Ole Miss Basketball Faces No. 25 Tennessee in SEC Matchup

The Rebels travel to Knoxville to take on the Volunteers in a key conference showdown.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 10:39am

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The Ole Miss men's basketball team will travel to Knoxville to face off against the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday night. The Rebels are coming off two straight road games and will look to pull off an upset against the highly-ranked Volunteers squad.

Why it matters

This SEC matchup between Ole Miss and Tennessee is an important conference game for both teams as they jockey for position in the standings. A win for the Rebels could provide a major boost to their NCAA Tournament hopes, while the Volunteers will be looking to defend their home court and maintain their Top 25 ranking.

The details

Ole Miss is led by third-year head coach Chris Beard, who has a 55-34 record with the Rebels. Tennessee is coached by veteran Rick Barnes, who is in his 11th season with the Volunteers and has over 850 career wins. The all-time series between the two programs favors Tennessee 79-46, though Ole Miss won the most recent meeting last season.

  • The game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
  • This will be the 126th meeting between Ole Miss and Tennessee, a series that dates back to 1924.

The players

Chris Beard

The third-year head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, with a 55-34 record at the school and 292-132 career record in 14 seasons as a head coach.

Rick Barnes

The veteran head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, in his 11th season with the program and 39th overall as a college head coach, with an 851-429 career record.

Ja'kobi Gillespie

The leading scorer for the Tennessee Volunteers, averaging 18.6 points per game.

Nate Ament

A top freshman recruit and one of the best young players in the nation, Ament leads Tennessee in rebounds at 6.4 per game.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a big step forward in the SEC standings, putting themselves in better position for a potential NCAA Tournament bid.

The takeaway

This SEC clash between Ole Miss and Tennessee features two programs with rich basketball histories and coaches who have had tremendous success at the college level. The Rebels will look to pull off the upset on the road against the highly-ranked Volunteers.