Ole Miss Rebels head coach Chris Beard wants more for his program this season than a simple road win at Alabama.

It was easy to overlook a hot start to Chris Beard's second season at Ole Miss for a couple of reasons. The Rebels also started with a bang in 2023-24, standing at 15-1 this time last year before going 5-11 and missing the NCAA Tournament.

Going into the night, Alabama was No. 1 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 91.1 points per game. The Tide also entered as one of the country’s most dominant rebounding teams, ranking No. 2 nationally in total rebounds and No. 8 in offensive boards.