‘Really high internal optimism’: Promising Ole Miss basketball teams take on SEC Media Day
The Ole Miss men’s and women’s basketball teams descended on Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday for SEC Media Day.
The men were represented by second-year head coach Chris Beard and guards Jaylen Murray and Sean Pedulla.
Pedulla was a headliner in an Ole Miss off-season transfer class ranked No. 14 nationally by On3. He was an All-ACC guard for the Hokies and played north of 100 games in three seasons. Pedulla totaled over 1,200 points and 300 assists.
Ole Miss also brought in Ja’Von Benson (Hampton), Davon Barnes (Sam Houston State), Malik Dia (Belmont and Vanderbilt), Dre Davis (Seton Hall) and Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNC-Greensboro).
“Last year, really proud of some of the things we did,” Beard said. “Certainly winning 20 games, getting in the Top 25 a couple weeks and graduating all our seniors. Year Two’s an opportunity and it’s exciting.
“We have really high internal optimism.”
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The Associated Press placed Ole Miss No. 24 in its preseason Top 25 poll.
The only other preseason ranking for Ole Miss in program history was back in 1997-98. Those Rebels went into the year ranked 10th.
This Rebel roster is the SEC leader in returning minutes per game. The Rebels are fourth in Power 5. Senior guard Matthew Murrell earned second-team All-SEC. League media picked the Rebels to finish ninth.
“You hear this all the time,” Beard said. “It’s cliche, but you’re building your culture. A lot goes into that. By the second year you can start defending it. There’s a difference between building and defending. We have very high expectations this year.”
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The women rolled out seventh-year head coach Yolett McPhee McCuin and guards KK Deans and Tameiya Sadler.
Ole Miss returns eight players from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. McPhee-McCuin also brought in four international freshmen and three transfers from the portal, among them Sadler.
The No. 20-ranked Rebels were projected to finish fifth in the SEC by league media. Madison Scott earned preseason All-SEC second-team honors.
Ole Miss opens against USC in Paris, France, as part of the 2024 Aflac Oui-Play on November 4. Tipoff on ESPN is 11 a.m. CT.
“My players teach me something new every single day,” McPhee-McCuin said. “When we recruit, I always tell our coaches, let’s have people around us we wouldn’t mind our kids around. That’s one thing I’m proud to say about the young women on my team — they’re great people. They’re examples for my two daughters.
“We’re a family. I love them and want to see them win. We have that partnership and understanding. But it comes first with the character. They’re awesome people.”
The included videos and photos were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
Jaylen Murray
Chris Beard
Sean Pedulla
Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Tameiya Sadler
KK Deans
