SAN DIEGO – Following their exciting win over BYU 96-85 in overtime on Thanksgiving Day, the Ole Miss men's basketball team is set to play for the title of the 2024 Rady Children's Invitational against No. 12 Purdue on Friday, November 29 at 5 p.m. CT in LionTree Arena on Fox.
TEAM FACTS
No. 23/24 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 6-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (26-12) • 263-110 career record (13th Season)
No. 12/13 Purdue Boilermakers (Record: 6-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Head Coach: Matt Painter • 20th Season at Purdue (453-204) • 478-209 career record (21st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: Fox
Play-by-Play: Cory Provus
Color: Robbie Hummel
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. PURDUE
This is the first meeting between Ole Miss and Purdue on the basketball court. The Rebels will face an opponent for the first time in three games this season, Purdue, Lindenwood, and Queens.
SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue enters this game with a record of 6-1, defeating Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Northern Kentucky, Yale, Alabama, Marshall, and NC State in their opener in the Rady Children's Tournament. The lone loss on the season came at No. 15 Marquette on November 19. The Boilermakers are coming off a season in which they reached the NCAA National Championship game, where they fell in a battle with UConn.
The team is paced offensively by junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who is averaging 18.3 points per contest and recently scored a team-best 22 in their win over NC State while grabbing eight rebounds. He leads the team on the boards as well, securing 6.3 per game. Junior guard Braden Smith helps guide the Boilermakers, averaging 8.9 assists per game for one of the best averages in the nation.
Purdue is one of the most efficient teams from the three point line in all of college basketball, shooting 41.6% from deep as a team for one of the top-10 clips in the nation.
One of the top coaches in the nation, Matt Painter is currently in his 20th season at the helm of Purdue, accumulating over 450 wins during his time there. While with the Boilermakers, Painter has won five regular season conference titles, earned five Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, and was named the 2019 NABC National Coach of the Year.
"AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A WEST COAST PARTY"
Following their first round win over BYU, the Rebels are set for the championship game of the 2024 Rady Children's Invitational. Ole Miss took down the Cougars in an overtime thriller, outscoring BYU 19-8 in the extra period. The team was led by
Jaylen Murray with a career-high 28 points.
"WE'RE GOING STREAKING!"
Highlighted by their 13-0 run a year ago, the Ole Miss program is currently on a 19-game non-conference winning streak, the longest in all of college basketball. Among their run outside the SEC are strong victories over eventual NCAA Final Four team NC State by 20 points, a battle with Memphis in a crowded SJB Pavilion, and wins over "Power Five" programs like BYU, Colorado State, UCF, and California.
LET'S PLAY DEFENSE
A staple of success for head coach
Chris Beard has always been his team's defensive play, and it's been evident on this year's Ole Miss roster to start the season. With a turnover margin of +9.2 through six games, the Rebels own one of the best margins in all of college basketball, forcing 17.5 per game (No. 15 in the NCAA on Nov. 28) while committing just 8.3 (No. 2 in the NCAA on Nov. 28).
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in both steals per game (10.5, No. 20 in NCAA on Nov. 28) and blocks per game (4.2, No. 61 in NCAA on Nov. 28), giving them the 38th-ranked scoring defense (on Nov. 28) in the country at 66.7 points.
EASY TO HANDLE - A DIME BY THE DOZEN
Recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.35 in his first season with Ole Miss, senior
Jaylen Murray has taken his point guard play to an even higher level, beginning the 2024-25 year with 25 assists to just four turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.3 ranks among the nation's best, and has helped Ole Miss record a team ratio of 1.9, one of the top in the country.
During his time at Ole Miss, Murray is averaging 4.0 assists per game, the sixth best career average in program history trailing only Sean Tuohy (7.1), Jarvis Summers (5.2), Bob Mahoney (4.9), Rod Barnes (4.4), and Dave Shepherd (4.36).
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 (1,510),
Sean Pedulla (1,315),
Dre Davis (1,201),
Jaemyn Brakefield (1,163),
Jaylen Murray (1,084), and
Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,055).
Davon Barnes (964) 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 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 returned 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 over 900 career collegiate games with over 500 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.
A "DO-IT-ALL" SCHOOL
Only Ole Miss and Alabama currently hold a spot in the AP Top 25 in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. On the gridiron, the Rebels rank No. 15 while men's hoops ranks No. 23 and the women No. 18.
MR. NOVEMBER
Second-year head coach
Chris Beard remains undefeated in the month of November with the Ole Miss program, owning a record of 12-0. He is currently on a 21-game win streak when playing in the eleventh month of the year, and owns a career record as a Division I head coach of 47-6 (88.7%) in November.
EYES ON OXFORD
Ole Miss 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. Ole Miss currently ranks No. 23 in the latest AP Poll and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll.
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. 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 off the bench.
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, possess 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.
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:
...
12. Don Kessinger - 1,553
13. Terence Davis - 1,512
14. Matthew Murrell - 1,510
15. Aaron Harper - 1,505
...
36. Fred Cox - 1,105
37. Terrance Henry - 1,095
38. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,085
39. Coolidge Ball - 1,072
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 currently owning a spot in the AP Top 25, 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. 20 Texas A&M, No. 3 Auburn, Texas, and No. 8 Kentucky.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Year two of the SEC/ACC Challenge has Ole Miss traveling to Louisville, Kentucky where they'll face the Cardinals on the ACC Network at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3. Last year, the Rebels hosted NC State for the first game of the then-named ACC/SEC Challenge, picking up a 72-52 victory over the eventual NCAA Final Four Wolfpack.
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.
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 14th in school history in career points with 1,510, and fifth in both three-point shots made (223), and three-point attempts (633). He recently entered the top-10 for career minutes played as well with 3,642.
Career 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. 223, Matthew Murrell (126 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)
Career 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. 633, Matthew Murrell (126 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)
Career Minutes Played
1. 4,109, Elston Turner (113 games, 1978-81)
2. 4,039, Sean Tuohy (117 games, 1979-82)
3. 4,028, Carlos Clark (118 games, 1980-83)
4. 3,955, John Stroud (110 games, 1977-90)
5. 3,832, Eric Laird (110 games, 1982-85)
6. 3,812, Chris Warren (115 games, 2008-11)
7. 3,719, Keith Carter (117 games, 1996-99)
8. 3,674, Murphy Holloway (132 games, 2009-13)
3,674, Joe Harvell (114 games, 1990-93)
10. 3,642, Matthew Murrell (126 games, 2020-pres.)
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 career lists two other categories as well, on the verge in: Career games played (Murrell at 126, 10th is Jason Flanigan at 127), and career steals (Murrell at 135, 10th is Rahim Lockhart at 148).
