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Chris Beard says Ole Miss isn’t done after second-round win over Arkansas
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Chris Beard was proud of the fight his Ole Miss squad showed on Thursday to erase a deficit and down Arkansas. But his message was clear: the job is not done.
With an 83-80 win over Arkansas, Ole Miss advanced to the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament. No. 1 seed Auburn awaits. The Rebels will celebrate a last-second, game-winning 3 from Sean Pedulla, but not too much.
“This is just the first game for us in the SEC Tournament. We actually came here to win this tournament, not just get to the third round,” Beard told the SEC Network crew after the game. “We’re working towards a championship here and we’re working towards improving our seed in the national tournament.”
Beard is in his second season with the program. They already have more wins this year than last and they’re 1 victory away from matching the most in a single season since 2012-13. Ole Miss is also on its way to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2018-19 season. There, the Rebels will be looking for their first March Madness victory since 2015.
The focus isn’t there yet, though. Ole Miss is looking to cut down the nets in Nashville. The Rebels won the tournament in 2013, but they managed only 4 SEC Tournament victories over the next 11 seasons. Thursday’s victory was the fifth.
“This is March. If you know anything about me, it’s going to be players, not plays,” Beard said.
More will be needed against the Tigers on Friday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
