March in Georgia is usually about the Masters, but for one wild night in Atlanta, it was all about the hardwood. Honestly, if you missed the Sweet 16 clash between the Rebels and the Spartans, you missed the kind of game that reminds you why college basketball is so incredibly chaotic.
Ole Miss basketball vs Michigan State Spartans men's basketball isn't exactly a rivalry that goes back to the dawn of time. They don't play every year. They don't share a border. But after that 73-70 thriller at State Farm Arena, fans in Oxford and East Lansing won't be forgetting each other anytime soon.
It was a game of "what ifs" for Chris Beard’s squad. For most of the night, it looked like the Rebels were finally going to punch their first-ever ticket to the Elite Eight. They had the lead. They had the momentum. Then, Tom Izzo did what Tom Izzo does in March.
The Night the Rebels Almost Made History
Let’s be real: Ole Miss was the better team for about 32 minutes. That's a hard pill to swallow for the Rebel faithful. They jumped out to a 29-19 lead in the first half, basically swarming Michigan State on the perimeter. Sean Pedulla was playing out of his mind. He finished with 24 points, looking like the best player on the floor for long stretches.
The strategy was clear. Ole Miss wasn't going to let Michigan State run. They retreated on defense immediately after shots, sacrificing offensive rebounds to kill the Spartans' transition game. It worked. For a while, the Spartans looked stuck in mud.
Key Stats That Tell the Story
- Sean Pedulla: 24 points (his third straight 20-point NCAA game).
- Matthew Murrell: 13 points, providing the veteran presence Ole Miss needed.
- Turnovers: Ole Miss only coughed it up 8 times compared to Michigan State’s 11.
- The Lead: Ole Miss led by as many as 10 in the first half and 9 in the second.
But games aren't 32 minutes long. They are 40. And those last eight minutes were a total "Spartan Dawg" takeover.
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How Tom Izzo Flipped the Script
You’ve gotta hand it to Izzo. He’s been in 16 Sweet Sixteens for a reason. With his team trailing 50-41 and looking frustrated, he made the kind of adjustment that changes careers. He went small. He benched 7-foot center Szymon Zapala and rode with Coen Carr.
Carr, a Georgia native returning home, was the spark. He didn't just play; he lived at the rim. His dunk with 4:43 left didn't just give MSU a 59-58 lead; it practically shook the building.
Michigan State’s youth really stepped up when the seniors were struggling. Freshman Jase Richardson—now playing for the Orlando Magic—put up 20 points. He hit two massive threes in the first half just to keep the Spartans within striking distance when Ole Miss was threatening to blow the doors off.
The Turning Point
The game was tied at 63 with about 90 seconds left. Jaden Akins, a senior who had been relatively quiet, drove the lane as the shot clock died. He hit a tough jumper. 2-point lead. Then, Carson Cooper—not exactly a household name—grabbed a massive offensive board and put it back in.
Suddenly, a team that had trailed all night was up by four with 40 seconds left. Ole Miss scrambled, Pedulla hit a floater, but the Spartans were clinical at the free-throw line. They sank eight straight to ice it.
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Why This Matchup Still Stings in Oxford
For Ole Miss, this wasn't just another loss. This was the chance. The 2024-25 season was historic. They tied the school record for most points in a single season (2,779). They were a 6-seed that had the talent of a 2-seed.
Basically, the Rebels got "Izzo-ed."
They out-rebounded the Spartans 33-29, which is wild because Michigan State was a top-15 rebounding team nationally and Ole Miss was... well, they were near the bottom of the SEC in that category. Chris Beard had his guys playing above their heads. But when the pressure mounting in the final four minutes, the experience of the Michigan State program just took over.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Landscape
So, where are we now? Both programs look a lot different as we move through the 2025-26 season.
Michigan State is currently ranked in the Top 15, led by Jeremy Fears Jr., who recently dropped a career-high 23 points against Indiana. They’ve lost some big names like Richardson to the NBA and Akins to graduation, but the culture remains. They just won the Cherokee Invitational by beating—wait for it—the Ole Miss women's team. The Spartan-Rebel crossover is getting intense.
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Ole Miss is in a bit of a reload phase. Losing Pedulla and Murrell is massive. Those were the guys who carried the scoring load. However, Beard is a master of the portal, and the Rebels are still expected to be a factor in the SEC.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're following these two programs this season, keep an eye on these specific trends:
- Michigan State's Free Throw Reliability: They won that Sweet 16 game at the line. In 2026, they are still one of the most disciplined teams in the Big Ten when it comes to closing games.
- Ole Miss Rebounding: The 2025 team proved they could rebound when it mattered. Watch to see if Beard has successfully recruited more "glass-eaters" to prevent being bullied by bigger Big Ten-style frontcourts.
- The "Izzo Factor" in the Rankings: Don't ever bet against MSU in January and February. They tend to start slow and peak right when the calendar turns to March.
The Ole Miss basketball vs Michigan State Spartans men's basketball saga might not have a long history, but the 2025 Sweet 16 solidified it as a high-stakes matchup. Whether it's a future bowl game or another NCAA tournament meeting, the tension is officially there.
Keep an eye on the transfer portal this spring. Both coaches are aggressive, and with the way players move now, don't be surprised if a former Rebel ends up in East Lansing or vice-versa. That’s just the era we're in.
Check the upcoming SEC/Big Ten Challenge schedules for the next chance to see these two face off. Until then, Rebel fans will just have to wonder what might have happened if those last eight minutes in Atlanta had gone just a little bit differently.