With 10 opponents that advanced to 2005 postseason play, the Ole Miss Rebels face another challenging basketball schedule in 2005-06, as announced Thursday by Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes. The slate boasts 17 home games and nine matchups set for TV.

This season for the first time, Rebel fans will have the opportunity to sit mere feet from the action, as courtside seats are now available on the Tad Smith Coliseum floor. For more information, contact the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation at 662-915-7159. For general ticket information, call the Ole Miss Ticket Office at 662-915-7167.
 

The Rebels tip off the campaign with the Jim Thorpe Classic, Nov. 18-20, at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M. Ole Miss opens the event with Southern Utah before facing the host New Mexico Lobos, who are the defending Mountain West Tournament champions and one of 10 foes coming off 20-win seasons. The Rebels also match up with South Carolina State as part of the tourney.
 

The non-conference slate is also highlighted by home encounters with Memphis, Saint Louis and two-time Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana. The pre-league lineup includes a stretch of six games in 12 days in December.
 

“I feel we have a very competitive schedule, probably more so than in previous years,” said Barnes, who enters his eighth season at the Ole Miss helm. “We have an opportunity to get several quality wins. This non-conference schedule should prepare us well for SEC play.”
 

While the Rebels will host an exhibition with Spring Hill College on Nov. 11, the regular-season home opener will be against Centenary on Nov. 26, with an encounter against Louisiana-Monroe following on Nov. 29. Ole Miss travels to Chicago to take on UIC on Dec. 10.
 

Other non-SEC home dates include the Billikens Dec. 13, Nicholls State Dec. 15, Memphis Dec. 17, Arkansas State Dec. 19, Southeastern Dec. 21, Alcorn State Dec. 30 and Western Carolina Jan. 3.
 

The Rebels are beginning SEC play on the road for the seventh time in Barnes’ eight years at the helm, and will start the conference schedule against Alabama for the first time since the 1977-78 season. Ole Miss faces each Western Division opponent (Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State) twice on a home-and-home basis. The Rebels tangle with MSU Jan. 14 in Oxford and Feb. 18 in Starkville.
 

Ole Miss hosts SEC Eastern Division foes South Carolina Jan. 11, Florida Jan. 31 and Vanderbilt Mar. 1, and travel to Georgia Jan. 21, Tennessee Feb. 4 and Kentucky Feb. 22. The SEC Tournament returns to Nashville’s Gaylord Entertainment Center for the first time since 2001, Mar. 9-12.
 

FSN South/Sun Sports is slated to air four Ole Miss games in 2005-06, including Memphis, at Alabama, at Georgia and Auburn at home. Jefferson Pilot also has four telecasts planned with State at home, at Tennessee and Kentucky, and the Rebels’ SEC Tournament first-round contest. ESPN2 will air the Florida game.

2005-06 OLE MISS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Nov. 11 Spring Hill College (Exhibition)        Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Nov. 18 vs. Southern Utah^              Albuquerque, N.M.       8:15 p.m.
Nov. 19 at New Mexico^                  Albuquerque, N.M.       6 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. South Carolina State^       Albuquerque, N.M.       2 p.m.
Nov. 26 Centenary                       Oxford, Miss.           TBA
Nov. 29 Louisiana-Monroe                Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Dec. 10 at UIC                          Chicago, Ill.           3 p.m.
Dec. 13 Saint Louis                     Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Dec. 15 Nicholls State                  Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Dec. 17 Memphis (FSN/SUN)               Oxford, Miss.           2:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 Arkansas State                  Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Dec. 21 Southeastern Louisiana          Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Dec. 30 Alcorn State                    Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Jan. 3   Western Carolina                Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Jan. 7   at Alabama* (FSN/SUN)           Tuscaloosa, Ala.        5 p.m.
Jan. 11 South Carolina*                 Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Jan. 14 Mississippi State* (JP)         Oxford, Miss.           Noon
Jan. 21 at Georgia* (FSN/SUN)           Athens, Ga.             5 p.m.
Jan. 25 at Arkansas*                    Fayetteville, Ark.      7 p.m.
Jan. 28 LSU*                            Oxford, Miss.           2 p.m.
Jan. 31 Florida* (ESPN2)                Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Feb. 4  at Tennessee* (JP)              Knoxville, Tenn.                3 p.m.
Feb. 8  at Auburn*                      Auburn, Ala.            7 p.m.
Feb. 11 Alabama*                        Oxford, Miss.           2 p.m.
Feb. 15 Arkansas*                       Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Feb. 18 at Mississippi State*#          Starkville, Miss.               2 p.m.
Feb. 22 at Kentucky* (JP)               Lexington, Ky.          8 p.m.
Feb. 25 Auburn* (FSN/SUN)               Oxford, Miss.           7:30 p.m.
Mar. 1    Vanderbilt*                     Oxford, Miss.           7 p.m.
Mar. 4     at LSU*                         Baton Rouge, La.        7 p.m.
Mar. 9-12 SEC Tournament (CBS/JP) Nashville, Tenn.

^ Jim Thorpe Classic in Albuquerque, N.M. (The Pit)             All Times Local
* SEC Game
# SEC Throwback Weekend
 

Check out more 2005-06 Team Schedules.