I had thought about going to Fayetteville for this one, but weather and a bit of road fatigue stopped me. Chris Beard is doing a postgame Zoom, so I'll have some postgame comments/thoughts from him after tonight's tip. The key against Arkansas is not letting them kill you on the glass. They're big and athletic on the post and they disrupt a lot of shots at the rim. The Razorbacks also like to get into transition. They don't, however, shoot the ball well from deep, and that's been a problem for them at times this season.
Ole Miss' Mikeal Brown-Jones is out tonight with an illness.
Here are the pregame notes from Ole Miss. Video of Monday's press opportunity with Chris Beard and Eduardo Klafke are linked below that.
Following a win over Georgia at home to begin conference play, the No. 22 Ole Miss men's basketball team is set to hit the road and face Arkansas in their first SEC road matchup on Wednesday, January 8 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 23/22 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 12-2, 1-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (32-14) • 269-112 career record (13th Season)
Arkansas Razorbacks (Record: 11-3, 0-1 SEC)
Head Coach: John Calipari • 1st Season at Arkansas (11-3) • 824-264 career record (33rd Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
The Rebels and Razorbacks have met 86 times before on the court, with the Hogs owning the all-time series lead 52-34. When playing in Fayetteville, Arkansas leads 23-11 and has won the last five games in their home arena. While trailing 8-2 over the past 10 matchups, Ole Miss came out on top of last year's game under then first-year coach Chris Beard.
LAST MEETING: January 24, 2024 (W, 77-51, Oxford, Miss.)
• The Ole Miss defense held the Razorbacks to just eight made field goals and 26 points in the first half, before closing the game out with a 26-point win.
• The Rebels out-rebounded Arkansas 43-28, led by Ole Miss' Allen Flanigan with 11 boards.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 21 points, one rebound, three assists, two steals.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks.
• Khalif Battle (Arkansas): 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
Arkansas holds a record of 11-3 overall and 0-1 in conference, including an 8-0 record at home in Bud Walton Arena. During non-conference action, the Razorbacks picked up notable wins over Miami and No. 14 Michigan, before most recently beginning their SEC slate with a road loss at No. 1 Tennessee. The Hogs currently own a NET ranking of No. 41, and are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches top 25 polls.
The team is led offensively by Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero, who averages a team-best 16.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest while shooting over 60% from the floor. The team's leader in assists, Boogie Fland averages 15.6 points per outing to go with his 5.9 helpers per contest, a clip that ranks second in the SEC and 25th nationally.
As a team, the Razorbacks rank among the best nationally in a handful of statistical categories. Led by Zvonimir Ivisic (2.1 BPG) and Trevon Brazile (1.8 BPG), Arkansas is fifth in the nation in blocks per game at 6.0. Those defensive stops have led to points in transition, as they rank No. 17 in the NCAA in fastbreak points with an average of 16.3. The team also ranks among one of the better shooting teams in all of college basketball, with an effective field goal percentage of 57.3 to rank No. 19, and an overall field goal percentage of 50.7 to rank No. 9.
The active leader in career wins, 10th in active career win-percentage, and 21st all-time in NCAA coaching victories, John Calipari is in his first season at the helm of Arkansas. The 33-year veteran began his coaching career by turning Massachusetts into a national powerhouse, including five straight NCAA Tournament berths, highlighted by an Elite Eight appearance in 1995 and a Final Four appearance in his final year in 1996. He then took over the job at Memphis in 2000 after a brief stint in the NBA, earning 30 or more wins in his final four seasons. He then moved on to Kentucky in 2009 where he reached the Final Four or better in four seasons, including an NCAA National Championship in 2012. Following 15 seasons in Lexington where he accumulated over 400 wins, Calipari took the job at Arkansas last April.
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 +7.0, the Rebels own the third-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 16.3 per game (No. 15 in the NCAA) while committing just 9.3 to rank eighth in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in five games this season, allowing an average of just 64.4 per contest, the 32nd-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.2 ranks 51st in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 14-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +15.2 this season is the 30th-best figure in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.2, the 12th-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 5.4 to rank 23rd.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Recently at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll on December 9, it was the highest ranking in a national poll since the Rebels were No. 14 in the AP Poll on January 4, 2010, and the highest position in the Coaches Poll since they sat in 15th on January 21 in 2008.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking third in the nation with a turnover margin of +7.0 while ranking eighth in turnovers per game at 9.3. The Rebels are forcing an average of 16.3 turnovers per contest which ranks 15th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.72 also ranks among the nation's best at 12th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 3.11. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.2 steals per game (No. 12 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks No. 20 in steals per game nationally.
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of January 6, they own the second-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 86.6 is the third-highest in all of college basketball, and their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 74.1 is the sixth-highest in the nation.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 34 steals for an average of 2.43 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 13 of 14 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in ten games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 20th in the NCAA in steals per game and 21st in total steals.
"HE A FREE THROW"
Jaylen Murray has gone 27-31 from the free throw line for a percentage of 87.1. Entering the game with Purdue, Murray had not missed a shot from the charity stripe, and was one of six players in all of college basketball to remain perfect. The Bronx native also connected on his first two free throws during the Purdue game to extend his consecutive made shots at 32 dating back to the 2023-24 season, tying Murray with Stefan Moody for the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only David Rhodes' 37 during 1972.
Sean Pedulla owns an impressive free throw percentage as well at 85.7, the ninth-best mark in the SEC.
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Seven players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,564), Sean Pedulla (1,428), Dre Davis (1,284), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,235), Jaylen Murray (1,170), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,101), and Davon Barnes (1,019). The Rebels roster is one of two in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Minnesota). Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
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 gives 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 continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
...
9. Jarvis Summers - 1,629
10. Joe Gibbon - 1,601
t11. Matthew Murrell - 1,564
t11. Gerald Glass - 1,564
12. Don Kessinger - 1,553
...
32. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
33. Ken Turner - 1,159
34. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,157
35. Jack Marshall - 1,137
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 national top-25 polls, 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. 9 Texas A&M, No. 2 Auburn, Texas, and No. 6 Kentucky.
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 30 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 21st on December 19 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of January 6, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 14 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, seven in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
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 11th in school history in career points with 1,564, and fifth in both three-point shots made (230), and three-point attempts (655). A consistent member of the lineup for each of his seasons, Murrell recently entered the top-10 in both career minutes and games played. He currently sits in seventh with 3,787 minutes, just behind Chris Warren with 3,812, and has played in 131 games, ranking seventh just behind four players with 132.
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 career lists in two other categories as well, on the verge in: Career field goal attempts (Murrell at 1,284, 10th is Carlos Clark at 1,297), and career steals (Murrell at 144, 10th is Rahim Lockhart at 148).
Ole Miss' Mikeal Brown-Jones is out tonight with an illness.
Here are the pregame notes from Ole Miss. Video of Monday's press opportunity with Chris Beard and Eduardo Klafke are linked below that.
Following a win over Georgia at home to begin conference play, the No. 22 Ole Miss men's basketball team is set to hit the road and face Arkansas in their first SEC road matchup on Wednesday, January 8 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 23/22 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 12-2, 1-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (32-14) • 269-112 career record (13th Season)
Arkansas Razorbacks (Record: 11-3, 0-1 SEC)
Head Coach: John Calipari • 1st Season at Arkansas (11-3) • 824-264 career record (33rd Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
The Rebels and Razorbacks have met 86 times before on the court, with the Hogs owning the all-time series lead 52-34. When playing in Fayetteville, Arkansas leads 23-11 and has won the last five games in their home arena. While trailing 8-2 over the past 10 matchups, Ole Miss came out on top of last year's game under then first-year coach Chris Beard.
LAST MEETING: January 24, 2024 (W, 77-51, Oxford, Miss.)
• The Ole Miss defense held the Razorbacks to just eight made field goals and 26 points in the first half, before closing the game out with a 26-point win.
• The Rebels out-rebounded Arkansas 43-28, led by Ole Miss' Allen Flanigan with 11 boards.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 21 points, one rebound, three assists, two steals.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks.
• Khalif Battle (Arkansas): 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block, one steal.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
Arkansas holds a record of 11-3 overall and 0-1 in conference, including an 8-0 record at home in Bud Walton Arena. During non-conference action, the Razorbacks picked up notable wins over Miami and No. 14 Michigan, before most recently beginning their SEC slate with a road loss at No. 1 Tennessee. The Hogs currently own a NET ranking of No. 41, and are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches top 25 polls.
The team is led offensively by Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero, who averages a team-best 16.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest while shooting over 60% from the floor. The team's leader in assists, Boogie Fland averages 15.6 points per outing to go with his 5.9 helpers per contest, a clip that ranks second in the SEC and 25th nationally.
As a team, the Razorbacks rank among the best nationally in a handful of statistical categories. Led by Zvonimir Ivisic (2.1 BPG) and Trevon Brazile (1.8 BPG), Arkansas is fifth in the nation in blocks per game at 6.0. Those defensive stops have led to points in transition, as they rank No. 17 in the NCAA in fastbreak points with an average of 16.3. The team also ranks among one of the better shooting teams in all of college basketball, with an effective field goal percentage of 57.3 to rank No. 19, and an overall field goal percentage of 50.7 to rank No. 9.
The active leader in career wins, 10th in active career win-percentage, and 21st all-time in NCAA coaching victories, John Calipari is in his first season at the helm of Arkansas. The 33-year veteran began his coaching career by turning Massachusetts into a national powerhouse, including five straight NCAA Tournament berths, highlighted by an Elite Eight appearance in 1995 and a Final Four appearance in his final year in 1996. He then took over the job at Memphis in 2000 after a brief stint in the NBA, earning 30 or more wins in his final four seasons. He then moved on to Kentucky in 2009 where he reached the Final Four or better in four seasons, including an NCAA National Championship in 2012. Following 15 seasons in Lexington where he accumulated over 400 wins, Calipari took the job at Arkansas last April.
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 +7.0, the Rebels own the third-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 16.3 per game (No. 15 in the NCAA) while committing just 9.3 to rank eighth in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in five games this season, allowing an average of just 64.4 per contest, the 32nd-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.2 ranks 51st in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 14-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +15.2 this season is the 30th-best figure in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.2, the 12th-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 5.4 to rank 23rd.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Recently at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll on December 9, it was the highest ranking in a national poll since the Rebels were No. 14 in the AP Poll on January 4, 2010, and the highest position in the Coaches Poll since they sat in 15th on January 21 in 2008.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking third in the nation with a turnover margin of +7.0 while ranking eighth in turnovers per game at 9.3. The Rebels are forcing an average of 16.3 turnovers per contest which ranks 15th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.72 also ranks among the nation's best at 12th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 3.11. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.2 steals per game (No. 12 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks No. 20 in steals per game nationally.
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of January 6, they own the second-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 86.6 is the third-highest in all of college basketball, and their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 74.1 is the sixth-highest in the nation.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 34 steals for an average of 2.43 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 13 of 14 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in ten games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 20th in the NCAA in steals per game and 21st in total steals.
"HE A FREE THROW"
Jaylen Murray has gone 27-31 from the free throw line for a percentage of 87.1. Entering the game with Purdue, Murray had not missed a shot from the charity stripe, and was one of six players in all of college basketball to remain perfect. The Bronx native also connected on his first two free throws during the Purdue game to extend his consecutive made shots at 32 dating back to the 2023-24 season, tying Murray with Stefan Moody for the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only David Rhodes' 37 during 1972.
Sean Pedulla owns an impressive free throw percentage as well at 85.7, the ninth-best mark in the SEC.
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Seven players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,564), Sean Pedulla (1,428), Dre Davis (1,284), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,235), Jaylen Murray (1,170), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,101), and Davon Barnes (1,019). The Rebels roster is one of two in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Minnesota). Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
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 gives 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 continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
...
9. Jarvis Summers - 1,629
10. Joe Gibbon - 1,601
t11. Matthew Murrell - 1,564
t11. Gerald Glass - 1,564
12. Don Kessinger - 1,553
...
32. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
33. Ken Turner - 1,159
34. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,157
35. Jack Marshall - 1,137
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 national top-25 polls, 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. 9 Texas A&M, No. 2 Auburn, Texas, and No. 6 Kentucky.
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 30 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 21st on December 19 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of January 6, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 14 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, seven in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
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 11th in school history in career points with 1,564, and fifth in both three-point shots made (230), and three-point attempts (655). A consistent member of the lineup for each of his seasons, Murrell recently entered the top-10 in both career minutes and games played. He currently sits in seventh with 3,787 minutes, just behind Chris Warren with 3,812, and has played in 131 games, ranking seventh just behind four players with 132.
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 career lists in two other categories as well, on the verge in: Career field goal attempts (Murrell at 1,284, 10th is Carlos Clark at 1,297), and career steals (Murrell at 144, 10th is Rahim Lockhart at 148).
