Location: Oxford, MS
Conference: SEC
Mascot: Rebels
Coach: Andy Kennedy
Record: 20-12 (11-6 SEC)
Kenpom ranking: 44
Good wins (Kenpom ranking): Arkansas (29), Cincinnati (34)
Bad losses (Kenpom ranking): Charleston Southern (187), Western Kentucky (132)
Tournament appearances: 8
Best result: Sweet 16 (2001)
NBA alumni: Johnny Newman, Elston Turner
Best name: Martavious Newby
Famous alumni: William Faulkner, Roger Wicker, Archie Manning
The Rebels had to sweat it out on Selection Sunday, but came closer than any other team in the tourney field to beating the best team in the land, Kentucky, taking the Wildcats to OT. They even had an opportunity to win at the buzzer! But they also lost to Charleston Southern and Western Kentucky, and lost their SEC Tournament game to South Carolina in one of the dumbest ways we've seen a team lose a game.
Style of play: The Gunnin' Rebels
Ole Miss has the second-best offense in the SEC -- Kentucky's No. 1, natch -- thanks to solid, safe point guard play by Jarvis Summers, good shooting by Stefan Moody, and solid work on the offensive boards: They grab 35 percent of their misses. Defense, though... /tugs collar
Key Player: The Moody Reds
Ole Miss fans should be both incredibly happy and incredibly sad that Stefan Moody is not actually Marshall Henderson, but they are once again led by a charismatic high-usage junior college transfer who prefers threes to twos. With a mane of red-dyed dreads, the 5'10 Moody shoots 37 percent on over six threes per game, with the ability to catch fire or brick away.