Illinois Basketball to travel to Ole Miss for preseason Exhibition

Per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Illinois basketball will travel south for a charity exhibition against the Ole Miss Rebels. This exhibition will kick off an exciting season for the Fighting Illini as they have added yet another high-major opponent to the schedule. Though this game will not count, the game vs Ole Miss adds another SEC opponent to a robust Illinois basketball schedule. During the regular season, the Illini will also face off against Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri. Four of the five teams, excluding Missouri, are involved in the Rothstein preseason Top 45.

Current SEC rankings in the ROTHSTEIN 45:

Alabama (3)
Auburn (11)
Texas A&M (12)
Florida (17)
Tennessee (18)
Texas (28)
Arkansas (31)
Mississippi State (38)
Georgia (41)
Kentucky (42)
Ole Miss (43)

CC: @FDSportsbook, @FanDuelResearch. https://t.co/A2BWqemZXm

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 1, 2024

What kind of opponent?

Ole Miss is heading into year two of the Chris Beard Era. Beard arrived at Ole Miss after he left the University of Texas. When Beard was at Texas, the Illini were able to top the Longhorns at Madison Square Garden in a thrilling overtime finish. Though the Ole Miss Rebels did not make the NCAA tournament last year, Beard is widely respected as one of the best coaches in college basketball. His squad will surely provide a stern test for Illinois as they hope to bring their young and exciting nucleus together quickly.

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