I'm driving today, but I wanted to throw this together before I hit the road:
Matthew Murrell announced Wednesday he’s returning to Ole Miss for his final season of college eligibility.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Memphis had declared for the NBA Draft. Wednesday was the final day to withdraw from the draft and return to college. He and several others nationally, including Ole Miss forward/former Belmont standout Malik Dia, did just that.
What does it mean? For Murrell, it’s likely a mixed bag. Obviously, he didn’t get the NBA feedback he was seeking, nor did he get a promise of a two-way deal with an NBA franchise, an agreement that usually puts a player on the shuttle between the main club and the G-League affiliate.
On the flip side, Murrell got a big payday at Ole Miss (I’ve heard it’s more than half a million dollars) to return. Last season, he scored 16.2 points per game, adding 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He shot 46.4 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from the 3-point line. He was in elite shape last season and became a much more prolific shooter. He still isn’t great at creating his own shot. He’s a straight-line driver without much wiggle, but he’s physical and strong and a tough guard at the college level.
Obviously, he bolsters Ole Miss’ roster significantly. He rejoins a backcourt that also returns JuJu Murray, Robert Cowherd and TJ Caldwell and recently added Dre Davis and Devon Barnes. The Rebels are probably still looking to add one front-court piece. They’ve been linked to former Missouri and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile, who also withdrew from the NBA Draft on Tuesday. Brazile, a 6-foot-10 standout who was a lottery pick candidate before suffering an ACL injury at Arkansas, is also reportedly considering North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, Miami and a return to the Razorbacks, among other options.
Brazile averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds this season. He missed seven SEC games with knee soreness, though it is not known whether the pain was in the same knee in which he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2022-23 season.
Matthew Murrell announced Wednesday he’s returning to Ole Miss for his final season of college eligibility.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Memphis had declared for the NBA Draft. Wednesday was the final day to withdraw from the draft and return to college. He and several others nationally, including Ole Miss forward/former Belmont standout Malik Dia, did just that.
What does it mean? For Murrell, it’s likely a mixed bag. Obviously, he didn’t get the NBA feedback he was seeking, nor did he get a promise of a two-way deal with an NBA franchise, an agreement that usually puts a player on the shuttle between the main club and the G-League affiliate.
On the flip side, Murrell got a big payday at Ole Miss (I’ve heard it’s more than half a million dollars) to return. Last season, he scored 16.2 points per game, adding 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He shot 46.4 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from the 3-point line. He was in elite shape last season and became a much more prolific shooter. He still isn’t great at creating his own shot. He’s a straight-line driver without much wiggle, but he’s physical and strong and a tough guard at the college level.
Obviously, he bolsters Ole Miss’ roster significantly. He rejoins a backcourt that also returns JuJu Murray, Robert Cowherd and TJ Caldwell and recently added Dre Davis and Devon Barnes. The Rebels are probably still looking to add one front-court piece. They’ve been linked to former Missouri and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile, who also withdrew from the NBA Draft on Tuesday. Brazile, a 6-foot-10 standout who was a lottery pick candidate before suffering an ACL injury at Arkansas, is also reportedly considering North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, Miami and a return to the Razorbacks, among other options.
Brazile averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds this season. He missed seven SEC games with knee soreness, though it is not known whether the pain was in the same knee in which he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2022-23 season.
