Friday, November 14th, 8:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: C. M. Tad Smith Coliseum (9,061) -- Oxford, Mississippi. Television: None. Home Record ASU 0-0, Ole Miss 0-0. Away Record ASU 0-0, Ole Miss 0-0. Neutral Record ASU 0-0, Ole Miss 0-0. Conference Record ASU 0-0, Ole Miss 0-0. Series Record: Ole Miss leads, 18-9.

GAME NOTES: The Ole Miss basketball program will open the new campaign this evening when the Rebels take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Tad Smith Coliseum. John Brady will make his debut as the head coach at Arkansas State after the past decade as the top man at LSU. Coach Brady will have a tough task at hand, as the Red Wolves are coming off a 10-20 ledger from a year ago. The team does return a few starters, and will also have some impressive talent coming off the bench, so there is a chance for this team to take a step forward in coach Brady's first year. As for the Rebels, they posted the second most wins in school history this past season, finishing the year with an outstanding 24-11 mark. Ole Miss made its first-ever NIT Final Four showing last year, and after two years as the head coach, Andy Kennedy has the Rebels looking to earn a spot in the Big Dance. The Rebels have won their last four season-openers and own a 73-25 ledger all-time in opening matchups. With respect to the all-time series between the two schools on the hardwood, the Rebels own an 18-9 lead over Arkansas State, and that includes 14-2 mark in games played in Oxford.

Coach Brady's tenure at ASU will begin in a rebuilding mode, as the team comes into this evening's matchup with only two starters back in the mix. The two returning starters are forwards Yima Chia-Kur and Shawn Morgan. Chia-Kur is the top returning scorer for ASU, but the forward will need to increase his production now that he is the go-to guy in the paint. As for Morgan, he will contribute at times offensively, but his main reason for being on the floor is his defensive ability. Joining the two down low will be JeJuan Brown. Brown was a part of Vanderbilt's Sweet 16 squad in 2007, and should definitely help on both ends of the floor for the Red Wolves. The player in the backcourt that will be counted on to step up is Ifeanyi Koggu. Koggu does have some starting experience, but the guard mainly played a reserved role this past season.

The 24 wins for Ole Miss this past season was impressive, but the 7-9 ledger in league play was definitely a disappointment. While the team lost some strong athletes in the off-season, it does return a good bit of talent. Chris Warren is just 5-10, but the explosive guard averaged 15.8 ppg and 4.5 apg a year ago. David Huertas and Eniel Polynice are both 6-5 guards who scored 10.7 ppg last season, and Polynice also does solid work on the glass. The frontcourt is a major area of concern for the team, as there is very little experience. Malcolm White scored just 2.2 ppg last season, but he will be expected to lead the charge.

The Rebels are coming off a tremendous year, and are looking to take another step forward, and if that is the case, the team's journey begins tonight at home against the rebuilding Red Wolves.

Predicted Outcome

Ole Miss 67, Arkansas State 55