Despite putting on a pair of exciting games at the 2025 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, Ole Miss’s run in Nashville, Tenn. ended earlier than the Rebels wanted it to – even if it just gave the Rebels something to do as they awaited their NCAA Tournament invitation.
Ole Miss (22-11, 10-8 SEC) wasn’t worried about if it would be a part of the big dance. Instead, the Rebels waited to see what seed they’d be, who their first opponent would be and where they’d be headed to next week.
Well, the Rebels know two of those three answers. Ole Miss is the No. 6-seed in South Region and is headed to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc. But the Rebels won’t know their opponent until after Tuesday’s play-in game between San Diego State and North Carolina.
No matter what happens in the coming week, the Rebels are already apart of some March Madness history. Ole Miss is one of 14 SEC teams to earn an invitation to the big dance (LSU and South Carolina were the only two SEC teams not to make the tournament), the most teams from one conference since the Big East sent 11 teams in 2011.
This will be the 10th appearance for Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament and earned its highest seed since 2001 when the Rebels were a No. 3 seed.
One bit of history on the Rebels’ side is coach Chris Beard’s NCAA Tournament experience. In five tournament appearances, Beard has never lost a first round game. He guided Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in 2018 and followed that up with a run to the National Championship game in 2019.
Should that streak continue, Ole Miss will face the winner of No. 3-seed Iowa State and No. 14-seed Lipscomb.
