From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss – Following a short break from action, the No. 22 Ole Miss men's basketball team is ready to continue their 2023-24 schedule, playing in their final non-conference game as they face Bryant in the SJB Pavilion on Sunday, December 31 at 3 p.m on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (12-0)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 1st Season at Ole Miss (12-0) • 249-98 career record (12th Season)
Bryant Bulldogs (8-6)
Head Coach: Phil Martelli Jr. • 1st Season at Bryant (8-6) • 8-6 career record (1st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Ron Slay
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Color: Marc Dukes
A NEW SERIES
This is the first-ever meeting between Ole Miss and Bryant on the basketball court, and is the fourth of four first-time meetings for the Rebels this season. They have already defeated Eastern Washington, Detroit Mercy, and Mount St. Mary's this season after taking them on for the first time in program history. This also marks the first time the Ole Miss men's basketball team will play a team currently from the American East Conference (formally known as the North Atlantic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference-North). Bryant joined the conference in 2022 and is in their second year of competition in the AmEast.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant travels to Oxford, Miss. with a record of 8-6 on the season, picking up wins over Fisher, No. 10 Florida Atlantic, Howard, Springfield, Brown, Siena, Towson, and Drexel. Bryant's win over 10th-ranked FAU on Nov. 18 marked the first win over a top-10 and first-ever against a ranked foe since joining Division I.
The team's leading scorer this season has been Sherif Gross-Bullock at 17.1 points per game behind 41 makes from three. Taking home back-to-back conference player of the week awards, Earl Timberlake leads the team in rebounding at 8.7 per game while averaging 12.6 points per contest. He has registered five double-doubles, and is one of 13 student-athletes to have posted a triple-double this season.
The Bulldogs have been proficient and shot-blocking this year, joining Ole Miss in the top-10 nationally in blocks per game at 6.7, ranking fifth in the NCAA. They've converted those blocks into defensive rebounds efficiently, averaging 30.21 per game to rank No. 12 in the country. Similar to the Rebels, their defensive field goal percentage ranks highly as well, holding their opponents to a 38.3 field goal percentage on the season, the 23rd-best ratio in the nation. On offense, Bryant relies heavily on the three-point shot, sinking 9.8 per game, the 23rd-most in the country.
In his first season as an NCAA head coach, Phil Martelli Jr. was officially given the title on November 14 this year after serving as associate head coach for Bryant from 2018 to 2023. He is the son of longtime Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli Sr., who led the Hawks to 444 wins between 1995 and 2019, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet 16 runs.
THE LAST OF THE UNBEATENS
Ole Miss is one of just three teams in the country who remain unbeaten (Houston and James Madison), and are the only one in the SEC, at 12-0. This marks just the second time in program history the Rebels have gone undefeated through their first 12 games of the season, with the other occurrence coming in 2007-08 (started 13-0). Their 12-0 run is also tied for the second-longest overall win streak in program history, doing so in 1925-26, and from 1935-36 to 1937-38.
Ole Miss 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.
"TEN OUGHTA DO IT, DON'T YOU THINK?"
On December 19 against Troy, Matthew Murrell secured 10 steals to set a new program record for Ole Miss, adding 18 points for the first double-double involving steals in school history. His 10 steals also tied the SEC record for most in a game, the most since 1991, and tie him for the 25th-most in a game in NCAA history. Murrell helped Ole Miss collect 16 steals in the game against Troy, setting a new SJB Pavilion record.
Increasing his average to 2.33 steals per game on the season, Murrell now ranks second in the SEC and No. 29 in the NCAA.
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 249-98 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 71.8%.
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 1,128 points in his career with the Rebels, Murrell is 35th in school history and sits two points behind next on the list, Joe Ayers (1983-1987).
32. Ken Turner (1966-69): 1,159
33. Jack Marshall (1945-50): 1,137
34. Joe Ayers (1983-87): 1,130
35. Matthew Murrell (2020-): 1,128
36. Fred Cox (1971-74): 1,105
"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. He leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game and ranks second in scoring at 16.4 points per game.
REAL RECOGNIZE REAL
In the latest top-25 polls, Ole Miss ranks No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP Top 25. 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 12-0 record in basketball, Ole Miss is one of just three FBS programs in the country to start at 10-0 in hoops and compile a 10-win season in football. 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 6.3 blocks per game, Ole Miss ranks seventh in the country and is keeping opponents to just 40.0 percent shooting from the floor which ranks No. 50 in the nation. The muscle in the paint for the Rebels has been Jamarion Sharp, who leads the SEC in blocks per game (2.75) and blocks (33), ranking fourth in both categories nationally.
Sharp's six blocks against Troy on December 19th are tied for the seventh-most in a game in school history.
*MIKE BREEN VOICE* "BANG!"
Shooting 40.7 percent from the three-point line this season, Ole Miss currently ranks No. 8 in the country in efficiency beyond the arc. Through just 12 games, the Rebels have already shot 50 percent or better from deep five 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%)
• Southern Miss: 11-19 (57.9%)
Their current mark of 40.7 percent from three would set a new school record for shooting percentage from deep in a season in school history. The Rebels are one of just 11 teams in the country averaging 40 percent or better from deep.
PACING THE GAME LIKE VERSTAPPEN
Through 12 games so far this season in eight hours of total gameplay, Ole Miss has held a lead for six hours, 19 minutes, and seven seconds, over 78 percent of action to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
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 17th 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 642 career boards rank No. 75.
"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 29.3% from deep through nine games, the 52nd-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%)
"I TAKE THE WORK, FLIP IT, ACROBATIC"
Through the first 12 games of the season, Ole Miss has shown elite ball control and movement on the offensive side. With a total of 195 assists compared to 127 turnovers, the Rebels' ratio of 1.54 ranks No. 30 in the nation.
The team is led in assists by Jaylen Murray (45 assists to 22 turnovers) and Allen Flanigan (39 assists to 25 turnovers). Murray's 3.75 assists per game ranks eighth 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: 450
• Career Games Played: 99
Matthew Murrell
• Career Points: 1,128 - Ranks 35th at Ole Miss (No. 34: Joe Ayers, 1,130)
• Career 3PM: 169 - Ranks 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Terence Davis, 176)
• Career 3PA: 489 - Ranks 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Stefan Moody, 494)
• Career Steals - 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, while his 312 total blocks rank 83rd all time.
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.)
t13. 4.11 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss (76 GP, 312 blks.)
Career Blocked Shots
80. 317 - Keith Closs, Central Connecticut State
t-81. 314 - Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State
t-81. 314 - Moussa Badiane, East Carolina
83. 312 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss
"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.
OXFORD, Miss – Following a short break from action, the No. 22 Ole Miss men's basketball team is ready to continue their 2023-24 schedule, playing in their final non-conference game as they face Bryant in the SJB Pavilion on Sunday, December 31 at 3 p.m on the SEC Network.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (12-0)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 1st Season at Ole Miss (12-0) • 249-98 career record (12th Season)
Bryant Bulldogs (8-6)
Head Coach: Phil Martelli Jr. • 1st Season at Bryant (8-6) • 8-6 career record (1st Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Ron Slay
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Color: Marc Dukes
A NEW SERIES
This is the first-ever meeting between Ole Miss and Bryant on the basketball court, and is the fourth of four first-time meetings for the Rebels this season. They have already defeated Eastern Washington, Detroit Mercy, and Mount St. Mary's this season after taking them on for the first time in program history. This also marks the first time the Ole Miss men's basketball team will play a team currently from the American East Conference (formally known as the North Atlantic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference-North). Bryant joined the conference in 2022 and is in their second year of competition in the AmEast.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant travels to Oxford, Miss. with a record of 8-6 on the season, picking up wins over Fisher, No. 10 Florida Atlantic, Howard, Springfield, Brown, Siena, Towson, and Drexel. Bryant's win over 10th-ranked FAU on Nov. 18 marked the first win over a top-10 and first-ever against a ranked foe since joining Division I.
The team's leading scorer this season has been Sherif Gross-Bullock at 17.1 points per game behind 41 makes from three. Taking home back-to-back conference player of the week awards, Earl Timberlake leads the team in rebounding at 8.7 per game while averaging 12.6 points per contest. He has registered five double-doubles, and is one of 13 student-athletes to have posted a triple-double this season.
The Bulldogs have been proficient and shot-blocking this year, joining Ole Miss in the top-10 nationally in blocks per game at 6.7, ranking fifth in the NCAA. They've converted those blocks into defensive rebounds efficiently, averaging 30.21 per game to rank No. 12 in the country. Similar to the Rebels, their defensive field goal percentage ranks highly as well, holding their opponents to a 38.3 field goal percentage on the season, the 23rd-best ratio in the nation. On offense, Bryant relies heavily on the three-point shot, sinking 9.8 per game, the 23rd-most in the country.
In his first season as an NCAA head coach, Phil Martelli Jr. was officially given the title on November 14 this year after serving as associate head coach for Bryant from 2018 to 2023. He is the son of longtime Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli Sr., who led the Hawks to 444 wins between 1995 and 2019, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet 16 runs.
THE LAST OF THE UNBEATENS
Ole Miss is one of just three teams in the country who remain unbeaten (Houston and James Madison), and are the only one in the SEC, at 12-0. This marks just the second time in program history the Rebels have gone undefeated through their first 12 games of the season, with the other occurrence coming in 2007-08 (started 13-0). Their 12-0 run is also tied for the second-longest overall win streak in program history, doing so in 1925-26, and from 1935-36 to 1937-38.
Ole Miss 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.
"TEN OUGHTA DO IT, DON'T YOU THINK?"
On December 19 against Troy, Matthew Murrell secured 10 steals to set a new program record for Ole Miss, adding 18 points for the first double-double involving steals in school history. His 10 steals also tied the SEC record for most in a game, the most since 1991, and tie him for the 25th-most in a game in NCAA history. Murrell helped Ole Miss collect 16 steals in the game against Troy, setting a new SJB Pavilion record.
Increasing his average to 2.33 steals per game on the season, Murrell now ranks second in the SEC and No. 29 in the NCAA.
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 249-98 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 71.8%.
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 1,128 points in his career with the Rebels, Murrell is 35th in school history and sits two points behind next on the list, Joe Ayers (1983-1987).
32. Ken Turner (1966-69): 1,159
33. Jack Marshall (1945-50): 1,137
34. Joe Ayers (1983-87): 1,130
35. Matthew Murrell (2020-): 1,128
36. Fred Cox (1971-74): 1,105
"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. He leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game and ranks second in scoring at 16.4 points per game.
REAL RECOGNIZE REAL
In the latest top-25 polls, Ole Miss ranks No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP Top 25. 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 12-0 record in basketball, Ole Miss is one of just three FBS programs in the country to start at 10-0 in hoops and compile a 10-win season in football. 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 6.3 blocks per game, Ole Miss ranks seventh in the country and is keeping opponents to just 40.0 percent shooting from the floor which ranks No. 50 in the nation. The muscle in the paint for the Rebels has been Jamarion Sharp, who leads the SEC in blocks per game (2.75) and blocks (33), ranking fourth in both categories nationally.
Sharp's six blocks against Troy on December 19th are tied for the seventh-most in a game in school history.
*MIKE BREEN VOICE* "BANG!"
Shooting 40.7 percent from the three-point line this season, Ole Miss currently ranks No. 8 in the country in efficiency beyond the arc. Through just 12 games, the Rebels have already shot 50 percent or better from deep five 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%)
• Southern Miss: 11-19 (57.9%)
Their current mark of 40.7 percent from three would set a new school record for shooting percentage from deep in a season in school history. The Rebels are one of just 11 teams in the country averaging 40 percent or better from deep.
PACING THE GAME LIKE VERSTAPPEN
Through 12 games so far this season in eight hours of total gameplay, Ole Miss has held a lead for six hours, 19 minutes, and seven seconds, over 78 percent of action to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
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 17th 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 642 career boards rank No. 75.
"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 29.3% from deep through nine games, the 52nd-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%)
"I TAKE THE WORK, FLIP IT, ACROBATIC"
Through the first 12 games of the season, Ole Miss has shown elite ball control and movement on the offensive side. With a total of 195 assists compared to 127 turnovers, the Rebels' ratio of 1.54 ranks No. 30 in the nation.
The team is led in assists by Jaylen Murray (45 assists to 22 turnovers) and Allen Flanigan (39 assists to 25 turnovers). Murray's 3.75 assists per game ranks eighth 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: 450
• Career Games Played: 99
Matthew Murrell
• Career Points: 1,128 - Ranks 35th at Ole Miss (No. 34: Joe Ayers, 1,130)
• Career 3PM: 169 - Ranks 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Terence Davis, 176)
• Career 3PA: 489 - Ranks 10th at Ole Miss (No. 9: Stefan Moody, 494)
• Career Steals - 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, while his 312 total blocks rank 83rd all time.
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.)
t13. 4.11 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss (76 GP, 312 blks.)
Career Blocked Shots
80. 317 - Keith Closs, Central Connecticut State
t-81. 314 - Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State
t-81. 314 - Moussa Badiane, East Carolina
83. 312 - Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss
"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.
