Ole Miss coach Chris Beard on Arkansas win
What Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard said after Arkansas win.
OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball guard Matthew Murrell stepped off the court at the SJB Pavilion on March 9 for what he expected to be the last time. Murrell shared before that game against Texas A&M and again after the Rebels were eliminated from the SEC Tournament that he planned to go pro following his senior season.
But plans can change. And on Wednesday, Murrell withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft, and announced that he will return to play a fifth season with the Rebels.
The news gives coach Chris Beard a superstar centerpiece to plug into a re-shaped 2024-25 roster.
Murrell’s game flourished under Beard last season. He posted career-highs in points per game (16.2), shooting percentage (46.4), 3-point percentage (39.8), rebounds per game (3.6) and steals per game (1.6). Adding efficiency to what had mostly been a volume-scoring role in two prior seasons under Kermit Davis, Murrell’s progress earned him a second-team All-SEC nod.
Murrell tested the NBA Draft process for the second straight offseason, waiting until Tuesday’s deadline to decide on his future. He did not crack the list of 78 players who received an invitation to the NBA Draft combine, taking part in the G-League combine instead.
The native of Memphis will join a group of notable reinforcements headed to Oxford for next season. Ole Miss’ six-man transfer class ranks 14th in the country, according to 247Sports.
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It is headlined by Virginia Tech point guard Sean Pedulla, considered the No. 45 overall transfer in the country. Seton Hall small forward Dre Davis (No. 63) and Belmont power forward Malik Dia (No. 96) also rank inside the top 100.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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