Mississippi @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 3, 2016 ) Memphis 77, Mississippi 85

The news finally broke Wednesday that No. 20 Memphis would be without James Wiseman - the possible No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft - for 12 games. That stretch starts with a home game against undefeated Ole Miss.

Wiseman averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting 76.9 percent from the field. The Tigers will have to continue to lean on the rest of their freshmen core that made up the consensus No. 1 recruiting class entering the season. The Rebels are off to a strong start, winning every game by double-digits. But the Rebels have yet to face a team with Memphis' pedigree and must do so away from Oxford for the first time all season.

TV: Noon ET, No TV

ABOUT OLE MISS (4-0): Though sophomore forward KJ Buffen leads the team in scoring, coach Kermit Davis has not been happy with his recent two performances, calling it "immature." Sophomore swingman Blake Hinson, who started 31 games as a freshman in 2018-2019, will make his season debut after dealing with a "blood abnormality, though Davis told reporters that Hinson's minutes will be "scattered." Hinson should help a Rebels team that has shot 30.1 percent from 3-point range with senior guard Breein Tyree making four of a team-high 11 attempts.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (4-1): Coach Penny Hardaway has relied on depth with his young squad, with eight players averaging 18 or more minutes with none averaging more than 28. Outside of Wiseman, the most touted incoming freshman was Precious Achiuwa, who has been solid to start his collegiate career by averaging 13 points and 7.8 boards, though he has turned the ball over 15 times. Four-star freshmen D.J. Jeffries and Lester Quinones are averaging double-figures with Jeffries acting as the team's best 3-point shooter while Quinones has struggled a bit in turning the ball over (12), though he has 17 assists.

TIP-INS

1. Memphis has one upperclassman on its roster in senior Isaiah Maurice, who averages three points and eight minutes.

2. Ole Miss holds opponents to 52 points per game, which were the sixth-fewest in the country entering Friday.

3. This is the first of five away games on the Rebels' non-conference schedule.

PREDICTION: Memphis 80, Ole Miss 76