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Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy, left, reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Tuscaloosa News, Michelle Lepianka) Carter)
Looking ahead: The Rebels are back on the SEC road Thursday night at 6 at rival Mississippi State. The game tips at 6 and will be televised by ESPN2. Saturday the Rebels are at home against Auburn in another 6 p.m., tip, televised by Fox Sports Net (where available).
Who's hot: Nick Williams. The junior guard was 8-for-15 from the floor, 2-for-5 from 3-point range, for 19 points against Alabama, his home-state school. After scoring in double figures just once in SEC play last year, Williams has hit doubles in seven straight games.
Who's not: Freshman reserve guard Jelan Kendrick. After nice offensive production against South Carolina, Kendrick was just 1-for-7 shooting against Alabama and was way off the mark on a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 18 seconds left in the second overtime.
RPI watch: Ole Miss begins the week with an RPI of 50 following the Alabama loss. MSU begins with an RPI of 33, Auburn with an RPI of 133.
Bottom Line: NCAA tournament teams and NIT teams are separated by the plays they make - or don't make - at crunch time.
The Rebels squandered a great chance to win at the close of the first overtime at Alabama. You have to grab hold of those chances when they come. They don't typically come around twice in SEC road games.
Opportunities to earn resume-building wins are rapidly slipping away. The Rebels have another big RPI game Thursday night at MSU.
Rebels
November
N11 UL Monroe W, 60-38
N14 Grambling W, 69-39
N18 n-Drake W, 63-59
N19 n-Marquette L, 96-66
N21 n-TCU W, 80-69
N25 Miami (OT) W, 64-61
December
D1 at DePaul W, 70-68
D4 at Penn State W, 72-70
D10 Miss. Valley State W, 80-56
D14 La.-Lafayette W, 66-54
D17 at Southern Miss L, 86-82
D21 1-Middle Tenn. L, 68-56
D30 at Dayton L, 62-50
January
J3 SMU W, 50-48
J7 *at LSU L, 81-55
J11 *Arkansas W, 71-63
J14 *at Auburn (2OT) L, 69-68
J18 *Miss. State W, 75-68
J21 *at Georgia W, 66-63
J26 Florida L, 64-60
J28 *South Carolina W, 66-62
February
F4 *at Alabama L, 69-67
F9 *at Miss.State [ESPN/2] 6 p.m.
F11 *Auburn [FSN] 6 p.m.
F16 *Vanderbilt [ESPN/2] 8 p.m.
F18 *at Kentucky [SEC] 3 p.m.
F22 *at Tennessee [CSS] 6 p.m.
F25 *LSU [SEC Network] 12:30 p.m.
F28 *at Arkansas [ESPNU] 6 p.m.
March
M3 *Alabama [SEC] 3 p.m.
n-Neutral court, 1-at Southaven