The Ole Miss Rebels will face off against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025. Both teams enjoyed comfortable wins in round one and will battle it out in Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum for a spot in the Sweet 16. Both of the teams in this Ole Miss vs Iowa State matchup are battle-tested after playing in power conferences, but only one can advance here.
Going into this game, Iowa State is a 5.5-point favorite according to the current college basketball odds. Meanwhile, the total for the game stands at 143.5 points. Continue reading to get a full breakdown of this SEC vs Big 12 matchup and for our prediction ahead of this second-round showdown in March Madness.
Ole Miss Looks For Second Straight Tourney Win
The Ole Miss Rebels held on to beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening round of March Madness. North Carolina was a trendy pick to advance through that game after they blew out San Diego State in the First Four. But Ole Miss’ defense led to transition offense in the first half which helped the Rebels to put that game away early, though things got tense late.
In this game, finding transition offense and open threes will not be nearly as easy against a great Iowa State defense. That will make precision in the half-court offense all the more important for the Rebels. If they can do that and avoid turning the ball over too often against an aggressive adversary, Ole Miss could pull off an upset and make the Sweet 16 themselves.
Iowa State Aims For Return to Sweet 16
The Iowa State Cyclones took care of business in the opening round of this tournament, putting the hammer down on Lipscomb of the Atlantic Sun. The Cyclones held Lipscomb to just 55 points in what was never a close game in the second half. Here, the Cyclones will look for another strong showing on defense to advance past the first weekend.
Milan Momcilovic will be a key figure for this Iowa State team in this second-round affair. Momcilovic led the Cyclones with 20 points against Lipscomb in round one. With Keshon Gilbert out and Tamin Lipsey banged up, the play of Momcilovic will be incredibly important in this game and for the rest of this tournament.
Ole Miss vs Iowa State Prediction
Iowa State -5.5 (-110) over Ole Miss
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- Ole Miss was very shaky in the second half against North Carolina and their lack of consistency will cost them against Iowa State.
- Iowa State’s defense should shut down Ole Miss from the perimeter in this matchup.
