For the first time in 27 years, Ole Miss is ranked in the AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Preseason Poll.
The Rebels are ranked No. 24 in the preseason poll, joining eight other SEC teams ranked in the Top 25 (Mississippi State received votes but wasn’t ranked in the poll). It’s a solid way to start Chris Beard’s second season in Oxford.
2️⃣4️⃣@AP_Top25 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/OkWT71wGsy
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) October 14, 2024
In Beard’s first season, the Rebels went 20-12 overall but failed to make earn an invite to the NCAA Tournament. However, this year’s Ole Miss team leads the SEC in returning minutes per game with 10 seniors on the roster.
The Rebels will host Illinois for a charity exhibition October 27 in the SJB Pavilion, before tipping off the regular season November 4 against Long Island at 7:30 p.m.
The following is the complete AP Top 25 Poll:
AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Preseason Poll
Rank. Team (First-Place Votes)
- Kansas (30)
- Alabama (14)
- UConn (11)
- Houston (4)
- Iowa State
- Gonzaga (1)
- Duke
- Baylor
- North Carolina
- Arizona
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Purdue
- Creighton
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Marquette
- Texas
- Cincinnati
- Florida
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Ole Miss
- Rutgers
Others receiving votes:
Illinois 92, St. John’s 91, Xavier 73, Texas Tech 58, Wake Forest 37, Kansas St 30, Michigan St. 29, Ohio St. 29, Michigan 19, BYU 14, Oregon 12, McNeese St. 11, Miami 11, Boise St. 9, Saint Louis 9, Clemson 9, Providence 9, Mississippi St. 6, VCU 6, Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary’s 5, Louisville 4, UAB 4, Ark Little Rock 3, Grand Canyon 3, Arizona St 2, San Diego St. 2, Princeton 2, High Point 1, Maryland 1.
