The University of Mississippi Athletics
Monday, November 3
Oxford, Miss.
7 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Southeastern Louisiana
Men's Basketball Launches New Season Hosting SE Louisiana Monday Night
11/2/2025 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – One of the most anticipated seasons in program history has finally arrived, as the Ole Miss men's basketball team is set to open the 2025-26 campaign in the SJB Pavilion on Monday night when they host Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. and on SEC Network+.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (2024-25 Record: 24-12, 10-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (44-24) • 281-122 career record (14th Season)
Southeastern Louisiana Lions (2024-25 Record: 18-14, 12-8 SLC)
Head Coach: David Kiefer • 7th Season at SE Louisiana (86-101) • 86-101 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Analyst: Kermit Davis
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
This will be the 20th game between Ole Miss and Southeastern Louisiana, with the two last battling on the court in 2019. The Rebels have won each matchup (19-0) dating back to a 75-55 victory in 1956, and have won 15 of those games at home in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: December 21, 2019 (W, 83-76, Jackson, Miss.)
• An offensive battle in the first half, both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor as Ole Miss led 42-41 at the break. The Rebels would go on to win by seven behind a career-high 20 points from Khadim Sy.
• Khadim Sy (Ole Miss): 20 points, seven rebounds, one block.
• Tyron Brewer (SE Louisiana): 30 points, six rebounds, one steal.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
SLU went 18-14 during the 2024-25 season, including a record of 12-8 in conference action and finished with a NET ranking of 201. After opening with a trio of losses in their Southland Conference slate, the Lions picked up six consecutive victories from Jan. 6 to Jan. 25. Their season closed on March 9 in the opening round of the SLC Tournament with an overtime loss to Incarnate Word. Following their game with Ole Miss to open the 25-26 season, they will face other notable programs in their non-con schedule such as Louisiana, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and LSU.
SLU lost their top two scorers from a year ago due to graduation, with now-sophomore forward Jeremy Elyzee leading the charge after averaging 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a first year. Elyzee paced the Lions with 21 blocks in 2024-25, adding 38 steals on the defensive end as well. The team brought in eight new signees during the offseason to bolster their roster for the 2025-26 campaign.
Entering year number seven with Southeastern Louisiana, head coach David Kiefer has won 86 games during his tenure, turning them into a winning program consistently battling in the Southland Conference over the past four years. The fastest coach in school history to reach 50 wins, Kiefer became just the second coach in program history to earn Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2022, after guiding the Lions to a 19-win campaign and a run to the conference title game. Prior to taking the head job at SLU, Kiefer spent four years on staff as an assistant.
'CAUSE I PROVIDE, THAT NEW NEW
After returning three starters and six letterwinners a year ago, head coach Chris Beard and staff were tasked with reloading an Ole Miss team that saw 11 letterwinners and all but one starter depart this past offseason. They delivered, bringing in a handful of top recruits in the 2025 freshman class, while adding a plethora of talent in the transfer portal. A recruiting class ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation and a transfer class ranked as high as No. 19, Ole Miss has retooled with length, athleticism, shooting ability, and much more to fuel the upward trajectory the program has seen in the past two seasons under Beard.
FAMILIAR FACES
Four members of the 2024-25 Sweet 16 team return to Oxford for another year this season, led by starting forward Malik Dia. Leading the team in rebounding (5.7 RPG) and finishing third in scoring (10.8 PPG) a year ago, Dia looks to continue to build upon his diverse game, where he can play multiple positions and score at all levels of the court. The second letterwinner to return to the 2025-26 roster is sophomore guard Eduardo Klafke, who was one of just 11 true freshmen in the SEC to play in all of their team's games a year ago. A high-energy player with an elite IQ, Klafke led the team in three-point percentage (48.1%, 13-27) and added 16 steals and seven blocks on defense. Returning for a second year each are guards Max Smith and Zach Day. Smith joined the team as a senior a year ago but took a redshirt following a preseason injury, and looks to help the team on the court this season. Day, a freshman a year ago, took a redshirt to develop his game and earned a scholarship this past offseason.
"REBELS, ASSEMBLE!"
Eight transfers will join the Ole Miss program for the 2025-26 campaign, with previous experience at elite programs such as Butler, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, St. John's, Washington, Wisconsin, and more. Each player brings a unique piece to the puzzle of building this roster, but bring a common goal of competing and winning.
Augusto Cassiá, Forward, Junior
He joins the Ole Miss program after spending two seasons at Butler, where injuries limited him to 25 total games played. Cassiá averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10 games played a year ago, after seeing action in 15 games as a freshman. He has tons of basketball experience, playing for Brazil in the South American U17 Championship, a pro team in Brazil, and training at NBA Global Academy in Australia.
Corey Chest, Forward, Sophomore
After spending the past two seasons at LSU, Chest comes to Oxford to provide length and position flexibility to the frontcourt. Redshirting in his first year, he spent 2024-25 with the Tigers playing in 26 games and making 19 starts before an injury cut his season short. He averaged 6.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Kezza Giffa, Guard, Senior
A playmaking guard who spent the past two seasons leading High Point on a historic run. In 2024-25, he was a first-team all-conference selection averaging 14.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, leading High Point to 29 wins, their first-ever Big South Conference title, and first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. He averaged 16.2 points per game the year before and helped High Point win 27 games.
Hobert Grayson IV, Guard, Senior
An NCAA Division II All-American a year ago, Grayson IV averaged 21.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in 24-25 at Ouachita Baptist. He was also named the conference player of the year for his efforts. The year prior, he averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game at Holmes CC, and was previously in the Magnolia State at NE Mississippi CC where he played in 24 games.
Koren Johnson, Guard, Junior
Before a promising junior season at Louisville was cut short due to injury after just two games, Johnson had been dominant at his home school Washington for two years. The 2024 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year averaged 11.1 points and 2.7 assists off the bench for the Huskies as a sophomore, after appearing in 29 games for Washington as a freshman.
Travis Perry, Guard, Sophomore
A sharp-shooting guard who spent his freshman season at Kentucky a year ago, where he saw action in 31 games with four starts. He saw his best games come against top-ranked Alabama, with 12 points during the regular season and 11 during the SEC Tournament. Perry dad a prolific high school career at Lyon County, where he finished his time as the state of Kentucky's all-time leader in points scored, field goals made, three-pointers made, free throws made, and steals.
James Scott, Forward, Junior
The long, six-foot ten-inch forward comes to the program from Louisville where he played in 35 games and made 31 starts a year ago. He averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 75.5% from the floor. His 79 dunks in 24-25 were the third-most in school history. He spent his freshman season at the College of Charleston, where he played in 35 games and averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.
AJ Storr, Guard, Senior
With quite the impressive college career, Storr comes to Oxford after spending 2024-25 at Kansas where he was a preseason watchlist selection for the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy. In his sophomore season, Storr was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team after averaging 16.8 points per game at Wisconsin. He was a 2023 Big East All-Freshman selection at St. John's in his collegiate first season.
A DOUBLE XL CLASS
The bloodline of any program is their ability to add freshmen talent each year, and the Ole Miss coaching staff did just that for the 2025-26 campaign. Three true freshmen out of high school combined with international pro player Ilias Kamardine make up one of the strongest recruiting classes in program history, ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation.
Niko Bundalo, Forward, Freshman
The highest ranked recruit in school history according to 247Sports, Bundalo became the second McDonald's All-American to be recruited to Ole Miss under Chris Beard. The consensus top-40 recruit was ranked as high as No. 30 in the nation by Rivals, and was listed as the fifth-best power forward in the class of 2025.
Tylis Jordan, Forward, Freshman
A consensus four-star recruit, Jordan earned a class ranking as high as No. 28 in the nation by Rivals. He was listed at No. 34 in the country by On3, where he was the No. 7 power forward in the class of 2025. He helped lead Wheeler to a 29-3 record his senior season.
Ilias Kamardine, Guard, Senior
Joining the program for his first year of collegiate basketball, 22-year old Ilias Kamardine spent about six years playing at the club level in France. Most recently with JDA Dijon, he averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just under 20 minutes per game. In 2023, he was named MVP at FIBA U20 Eurobasket when he helped lead France to a gold medal while averaging 14 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
Patton Pinkins, Guard, Freshman
A top-100 recruit, Pinkins was ranked as high as No. 78 nationally in the class of 2025 by Rivals, and was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. He helped Frenship win 28 games during his senior season. Pinkins is the son of current assistant coach Al Pinkins.
THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard has built quite the reputation as a program builder, and it's been evident while here in Oxford. Bringing in a winning culture that led to 20 wins in year one, the build continued to rise in year two last season, guiding Ole Miss to an NCAA Tournament berth while matching their deepest run in school history, narrowly missing an Elite Eight appearance.
In his last third season, Beard helped lead Texas Tech to 31 victories and a spot in the NCAA National Championship Title game. The trajectory with Ole Miss has been similar through two seasons:
Year One
Texas Tech: 18 wins
Ole Miss: 20 wins
Year Two
Texas Tech: 27 wins, NCAA Elite Eight
Ole Miss: 24 wins, NCAA Sweet 16
Year Three
Texas Tech: 31 wins, NCAA Title Game
A MILESTONE MAN
In his two seasons with Ole Miss, head coach Chris Beard has had five players hit the 1,000-career points mark under his watch: Davon Barnes, Jaemyn Brakefield, Allen Flanigan, Jaylen Murray, and Matthew Murrell. Forward Malik Dia is on the precipice of being number six, as he enters the 2025-26 season with 997 points in his college career. Two other current players come to Oxford having already hit the mark in Kezza Giffa (1,091) and AJ Storr (1,104).
EVERYBODY'S HANDS GO UP
This year's Ole Miss roster is comprised of experience and proven winners. Among the 10 players who have earned a letter as a collegiate athlete, they have seen 14 total 20-win seasons.
DEVELOPING PROS
Since coming to Ole Miss, head coach Chris Beard and staff have helped numerous players reach their goal of playing basketball at the next level professionally. In just two seasons in Oxford, Beard has coached a total of 10 players that are currently playing professional basketball:
Davon Barnes: KK Tamis Pancevo (Serbia)
Jaemyn Brakefield: Bambitious Nara (Japan)
Mikeal Brown-Jones: NTD BH Baku (Azerbaijan)
Moussa Cisse: Dallas Mavericks
Dre Davis: Long Island Nets (NBA G League)
Allen Flanigan: FC Porto (Portugal)
Jaylen Murray: RGV Vipers (NBA G League)
Matthew Murrell: Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League)
Sean Pedulla: Rip City Remix (NBA G League)
Jamarion Sharp: Texas Legends (NBA G League)
A HISTORIC SEASON
The 2024-25 campaign will be cemented as one of the most successful runs to date for Ole Miss basketball program. Highlighted by the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, the team matched the school-best run in the postseason after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The team began their postseason run with a win over North Carolina in the opening round, 72-64. They carried the momentum in the round of 32, taking down three-seed Iowa State in dominating fashion, 91-78. The Rebels nearly punched their ticket to the Elite Eight, leading two-seeded Michigan State for over 30 minutes of play, before falling by three.
On the season, Ole Miss set program records for most made threes in a season, fewest turnovers per game in a season, and highest assist-to-turnover ratio in a season. They also had top-five program season marks for most wins, most points scored, field goals made, free throws made, assists, and steals.
The team took down a pair of top-five teams during the regular season for the first time in program history, picking up wins at No. 4 Alabama and vs. No 4 Tennessee.
LET'S PLAY DEFENSE
Defense continued to be the name of the game for Ole Miss in 2024-25, as they finished among the best in the nation in numerous statistical categories. The team's turnover margin of +5.1 ranked fifth in the nation and led the SEC, fueled by 8.8 steals per game which ranked 28th in college basketball. Forcing an average of 14.1 turnovers per game, Ole Miss ranked 42nd in the country. Individually, Sean Pedulla finished 33rd in the nation in steals with 68, while Matthew Murrell's 1.81 steals per game ranked 67th in the country.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
The 2025-26 season marks the third iteration of the ACC/SEC Challenge, with Ole Miss returning to hosting duties in Oxford as they welcome Miami on Tuesday, December 2 at 8 p.m. Following an even seven-to-seven split in year one, last year's SEC/ACC Challenge was dominated by the Southeastern Conference 14-2. Ole Miss has played their part in both years, picking up a 23-point win at Louisville in 2024 after defeating NC State by 20 in 2023.
VALUED LEADERSHIP
The Ole Miss men's basketball coaching staff is one of the more experienced around the country, featuring five former Division-I or professional head coaches. In his 14th year as an NCAA head coach, Chris Beard is joined on the court by former head coaches Mark Adams (25 years as head coach), Brian Burg (three years as head coach), and Wes Flanigan (two years as head coach). Assistant coach Bob Donewald Jr. has 16 years of head coaching experience at the professional and national level, while assistant Al Pinkins has been an interim head, associate or assistant coach at six different NCAA Division-I programs, including four within the SEC.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (2024-25 Record: 24-12, 10-8 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (44-24) • 281-122 career record (14th Season)
Southeastern Louisiana Lions (2024-25 Record: 18-14, 12-8 SLC)
Head Coach: David Kiefer • 7th Season at SE Louisiana (86-101) • 86-101 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Analyst: Kermit Davis
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway
SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
This will be the 20th game between Ole Miss and Southeastern Louisiana, with the two last battling on the court in 2019. The Rebels have won each matchup (19-0) dating back to a 75-55 victory in 1956, and have won 15 of those games at home in Oxford.
LAST MEETING: December 21, 2019 (W, 83-76, Jackson, Miss.)
• An offensive battle in the first half, both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor as Ole Miss led 42-41 at the break. The Rebels would go on to win by seven behind a career-high 20 points from Khadim Sy.
• Khadim Sy (Ole Miss): 20 points, seven rebounds, one block.
• Tyron Brewer (SE Louisiana): 30 points, six rebounds, one steal.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
SLU went 18-14 during the 2024-25 season, including a record of 12-8 in conference action and finished with a NET ranking of 201. After opening with a trio of losses in their Southland Conference slate, the Lions picked up six consecutive victories from Jan. 6 to Jan. 25. Their season closed on March 9 in the opening round of the SLC Tournament with an overtime loss to Incarnate Word. Following their game with Ole Miss to open the 25-26 season, they will face other notable programs in their non-con schedule such as Louisiana, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and LSU.
SLU lost their top two scorers from a year ago due to graduation, with now-sophomore forward Jeremy Elyzee leading the charge after averaging 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a first year. Elyzee paced the Lions with 21 blocks in 2024-25, adding 38 steals on the defensive end as well. The team brought in eight new signees during the offseason to bolster their roster for the 2025-26 campaign.
Entering year number seven with Southeastern Louisiana, head coach David Kiefer has won 86 games during his tenure, turning them into a winning program consistently battling in the Southland Conference over the past four years. The fastest coach in school history to reach 50 wins, Kiefer became just the second coach in program history to earn Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2022, after guiding the Lions to a 19-win campaign and a run to the conference title game. Prior to taking the head job at SLU, Kiefer spent four years on staff as an assistant.
'CAUSE I PROVIDE, THAT NEW NEW
After returning three starters and six letterwinners a year ago, head coach Chris Beard and staff were tasked with reloading an Ole Miss team that saw 11 letterwinners and all but one starter depart this past offseason. They delivered, bringing in a handful of top recruits in the 2025 freshman class, while adding a plethora of talent in the transfer portal. A recruiting class ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation and a transfer class ranked as high as No. 19, Ole Miss has retooled with length, athleticism, shooting ability, and much more to fuel the upward trajectory the program has seen in the past two seasons under Beard.
FAMILIAR FACES
Four members of the 2024-25 Sweet 16 team return to Oxford for another year this season, led by starting forward Malik Dia. Leading the team in rebounding (5.7 RPG) and finishing third in scoring (10.8 PPG) a year ago, Dia looks to continue to build upon his diverse game, where he can play multiple positions and score at all levels of the court. The second letterwinner to return to the 2025-26 roster is sophomore guard Eduardo Klafke, who was one of just 11 true freshmen in the SEC to play in all of their team's games a year ago. A high-energy player with an elite IQ, Klafke led the team in three-point percentage (48.1%, 13-27) and added 16 steals and seven blocks on defense. Returning for a second year each are guards Max Smith and Zach Day. Smith joined the team as a senior a year ago but took a redshirt following a preseason injury, and looks to help the team on the court this season. Day, a freshman a year ago, took a redshirt to develop his game and earned a scholarship this past offseason.
"REBELS, ASSEMBLE!"
Eight transfers will join the Ole Miss program for the 2025-26 campaign, with previous experience at elite programs such as Butler, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, St. John's, Washington, Wisconsin, and more. Each player brings a unique piece to the puzzle of building this roster, but bring a common goal of competing and winning.
Augusto Cassiá, Forward, Junior
He joins the Ole Miss program after spending two seasons at Butler, where injuries limited him to 25 total games played. Cassiá averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10 games played a year ago, after seeing action in 15 games as a freshman. He has tons of basketball experience, playing for Brazil in the South American U17 Championship, a pro team in Brazil, and training at NBA Global Academy in Australia.
Corey Chest, Forward, Sophomore
After spending the past two seasons at LSU, Chest comes to Oxford to provide length and position flexibility to the frontcourt. Redshirting in his first year, he spent 2024-25 with the Tigers playing in 26 games and making 19 starts before an injury cut his season short. He averaged 6.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Kezza Giffa, Guard, Senior
A playmaking guard who spent the past two seasons leading High Point on a historic run. In 2024-25, he was a first-team all-conference selection averaging 14.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, leading High Point to 29 wins, their first-ever Big South Conference title, and first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. He averaged 16.2 points per game the year before and helped High Point win 27 games.
Hobert Grayson IV, Guard, Senior
An NCAA Division II All-American a year ago, Grayson IV averaged 21.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in 24-25 at Ouachita Baptist. He was also named the conference player of the year for his efforts. The year prior, he averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game at Holmes CC, and was previously in the Magnolia State at NE Mississippi CC where he played in 24 games.
Koren Johnson, Guard, Junior
Before a promising junior season at Louisville was cut short due to injury after just two games, Johnson had been dominant at his home school Washington for two years. The 2024 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year averaged 11.1 points and 2.7 assists off the bench for the Huskies as a sophomore, after appearing in 29 games for Washington as a freshman.
Travis Perry, Guard, Sophomore
A sharp-shooting guard who spent his freshman season at Kentucky a year ago, where he saw action in 31 games with four starts. He saw his best games come against top-ranked Alabama, with 12 points during the regular season and 11 during the SEC Tournament. Perry dad a prolific high school career at Lyon County, where he finished his time as the state of Kentucky's all-time leader in points scored, field goals made, three-pointers made, free throws made, and steals.
James Scott, Forward, Junior
The long, six-foot ten-inch forward comes to the program from Louisville where he played in 35 games and made 31 starts a year ago. He averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 75.5% from the floor. His 79 dunks in 24-25 were the third-most in school history. He spent his freshman season at the College of Charleston, where he played in 35 games and averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.
AJ Storr, Guard, Senior
With quite the impressive college career, Storr comes to Oxford after spending 2024-25 at Kansas where he was a preseason watchlist selection for the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy. In his sophomore season, Storr was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team after averaging 16.8 points per game at Wisconsin. He was a 2023 Big East All-Freshman selection at St. John's in his collegiate first season.
A DOUBLE XL CLASS
The bloodline of any program is their ability to add freshmen talent each year, and the Ole Miss coaching staff did just that for the 2025-26 campaign. Three true freshmen out of high school combined with international pro player Ilias Kamardine make up one of the strongest recruiting classes in program history, ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation.
Niko Bundalo, Forward, Freshman
The highest ranked recruit in school history according to 247Sports, Bundalo became the second McDonald's All-American to be recruited to Ole Miss under Chris Beard. The consensus top-40 recruit was ranked as high as No. 30 in the nation by Rivals, and was listed as the fifth-best power forward in the class of 2025.
Tylis Jordan, Forward, Freshman
A consensus four-star recruit, Jordan earned a class ranking as high as No. 28 in the nation by Rivals. He was listed at No. 34 in the country by On3, where he was the No. 7 power forward in the class of 2025. He helped lead Wheeler to a 29-3 record his senior season.
Ilias Kamardine, Guard, Senior
Joining the program for his first year of collegiate basketball, 22-year old Ilias Kamardine spent about six years playing at the club level in France. Most recently with JDA Dijon, he averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just under 20 minutes per game. In 2023, he was named MVP at FIBA U20 Eurobasket when he helped lead France to a gold medal while averaging 14 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
Patton Pinkins, Guard, Freshman
A top-100 recruit, Pinkins was ranked as high as No. 78 nationally in the class of 2025 by Rivals, and was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. He helped Frenship win 28 games during his senior season. Pinkins is the son of current assistant coach Al Pinkins.
THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard has built quite the reputation as a program builder, and it's been evident while here in Oxford. Bringing in a winning culture that led to 20 wins in year one, the build continued to rise in year two last season, guiding Ole Miss to an NCAA Tournament berth while matching their deepest run in school history, narrowly missing an Elite Eight appearance.
In his last third season, Beard helped lead Texas Tech to 31 victories and a spot in the NCAA National Championship Title game. The trajectory with Ole Miss has been similar through two seasons:
Year One
Texas Tech: 18 wins
Ole Miss: 20 wins
Year Two
Texas Tech: 27 wins, NCAA Elite Eight
Ole Miss: 24 wins, NCAA Sweet 16
Year Three
Texas Tech: 31 wins, NCAA Title Game
A MILESTONE MAN
In his two seasons with Ole Miss, head coach Chris Beard has had five players hit the 1,000-career points mark under his watch: Davon Barnes, Jaemyn Brakefield, Allen Flanigan, Jaylen Murray, and Matthew Murrell. Forward Malik Dia is on the precipice of being number six, as he enters the 2025-26 season with 997 points in his college career. Two other current players come to Oxford having already hit the mark in Kezza Giffa (1,091) and AJ Storr (1,104).
EVERYBODY'S HANDS GO UP
This year's Ole Miss roster is comprised of experience and proven winners. Among the 10 players who have earned a letter as a collegiate athlete, they have seen 14 total 20-win seasons.
DEVELOPING PROS
Since coming to Ole Miss, head coach Chris Beard and staff have helped numerous players reach their goal of playing basketball at the next level professionally. In just two seasons in Oxford, Beard has coached a total of 10 players that are currently playing professional basketball:
Davon Barnes: KK Tamis Pancevo (Serbia)
Jaemyn Brakefield: Bambitious Nara (Japan)
Mikeal Brown-Jones: NTD BH Baku (Azerbaijan)
Moussa Cisse: Dallas Mavericks
Dre Davis: Long Island Nets (NBA G League)
Allen Flanigan: FC Porto (Portugal)
Jaylen Murray: RGV Vipers (NBA G League)
Matthew Murrell: Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League)
Sean Pedulla: Rip City Remix (NBA G League)
Jamarion Sharp: Texas Legends (NBA G League)
A HISTORIC SEASON
The 2024-25 campaign will be cemented as one of the most successful runs to date for Ole Miss basketball program. Highlighted by the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, the team matched the school-best run in the postseason after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The team began their postseason run with a win over North Carolina in the opening round, 72-64. They carried the momentum in the round of 32, taking down three-seed Iowa State in dominating fashion, 91-78. The Rebels nearly punched their ticket to the Elite Eight, leading two-seeded Michigan State for over 30 minutes of play, before falling by three.
On the season, Ole Miss set program records for most made threes in a season, fewest turnovers per game in a season, and highest assist-to-turnover ratio in a season. They also had top-five program season marks for most wins, most points scored, field goals made, free throws made, assists, and steals.
The team took down a pair of top-five teams during the regular season for the first time in program history, picking up wins at No. 4 Alabama and vs. No 4 Tennessee.
LET'S PLAY DEFENSE
Defense continued to be the name of the game for Ole Miss in 2024-25, as they finished among the best in the nation in numerous statistical categories. The team's turnover margin of +5.1 ranked fifth in the nation and led the SEC, fueled by 8.8 steals per game which ranked 28th in college basketball. Forcing an average of 14.1 turnovers per game, Ole Miss ranked 42nd in the country. Individually, Sean Pedulla finished 33rd in the nation in steals with 68, while Matthew Murrell's 1.81 steals per game ranked 67th in the country.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
The 2025-26 season marks the third iteration of the ACC/SEC Challenge, with Ole Miss returning to hosting duties in Oxford as they welcome Miami on Tuesday, December 2 at 8 p.m. Following an even seven-to-seven split in year one, last year's SEC/ACC Challenge was dominated by the Southeastern Conference 14-2. Ole Miss has played their part in both years, picking up a 23-point win at Louisville in 2024 after defeating NC State by 20 in 2023.
VALUED LEADERSHIP
The Ole Miss men's basketball coaching staff is one of the more experienced around the country, featuring five former Division-I or professional head coaches. In his 14th year as an NCAA head coach, Chris Beard is joined on the court by former head coaches Mark Adams (25 years as head coach), Brian Burg (three years as head coach), and Wes Flanigan (two years as head coach). Assistant coach Bob Donewald Jr. has 16 years of head coaching experience at the professional and national level, while assistant Al Pinkins has been an interim head, associate or assistant coach at six different NCAA Division-I programs, including four within the SEC.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
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