OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 25 Ole Miss men's basketball team will make the short trip up Interstate 55 to take on Colorado State in the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. on Saturday, November 16 at 3 p.m.
TEAM FACTS
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 3-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (23-12) • 260-110 career record (13th Season)
Colorado State Rams (Record: 3-0, 0-0 MWC)
Head Coach: Niko Medved • 7th Season at Colorado St. (120-75) • 199-162 career record (12th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Kermit Davis
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. COLORADO STATE
This will be just the second matchup between Ole Miss and Colorado State, with the Rams winning the lone game in 2010 68-61. Matching up in the second round of the 2010 Cancun Governor's Cup in Mexico, Colorado State rode a four-point halftime lead to victory to advance to the tournament's championship game. The Rams would go on to defeat Southern Miss in the title game 63-58 on Christmas Day.
LAST MEETING: December 23, 2010 (L, 61-68, Cancun, Mexico)
• Ole Miss entered the game leading the SEC in points per game, but turning in their lowest output of the year with just 61 points on 36.8 percent shooting.
• Zach Graham (Ole Miss): 16 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, two steals.
• Travis Franklin (Colorado St.): 21 points, 13-14 FT, five rebounds, three assists.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Colorado State holds a record of 3-0 to begin the 2024-25 season just as Ole Miss does, having defeated North Dakota 82-56, surviving an overtime game with Tennessee St. 87-79, and beating Denver 74-65. Pesky defense and good ball movement have been the team's strong suit thus far, dishing out the 39th-most assists per game in the nation at 19.7 while ranking 18th in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game at 19.7. Colorado State finished the 2023-24 season at No. 33 in the nation in the final NET Rankings.
Fifth-year guard Nique Clifford leads the team in scoring so far, averaging 21 points per outing highlighted by a 31-point performance in the team's overtime win against Tennessee State. After averaging 7.6 rebounds last year with the Rams, Clifford has posted two double-doubles, grabbing 14 boards in the season opener and 13 against Tennessee State. He nearly posted a third in the team's last game, grabbing nine against Denver.
Head coach Niko Medved is in his seventh year with Colorado State, having guided the program to four 20-win campaigns in his six full seasons, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. He previously spent one season at the helm of Drake during 2017-18 following a four-year stint at Furman. He enters this game with 199 career wins as an NCAA head coach.
JUST UP THE ROAD
A little under an hour from Oxford on Interstate 55 North, the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. has played home to five Ole Miss basketball games before. The Rebels first played there in December of 2001, and most recently did so nearly a decade ago in December of 2014. Ole Miss owns a 4-1 record when playing in Southaven, averaging 78 points in the Landers Center.
Dec. 16, 2001 vs. UT Martin: W, 83-72
Dec. 28, 2007 vs. Southern Miss: W, 78-58
Dec. 16, 2009 vs. UTEP: W, 91-81 (OT)
Dec. 21, 2011 vs. Middle Tennessee: L, 56-68
Dec. 22, 2014 vs. Southeast Missouri: W, 82-51
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Six players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,463), Sean Pedulla (1,274), Dre Davis (1,172), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,140), Jaylen Murray (1,035), and Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,021).Davon Barnes (942) is on the cusp of hitting that mark as well. Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
"I'M LIKE MAYONNAISE 'CAUSE I'M SMOOTH AND DANGEROUS TO LEAVE OPEN"
This year's roster possesses a mountain of shooting talent, notably from beyond the three-point arc. With over 900 career three-pointers made among the 2024-25 roster, the Rebels will look to light it up from deep on offense this season. Among the current members of the Ole Miss roster, they made a total of 410 shots from three during the 2023-24 season, a total that would have ranked third in all of college basketball last year.
2023-24 Made Three Pointers (30+)
Matthew Murrell: 78
Jaylen Murray: 72
Davon Barnes: 59 (at Sam Houston)
Sean Pedulla: 53 (at Virginia Tech)
Malik Dia: 44 (at Belmont)
Jaemyn Brakefield: 38
Dre Davis: 35 (at Seton Hall)
SEASONED VETERANS
Featuring 10 seniors on the roster, Ole Miss returns the fourth-highest minutes-per-game figure among all "power-five" programs in the nation at 284.3, and the most in the SEC. In total, Ole Miss players have played in 885 career collegiate games with 517 starts. The Rebels are one of 18 programs in the nation that feature five or more players in at least their fifth year of college basketball.
SETTLED IN
Success in year two under Chris Beard has been evident throughout his coaching career. At Angelo State, he jumped from 19 wins in year one (2013-14) to 28 in year two (2014-15) and reached the round of 16 at the NCAA Division II Tournament. He then increased his win total by nine in year two at Texas Tech (18 wins in 2016-17, 27 wins in 2017-18), leading the Red Raiders to the 2018 Elite Eight. Following his first campaign at Texas, Beard began the next season with convincing victories over No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 7 Creighton, earning a national ranking as high as No. 2 in the nation.
"WE'RE GOING STREAKING!"
Highlighted by their 13-0 run a year ago, the Ole Miss program is currently on a 16-game non-conference winning streak, the second-longest in all of college basketball. Purdue currently leads the nation with a non-conference win streak of 38.
EYES ON OXFORD
Ole Miss has earned plenty of preseason recognition on the national stage leading into the 2024-25 season. Starting with the national polls, the Rebels were ranked in the preseason AP poll for just the second time in program history at No. 24, and earned a preseason ranking in the Coaches poll for the first time ever at No. 25. They remain in the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25.
Other outlets that had Ole Miss in preseason rankings include: "ESPN's 'Way-Too-Early' Top 25" as high as No. 20, the "Field of 68" at No. 22, John Fanta's preseason top-25 at No. 24, Jon Rothstein's preseason rankings at No. 27, and a spot in the offseason bracketology by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, peaking at a No. 7 seed.
A BIG TEN TEST
The Ole Miss squad got a great measurement of where they stand among the nation's best early, hosting Illinois for their charity exhibition on October 27. Picked No. 24 in the Coaches Preseason Poll, the Illini gave the Rebels a quick test before their regular season opener. Ole Miss rose to the challenge behind clutch shooting, scoring 51 points in the first half before eventually winning by 17 in a 91-74 contest. Malik Dia paced the Rebels with 18 points on 7-8 shooting, going 3-3 from three-point range while grabbing three steals on defense. Jaemyn Brakefield added 15 points and led the team with eight rebounds coming off the bench.
PRECURSORY HARDWARE
The college basketball world has high praise for not just the team, but for many of Ole Miss' players in advance to the 2024-25 season.
Matthew Murrell:
- John R. Wooden Award Preseason Watchlist
- Preseason All-SEC Second Team (Media)
- Preseason All-SEC Second Team (Coaches)
- Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watchlist
- Jerry West SG of the Year Preseason Top 20 (Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame)
- No. 58 in the ESPN Preseason Top 100
Malik Dia:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 (Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame)
Dre Davis:
- No. 78 in the ESPN Preseason Top 100
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and have their sights set on the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
...
14. Aaron Harper - 1,505
15. Murphy Holloway - 1,476
16. Matthew Murrell - 1,463
17. Ansu Sesay - 1,428
...
38. Coolidge Ball - 1,072
39. Jason Harrison - 1,066
40. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,062
41. Ron Coleman - 1,046
RECORD BOOK WRECKER
Senior guard Matthew Murrell enters his fifth season with Ole Miss and continues to put his name up and down the program record book. The Memphis native currently ranks 16th in school history in career points with 1,463, and fifth in both three-point shots made (219), and three-point attempts (621).
Three-Point Field Goals Made
1. 334, Chris Warren (115 games, 2008-11)
2. 278, Aaron Harper (123 games, 2001-04)
3. 267, Marshall Henderson (66 games, 2013-14)
4. 249, Keith Carter (117 games, 1996-99)
5. 219, Matthew Murrell (123 games, 2020-pres.)
6. 214, Joe Harvell (114 games, 1990-93)
7. 207, Breein Tyree (130 games, 2017-20)
8. 181, Stefan Moody (65 games, 2014-16)
9. 178, Devontae Shuler (124 games, 2018-21)
10. 176, Terence Davis (121 games (2016-19)
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
1. 900, Chris Warren (115 games, 2008-11)
2. 771, Marshall Henderson (66 games, 2013-2014)
3. 720, Aaron Harper (123 games, 2001-04)
4. 686, Keith Carter (117 games, 1996-99)
5. 621, Matthew Murrell (123 games, 2020-pres.)
6. 581, Breein Tyree (130 games, 2017-20)
7. 528, Joe Harvell (114 games, 1990-93)
8. 523, Devontae Shuler (124 games, 2018-21)
9. 519, Terence Davis (121 games, 2016-19)
10. 494, Stefan Moody (65 games, 2015-16)
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 lists in multiple other categories as well, on the verge in: Career minutes played (Murrell at 3,547, 10th is Breein Tyree at 3,634), career games played (Murrell at 123, 10th is Jason Flanigan at 127), and career steals (Murrell at 130, 10th is Rahim Lockhart at 148).
IT STILL MEANS MORE
The gauntlet of the SEC got even tougher this season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the conference for the 2024-25 academic year. With nine teams earning preseason rankings from the AP, including Ole Miss, the schedule for the Rebels is littered with big games, especially at home in the SJB Pavilion. Between January 22 and February 4, Ole Miss will host No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 4 Auburn, Texas, and No. 18 Kentucky.
HOOP IN THE 'SIP
On November's signing day, Chris Beard and staff added two top recruits to Athletic Financial Aid Agreements in Tylis Jordan and Patton Pinkins. The pair currently give Ole Miss a consensus top-25 recruiting class for 2025, ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals, No. 16 by On3, and No. 25 by 247Sports.
Tylis Jordan, PF, 6-9, 210, Wheeler, Louisville, Ga.
Jordan is a consensus top-100 recruit for the class of 2025, owning a national ranking as high as No. 27 in the country by On3 and No. 28 by Rivals. Listed as a power forward, the 6'9" Louisville, Ga. native is an incredibly skilled big man who can easily play with the ball in his hands.
He has the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and is able to knock down threes. One of the top-ranked players in his class in the always-talented state of Georgia, Jordan averaged a double-double last season at Shiloh as a junior with 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and is currently playing his senior season at Wheeler.
Patton Pinkins, SG, 6-5, 170, Frenship, Wolfforth, Texas
Another top-100 recruit, Pinkins is ranked as high as No. 74 in his class nationally by ESPN and No. 78 by Rivals. A 6'5" shooting guard from Wolfforth, Texas, he currently plays at Frenship High School, where he's described as an efficient player with a shooting percentage of over 60 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three.
Pinkins, the son of current Ole Miss assistant coach Al Pinkins, posses a high basketball IQ with strong passing ability. His ability as an on-ball defender pairs well with his prowess at scoring the basketball at all three levels.
THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
The Ole Miss roster features five returners from last season, including three starters. Last year's leading scorer Matthew Murrell (16.2 PPG, 78 3PM) is joined by fellow starters from 2023-24 in Jaemyn Brakefield (12.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and Jaylen Murray (13.8 PPG, 72 3PM). Guards Robert Cowherd (10 GP), and Cam Brent (6 GP) round out the group of returners.
A HOUSEHOLD NAME SOON
This year's team features six players who transferred in from other college programs:
Davon Barnes, Sam Houston (2023-24: 13.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 59 3PFGM, 54 ast.)
Ja'Von Benson, Hampton (2023-24: 32 GP, 15 MPG, 46 blk., 7.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG)
Mikeal Brown-Jones, UNC Greensboro (2023-24: 18.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 24 blk.)
Dre Davis, Seton Hall (2023-24: 15.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 60 ast., 34 stl., 49 blk.)
Malik Dia, Belmont (2023-24: 16.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 44 3PFGM, 27 stl., 26 blk.)
Sean Pedulla, Virginia Tech (2023-24: 16.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 53 3PFGM, 37 stl.)
I AM AN OLE MISS REBEL
The Ole Miss roster has four first-year collegiate players, in freshmen John Bol, Zach Day and Eduardo Klafke, as well as senior Max Smith.
Bol, a 7'2" forward from Overtime Elite in Atlanta, was ranked as the second-highest recruit in program history according to 247Sports. The South Sudan native was a consensus four-star recruit, and was ranked as high as No. 38 in the nation by 247Sports and No. 40 by ESPN. Klafke is a 6'5" guard with great shooting and play-making ability. He trained with the prestigious NBA Academy Latin America, and spent all of last spring as an early-enrollee training with Ole Miss. Day joins the program from Midland, Texas where he averaged 24 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a senior at Midland Christian. Smith joined the team as a senior Ole Miss student, previously playing at Anderson High School in Austin, Texas where he averaged 24 points per game.
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