Even with them being locked in for the NCAA Tournament, also known as March Madness, the Ole Miss Rebels men’s basketball team could be in some serious trouble.

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The Rebels recently just had a demoralizing 77-72 loss to Vanderbilt. The game was never even that close, as Ole Miss was down by 19 at one point during the first half, a deficit nearly no team could fully return from. Ole Miss is now on a two, soon to be three, game losing streak after just having a three-game winning streak. 

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In the last two games, the aforementioned Commodores and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss has been absolutely dominated on the boards, getting out rebounded by 12 against State and seven against Vanderbilt. This issue has been long persistent for the Rebels this season, but it seems to get worse and worse each game. I am of the belief that if this team continues to play this well, they will lose in the first round, no question. 

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Ole Miss has four games left in the regular season to prove they can play physical basketball. If they win two or three of the last four against Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Florida, then they will be in a good spot. If they lose the next four, The Rebels could be in contention for one of the bigger falloffs in the SEC this season. There have been so many highs this season like beating Alabama and Kentucky, but the lows have been really low, as the absence of a true center has really hurt Ole Miss for the entirety of the season.

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I still have hope for this team, but that is quickly dwindling as they look like a completely different team than they did earlier this season. Also, don’t even get me started on the Chris Beard to Indiana rumors started by Rick Pitino.