‘Can’t wait for this team’: Ole Miss basketball is getting after it in August, too
Ole Miss basketball is bringing back three double-digit scorers from last season’s 20-win team.
The Rebels will roster five fifth-year seniors and received a B+ off-season grade for their busy off-season. Ole Miss added 10 new players. Its transfer class was ranked No. 16 in the nation by On3.
“They changed over a lot of things,” ‘Field of 68’ host Rob Dauster said. “They bring back some really important pieces, specifically Matthew Murrell, Jaylen Murray and Jaemyn Brakefield, and they went out and added guys in the portal that can have an immediate impact.
“I think the team is Top 20 good and can push for Top 5 in the SEC. They go about eight or nine deep. They have size, depth, versatility, shot-making, floor-spacing and they’re older.”
Among the portal headliners was Virginia Tech point guard Sean Pedulla. He was an All-ACC guard and played north of 100 games in three seasons with the Hokies. He totaled over 1,200 points and 300 assists.
“We’re lucky to have him,” Ole Miss assistant coach Wes Flanigan previously said of Pedulla. “We felt last season for the most part down the stretch we only had one ball-handler (in Jaylen Murray), so we wanted to get a little more depth there with a guy that can make some decisions and other guys better.”
Fifth-year senior guard Matthew Murrell is one of six returners for the Rebels.
The Rebels won 20 games for the first time since 2018-19 — the last year they reached the NCAA Tournament. They’ll be in search of their 10th all-time appearance next season.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as a nine-seed in his most recent way-too-early bracketology.
“I can’t wait for this team, man,” freshman John Bol said during a recent stop by the Ole Miss Spirit’s ‘Ivey League’ podcast. Bol is just the third McDonald’s All-American signed by the Rebels in program history.
“We’re really good right now; we look really good. We’re creating a bond. I can’t wait to play my first game. I’m just excited. I have some games circled. Couple of them. I can’t wait to play in (The Pavilion) with all the fans. It’s nothing new to me, but I’ll still love to feel that experience of college basketball.”
Ole Miss opened practices last month. The included photos were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
Sean Pedulla
Dre Davis
Mikeal Brown-Jones
Jaylen Murray
Malik Dia
TJ Caldwell
Matthew Murrell
