Ole Miss basketball score prediction, scouting report vs. Kentucky, John Calipari

OXFORD -- The desperation on both sides will be palpable when Ole Miss basketball travels to Rupp Arena to take on Kentucky.

The Rebels, losers of two straight, occupied one of the last four spots in the NCAA Tournament field when ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi last updated his projections on Saturday. Likewise, the temperature is rising on coach John Calipari and his Wildcats after losing three consecutive games at home for the first time since the 1966-67 season. In 12 of Calipari's 14 previous seasons with Kentucky, he didn't lose three home games all season.

Here's what to watch for when the Rebels (18-5, 5-5 SEC) and Wildcats (16-7, 6-4) meet on Tuesday (8 p.m., ESPN).

Ole Miss basketball and Kentucky can really shoot it

As of Monday, the Wildcats were the top 3-point shooting team in college basketball, connecting on 41% of their shots from beyond the arc.

On seven occasions, Kentucky has shot better than 45% from deep. All seven of those occurrences have resulted in wins. Conversely, Calipari's team struggles to deliver when the 3-pointers aren't falling. Kentucky has a 6-6 record this season when it shoots less than 40%.

To the surprise of many considering Chris Beard's reputation as a defense-first coach, the Rebels also depend heavily on 3-pointers to win. Their 38.7% success rate ranks 10th in the country.

Ole Miss' shot-making has taken a minor blow in SEC play, where the Rebels have connected at a 36.8% rate from deep. But the more noteworthy development has been their inability to defend the 3-point line after doing so effectively in their nonconference slate. In 10 SEC games, foes are shooting the 3-pointer for a 35.8% clip against the Rebels, the third-worst mark in the conference.

Tre Mitchell injury something to monitor for Kentucky basketball

Fifth-year Kentucky forward Tre Mitchell didn't play in the Wildcats' most recent loss to Gonzaga over the weekend with what is being reported as a back injury. He also missed a win over Vanderbilt a few days prior.

Mitchell has started 21 games for Kentucky, averaging 12.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Calipari did not address his outlook for the game against the Rebels following the Gonzaga contest.

One of five players on the Kentucky roster averaging more than 1.5 offensive rebounds per game, Mitchell is among those best equipped to exploit the Rebels' primary weakness. No power conference team is worse at defensive rebounding than Ole Miss, which allows an offensive rebounding percentage of 35.4%.

The Rebels, for their part, look relatively healthy coming into Tuesday. Ole Miss got 7-footer Jamarion Sharp back from an illness last week.

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Antonio Reeves, Matthew Murrell set for a matchup of talented scoring wings

Antonio Reeves and Matthew Murrell will clash in a matchup of two of the SEC's top-10 scorers.

And they've both achieved that status by lighting it up from 3-point range. Reeves, who averages 19.6 points per game for Kentucky, shoots 44.5% from deep and 49.8% from the field.

It's a considerable improvement from last season, when Reeves was much less efficient despite similar shot volume.

Murrell's story has been comparable. The senior is posting a career-high 16.8 points per game off the back of a 39.4% effort from deep. After a dismal 36.5% overall shooting effort in 2022-23 in which he often was asked to play hero ball, Murrell is converting at a 47.6% clip this season.

Ole Miss basketball score prediction vs. Kentucky

Kentucky 93, Ole Miss 87. The Rebels have firepower, but not as much as the Wildcats, who should have control of the glass, too.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss basketball score prediction vs. Kentucky