As I said, I'll have coverage from here in Milwaukee tomorrow. For now, here are the Ole Miss game notes:
MILWAUKEE – Earning a six seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Ole Miss men's basketball team is prepared to take on 11-seeded North Carolina in the first round on Friday, March 21 at 3:05 p.m. in Fiserv Forum and on TNT.
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: TNT
Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan
Analysts: Dan Bonner & Stan Van Gundy
Reporter: Lauren Shehadi
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Only the third time Ole Miss and North Carolina have met on the hardwood, this will be the first matchup in nearly 100 years. The two programs have only previously faced off in postseason action, meeting in the 1923 Southern Conference Tournament where Ole Miss won 34-32, before the Tar Heels got the best of the Rebels in the Southern Conference Tournament in 1926 38-23.
LAST MEETING: March 1, 1926 (L, 23-38, Atlanta, Ga.)
• Ole Miss took down Sewanee by 34 in the first round and Georgia Tech in the second to advance to the semifinals of the 1926 SoCon Tournament.
• North Carolina defeated Clemson in their opening round game and Virginia in the second to matchup with the Rebels.
• UNC would take down Ole Miss 38-23 in the semis before beating Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) in the championship game.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina enters their matchup with Ole Miss owning a season record of 23-13, having gone 13-7 in ACC action during the regular season. The Tar Heels picked up wins in non-conference action over Memphis, Hawai'i, Dayton, Georgia Tech, and UCLA. The team reached the ACC Tournament and picked up a win in their first game over Notre Dame before taking down Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. They would then fall to Duke in a three-point game. UNC went on to earn an 11-seed in the First Four round, facing off with San Diego State where they won 95-68 in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, March 18. They currently own a NET Ranking of 36 in the nation.
The team's leader for years and in his fifth season with the North Carolina program, RJ Davis leads the Tar Heels with an average of 15.6 points per game. His 2,710 career points in Chapel Hill rank second all-time in school history. The guard from White Plains, N.Y. recently scored a game-high 26 points in the team's win over San Diego State in the First Four round. Fellow guard Elliot Cadeau helps pace the offense for North Carolina with 211 assists and an average of 6.0 per game, second-best in the ACC and top-20 in the nation.
One of the top-scoring offenses in the nation, North Carolina averages 80.8 points per game, 31st in the nation, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field which ranks 40th in the NCAA. The Tar Heels also rank top-50 in the country in defensive rebounds per game (26.9, 39th in NCAA) and fastbreak points per game (12.9, 45th in NCAA).
In his fourth season at the helm, Hubert Davis has accumulated 101 wins at UNC, securing 29 in his first and third seasons and owning a win percentage of 69.7. He previously spent 2012 to 2021 as an assistant at North Carolina under Roy Williams and was on the team when the Tar Heels won the 2017 National Title. Davis spent years with ESPN as an analyst for college basketball following a long and successful career in the NBA, playing with the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets.
OLE MISS AT THE BIG DANCE
This marks the 10th appearance for Ole Miss at the NCAA Tournament, with their last invite coming in 2019. The Rebels are 5-9 all-time in tournament play, making their furthest run in 2001 to the Sweet 16 where they fell to Arizona after wins over Iona and Notre Dame. They've played in Milwaukee once before in 1999, when they defeated Villanova in the first round before falling to Michigan State in the second. Their six seed is the highest since 2001, and the third highest overall after they were a four seed in 1998 and a three seed in 2001.
PROGRAM BUILDER
With Ole Miss earning their bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, head coach Chris Beard has guided four programs to the big dance during his career. He has joined an elite group of active head coaches who have brought four or more schools to an NCAA Tournament: Steve Alford, Rick Barnes, John Calipari, Fran McCaffery, Rick Pitino, and Kelvin Sampson.
BIG GAME HUNTING
On January 14, Ole Miss took down No. 4 Alabama on the road for their first-ever road win over an AP top-five team, and second win over the fourth-ranked AP team ever. Ole Miss followed that up later in the season, recently defending their home court on senior day with a win over No. 4 Tennessee on March 5. This marked the first time in program history that an Ole Miss team earned two top-five wins in the same season.
BATTLE TESTED
The regular season schedule for Ole Miss was one of the most difficult in the nation. As of March 18, their cumulative opposition's win percentage of 63.8 ranks as the fourth-highest in the nation, behind only Alabama, Auburn, and Kentucky. The Rebels have faced 12 ranked opponents this season and six top-five teams, both of which are the most in a single season in school history.
MAGIC NUMBER
With their win over Oklahoma on March 1, Ole Miss posted a 20-win campaign for the second year in a row, a feat last accomplished in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. While just the 19th 20-win season in program history, it's the 14th since the year 2000. This is the sixth time head coach Chris Beard has guided his team to 20 wins as a Division I head coach, and the seventh time as an NCAA head coach.
Now at 22 wins on the season, this is the eighth time the Ole Miss program has hit that mark, and the 13th time the Rebels have accumulated 10 conference victories.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking fourth in the nation with a turnover margin of +5.4 while ranking third in college basketball in turnovers per game at 8.9. The Rebels are forcing an average of 14.3 turnovers per contest which ranks 37th in the NCAA. They lead the SEC in all three turnover metrics.
Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 also ranks among the nation's best at 13th, led byJaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.70 (2nd in SEC, 22nd in NCAA). They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 8.8 steals per game (29th in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks among the best in the country in steals with 60.
The team's turnovers per game average of 8.9 and assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 are both the best figures in a single season in school history.
The Rebels have efficiently turned their opponent's turnovers into offense, besting their foes in points-off-turnovers in 24 games, with a season total of 535 (16.2 per game) compared to their opposition's 326 (9.9 per game).
I BE A NEIGHBORHOOD SNIPER
Sean Pedulla has been on point from beyond the arc this season, drilling 78 shots from three-point range. He's made a three-pointer in 31 of 33 games this year, and connected on multiple shots from deep in 19 contests, including eight games with four or more. His 78 total made threes this season are currently tied for the 10th-most in a single season in program history.
Ole Miss - Single Season Three-Point Field Goals Made
1. 138, Marshall Henderson (36 games, 2012-13)
2. 129, Marshall Henderson (30 games, 2013-14)
3. 111, Chris Warren (35 games, 2009-10)
4. 103, Stefan Moody (31 games, 2015-16)
103, Chris Warren (35 games, 2007-08)
6. 96, Clarence Sanders (34 games, 2006-07)
7. 95, Chris Warren (34 games, 2010-11)
8. 83, Aaron Harper (31 games, 2001-02)
9. 79, Joe Harvell (28 games, 1991-92)
10. 78, Sean Pedulla (33 games, 2024-25)
78, Matthew Murrell (32 games, 2023-24)
78, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
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. With a turnover margin of +5.4, the Rebels own the fourth-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 14.3 per game (No. 37 in the NCAA) while committing just 8.9 to rank third in the NCAA.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 8.8, the 29th-best clip in college basketball.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 60 steals for an average of 1.82 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 29 of 33 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 17 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 68th in the NCAA in steals per game and 53rd in total steals. The senior guard has also entered the top-10 for most in a single season in program history, currently ranked fifth.
Ole Miss - Single Season Steals
1. 89, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1988-89)
2. 80, Myles Burns (33 games, 2022-23)
3. 73, Jason Smith (33 games, 1998-99)
4. 70, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989-90)
5. 60, Sean Pedulla (33 games, 2024-25)
6. 58, Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2012-13)
58, Rod Barnes (29 games, 1987-88)
8. 57, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
9. 56, Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2018-19)
10. 55, Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 1999-2000)
55, Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1993-94)
55, Eric Laird (28 games, 1983-84)
BEARD BALL - A TEAM FOR THE AGES
Currently playing the 115th season of Ole Miss basketball, this year's team has been setting numerous records, achieving countless firsts, and cementing themselves as one of the better teams in the long and storied history of the program. The 2024-25 team's 22 overall wins are tied for the fifth-most in school history and their 10 SEC victories are tied for the eighth.
Statistically, the Rebels defense has collected 290 steals this year, the third-most in a single season in school history. They've also connected on 272 three point shots, tied for the fourth-most made in a single season by an Ole Miss team. Their current assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 is by the far the best margin by an Ole Miss team all time, and their 8.9 turnovers per game is the lowest clip in program history.
Ole Miss has picked up two of the program's three all-time wins over an AP No. 4 team, with wins at No. 4 Alabama and vs. No. 4 Tennessee this season.
AWARD SEASON
As the 2024-25 campaign nears its finish, Ole Miss has begun to earn recognition across the country with award watchlists and finalists rolling in. Head Coach Chris Beard has been named a finalist for the Jim Phelan award (top head coach in Division I), and Skip Prosser Man of the Year award by CollegeInsider.com.
Senior guard Sean Pedulla was announced as a finalist for the 2025 Howell Trophy, given to the top men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi, and was named a finalist by CollegeInsider.com for the Riley Wallace Transfer of the Year award. The senior guard was also named to the All-SEC Third Team by the conference, and First Team All-District by the NABC.
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 (1,752), Sean Pedulla (1,721), Dre Davis (1,465), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,461), Jaylen Murray (1,344), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,129), and Davon Barnes (1,095). The Rebels roster is one of five in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Oklahoma State), and one of 32 programs to have two players with over 1,500 points. Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
MILWAUKEE – Earning a six seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Ole Miss men's basketball team is prepared to take on 11-seeded North Carolina in the first round on Friday, March 21 at 3:05 p.m. in Fiserv Forum and on TNT.
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: TNT
Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan
Analysts: Dan Bonner & Stan Van Gundy
Reporter: Lauren Shehadi
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Only the third time Ole Miss and North Carolina have met on the hardwood, this will be the first matchup in nearly 100 years. The two programs have only previously faced off in postseason action, meeting in the 1923 Southern Conference Tournament where Ole Miss won 34-32, before the Tar Heels got the best of the Rebels in the Southern Conference Tournament in 1926 38-23.
LAST MEETING: March 1, 1926 (L, 23-38, Atlanta, Ga.)
• Ole Miss took down Sewanee by 34 in the first round and Georgia Tech in the second to advance to the semifinals of the 1926 SoCon Tournament.
• North Carolina defeated Clemson in their opening round game and Virginia in the second to matchup with the Rebels.
• UNC would take down Ole Miss 38-23 in the semis before beating Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) in the championship game.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina enters their matchup with Ole Miss owning a season record of 23-13, having gone 13-7 in ACC action during the regular season. The Tar Heels picked up wins in non-conference action over Memphis, Hawai'i, Dayton, Georgia Tech, and UCLA. The team reached the ACC Tournament and picked up a win in their first game over Notre Dame before taking down Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. They would then fall to Duke in a three-point game. UNC went on to earn an 11-seed in the First Four round, facing off with San Diego State where they won 95-68 in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, March 18. They currently own a NET Ranking of 36 in the nation.
The team's leader for years and in his fifth season with the North Carolina program, RJ Davis leads the Tar Heels with an average of 15.6 points per game. His 2,710 career points in Chapel Hill rank second all-time in school history. The guard from White Plains, N.Y. recently scored a game-high 26 points in the team's win over San Diego State in the First Four round. Fellow guard Elliot Cadeau helps pace the offense for North Carolina with 211 assists and an average of 6.0 per game, second-best in the ACC and top-20 in the nation.
One of the top-scoring offenses in the nation, North Carolina averages 80.8 points per game, 31st in the nation, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field which ranks 40th in the NCAA. The Tar Heels also rank top-50 in the country in defensive rebounds per game (26.9, 39th in NCAA) and fastbreak points per game (12.9, 45th in NCAA).
In his fourth season at the helm, Hubert Davis has accumulated 101 wins at UNC, securing 29 in his first and third seasons and owning a win percentage of 69.7. He previously spent 2012 to 2021 as an assistant at North Carolina under Roy Williams and was on the team when the Tar Heels won the 2017 National Title. Davis spent years with ESPN as an analyst for college basketball following a long and successful career in the NBA, playing with the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets.
OLE MISS AT THE BIG DANCE
This marks the 10th appearance for Ole Miss at the NCAA Tournament, with their last invite coming in 2019. The Rebels are 5-9 all-time in tournament play, making their furthest run in 2001 to the Sweet 16 where they fell to Arizona after wins over Iona and Notre Dame. They've played in Milwaukee once before in 1999, when they defeated Villanova in the first round before falling to Michigan State in the second. Their six seed is the highest since 2001, and the third highest overall after they were a four seed in 1998 and a three seed in 2001.
PROGRAM BUILDER
With Ole Miss earning their bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, head coach Chris Beard has guided four programs to the big dance during his career. He has joined an elite group of active head coaches who have brought four or more schools to an NCAA Tournament: Steve Alford, Rick Barnes, John Calipari, Fran McCaffery, Rick Pitino, and Kelvin Sampson.
BIG GAME HUNTING
On January 14, Ole Miss took down No. 4 Alabama on the road for their first-ever road win over an AP top-five team, and second win over the fourth-ranked AP team ever. Ole Miss followed that up later in the season, recently defending their home court on senior day with a win over No. 4 Tennessee on March 5. This marked the first time in program history that an Ole Miss team earned two top-five wins in the same season.
BATTLE TESTED
The regular season schedule for Ole Miss was one of the most difficult in the nation. As of March 18, their cumulative opposition's win percentage of 63.8 ranks as the fourth-highest in the nation, behind only Alabama, Auburn, and Kentucky. The Rebels have faced 12 ranked opponents this season and six top-five teams, both of which are the most in a single season in school history.
MAGIC NUMBER
With their win over Oklahoma on March 1, Ole Miss posted a 20-win campaign for the second year in a row, a feat last accomplished in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. While just the 19th 20-win season in program history, it's the 14th since the year 2000. This is the sixth time head coach Chris Beard has guided his team to 20 wins as a Division I head coach, and the seventh time as an NCAA head coach.
Now at 22 wins on the season, this is the eighth time the Ole Miss program has hit that mark, and the 13th time the Rebels have accumulated 10 conference victories.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking fourth in the nation with a turnover margin of +5.4 while ranking third in college basketball in turnovers per game at 8.9. The Rebels are forcing an average of 14.3 turnovers per contest which ranks 37th in the NCAA. They lead the SEC in all three turnover metrics.
Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 also ranks among the nation's best at 13th, led byJaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.70 (2nd in SEC, 22nd in NCAA). They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 8.8 steals per game (29th in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks among the best in the country in steals with 60.
The team's turnovers per game average of 8.9 and assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 are both the best figures in a single season in school history.
The Rebels have efficiently turned their opponent's turnovers into offense, besting their foes in points-off-turnovers in 24 games, with a season total of 535 (16.2 per game) compared to their opposition's 326 (9.9 per game).
I BE A NEIGHBORHOOD SNIPER
Sean Pedulla has been on point from beyond the arc this season, drilling 78 shots from three-point range. He's made a three-pointer in 31 of 33 games this year, and connected on multiple shots from deep in 19 contests, including eight games with four or more. His 78 total made threes this season are currently tied for the 10th-most in a single season in program history.
Ole Miss - Single Season Three-Point Field Goals Made
1. 138, Marshall Henderson (36 games, 2012-13)
2. 129, Marshall Henderson (30 games, 2013-14)
3. 111, Chris Warren (35 games, 2009-10)
4. 103, Stefan Moody (31 games, 2015-16)
103, Chris Warren (35 games, 2007-08)
6. 96, Clarence Sanders (34 games, 2006-07)
7. 95, Chris Warren (34 games, 2010-11)
8. 83, Aaron Harper (31 games, 2001-02)
9. 79, Joe Harvell (28 games, 1991-92)
10. 78, Sean Pedulla (33 games, 2024-25)
78, Matthew Murrell (32 games, 2023-24)
78, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
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. With a turnover margin of +5.4, the Rebels own the fourth-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 14.3 per game (No. 37 in the NCAA) while committing just 8.9 to rank third in the NCAA.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 8.8, the 29th-best clip in college basketball.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 60 steals for an average of 1.82 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 29 of 33 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 17 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 68th in the NCAA in steals per game and 53rd in total steals. The senior guard has also entered the top-10 for most in a single season in program history, currently ranked fifth.
Ole Miss - Single Season Steals
1. 89, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1988-89)
2. 80, Myles Burns (33 games, 2022-23)
3. 73, Jason Smith (33 games, 1998-99)
4. 70, Gerald Glass (30 games, 1989-90)
5. 60, Sean Pedulla (33 games, 2024-25)
6. 58, Murphy Holloway (36 games, 2012-13)
58, Rod Barnes (29 games, 1987-88)
8. 57, Stefan Moody (34 games, 2014-15)
9. 56, Devontae Shuler (33 games, 2018-19)
10. 55, Rahim Lockhart (33 games, 1999-2000)
55, Ervin Garnes (27 games, 1993-94)
55, Eric Laird (28 games, 1983-84)
BEARD BALL - A TEAM FOR THE AGES
Currently playing the 115th season of Ole Miss basketball, this year's team has been setting numerous records, achieving countless firsts, and cementing themselves as one of the better teams in the long and storied history of the program. The 2024-25 team's 22 overall wins are tied for the fifth-most in school history and their 10 SEC victories are tied for the eighth.
Statistically, the Rebels defense has collected 290 steals this year, the third-most in a single season in school history. They've also connected on 272 three point shots, tied for the fourth-most made in a single season by an Ole Miss team. Their current assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 is by the far the best margin by an Ole Miss team all time, and their 8.9 turnovers per game is the lowest clip in program history.
Ole Miss has picked up two of the program's three all-time wins over an AP No. 4 team, with wins at No. 4 Alabama and vs. No. 4 Tennessee this season.
AWARD SEASON
As the 2024-25 campaign nears its finish, Ole Miss has begun to earn recognition across the country with award watchlists and finalists rolling in. Head Coach Chris Beard has been named a finalist for the Jim Phelan award (top head coach in Division I), and Skip Prosser Man of the Year award by CollegeInsider.com.
Senior guard Sean Pedulla was announced as a finalist for the 2025 Howell Trophy, given to the top men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi, and was named a finalist by CollegeInsider.com for the Riley Wallace Transfer of the Year award. The senior guard was also named to the All-SEC Third Team by the conference, and First Team All-District by the NABC.
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 (1,752), Sean Pedulla (1,721), Dre Davis (1,465), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,461), Jaylen Murray (1,344), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,129), and Davon Barnes (1,095). The Rebels roster is one of five in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Oklahoma State), and one of 32 programs to have two players with over 1,500 points. Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
