Ole Miss fell into the SEC’s Western Division cellar when the Rebels couldn’t beat Alabama Sunday. In other words, things ain’t looking up for coach Rod Barnes’ Rebels right about now.

The loss was OM’s eighth straight, and it put postseason basketball plans on hold for the moment. It still could happen, they say, but when it’s that close sometimes you can’t help but wonder if that next spot up is attainable. Postseason competition does keep a season from being quite so bleak.

Also disappointing was Mississippi State’s inability to nail down SEC West laurels in dreaded Bud Walton Arena against Arkansas Saturday. Less than a month ago, the Bulldogs handed Arkansas the school’s worst-ever SEC loss, but that was then &045; this time it was 53-51 Razorbacks with 17,000 fans looking on.

These houses Wal-Mart built aren’t very kind to Mississippi State teams. In fact, this particular loss came at Bud Walton Arena. Perhaps the Bulldogs were just inept, but whatever the reason, the loss hurt.

State and Ole Miss are just takin’ their licks this basketball season, that’s all. But the season isn’t over, and I look for both teams to do better this campaign.

Meantime, there’s a team over in Hattiesburg that’s catchin’ on in Conference USA play. The Eagles made their move Saturday against South Florida at a time it had to be a win or else.

Playing at Green Coliseum before nearly 3,000 fans, the Golden Eagles zapped South Florida 70-62. That victory, coupled with East Carolina’s 82-76 loss at Louisville, sealed the final slot for the Eagles in the C-USA tournament.

That meet will be held in Louisville at Freedom Hall March 12-15, and luckily this all meant USM would go to the 12-team meet at No. 12. Just getting there is what it’s all about.

Basketball has always fascinated me, as many of our older area athletes can attest. I’ve been through some exciting times, particularly on the Natchez prep scene.

Hurried hash

Lotta talk about college football recruiting right about now. In fact, all the talk within the schools vying for talent is about &uot;who we got and who they got.&uot; Even so, I haven’t heard a great deal about State and Ole Miss’ recruiting. Someone &045; probably not an LSU head &045; tabbed the Tigers recruiting this time around as possibly the best in the nation.

Now that would be quite a feat because this is LSU we’re talkin’ about, and when it’s good enough folks start talking like that. But things just might be that good for the Tigers &045; of the 27 Tigers’ signees, 15 are reportedly among the top Louisiana prospects.

And everyone’s high on an Alabama signee out of Mobile name JaMarcus Russell. He’s 6-5 and 230 pounds, and he broke all kinds of Alabama career prep records when he passed for 10,744 yards and 84 touchdowns.

It has been said he was ranked the 17th-best prospect in the land, and Prep Football Report says he’s the No. 4 quarterback.

Glenvall Estes is a longtime columnist for The Natchez Democrat.