PHOTOS: Ole Miss basketball embracing ‘gift’ of first-year expectations under Beard
Chris Beard has 70 combined first-season wins over three Power 5 stops as a head coach.
Ole Miss, then, can expect around 23 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24, right?
If only it were that easy.
Beard was hired in March to replace Kermit Davis after five seasons. He’s led three separate programs (UALR, Texas Tech and Texas) to the tournament since 2016. The Rebels last got there five years ago, just their ninth all-time appearance.
But Beard, on Wednesday, and while appearing at SEC Tipoff ’24, didn’t dare attempt to lower expectations for his debut season. Actually, he’d be disappointed if his first collection of Ole Miss basketball Rebels expected anything less.
“We’ve always had high expectations for first-year teams,” Beard said. “We told the players the other day, expectations is the biggest gift you can give anyone.
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“A lot of people don’t think the first year matters. I respectfully disagree. Don’t put a mulligan, an asterisk next to this first-year Ole Miss team. It’s our players, our staff. We’re fighting time a little bit. No excuses. Everybody has obstacles.”
Ole Miss opens the year November 6 against Alabama State. Included are photos from the Rebels’ turn in Birmingham. Beard was joined by senior guard Matthew Murrell and Auburn transfer wing Al Flanigan.
RELATED: ‘A name we’ll be talking about’ and the other key Ole Miss takeaways from SEC Tipoff ‘24
PHOTOS BY USA TODAY
PHOTOS BY OLE MISS ATHLETICS
