‘It’s an honor’: Ole Miss-Illinois one of few exhibitions picked up by national television
Ole Miss basketball unofficially opens the 2024-25 season with a charity exhibition against Illinois Sunday at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.
The Rebels are preseason ranked No. 24. They’ll be in pursuit of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018-19 starting when they host Long Island in their opener November 4.
Ole Miss has reached the tournament just nine times in its 100-plus-year history. Illinois has made it to the ‘Big Dance’ each of the last four postseasons. The Fighting Illini, as a program, has won 18 regular-season conference titles, as well as reached the Elite Eight 10 times.
They have five all-time appearances in the Final Four.
“Sunday is certainly an opportunity for us,” second-year head coach Chris Beard said. “Getting a team like Illinois to come to Oxford is a big deal. I hope it’s a great opportunity for both teams to get better before the season starts.
“The 11 a.m. tip time brings some challenges to the students who might have had a great night the night before or to those of us that are committed to going to church. National television picked up the game. To me, that’s an honor. A lot of respect for Illinois, but I think it’s some respect for our program, too. We’re building quickly. There are only a few of these exhibitions that got picked up on television. We’re looking forward to that opportunity.”
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Ole Miss has readied this week for the exhibition with a get-to-know-the-team event Tuesday night, as well as some guerrilla marketing.
Beard, for example, appealed to students directly by visiting fraternity houses, etc., on campus.
It’s all in preparation for an expectations-filled upcoming campaign. The Rebels added 10 new players in the off-season to go along with six returners — among them star guard Matthew Murrell.
Murrell has led Ole Miss in scoring each of the last three years. Ole Miss’ portal class was ranked by On3 as the 14th-best in all of college basketball.
“I haven’t been a part of a tournament team,” UNC-Greensboro transfer forward Mikeal Brown-Jones said, in sitting down one-on-one with the Ole Miss Spirit’s ‘Talk of Champions’ podcast.
“I made it my freshman year. Unfortunately that was the COVID year, so we didn’t get a chance to play, which crushed me. I haven’t been back since. But I will say: Talent-wise and how we are as a team, we can definitely compete in the tournament. I’m not being arrogant or anything when I say this: We have the potential to win the tournament.
“The more we lock-in and put our heads down and handle what’s what, we’ll be great.”
The included photos from the week in Ole Miss basketball were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard met with various fraternities this week
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard
Malik Dia
John Bol
Matthew Murrell
Cam Brent
Eduardo Klafke
Davon Barnes
Davon Barnes and Dre Davis
Zach Day
Ja’Von Benson
