NCAAM Recap: LSU Comes Out On Top Vs. Kentucky
The Ole Miss Rebels will very likely be down a couple of key players during Wednesday night’s SEC matchup with Tennessee. The Vols will be looking to bounce back from their initial SEC loss to Alabama last Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Ole Miss will be attempting to kick off the conference schedule with a win in Knoxville after their original opener hosting Florida was postponed.
However, heading into Wednesday’s matchup, the Rebels do have some roster concerns.
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Wednesday, Ole Miss will be without star guard Jarkel Joiner due to a back injury. The senior guard is currently leading Ole Miss in points per game at 14.8 and is also adding in three assists and 3.5 rebounds per game on average.
Joiner’s non-playing status will be huge for Ole Miss against a Tennessee team that is looking for another strong win at home. In the Rebels’ 12 games this year, Joiner has double digits in all of the games but one in which he scored nine points. Additionally, Joiner is an extremely reliable player for Kermit Davis and the Rebels. Joiner has seen a considerable amount of time on the court this season, landing above 35 minutes in seven of the last eight games.
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In addition, according to Rothstein’s report, the Rebels are expected to have “several” players out against Tennessee due to COVID-19 protocols.
Tennessee has been battling some COVID issues as well in the last week. During the Vols’ conference opener in Tuscaloosa last week, Tennessee was without guard Kennedy Chandler and forward John Fulkerson due to COVID testing following the Christmas break.
On Tuesday, though, Tennessee was able to relay some good news ahead of the Ole Miss game. According to the Tennessee athletics department on Tuesday, all of the Vols who missed the Alabama game are back with the team and are going through all team activities. In addition, Tennessee had a full practice in terms of players on the same Tuesday afternoon.
While things could have changed between Tuesday and Thursday, as things stand now, the Vols look to be in a good shape against an Ole Miss team that will be looking to replace points and leadership on the court.
Currently, at the time of this publication, Tennessee is a 17.5-point favorite over Ole Miss according to Fanduel Sportsbook.
