Porter Moser’s squad suffered a heartbreaking loss to No. 17 Kentucky, with former Sooner Otega Oweh delivering the final blow. Oweh scored Kentucky’s last 18 points, including the game-winning bucket at the rim. Despite Oklahoma shooting well, defending the three effectively, and getting strong performances from Jalon Moore (20 points) and Jeremiah Fears (18 points), Oweh was simply unstoppable down the stretch.

This loss, while featuring plenty of positives, deals a blow to Oklahoma’s NCAA Tournament hopes. Now sitting at 17-11 (4-11), the Sooners need to win two of their final three games to stay in the conversation. The remaining schedule: a road game at Ole Miss this Saturday, a home matchup against Missouri next Wednesday, and a road trip to Texas the following Saturday.

It starts with Chris Beard’s Rebels (19-9, 8-7), a team that has struggled lately, dropping three straight games. A road win would be massive for Oklahoma, as they currently have just one (Arkansas), and no team has ever made the NCAA Tournament with only one road victory.

Saturday’s game (1:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2) presents a prime opportunity for a Sooners squad that has played well over the past two games to go on the road and pick up a much-needed win.

Here’s a look at what Ole Miss brings to the table and the keys to the game for Oklahoma.

The reality with Ole Miss is this: over their last five games, they’ve struggled. It’s not just the three consecutive losses to Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and a recent 106-76 blowout to Auburn. Dig deeper, and you also see a slim two-point win over LSU and a narrow four-point victory over South Carolina.

On the flip side, the Rebels are still ranked 25th in KenPom, underscoring that when they’re firing on all cylinders, they are a top 25 team in the country. They’ve done enough to be safely considered an NCAA Tournament lock.

The leader for Chris Beard’s squad? Edmond, Oklahoma native Sean Pedulla, who visited Oklahoma in the transfer portal before ultimately choosing Ole Miss. Pedulla is putting up 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc.

But Pedulla isn’t alone. Ole Miss has five other players averaging double digits, led by Matthew Murrell (11 points, 3.5 rebounds), Jaemyn Brakefield (10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds), Jaylen Murray (10.6 points, 3.6 assists), Dre Davis (10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds), and Malik Dia (10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds).

There are two personnel stats that really stand out with Ole Miss: 1) they are one of the oldest teams in the country, ranking 3rd in D-1 experience, and 2) they’re undersized, ranking 329th in average height. It’s not just the overall height—look at their backcourt: their two starting guards are 5-11 and 6-1, and in the frontcourt, their center, the tallest player in their rotation, stands at 6-9.

That experience, though, has paid off. The Rebels rank 2nd in turnover percentage and 2nd in non-steal turnovers, proving they don’t give up the ball easily. Here’s how Ole Miss ranks across various national categories:

LSU and Florida were two of Moore’s toughest games of the season, but he bounced back strong last week, scoring 18 points against Mississippi State and 20 against Kentucky.

Moore isn’t just the leader of this team—he’s a key player in making it run. The one time Oklahoma grabbed a road win, it came against Arkansas, where Moore contributed in a variety of ways, not just scoring, and played 37 minutes.

It’s more than just putting up points, though they definitely need him to score. The Rebels’ lack of height and shot-blocking should present a good opportunity for Moore, a wing who can feast at the rim, to have a strong performance.

Looking back to the start of conference play, Fears struggled with limiting turnovers. But as of late, not only has that issue decreased, but his overall play has seen a significant improvement. When it comes to controlling turnovers, Fears, who leads the SEC in usage rate, is crucial.

Ole Miss is exceptional at limiting turnovers, while Oklahoma averages 17.9 turnovers per game, and the Rebels only average 12.8. Given how well Ole Miss controls the ball, Oklahoma cannot afford to give away possessions. Fears, as the freshman point guard, must be the one to set the tone.

If Fears can continue his recent strong play and keep his turnovers around three, and the rest of the team follows suit, Oklahoma will have a solid chance of winning this game. Give a team that thrives on limiting turnovers more chances? That’s a recipe for trouble.

Ole Miss ranks 306th in three-pointers attempted per field goal attempt defensively, meaning they allow opponents to take a high percentage of their shots from beyond the arc. This could be an opportunity for Oklahoma, as they might be able to capitalize on the three-point shot, especially if they can find a rhythm from deep.

Against a similar opponent like Mississippi State (328th in 3PA/FGA), Oklahoma did a lot of damage from deep, shooting 11-26 (42.3%). Most recently, against a Kentucky team that also ranks in that range, the Sooners shot well, going 10-25 (40%) from beyond the arc.

The Sooners have had success from deep when facing teams that allow them to shoot more, and this could be a prime opportunity for them to continue their recent success from three against a team that gives up plenty of three-point attempts.

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