MILWAUKEE — It was a coaching clinic.
Well, one side of it was, anyway.
Chris Beard said Thursday he’d had plenty of time to scout North Carolina.
On Friday, he backed up those words.
Ole Miss mixed up defensive looks. The Rebels changed offensive tempo. They closed out on shooters, clogged the paint. The only thing that prevented a first-half knockout was a tight whistle and some Ole Miss foul trouble.
Beard had Ole Miss dialed in. Maybe it was some outside noise regarding the Rebels being a “fraud.” Maybe it was a chance to knock out one of college basketball’s biggest names.
Whatever the case, there’s a reason Beard has never lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game.
That trend held on Friday as Ole Miss North Carolina at Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee, 71-64, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
In the second half, after North Carolina cut a 22-point lead to just two points, Beard never let his team panic. Instead, he drew up a key play out of a timeout, getting a 3-pointer from Sean Pedulla in the final minute.
With the win, Ole Miss (23-11) earned a second-round meeting with Iowa State (25-9) on Sunday. The winner Sunday will advance to next weekend’s South Regional semifinals — also known as the Sweet 16 — in Atlanta. As of this writing, a tipoff time for Sunday hasn’t been announced.
Ole Miss had a clear size advantage over North Carolina on Friday. The Rebels exploited it. North Carolina had no real answer for Malik Dia in the post, but Beard did more than feed the 6-foot-9 transfer from Belmont.
Ole Miss ran early offense through long, angular, physical cutters Dre Davis and Jaemyn Brakefield. Once the Tar Heels’ defense was shook and scattered, the lane opened up for drivers and shooters started getting easier looks from deep.
Defensively, Ole Miss delivered one body blow after another. The Rebels made North Carolina uncomfortable from the start. They were active on the perimeter, crashed the boards and confused the Tar Heels in transition, mixing speeds and keeping North Carolina off-balance.
Hubert Davis never stood a chance.
Ole Miss couldn’t have been more prepared. The Rebels were emotionally dialed-in, laser-focused. There was a plan and Beard’s team executed it.
It really was as simple as that. Neither roster Friday was stacked with future NBA stars, but one was incredibly prepared for an NCAA Tournament game. In short, Beard put on a masterclass.
Sunday will be a difficult task for Ole Miss. Iowa State is a big, physical team with skilled post players, strong wings who can shoot and an excellent coach in T.J. Otzelberger.
The Rebels will have to play extremely well — and probably have a bit of luck — to get to Atlanta. However, with Beard getting some 48 hours to put a plan together, it would be foolish to count out Ole Miss.
In a tournament known for close games and nail-biting finishes, Beard is more than X-factor. He’s difference-maker.
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