Florida @ Mississippi preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2017 ) Mississippi 63, Florida 70

Florida is enjoying a six-game winning streak that includes victories in each of its first four SEC contests, leaving it in first place in the conference in the early going. The Gators will put that undefeated conference mark on the line when they visit Ole Miss on Saturday.

Florida's winning streak comes after a stretch in December in which the team dropped four of five, and the team is trying to make sure the winning continues this time. "As a team, we're really confident," senior guard Egor Koulechov, who is averaging 19.8 points in SEC play, told the team's website. "We're not going to let it get to our heads, because we learned from what happened in December." The Rebels have yet to win a true road game this season and are coming off an 85-70 loss at No. 24 Auburn but earned wins in each of their first two conference home games. Ole Miss did not have enough offensive firepower to keep up with the Tigers on Tuesday while missing leading scorer Deandre Burnett, who missed the contest with an illness but is expected to play Saturday.


TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT FLORIDA (12-4, 4-0 SEC): Gators senior point guard Chris Chiozza battled through an illness and a tough shooting night against Mississippi State but still scored in double figures for the eighth straight game and handed out seven assists. "He just makes big plays for this team," Florida coach Mike White told reporters. "He's playing with a really high level of confidence on both ends. He's the epitome of leading by example. He's not the most vocal guy, but to give it every ounce of energy when teammates know you're feeling like crap — and you're [still] playing well — you add a boost to the rest of your team." Chiozza (12.9) is third on the team in scoring behind Jalen Hudson (16.6) and Koulechov (15.5).


ABOUT OLE MISS (9-7, 2-2): The Rebels will pressure Chiozza and Koulechov with a backcourt that includes four guards averaging in double figures, led by Burnett at 14.4 points. With Burnett out at Auburn on Tuesday, Breein Tyree took over the scoring load and poured in a career-high 24 points to mark his third straight game with at least 16 points. Ole Miss' backcourt-heavy attack hoists an average of 26.1 3-point attempts and connects at 33.3 percent, with forward Justas Furmanavicius (43.5 percent) and Tyree (40 percent) leading the way.

TIP-INS

1. Florida freshman G Deaundrae Ballard (illness) sat out Wednesday and is questionable for Saturday.

2. The Rebels own a plus-4.5 turnover margin through their first four SEC games.

3. The Gators took the last three in the series, including a 70-63 home win in the lone meeting last season.

PREDICTION: Florida 75, Ole Miss 68