Ole Miss forward Malik Dia set his season and Ole Miss high in points against Arkansas. The Rebels' win was a building moment for him and Chris Beard.

Arkansas forward Adou Thiero (3) helps up teammate Boogie Fland (2) as Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard (right) and forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) look on, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, during the second half of the Razorbacks' 73-66 loss to the Rebels at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. (Hank Layton/WholeHogSports)

Ole Miss is scheduled to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday night, and the Hogs are led by legendary head coach John Calipari. Rebels coach Chris Beard is anticipating a real challenge when Ole Miss hits the hardwood this week.

Ole Miss did not make the NCAA tournament in coach Chris Beard's first season last year. The Rebels finished 20-12 (7-11 SEC) last season and were a bubble team. Beard has March Madness success on his resume. He took Texas Tech to the Final Four in 2019. The Red Raiders lost the national championship to Virginia in overtime.

Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard met with media earlier this week as the Rebels (12-2, 1-0 SEC) prepare to take on the Razorbacks (11-3, 0-1). Here are some of Coach Beard’s comments on the upcoming game.

"As a coach, I always try to do what's best to help our players," Beard said. "I have certainly coached some teams where you have to joystick it and coach every play. I have also

Ole Miss beat Georgia 63-51 on Dec. 4 in their SEC opener. Coach Chris Beard shook up the starting lineup against the Bulldogs by putting guard Davon Barnes in.