It Will Be Here Before You Know It

Below is the official release from the SID on the basketball schedule. They did a pretty good job of sumarizing the schedule. The schedule has alot more beef in it than Barne's schedules. Looks like it could be a tough one. Opening up SEC play with Kentucky is a killer. But it is the first time in several years we have opened up at home. That is one thing Barnes complained about so much, I guess they finally listened.


OXFORD, Miss. - Coach Andy Kennedy's first season at Ole Miss will see the Rebels take on four of last year's NCAA Elite Eight teams, including two of the last three national champions as part of the 2006-07 basketball schedule, which was announced here Wednesday.Ole Miss faces 11 teams that reached postseason play a year ago, including NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds Connecticut and Memphis, Final Four club LSU and national champion Florida. The slate boasts 15 home games.

The non-conference slate is also highlighted by the renewal of the Mid-South rivalry with Memphis at the FedEx Forum. The Tigers finished fourth in the national rankings last year and claimed their second straight Conference USA overall title. Other road opponents include Saint Louis and South Alabama, while New Orleans and UIC make the trip to Oxford."Our non-conference schedule is going to be full of challenges," Kennedy said. "We wanted to add an early exempt tournament to evaluate where we are at the season's start. The UConn game will be a good indicator. "We are continuing our rivalry with Memphis and have added some competitive non-league games that will test us early in Saint Louis, South Alabama and New Orleans."The Rebels are beginning SEC play at home for only the third time in the last 12 years, but will be doing so against perennial power Kentucky for the first time since the 1983-84 season. The Tad Pad showdown with the 43-time SEC champion Wildcats will be Jan. 6.'The opportunity to open SEC play against one of the most storied programs in college basketball is truly exciting," said Kennedy.