Pick & Model Projection
- Score Projection: Arkansas 86 – Ole Miss 80 ATS PRO
- Pick: Ole Miss +8.5 ATS PRO
- Confidence: 3 out of 5 ATS PRO
- Win Probability: Arkansas 64%, Ole Miss 36% ATS PRO
Ole Miss deserves plenty of credit for its tournament run. The Rebels have shown composure late in games and have leaned on balanced scoring from Storr, Dia, and plenty of role players. Their upset win over Alabama showed the group’s ability to defend well and execute in the final minutes.
However, Arkansas presents a far different test. The Razorbacks play at a faster pace and average more than 90 points per game, which ranks among the best offensive outputs in the conference. With Acuff running the offense and multiple scoring threats surrounding him, Arkansas can stretch defenses and pile up points quickly.
Another factor is fatigue. Ole Miss will be playing its fourth game in four days, while Arkansas comes in with more rest and depth. Over a 40-minute contest, that edge often shows up late in the second half when legs get heavy and defensive rotations slow down.
Expect Ole Miss to keep things competitive early behind its experienced backcourt, while Arkansas should ultimately get the win. I’ll take Ole Miss to cover the spread, while the win for John Calipari’s team sends the Razorbacks into the SEC Tournament championship game.
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