Ole Miss Basketball vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Start Time and TV Channel in SEC Clash – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a schedule adjustment, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will hit the road to face No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday, January 31 at 5 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium, broadcasting on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-9, 3-4 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-33) • 292-131 career record (14th Season)
Vanderbilt Commodores (Record: 18-3, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Mark Byington • 2nd Season at Vanderbilt (38-16) • 258-153 career record (14th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross
Analyst: Pat Bradley
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. VANDERBILT
The two schools will meet on the basketball court for the 130th time, dating back to 1925 when Vandy defeated the Rebels 19-18 on January 8. The Commodores own the all-time series lead 80-49 and 52-11 in Nashville, with the last Ole Miss win in Memorial Gymnasium coming in 2019.
LAST MEETING: February 22, 2025 (L, 72-77, Nashville, Tenn.)
• Vanderbilt took an eight-point lead into halftime, holding off a late push from the Rebels to win by five.
• Malik Dia (Ole Miss): 22 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks, one steal.
• Chris Manon (Vanderbilt): 16 points, seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks, four steals.
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES
Entering with an SEC-best 18 wins on the season, Vanderbilt picked up notable non-con victories over UCF, VCU, Saint Mary's, SMU, Memphis, and Wake Forest. They've gone 5-3 to begin conference action, recently hosting Kentucky and winning 80-55.
Vandy currently sits in fourth in the SEC standings, ranks No. 15 in the Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the AP Poll, and holds the No. 13 spot in the latest NET Rankings and No. 12 spot in KenPom.
Four players average double figures in scoring for one of the higher-powered offenses in the country, led by guard Tyler Tanner at 17.5. The Commodores are led on the boards by returning forward Devin McGlockton at 7.0 per outing. Sharpshooter Tyler Nickel leads the SEC and ranks among the nation's best from beyond the arc, making 71 total shots while shooting 45.8 percent from deep.
Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
– Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.85, 6th
– Three-point defensive percentage: 28.7, 10th
– Points per game: 89.6, 11th
– Scoring margin: +16.5, 12th
– Blocks per game: 5.3, 15th
– Turnover margin: +4.0, 19th
– Fewest turnovers per game: 9.6, 20th
– Free throw percentage: 77.3, 22nd
– Steals per game: 9.2, 25th
Head coach Mark Byington is in his second year in Nashville, leading the Commodores to a 20-win campaign in year one. Prior to joining the Commodores, Byington spent four years at James Madison, highlighted by a 32-4 season in 2023-24 where he was one of three teams to begin the season 13-0 in the nation (also Ole Miss) and finished it off with an upset over No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
Before his time at James Madison, he was the head coach of Georgia Southern for seven seasons, after getting his first action at the helm as an interim head coach at College of Charleston in 2011-12.
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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.
Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Ole Miss Rebels On SI, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Rebel Football, Baseball, Basketball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving Ole Miss athletics. Nagy has covered the Southeastern Conference for over half a decade after being born and raised in New Orleans (La.).
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