Ole Miss didn’t just beat Central Arkansas on Friday night. It set the tone from the opening stretch and never let go, rolling to a 90-62 win at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion in Oxford.
The Bears came in with some preseason respect, projected to finish first in the inaugural season of the United Athletic Conference, and were expected to give the Rebels a real early test in the non-conference schedule. That never really happened. Ole Miss controlled the game on both ends, kept the pressure on for all 40 minutes and looked every bit like a team trying to turn the page from last season’s uneven 2025-2026 run.
That edge has been a clear theme under Chris Beard, who has pushed one message from the start: play aggressive and keep the motor running. Two games in, the Rebels have taken that to heart.
“I love coaching alphas,” Beard said. “As a coach, I’d much rather pause guys, turn them down a little bit, than have to turn them up.
The offense had plenty to do with this one, too, and sophomore guard Patton Pinkins was right in the middle of it. After flashing from deep in the opener, he followed it up with 19 points and a 4-of-5 night from beyond the arc, drilling four 3s in the first half alone.
Beard has already made it clear Pinkins has the freedom to fire away when he’s open. After Monday night’s 99-58 win over Alcorn State, he said:
“You know, I thought he could have shot eight threes tonight. So he’s got the green light," Beard said. "We want him to shoot the ball when he’s open."
Pinkins was one of the few bright spots in Ole Miss’ rough season last year, and he also emerged as a lift during the Rebels’ strong SEC tournament run. Now he looks like a player ready to take a bigger step.
Budd Clark gave Ole Miss another steady jolt. The transfer guard reached 500 career assists in college basketball, with that total spanning Merrimack, Seton Hall and now Ole Miss.
He finished with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal, doing a lot of his damage from the midrange with clean isolation work and pull-up jumpers. One of his best moments came with nine minutes left, when he took it the length of the floor and finished through contact at the rim.
Clark’s presence also seems to fit well next to Ilias Kamardine. The returning guard had to operate outside his usual comfort zone last season, but with a strong ball handler alongside him, the French native looks more settled and more dangerous in Oxford.
The Rebels’ international flavor showed up again in the frontcourt and on the wing. Roman Sielupa and Ben Henshall both made their mark in different ways against Central Arkansas.
Sielupa, listed at 6 feet 7 inches, brings a lot more than size. At 245 pounds, the Brisbane native is a physical force in the paint, but he also moves with unusual dexterity for someone built like that.
Henshall gave Ole Miss its clearest perimeter threat. The Perth native was willing to let it fly from deep, and the results backed him up. He shot 40% from beyond the arc in the first half and finished with 13 points, highlighted by a midrange and-1 early in the second half that pushed the Rebels’ lead to 18.
Corey Stephenson has also wasted no time making an impression in Oxford. The Florida International transfer has opened his Ole Miss tenure with high-flying dunks in both of the Rebels’ first two games, and he added another one here after Clark’s lay-in, breaking free for a slam that lit up the Pavilion. Stephenson called himself an “everyday guy” in his first press availability, but early on, he’s looking like the kind of player who can change a game with one burst.
Ole Miss is back in action next Tuesday, November 10th, against Southeastern Louisiana. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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