The Ole Miss Rebels have made the tournament as a sixth seed with their first matchup being against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

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What is the realistic outlook for the Rebels in March? I tend to think that the best case scenario is the Sweet 16 for Ole Miss, but I could see them going further or being out earlier. The problem is that the Rebels’ draw kinda sucked. They play North Carolina in round one, which I know, they have looked pretty bad this year but they looked like a different team in the play-in game. 

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I think Ole Miss moves past the Tar Heels, but wouldn’t be completely shocked if North Carolina beats the Rebels. They then move on to one of Lipscomb or Iowa State. The best matchup for the Rebels would be the Cyclones. Ole Miss could handle Iowa State as they are a banged up team but they should be able to get past Lipscomb anyway.

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If Ole Miss somehow makes it to the elite eight, their reward would more than likely be the Auburn Tigers. This is why I think the Sweet 16 is the sweet spot for the Rebels, as it would be  a good jump in Chris Beard’s second season and would bring even more national attention to the Rebels, which is always a good thing. 

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But wait there’s more, here’s my bold prediction for the Rebel’s tournament run; Sean Pedulla and Malik Dia will carry Ole Miss to a final four appearance. Do I think this is realistic, absolutely not, but do I think it’s possible? Well it is March so anything can happen. 

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