Preview: Mississippi at South Carolina

Ole Miss visits South Carolina on Wednesday looking to cement its top-four standing in the SEC and the double-bye in the conference tournament that goes with it. The Rebels are tied for third in the conference at 8-4 with Kentucky, one game ahead of Missouri and Arkansas and one game behind Alabama. The Rebels snapped a two-game skid with Saturday's comeback win in overtime over Georgia. They're off to their best 25-game start since 2000-01.The Gamecocks have lost six straight, scoring 60 points only once in that span. In their first year under coach Frank Martin, the Gamecocks rank 12th in the SEC in points allowed (68) and dead last in field-goal percentage defense (44.5). They're 1-5 at home in conference play.TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSSABOUT MISSISSIPPI (19-6. 8-4 SEC): JUCO transfer Marshall Henderson leads the SEC in scoring (19.7) and ranks fourth nationally in 3-pointers made per game (3.8). In the win over Georgia, Henderson hit all 14 of his free throws, one shy of the Ole Miss record set in 1955 when Denver Brackeen shot 15-of-15. Senior F Murphy Holloway (14.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg) has nine double-doubles this season, and his 34 career double-doubles lead all active SEC players. Senior F Reginald Buckner (9.8 ppg, 8 rpg, 2.7 bpg) has 296 career blocks, which ranks sixth in SEC history.ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (12-13, 2-10): Senior G Lashay Page, who averaged 11.7 points and shot 87.1 percent from the foul line, is out for the season due to academic issues. That leaves freshman F Michael Carrera (10.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg) as the team's leading scorer. He shoots 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. Junior G Brenton Williams (10.1 ppg) is the only player averaging in double figures. TIP-INS1. Ole Miss is 51st in the RPI rankings, while South Carolina is 207th. Ole Miss is 4-6 against teams in the RPI top 100.2. With a win, the Rebels will notch 20 victories for the sixth time in seven seasons under Andy Kennedy.3. The Gamecocks are tied for last in the SEC with Mississippi State, which visits Alabama on Wednesday. PREDICTION: Mississippi 69, South Carolina 57