I'll have coverage of tonight's game from The Pavilion. Here's the pregame release from UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss – The undefeated No. 25 Ole Miss men's basketball team returns to the SJB Pavilion on Tuesday evening, taking on Troy at 6 p.m. on SECN+.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (10-0)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 1st Season at Ole Miss (10-0) • 247-98 career record (12th Season)
Troy (5-5)
Head Coach: Scott Cross • 5th Season at Troy (65-69) • 290-230 career record (17th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: John Stroud
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TROY
A series that began 65 years ago in 1958, Ole Miss remains undefeated against Troy in 10 total matchups. Following a pair of wins in the fall of 1958 and 1959, the two programs faced off again in November of 1981, with the Rebels winning by 20. Ole Miss would win the next six games by 10 or more points, including the first game hosted by the Trojans in 2014, before their contest in 2015.
Closing out their home non-conference schedule against Troy on December 22, 2015, Ole Miss hosted the Trojans for the final game in the Tad Pad before moving to their new home in the SJB Pavilion (having since hosted one game in the Tad Pad this past season). Trailing by one at the half, Ole Miss battled back to force overtime and win by three for the program's 490th win in their long-time home arena.
LAST MEETING: DECEMBER 22, 2015 (W, 83-80 (OT), OXFORD, MISS.)
• The Rebels trailed by one at the midway break, but rallied back behind 19 second-half points from Stefan Moody to force OT, eventually winning by three.
• Playing the 700th game in the Tad Smith Coliseum, it appeared to be the final basketball game played in the Tad Pad before the team moved across the street to their new home arena. Ole Miss has since played a "Throwback Game in the Tad Pad" earlier this season, defeating Sam Houston.
• Moody finished with 23 points, and was joined by Tomasz Gield with 23 as well. Sebastian Saiz came off the bench to score 11.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
Whlie Troy enters today's game with a 5-5 record, three of their losses have come by two or more points. The Trojans have come out on top against Fort Lauderdale, Reinhardt, Grambling State, SIU-Edwardsville, and SUNO, falling to Ohio, Oregon State, Sam Houston, Eastern Kentucky, and Dayton.
In his third season with Troy, the team's leading scorer thus far is guard Christyon Eugene at 16.0 points per game. Two others average double-digits per contest in Aamer Muhammad and Tayton Conerway, who are each at 10.8 per outing. The team's leading rebounder through 10 games for the Trojans this year has been freshman Thomas Dowd, averaging 5.6 boards, who had his most impressive game of his collegiate career at Oregon State this year where he scored 22 points on five makes from deep.
Troy has begun the 2023-24 campaign ranking among the best in numerous statistical categories, sitting in the top-100 in 15 major measurements and 11 in the top-50: Bench points per game (No. 6), Offensive rebounds per game (No. 7), Rebounds per game (No. 14), Steals per game (No. 15), Rebound margin (No. 19), Scoring offense (No. 20), Scoring margin (No. 24), Fastbreak points (No. 25), Turnovers forced per game (No. 29), Three pointers per game (No. 34), Three point attempts per game (No. 41), Assists per game (No. 52), Free throw attempts per game (No. 54), Free throws made per game (No. 63), and Three point percentage (No. 95).
Head coach Scott Cross is in his fifth season overseeing the Troy program, and in his 17th overall season as an NCAA head coach. Taking the top job at UT Arlington in 2006, Cross led the program to a 21-win season, conference title, and the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in just his second season. He went on to win 225 games at UT Arlington, including 72 over his last three years with the team. Since taking the Troy job in 2019, Cross has helped turn the program into a serious contender, winning 20 games in the past two years.
THE LAST OF THE UNBEATENS
Ole Miss is one of just four teams in the country who remain unbeaten, and are the only one in the SEC, at 10-0. This marks just the fourth time in program history the Rebels have gone undefeated through their first 10 games of the season, with the last coming in 2007-08. Their 10-0 run is also the sixth-longest overall win streak in program history.
2007-08: Began 13-0
2000-01: Began 11-0
1936-37: Began 11-0
This is the third different program head coach Chris Beard has taken to a 10-0 start to begin a season during his nine years as a Division-I coach, having done so in 2015-16 with Little Rock and 2018-19 at Texas Tech.
A NEW ERA BEGINS
With the hiring of Chris Beard last March, the Ole Miss men's basketball program is prepared to take the next step forward, bringing in one of the most successful coaches of the last decade.
Compiling a record of 247-98 as an NCAA head coach since 2012, Beard holds one of the highest win percentages in the nation, ranking 10th among active head coaches with 10 or more years of experience at 71.6%.
The 2019 AP National Coach of the Year has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament over the previous eight years, and is undefeated in the opening round at 5-0. His all-time record in the NCAA Tournament is 11-5 (.688).
A NEW 1K KING
With 12 points in Ole Miss' win over NC State, Matthew Murrell surpassed the 1,000-career point mark, becoming the 42nd student-athlete in program history to do so. Now at 1,084 points in his career with the Rebels, Murrell is 37th in school history and sits 11 points behind next on the list, Terrance Henry (2008-2012).
"I CAN BE YOUR LONG LOST PAL"
After posting the third double-double of his career in the season opener (15 points, career-best 12 rebounds), Allen Flaniganfollowed it up with a career-best 29 points against Eastern Washington. The senior guard surpassed the 1,000 career-point mark against the Eagles, and played a key part in securing the victory by scoring eight of the last 11 points for the Rebels.
He once again led the team in scoring with 23 against Sam Houston, connecting on a career-best 14 makes from the free throw line. The senior helped lead Ole Miss to victory in their first road game at Temple with 26 points, the second-most scored in a game for his career, while tallying a career-best seven assists. Flanigan added his second double-double of the year in a 20-point win over NC State in the ACC/SEC Challenge with 15 points and 10 rebounds and helped Ole Miss take down Memphis with 18. His 17.4 points per game average ranks fourth in the SEC.
REAL RECOGNIZE REAL
In the latest top-25 polls, Ole Miss ranks No. 25 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. The Rebels sit in the top-25 of both polls for the first time since January of 2019.
IT'S ELITE IN THE 'SIP
With their 10-0 record in basketball, Ole Miss is one of just three FBS programs in the country to have a 10-0 record in basketball and a 10-win season from their football program. They are joined by James Madison and Oklahoma.
The No. 11 Ole Miss football team is set to take on No. 10 Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on December 30 in Atlanta.
THA BLOCK IS HOT
Averaging 6.6 blocks per game, Ole Miss ranks seventh in the country and is keeping opponents to just 39.7 percent shooting from the floor which ranks No. 44 in the nation. The muscle in the paint for the Rebels has been Jamarion Sharp, who leads the SEC in blocks per game (2.50) and blocks (25), ranking No. 10 and No. 15 in the NCAA, respectively. Ole Miss has been even better at defending down low recently with the recent waiver approval of forward Moussa Cisse, who averages 1.82 blocks per game for his career, the 13th-best average in the NCAA among all active players.
"AROUND THE 'ARC', A PERIMETER CREATE"
Ole Miss has been one of the best in the country at defending the three-point shot this season, holding opponents to 27.6% from deep through nine games, the 20th-best mark in the nation. The Rebels have kept their foe to 20% or less in five games this year:
• Eastern Washington: 4-22 (18.2%)
• NC State: 3-25 (12.0%)
• Memphis: 3-18 (16.7%)
• Mount St. Mary's: 5-25 (20.0%)
• UCF: 4-22 (18.2%)
AMONG THE BEST
Forwards Jamarion Sharp and Moussa Cisse rank among the nation's best in active career leaders in a handful of statistical categories. After becoming the fifth player ever to lead the NCAA in blocks in two seasons, Sharp ranks first in both career blocks and career blocked shots per game. Establishing himself as a premier shot blocker as well, Cisse ranks 13th in blocks per game and 16th in total blocks.
Averaging 7.1 rebounds per game in his career, Sharp ranks No. 45 in the country, while Cisse's 638 career boards rank No. 72.
*MIKE BREEN VOICE* "BANG!"
Shooting 38.8 percent from the three-point line this season, Ole Miss currently ranks No. 23 in the country from efficiency beyond the arc. Through just 10 games, the Rebels have already shot 50 percent or better from deep four times, the most in an entire season since they hit that mark or better five times during the 2014-15 campaign.
• Detroit Mercy: 9-18 (50.0%)
• Temple: 10-18 (55.6%)
• Memphis: 11-22 (50.0%)
• California: 12-21 (57.1%)
"I TAKE THE WORK, FLIP IT, ACROBATIC"
Through the first ten games of the season, Ole Miss has shown elite ball control and movement on the offensive side. With a total of 162 assists compared to just 106 turnovers, the Rebels' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53 ranks No. 30 in the nation.
The team is led in assists by Jaylen Murray (43 assists to 18 turnovers) and Matthew Murrell (31 assists to 22 turnovers). Murray's 4.3 assists per game ranks fifth in the SEC.
HOW'S THE WEATHER?
The roster for Ole Miss this season has the tallest student-athlete in Division I in forward Jamarion Sharp, and has the shortest student-athlete in the country in guard Cam Brent. The two stand a full two feet apart in height, with Sharp at 7'5" and Brent at 5'5".
MILESTONES ALERT
Career milestones to watch for the Rebels:
Jaemyn Brakefield
• Career Rebounds: 438
Allen Flanigan
• Career 3PM: 99
Matthew Murrell
• Career Points: 1,084 - Ranks 37th at Ole Miss (No. 36: Terrance Henry, 1,095)
• Career 3PM: 163 - Tied for 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Terence Davis, 176)
• Career 3PA: 473 - Ranks 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Stefan Moody, 494)
• Career Games Played - 99
SKEE-LO'S HERO
Transfer forward Jamarion Sharp stands as the tallest student-athlete in NCAA Division I men's basketball this season at 7'5", a title he has held for three-straight seasons now, and is even listed as one of the tallest living humans on Wikipedia. After spending his first two college years at John A. Logan College, Sharp played two years at Western Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. In 64 games played, he averaged 7.8 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and became just the fifth person ever to lead the NCAA in blocks twice. His margin of 4.11 blocks per game during his career is currently tied for the 13th-best average in college basketball history.
With career block No. 300, Sharp became the 95th player in NCAA history to hit that mark. He is one of just 14 on that list to hit the 300-block mark in three years or less.
Career Blocked Shot Average (min. 225 blocks)
1. 5.87 - Keith Closs, Central Conn. St. (54 GP, 317 blks.)
2. 5.66 - Adonal Foyle, Colgate (87 GP, 492 blks.)
3. 5.34 - Shawn James, Northeastern/Duquesne (83 GP, 443 blks.)
4. 5.24 - David Robinson, Navy (67 GP, 351 blks.)
5. 4.66 - Mickell Gladness, Alabama A&M (85 GP, 396 blks.)
6. 4.65 - Wojciech Myrda, La.-Monroe (115 GP, 535 blks.)
7. 4.58 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU (90 GP, 412 blks.)
8. 4.48 - Jerome James, Florida A&M (81 GP, 363 blks.)
9. 4.42 - Deng Gai, Fairfield (100 GP, 442 blks.)
10. 4.28 - Emeka Okafor, UConn (103 GP, 441 blks.)
11. 4.21 - Justin Williams, Wyoming (58 GP, 244 blks.)
12. 4.17 - Hasheem Thabeet, UConn (100 GP, 417 blks.)
t-13. 4.11 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss (74 GP, 304 blks.)
Career Blocked Shots
t-86. 308 - Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
t-86. 308 - Rans Brempong, Western Carolina
88. 305 - Kendall Gray, Delaware State
t-89. 304 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss
t-89. 304 - Scott Vandermeer, Illinois-Chicago
t-89. 304 - Brendan Haywood, UNC
"I'M 22 AND A VET IN THE GAME"
The Ole Miss men's basketball team returned a plethora of NCAA experience to the court to begin the year. Between their returners and transfers, the Rebels' roster included:
Games Played: 624
Minutes Played: 14,975
Points: 5,220
Rebounds: 2,644
Assists: 801
Steals: 425
Blocks: 524 (441 from Cisse and Sharp alone)
ADAPT TO THE TIMES
The new age of the NCAA often sees heavy roster turnover from year-to-year. While Ole Miss returns five members of last year's team, they added 11 strong newcomers through the transfer portal and the high school recruiting trail: (stats current to opening day)
Returners (5)
Jaemyn Brakefield - 33 GP, 31 GS, 11.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Cam Brent - 2022-23 practice squad member
TJ Caldwell - 31 GP, 7 GS, 4.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Robert Cowherd - 2022-23 freshman, redshirted
Matthew Murrell - 30 GP, 29 GS, 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Transfers (7)
Moussa Cisse - Oklahoma St.; 61 GP, 7.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Allen Flanigan - Auburn; 114 GP, 8.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG
Cole McGrath - Blue Mountain; 53 GP, 6.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG
Brandon Murray - Georgetown; 27 GP, 13.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG
Jaylen Murray - St. Peter's; 62 GP, 8.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG
Austin Nunez - Arizona St.; 28 GP, 4.5 PPG, 1.1 RPG
Jamarion Sharp - Western Ky.; 65 GP, 7.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG
Freshman (4)
Cameron Barnes - Three-star (ESPN, 247, Rivals), No. 147 national (Rivals)
Jacob Gazzo - Three-star (ESPN), No. 3 in Mississippi (ESPN)
Rashaud Marshall - Four-star (ESPN, 247, Rivals), No. 83 national (247)
Gavin Murphy - His high school's fourth-leading all-time scorer
"WE BALLIN' LIKE THE MARCH MADNESS"
Among the seven transfers for the Rebels, over half have been to the NCAA Tournament during their collegiate career, with a total of five appearances. Brandon Murray (LSU, 2022 First Round), Austin Nunez (Arizona State, 2023 First Round), and Jaylen Murray(Saint Peter's, 2022 Elite Eight) have each been to the postseason once in their careers, while Allen Flanigan has been twice (Auburn, 2022 and 2023 Second Round).
VALUED LEADERSHIP
The Ole Miss men's basketball coaching staff is one of the more experienced around the country. In his 14th year as a collegiate head coach, Chris Beard is joined on the court by former head coaches Win Case (16 years), Brian Burg (three years), and Wes Flanigan (two years). 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 associate or assistant coach at six different NCAA Division-I programs, including four within the SEC. The Ole Miss coaching staff has experience at five other SEC programs: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.
"IT AIN'T GON' NEVER STOP"
Head coach Chris Beard and staff continue to work on securing the future for Ole Miss basketball, and did so with a pair of signees in the NLI early signing period in November:
John Bol • F • 7-1 • Buma • Overtime Elite
Ranked as the second-highest recruit in program history according to 247Sports, Bol is a consensus four-star recruit, ranking as high as No. 38 in the nation by 247Sports and No. 40 by ESPN. He is an elite shot blocker and rebounder who stands at 7'1" and is able to affect the game on both ends of the floor. Ranked as the top player in the state of Georgia by ESPN, Bol has developed a reputation as one of the hardest playing big men in the country.
Eduardo Klafke • G • 6-5 • Fanca-Sao Paulo, Brazil • NBA Academy Latin America
A combo guard from the prestigious NBA Academy Latin America, Klafke will come to Oxford from Franca-Sao Paulo, Brazil. One of the top international players in his age group, he has consistently played above his age while representing Brazil on the national stage, playing in U19 games as a 17-year-old. Klafke will help bring a spark to the offense as an elite shooter and is excellent in playing both on and off the ball.
