Cinderella Rebels stun Alabama, advance to SEC semis

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Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Ilias Kamardine (6) reacts after a made three point basket against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Pack up the wife and kids and head to Nashville, because this Cinderella story of the Ole Miss Rebels basketball team could be one to remember for years to come.

The 15-seed Rebels are now two wins away from a SEC title and spot in the NCAA Tournament defying all odds by defeating 2-seed Alabama on Friday, 80-79. Ole Miss has now won three games in three days after losing 12 of its final 13 games in the regular season.

AJ Storr scored 17 points while Ilias Kamardine added 16 of his own to fuel the upset. Labaron Philon posted 28 points for the Crimson Tide going 5/7 from three point range.

Now the Arkansas Razorbacks await Chris Beard and his squad with a spot in the SEC Championship on the line. There’s going to be a lot made of fatigue for Ole Miss, but for a team that was given zero chance by anyone to even win one game much less three, I have a feeling the players will be riding a wave of momentum in the first half.

And the first half has been crucial for Ole Miss this tournament. By getting out to fast starts and holding leads, all the pressure has shifted to the favorites. The big question will be which team gets a lead first and can build on it on Saturday. I think that could be when fatigue sets in if the Razorbacks go up double digits early in the game.

So what are the keys to today’s game when the Rebels tip off at 2:30 p.m. CT?

• Contain Darius Acuff – the talented guard cooked Ole Miss for 26 points the first time these teams played in Oxford. The Rebels have to find a way to get the ball out of Acuff’s hands and not let him dictate the pace of play.
• AJ Storr has to be a star – the Kansas transfer has had his moments this season, and Saturday’s game has to be a big game for him. He scored only 12 against Arkansas in its previous game.
• Dia/Kamardine connection – when these two played combine for 30 or more points, this team is much harder to beat. Dia was a driving force in the win over Texas and Kamardine took over against Alabama in crunch time. Both will need their best against Arkansas.

And then there’s a cast of other characters who will have to surprise us in some way. Will it be Patton Pinkins or Travis Perry making shots from the perimeter or fading into the background? One of those two if not someone else has to be the x-factor in this game to push the Rebels over the top.

Arkansas is favored by -9.5 by Vegas, and all the numbers point in favor of the Hogs and John Calipari playing for an SEC title. Something about this team though has been fun the last three days, and you got to know in March that fun and chaos reign supreme.

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