GOING DANCING: Ole Miss men's basketball earns first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019
Chris Beard was hired two years ago to turnaround the Ole Miss men’s basketball program and get it back to the NCAA Tournament and 734 days later it is mission accomplished.
For the first time since 2019 the Rebels are putting on their dancing shoes, earning a bid into next week’s Field of 68. They are the 6 Seed in the South Region. Who they play will have to wait until Wednesday as they will play the winner between San Diego State and North Carolina, which will be the 11 Seed.
Rounding out the quadrant is 3 Seed Iowa State and 14 Seed Lipscomb.
“Just really happy for the guys,” Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said. “To be in the NCAA Tournament (in) year two. Think about those seniors. Matt (Murrell) and (Jaemyn Brakefield). Just really happy for the players overall.
“Selection Show Sunday. That’s one of those days you start talking about way back in the Summer. Playing on Friday’s always kind of what we want. Get an extra day of preparation. …I’ve never been in this situation. Been in a lot of NCAA Tournaments but never played the winner of the play-in game. So, not sure how I feel about that.”
This is the 10th time Ole Miss has made it to the NCAA Tournament in the program’s 116-year history. Nine of these appearances have happened since 1997.
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The postseason résumé was a solid one for the Rebels this year with a pair of Top 5 wins over Alabama and Tennessee. Non-conference wins over BYU, Louisville and Colorado State also helped pad the résumé. The Cardinals lost to Duke in the ACC Tournament Championship game on Saturday and the Rams beat Boise State to win the Mountain West Tournament Championship.
“Days like today are all about the players,” Beard added. “A lot of work has gone into this. But these guys, trusting and believing in Ole Miss in the recruiting process. Bot the guys that came back and the guys that chose this.”
The Rebels are the third fourth school Chris Beard has taken to the tournament as head coach. He led Little Rock, Texas Tech and Texas. The Red Raiders reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament championship game.
