The Ole Miss Rebels basketball team is off to a decent start this season, and recently was ranked tenth in an SEC conference power ranking. The Rebels host the No. 13 Florida Gators tonight in the Tad Smith Coliseum and are looking to get their fourth conference win of the season.

Ole Miss has had their share of off-court issues this season, but have definitely handled the distractions well. Most notably, leading scorer Dundrecous Nelson and back-up guard Jamal Jones were dismissed in early January after a run-in with local law enforcement in Oxford.

Earlier in the season, Head Coach Andy Kennedy adopted a "zero tolerance" policy for handling disciplinary issues, but it is clear that some players ignored that policy.

Nelson was arrested and booked into the Lafayette County Detention Center for various drug charges, including paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Many assumed the leading scorer's dismissal from the team would drastically hurt their chances to compete this season.

Some would say the team does need Nelson, but many, including myself, would argue that the team isn't doing badly at all. With the players they do still have, Ole Miss has proven they have a chance to do well. The team has solid shooters, when they can get into a rhythm, and they always have outstanding rebounding numbers, as long as Reginald Buckner is on the floor. The Rebels have also demonstrated an ability to frustrate opponents, causing turnovers with their defensive ability.

The Rebels fell in their first SEC game to LSU, but responded well a few days later against Arkansas to get their first conference win. Since then, Ole Miss has defeated Mississippi State and Georgia, while dropping a double-overtime thriller at Auburn.

The new scoring leader on the team is senior forward Terrance Henry, who is averaging 11.5 points per game. The more impressive statistics, as well as the foundation of Ole Miss' game-plan, are the rebounding and blocks numbers. Ole Miss as a team averages almost 40 rebounds per game, which is impressive. Murphy Holloway is the leading rebounder on the team, averaging 9.6 per game.

Blocks have been the other strength of Ole Miss, playing a major role in the defensive success of the Rebels. Ole Miss looks to use the blocking skills of Buckner against the swift attack of Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal, Florida's top two leading scorers.

Florida is 16-4 on the season, coming off a 74-64 win in Baton Rouge over the LSU Tigers. Both teams would like to better their chances of reaching the NCAA tournament, which is just over a month away.

The home team Rebels are 13-6 so far this season, coming off a good road win over the Georgia Bulldogs. Ole Miss looks to remain undefeated at home this season by getting their ninth home win. If the Rebels are able to limit turnovers on offense, force the Gators into turnovers on defense, and play with discipline, they will have a good chance of pulling off the upset against the 13th-ranked team in the country.

Tip-off for this game is 6:00 CT in Oxford at the Tad Smith Coliseum and the broadcast will be available on ESPN2 if you can't make it to the game. That's all I have for this game day preview, thanks for reading and as always, Hotty Toddy!