Kentucky returns home to host the Ole Miss Rebels in the Wildcats? 400th game at Rupp Arena. UK closed non-conference play with a win over Notre Dame on Sunday and welcomes an Ole Miss squad riding a two-game SEC win streak.
The Wildcats can also record their 800th all-time win in Southeastern Conference play. In its 71st season in the league, the Cats hold a 799-213 (.790) record against league opponents. The next closest team is Alabama with 657 wins. The Wildcats are 204-25 (.895) in regular-season SEC games at Rupp Arena, including a 43-6 record in the Tubby Smith era.
The Ole Miss game begins a tough two-week stretch for the Cats, who travel to Vanderbilt on Saturday and Florida next Tuesday. UK returns home Feb. 7 to face a red-hot South Carolina team.
The Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss comes to Rupp Arena sporting a 10-6 overall record, 2-3 in SEC play. The Rebels have rebounded from a league-opening three-game losing streak and enters Wednesday?s contest on a two-game win streak, with home wins over LSU and Alabama. Reigning SEC Player of the Week Justin Reed leads the Rebs in scoring, averaging 18.6 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Aaron Harper is close behind with 15.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes is in 6th season with the Rebels and owns a 110-66 career record. His 2000-01 squad won the SEC West title, finished 27-8 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, helping Barnes earn Naismith and SEC Coach of the Year honors.
Kentucky is the first SEC East team on Ole Miss? schedule.
Series History
This is the 101st meeting between the two squads. UK owns an 89-11 advantage in the series, which dates back to Jan. 9, 1925 – a 26-23 UK win. Of the 11 Ole Miss victories in the series, more than half (6) have come since 1987.
The Wildcats have won six of the last seven games in the series, including an 80-62 victory last year in Oxford.
UK is 45-2 all-time against the Rebels in Lexington. The losses came on Feb. 11, 1927 in the second series meeting and Feb. 14, 1998, a 73-69 Ole Miss win.
Tubby Smith is 7-3 overall against the Rebels and 6-2 while at UK. Rod Barnes is 1-6 against the Wildcats in his five previous seasons in Oxford.
Barnes and Alabama?s Mark Gottfried are the only current SEC coaches who also played in the league. Both starred at their alma maters in the 1980s. Barnes, an All-SEC guard, went 1-9 against UK during his playing career. His last game as a Rebel was an 82-64 loss in the quarterfinals of the 1988 SEC Tournament in Baton Rouge.
Happy Birthday!
Birthday wishes go out to UK guard Josh Carrier, who turns 21 on Friday.
Wildcat-Rebel Connections
UK center Shagari Alleyne hails from Bronx, N.Y., while UM forward Tommie Eddie is from nearby Brooklyn, N.Y.
Both UK guard Cliff Hawkins and UM forward Jarvelle Scott attended Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Hawkins played there during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, while Scott spent last season there as a prep senior.
