ESPN predicted before Saturday’s slate of college basketball games 14 of the SEC’s 16 teams would make the NCAA Tournament. No. 19 Ole Miss was included as a 5-seed.

Actually, the Rebels’ resume was/is so strong a win or loss against rival Mississippi State wasn’t go to move the needle much, if at all, either way. But a listless, 81-71 effort? If nothing else, it shook up something in second-year head coach Chris Beard. 

A clearly-frustrated Beard tore into his team in his postgame press conference. Ole Miss fell to 19-7 overall and 8-5 in the SEC. Mississippi State improved to 18-7 (6-6). The teams were meeting for the second time ever with both ranked in the Top 25. Mississippi State has now swept both of those matchups, each coming this season.

Ole Miss is off this week before traveling to Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7) Saturday, February 22. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Here’s everything Beard had to say afterwards.

ON TEAM REBOUNDING

Beard: We got pounded on the glass. We had zero offensive rebounds in the first half. At times during the game we were non-competitive on the glass.

ON OLE MISS GETTING BULLIED

Beard: I wish I could tell you I was surprised, but I wasn’t. I think these last two games, the four halves we played on the road, fortunate to win those games. But I would agree with the players if they said they weren’t the most aggressive team tonight. 

I give Mississippi State credit. Got a good coach, good players. I thought (Shawn Jones, Jr.) was the difference in the game. You look at his plus-minus (+22), winning basketball. You look at the stat sheet on us, we had one guy that had a positive plus-minus today. We got some good minutes from Mikeal (Brown-Jones) off the bench. 

College basketball is a players’ game. You’ve got to have guys show up to play. Ultimately where the coach fits in is it’s his responsibility to get the guys ready to play. Want to apologize to all the fans that drove into Oxford today to watch this rivalry. We did our best to explain to the guys how important this game was. We obviously didn’t get it done.

ON TEAM COMPLACENCY 

Beard: If complacency is a part of this then we’ve got some guys that need to do some real soul-searching. Complacent for what? What have we done that allows us to be complacent?

ON STATE’S SUPERIOR SENSE OF URGENCY

Beard: I think it’s a fair statement. It’s hard for me as the coach to say that, but that’s exactly what I told the guys after the gamy. Victory is going to favor the team that’s more aggressive. In this time of year, in the SEC, you’re supposed to see two aggressive teams going at it. The victory will favor the team with the fewest mistakes once guys show up to fight. 

For a lot of the game, we weren’t a part of the aggressiveness fight. That’s what rebounding is. That’s finishing around the basket, demanding that the refs call the fouls.

“We had a lot of softness to us today. That’s not easy for me to say as the coach. That’s one thing we pride ourselves on.”  

We’re not going to win every game, but we do have an objective that we’re not going to put an effort out there like I thought we put out there today. Not taking anything away from Mississippi State; their backs are against the wall. They’re chasing wins here down the stretch in mid-February. They have great role definition on their team. (Jones, Jr.) is just a winner. I don’t care what the stat line says; just look at the final number. I felt (his plus-minus) when I was out there. It’s a winning player. 

Who brought their ‘A’ game for us today? I’m not sitting here throwing the players under the bus. We coached the team — our staff. We’re all in this together. Team obviously wasn’t well-coached today. The players didn’t perform at the level it’s going to take to beat a team that’s very hungry right now. 

ON THE BYE WEEK

Beard: You look forward to the break after a win. You dread the break after a loss. 

ON GOING DEEP INTO THE BENCH

Beard: Some of the substitutions tonight were to literally get people out there that were playing with a sense of pride for Ole Miss. Understood a lot of people paid real money to come to this game today. We’re not going to make every shot, you’re not going to win every game, but you can absolutely control what you can control, and that’s effort, body language, competitiveness. We were lacking a lot of those things. 

Thought John Bol gave us great minutes. (Eduardo) Klafke is always an energy guy. Rob (Caldwell’s) been battling injuries, really, his whole career. This year, no different. It was great to see Rob out there contributing today. He could be a big part of what we’re trying to do down the stretch.