I'll have coverage from Memphis tomorrow.
From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – The 16th-ranked Ole Miss men's basketball team wraps up their non-conference schedule and plays in their final game of the year 2024 on Saturday, December 28 when they take on Memphis in the FedEx Forum at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 16/16 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-1, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (31-13) • 268-111 career record (13th Season)
Memphis Tigers (Record: 9-3, 0-0 AAC)
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway • 7th Season at Memphis (138-65) • 138-65 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: John Schriffen
Color: Daymeon Fishback
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. MEMPHIS
A rivalry that dates back over 114 years, the Rebels and Tigers first played in Ole Miss' second season of men's basketball, back in 1910. After Memphis (formally known as Memphis State) took the first two games, Ole Miss won six consecutive contests. While the Tigers currently own the series lead, up 29-16, the Rebels have won six of the last 10 and five of the last seven meetings.
Memphis leads the series when at home, up 21-3 all-time playing in their city. The last time Ole Miss won in Memphis was in 2015.
LAST MEETING: December 2, 2023 (W, 80-77, Oxford, Miss.)
• Trailing by seven at the half, Ole Miss stormed back at home, shooting 55.9 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes to picking up a three-point win.
• A clutch three-pointer by Jaylen Murray with two minutes left put the Rebels on top 75-73, before the Bronx, N.Y. native hit a jumper moments later to put Ole Miss back in the driver's seat once more, and a layup in the final seconds.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 22 points, four made 3PFG, four rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, one steal.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 20 points, six made 3PFG, six rebounds, five assists, one block, three steals.
• David Jones (Memphis): 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block, three steals.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Memphis owns a record of 9-3 to begin the season, picking up a bunch of massive victories through their non-conference schedule. After losing to North Carolina and Alabama to begin the year, they defeated Missouri, UNLV, Ohio, and San Francisco. At the Maui Invitational, they took down No. 2 UConn in OT and Michigan State the next day, before losing to No. 3 Auburn in the tournament's final. They have since gone 3-2, with wins over Louisiana Tech, No. 16 Clemson, and Virginia, and losses to Arkansas State and most recently, No. 25 Mississippi State.
The Tigers are led by Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty, who averages a team-best 22.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with a clip of 5.8 per contest. His scoring average ranks among the best in the nation, sixth-best in the NCAA, with his biggest source coming from the free throw line. With 96 total makes from the charity stripe, Haggerty leads all of college basketball while attempting the third-most shots from the free throw line in the NCAA at 115.
Led by Haggerty, Memphis ranks No. 14 in college basketball with an average of 25.8 free throw attempts per game, while making the 12th most per game in the country at 19.1. The Tigers also rank among the nations best in three-point percentage, hitting 40.5 percent of their attempts to rank No. 10 in the NCAA.
Head coach Penny Hardaway is in his seventh season at the helm of Memphis, and has won 20 or more games in five of his previous six years. The former four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA First Team member is a former All-American player for Memphis, where his No. 25 jersey is retired. As a coach, Hardaway has led Memphis to a postseason tournament in four seasons, highlighted by an NIT Championship in 2021, and back-to-back NCAA Tournament invites in 2022 and 2023.
ANOTHER HOT START
For the seventh time in program history, Ole Miss has picked up 11 or more wins through their first 12 competitions. This marks the second season the Rebels have hit that mark under head coach Chris Beard, after beginning the 2023-24 season 13-0. Their non-conference record of 24-1 over the past two seasons is the best in all of college basketball.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 16 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Their ranking of No. 16 by the AP is the highest they've reached in 12 seasons, since the Rebels were placed at No. 16 in the nation on January 28, 2013. 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, leading the nation with a turnover margin of +7.8 while ranking third in turnovers per game (8.8). The Rebels are forcing nearly twice as many turnovers than they commit, with an average of 16.7 per contest which ranks 12th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.89 also ranks among the nation's best at 8th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 3.60. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.4 steals per game (No. 8 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks No. 14 in steals per game nationally.
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 54 assists to just 15 turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.60 ranks 15th in the nation. "Juju" has registered five or more assists in seven games for the Rebels this season and ranks fifth in the SEC with 4.5 assists per game.
During his time at Ole Miss, Murray is averaging 4.11 assists per game, the fifth best career average in program history.
Career Assists Average
1. 7.09, Sean Tuohy (830 assists, 117 games, 1979-82)
2. 4.89, Bob Mahoney (329 assists, 74 games, 1973-75)
3. 4.43, Rod Barnes (456 assists, 103 games, 1985-88)
4. 4.36, Dave Shepherd (218 assists, 50 games, 1974-75)
5. 4.11, Jaylen Murray (181 assists, 44 games, 2023-pres.)
6. 3.96, Jarvis Summers (530 assists, 134 games, 2012-15)
7. 3.93, Chris Warren (452 assists, 115 games, 2008-11)
8. 3.60, Henry Jackson (378 assists, 105 games, 1976-79)
9. 3.53, Todd Abernethy (431 assists, 122 games, 2004-07)
10. 3.52, Deandre Burnett (225 assists, 64 games, 2016-18)
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 +7.8, the Rebels lead all of college basketball, forcing 16.7 per game (No. 12 in the NCAA) while committing just 8.8 to rank third in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in four games this season, allowing an average of just 63.6 per contest, the 28th-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.5 ranks 68th in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 13-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +18.2 this season is the 21st-best figure in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.4, the eighth-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 4.9 to rank 35th.
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of December 26, they own the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 87.7 is the third-highest in all of college basketball.
THE CHEF IS HOT
Guard Sean Pedulla has been dominant on both ends of the floor for Ole Miss as of late. Over the past five games, he is averaging 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor.
"HE A FREE THROW"
Through the first 12 games, Jaylen Murray has gone 24-25 from the free throw line for a percentage of 96.0, fourth-best in all of college basketball. 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.
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 (1,542), Sean Pedulla (1,408), Dre Davis (1,273), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,218), Jaylen Murray (1,155), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,093), and Davon Barnes (1,007). 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.
FIRST-HALF FIEND
If you're searching for excitement out of the gate from Ole Miss this season, look no further than Sean Pedulla in the first half. Averaging a team-best 8.6 points per game in the first 20 minutes of action, the guard is shooting a blistering 54.5% (24-44) from three-point range on the year and has hit 10-plus points in the first period four times. In the the two games against Lindenwood and Southern Miss, Pedulla was unconscious from beyond the arc, going 9-13 (69.2%) and dropping 27 points in the first half alone.
A "DO-IT-ALL" SCHOOL
Ole Miss is one of just three schools in the nation that currently hold a spot in the AP Top 25 in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball, joined by Alabama and Tennessee. On the gridiron, the Rebels rank No. 16 while men's hoops ranks No. 16 and the women No. 25.
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 nearly 1,000 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.
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:
...
11. Gerald Glass - 1,564
12. Don Kessinger - 1,553
13. Matthew Murrell - 1,542
14. Terence Davis - 1,512
...
32. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
33. Ken Turner - 1,159
34. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,140
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 10 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. 13 Texas A&M, No. 2 Auburn, Texas, and No. 10 Kentucky.
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 31 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 December 26, 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.
From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – The 16th-ranked Ole Miss men's basketball team wraps up their non-conference schedule and plays in their final game of the year 2024 on Saturday, December 28 when they take on Memphis in the FedEx Forum at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
TEAM FACTS
No. 16/16 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-1, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (31-13) • 268-111 career record (13th Season)
Memphis Tigers (Record: 9-3, 0-0 AAC)
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway • 7th Season at Memphis (138-65) • 138-65 career record (7th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: John Schriffen
Color: Daymeon Fishback
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. MEMPHIS
A rivalry that dates back over 114 years, the Rebels and Tigers first played in Ole Miss' second season of men's basketball, back in 1910. After Memphis (formally known as Memphis State) took the first two games, Ole Miss won six consecutive contests. While the Tigers currently own the series lead, up 29-16, the Rebels have won six of the last 10 and five of the last seven meetings.
Memphis leads the series when at home, up 21-3 all-time playing in their city. The last time Ole Miss won in Memphis was in 2015.
LAST MEETING: December 2, 2023 (W, 80-77, Oxford, Miss.)
• Trailing by seven at the half, Ole Miss stormed back at home, shooting 55.9 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes to picking up a three-point win.
• A clutch three-pointer by Jaylen Murray with two minutes left put the Rebels on top 75-73, before the Bronx, N.Y. native hit a jumper moments later to put Ole Miss back in the driver's seat once more, and a layup in the final seconds.
• Jaylen Murray (Ole Miss): 22 points, four made 3PFG, four rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, one steal.
• Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss): 20 points, six made 3PFG, six rebounds, five assists, one block, three steals.
• David Jones (Memphis): 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block, three steals.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Memphis owns a record of 9-3 to begin the season, picking up a bunch of massive victories through their non-conference schedule. After losing to North Carolina and Alabama to begin the year, they defeated Missouri, UNLV, Ohio, and San Francisco. At the Maui Invitational, they took down No. 2 UConn in OT and Michigan State the next day, before losing to No. 3 Auburn in the tournament's final. They have since gone 3-2, with wins over Louisiana Tech, No. 16 Clemson, and Virginia, and losses to Arkansas State and most recently, No. 25 Mississippi State.
The Tigers are led by Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty, who averages a team-best 22.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with a clip of 5.8 per contest. His scoring average ranks among the best in the nation, sixth-best in the NCAA, with his biggest source coming from the free throw line. With 96 total makes from the charity stripe, Haggerty leads all of college basketball while attempting the third-most shots from the free throw line in the NCAA at 115.
Led by Haggerty, Memphis ranks No. 14 in college basketball with an average of 25.8 free throw attempts per game, while making the 12th most per game in the country at 19.1. The Tigers also rank among the nations best in three-point percentage, hitting 40.5 percent of their attempts to rank No. 10 in the NCAA.
Head coach Penny Hardaway is in his seventh season at the helm of Memphis, and has won 20 or more games in five of his previous six years. The former four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA First Team member is a former All-American player for Memphis, where his No. 25 jersey is retired. As a coach, Hardaway has led Memphis to a postseason tournament in four seasons, highlighted by an NIT Championship in 2021, and back-to-back NCAA Tournament invites in 2022 and 2023.
ANOTHER HOT START
For the seventh time in program history, Ole Miss has picked up 11 or more wins through their first 12 competitions. This marks the second season the Rebels have hit that mark under head coach Chris Beard, after beginning the 2023-24 season 13-0. Their non-conference record of 24-1 over the past two seasons is the best in all of college basketball.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 16 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Their ranking of No. 16 by the AP is the highest they've reached in 12 seasons, since the Rebels were placed at No. 16 in the nation on January 28, 2013. 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, leading the nation with a turnover margin of +7.8 while ranking third in turnovers per game (8.8). The Rebels are forcing nearly twice as many turnovers than they commit, with an average of 16.7 per contest which ranks 12th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.89 also ranks among the nation's best at 8th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 3.60. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.4 steals per game (No. 8 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks No. 14 in steals per game nationally.
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 54 assists to just 15 turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.60 ranks 15th in the nation. "Juju" has registered five or more assists in seven games for the Rebels this season and ranks fifth in the SEC with 4.5 assists per game.
During his time at Ole Miss, Murray is averaging 4.11 assists per game, the fifth best career average in program history.
Career Assists Average
1. 7.09, Sean Tuohy (830 assists, 117 games, 1979-82)
2. 4.89, Bob Mahoney (329 assists, 74 games, 1973-75)
3. 4.43, Rod Barnes (456 assists, 103 games, 1985-88)
4. 4.36, Dave Shepherd (218 assists, 50 games, 1974-75)
5. 4.11, Jaylen Murray (181 assists, 44 games, 2023-pres.)
6. 3.96, Jarvis Summers (530 assists, 134 games, 2012-15)
7. 3.93, Chris Warren (452 assists, 115 games, 2008-11)
8. 3.60, Henry Jackson (378 assists, 105 games, 1976-79)
9. 3.53, Todd Abernethy (431 assists, 122 games, 2004-07)
10. 3.52, Deandre Burnett (225 assists, 64 games, 2016-18)
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 +7.8, the Rebels lead all of college basketball, forcing 16.7 per game (No. 12 in the NCAA) while committing just 8.8 to rank third in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in four games this season, allowing an average of just 63.6 per contest, the 28th-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.5 ranks 68th in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 13-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +18.2 this season is the 21st-best figure in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.4, the eighth-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 4.9 to rank 35th.
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of December 26, they own the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 87.7 is the third-highest in all of college basketball.
THE CHEF IS HOT
Guard Sean Pedulla has been dominant on both ends of the floor for Ole Miss as of late. Over the past five games, he is averaging 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor.
"HE A FREE THROW"
Through the first 12 games, Jaylen Murray has gone 24-25 from the free throw line for a percentage of 96.0, fourth-best in all of college basketball. 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.
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 (1,542), Sean Pedulla (1,408), Dre Davis (1,273), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,218), Jaylen Murray (1,155), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,093), and Davon Barnes (1,007). 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.
FIRST-HALF FIEND
If you're searching for excitement out of the gate from Ole Miss this season, look no further than Sean Pedulla in the first half. Averaging a team-best 8.6 points per game in the first 20 minutes of action, the guard is shooting a blistering 54.5% (24-44) from three-point range on the year and has hit 10-plus points in the first period four times. In the the two games against Lindenwood and Southern Miss, Pedulla was unconscious from beyond the arc, going 9-13 (69.2%) and dropping 27 points in the first half alone.
A "DO-IT-ALL" SCHOOL
Ole Miss is one of just three schools in the nation that currently hold a spot in the AP Top 25 in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball, joined by Alabama and Tennessee. On the gridiron, the Rebels rank No. 16 while men's hoops ranks No. 16 and the women No. 25.
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 nearly 1,000 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.
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:
...
11. Gerald Glass - 1,564
12. Don Kessinger - 1,553
13. Matthew Murrell - 1,542
14. Terence Davis - 1,512
...
32. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
33. Ken Turner - 1,159
34. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,140
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 10 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. 13 Texas A&M, No. 2 Auburn, Texas, and No. 10 Kentucky.
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 31 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 December 26, 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.
