TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 1st Season at Ole Miss (3-0) • 240-98 career record (12th Season)
Sam Houston (1-2)
Head Coach: Chris Mudge • 1st Season at Sam Houston (1-2) • 1-2 career record (1st Season)
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. SAM HOUSTON
Ole Miss has taken on the Bearkats six times in program history and owns the series lead 6-0. The two first met in December of 1988 in the Tad Smith Coliseum, where the Rebels won by 10. Ole Miss would the next year’s contest at Sam Houston 96-70, before coming out on top of a 73-71 game the following season. The two last played on December 13, 2017, with the Rebels picking up an 82-69 victory in the SJB Pavilion. This will be the fourth meeting between these two programs in the Tad Pad.
LAST MEETING: DEC. 13, 2017 (W, 82-69, IN OXFORD)
Ole Miss held the lead the entire game, leading by six at halftime before securing the 13-point, 82-69, win.
Four Rebels scored in double figures, led by Markel Crawford with 16 and Bruce Stevens with 13 from the starters, while Devontae Shuler (14 points) and Deandre Burnett (12 points) came off the bench.
SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
Sam Houston has begun the season 1-2, tipping off the year with a 64-57 victory over Pacific before falling to Utah Valley 79-73 in OT and Oklahoma State 85-70. The Bearkats are coming off one of their best seasons in recent history, after winning 26 games and falling in the second round of the NIT.
The team has been led in scoring by Lamar Wilkerson through their first three games, averaging 14.0 points per contest. He’s joined in double-digit scoring clips by Memphis native Davon Barnes at 13.7 per game. With 19 rebounds for an average of 6.3 per game, Souleymayne Doumbia leads the team in boards with a team-best four blocks.
In his first year as a collegiate head coach, Chris Mudge oversees the Bearkat program after serving on staff as an assistant and associate coach since 2010. He was hired in April 2023 after former head coach Jason Hooten took the head job at New Mexico State.
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 240-98 as an NCAA head coach since 2012, Beard holds one of the highest win percentages in the nation, ranking 11th among active head coaches with 10 or more years of experience at 71.0%.
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).
“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 Flanigan followed it up with a career-best 29 points against Eastern Washington. The senior guard also 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.
“I TAKE THE WORK, FLIP IT, ACROBATIC”
Through the first three games of the season, Ole Miss has shown elite ball control and movement on the offensive side. With a total of 51 assists compared to just 24 turnovers, the Rebels’ assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.12 ranks No. 17 in the nation. Their ball security ranks higher, with their average of 8.0 turnovers per contest ranking No. 13 in college basketball.
The team is led in assists by Jaylen Murray (14 assists to six turnovers) and Matthew Murrell (12 assists to four turnovers).
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
“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)
MILESTONE ALERT
Career milestones to watch for the Rebels:
Allen Flanigan
• Career 3PM: 94
Matthew Murrell
• Career Points: 970 – Would become the 42nd member of the 1,000-point club at Ole Miss
• Career 3PM: 144 – 163 enters top-10 in school history
• Career 3PA: 434 – 454 enters top-10 in school history
Jamarion Sharp
• Career Blocks: 287
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 4.28 blocks per game during his career is currently tied for the 10th-best average in college basketball history.
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.)
t-10. 4.28 – Jamarion Sharp, Western Ky./Ole Miss (67 GP, 287 blks.)
VALUED LEADERSHIP
The Ole Miss men’s basketball coaching staff is one of the more experienced around the country. Entering 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.
TRANSFER TO THE ‘SIP
Head coach Chris Beard and the Ole Miss coaching staff put together one of the top transfer classes in the conference, bringing in seven new players that will help punctuate Beard’s emphasis on defense. Two of the top active career leaders in blocked shots, Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State) and Jamarion Sharp (Western Kentucky) will set a strong presence down low, coming to Ole Miss with a combined 441 career blocks.
Guard Allen Flanigan (Auburn) brings over 100 games of experience, and is among the active career leaders in minutes played with 2,728. He scored nearly 1,000 points while at Auburn and grabbed just under 500 boards, adding 74 steals on defense.
After spending last season at Georgetown, Brandon Murray returns to the SEC, a conference he played in two years ago at LSU. The guard was selected to the Freshman All-SEC Team in 2022 and brings a combination of scoring (11.7 points per game) and strong defense (1.2 steals per game).
A trio of guards round out the Ole Miss transfer class. Jaylen Murray (St. Peter’s) and Austin Nunez (Arizona State) give Beard a pair of point guards, each of which have displayed the ability to score. Spending two years at Northeast Mississippi CC and a pair at Blue Mountain, Cole McGrath gives the Rebels a shooting guard with big shot-making ability.
BALL IN THE ‘SIP
The Rebels added four freshmen to their roster for 2023-24:
Cameron Barnes • F • 6-9, 195 • Duncanville, Texas • Duncanville
A three-star prospect according to ESPN, 247, and Rivals … Ranked the No. 147 overall player in the nation by Rivals … Two-time national champion, three-time state champion.
Jacob Gazzo • F • 6-8, 215 • McComb, Miss. • Parklane Academy
ESPN 3-star rated prospect … ESPN No. 3 player in Mississippi … ESPN No. 52 forward nationally … Named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State team.
Rashaud Marshall • F • 6-8, 220 • Blytheville, Ark. • Blytheville
ESPN 4-star rated prospect (82 grade) … ESPN No. 2 player in Arkansas … ESPN No. 15 center nationally … 247/247Composite 4-star rated prospect (92/0.9642 grade) … 247/247Composite No. 1 player in Arkansas … 247/247Composite No. 12 center nationally … 247 No. 83 player nationally.
Gavin Muphy • G • 5-11, 165 • Calabasas, Calif. • Calabasas
First team all-league as a senior … Ended high school career as his school’s fourth-leading scorer … First in his school’s history with 100 three pointers and 100 assists.
ROAD WORK AHEAD
The 2023-24 schedule for Ole Miss holds plenty of challenges, competing in one of the top conferences in the nation and setting a strong list of non-conference foes. Among their 31 games, 19 of them will be against teams that finished with a NET ranking in the top 100 last season, while 12 of them finished in the top 50.
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men’s Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men’s Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.