Last Year: 20-12; 7-11, Tenth in the Southeastern Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Chris Beard (Second Year)
Projected Starting Lineup
PG Sean Pedulla – 6’1″, 195 Senior
G Matthew Murrell – 6’4″, 205 5th-year Senior
W Dre Davis – 6’6″, 215 Senior
F Jaemyn Brakefield – 6’8″, 225 5th-year Senior
F Malik Dia – 6’9″, 250 Junior
Experienced Reserves
G Jaylen Murray – 5’11”, 165 Senior
G TJ Caldwell – 6’4″, 195 Junior
G Davon Barnes – 6’4″, 205 Senior
F Mikael Brown-Jones – 6’8″, 225 5th-year Senior
Freshmen
G Eduardo Klafke – 6’5″, 195 (Redshirt)
C John Bol – 7’2″, 210 / Consensus Top 100 recruit
Remember back when Chris Beard took a scrappy, try-hard team led by a superstar to the Final Four? He’s going to have a bit more to work with this year.
Ole Miss had a decent first year under Beard, the embattled head coach that they snapped up following his ouster from Texas. Speaking of, the Longhorns will be in the Southeastern Conference now. Won’t those conference get-together’s be delightful? While Mississippi didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, Beard quickly elevated expectations for the program publicly, and then backed it up with an eight-game turnaround and 20-win season.
With the SEC expanding and goals still to be reached, Beard and his staff went shopping this spring and landed a whole bunch of fun new pieces. His first group was quite talented, but still finished four games under .500 in league play. This season, Beard wants to reach some more goals, and to do so he’ll have one of the best rosters in the SEC.
Between its haul of transfers and three key returnees, Ole Miss will feature eight different players who averaged at least 12.9 points per game last winter. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and there’s a strong feeling that their skills are going to complement one another just fine.
Back to lead the way and help acclimate the new faces to Beard’s culture are Matthew Murrell, Jaylen Murray, and Jaemyn Brakefield. All three of them started every game of the season, all three averaged at least 2.4 assists per game, and all three are looking to go out with an NCAA Tournament run in their final year.
The team’s leading scorer each of the past two years, Murrell is a smooth shooter who’s proven that he’s ready to be the star of a contender. Across his four seasons in Oxford, MS, Murrell has knocked down 218 triples, which ranks fifth all-time at Ole Miss. His percentage from long range dipped to just 30.4% two years ago, but last winter, Murrell brought it back around in a big way. He made 39.8% of his triple tries, and Murrell placed tenth in the SEC in made three’s, part of a highly efficient campaign which cemented him as top dog in the offense Beard runs. Entering his fifth year with the program, Murrell has also developed leadership qualities, and looks ready to put it all together.
Some three-point snipers are glass cannons who don’t do much else to impact the game. Murrell is more: a quality two-way guard who plays a smart, well-rounded game. As his scoring game has taken off, Murrell has also been one of Mississippi’s primary playmakers, and he doesn’t throw away possessions with turnovers or foolish shots. His commitment on the defensive end is a natural fit with Beard’s attacking style on that end of the floor, and Murrell placed ninth in the SEC in steals. The more that Murrell’s teammates can follow his example, the better Mississippi will be.
It’s been awhile since he was a freshman reserve at Duke, and Brakefield has taken solid steps forward in each of his three seasons in Oxford. These days, the Jackson, MS, native is well known as one of the SEC’s most productive and efficient forwards. The past two years, Brakefield has averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a pair of assists per game while shooting 50.5% from the floor, 35.6% from the land of trey, and 75.2% on free throws. He doesn’t turn it over, and he doesn’t rack up too many fouls. It all adds up to Brakefield being easy to keep on the floor, and this year Beard is hoping to see the fifth-year forward max out his potential by being aggressive every game. He’s not a huge guy in the lane, but Brakefield has good athleticism and can move deftly around the halfcourt or scoot in transition. His jumper is a valuable floor-spacing element, and with non-shooters at the pivot last winter, Brakefield’s hits from distance were particularly vital. If he can play with a bit more of the physicality and aggressiveness his coach demands, Brakefield could become the star of a highly productive frontcourt.
Upon his arrival from Saint Peter’s last fall, folks weren’t completely sure what to expect from Jaylen Murray in his SEC debut. Turns out, Murray was ready to make his mark in a resounding way. The diminutive playmaker began to step out during his sophomore season for the Peacocks but improved considerably as a junior, starting every game for Beard and proving to be borderline indispensable. Playing alongside savvy, proven distributors like Murrell and graduated Allen Flanigan, Murray was able to live his best life as a scorer and grow as a point guard.
Quick with the ball in his hands, Murray is inventive in dipping around the press of bodies or losing defenders on a screen. In his first year at Ole Miss, Murray was great at creating openings for himself and others to shoot. He ended up ranking eighth in the SEC in assists, and Murray posted career-best shooting splits pretty much across the board. Murray’s shot off the dribble improved most, and included with that was a strong 44.6% rate from mid-range. He’s always been good at getting into the lane off the bounce, but Murray isn’t terrific at the rim. By sinking runners and dribbling into 15-foot jumpers, Murray has taught defenders to stay close, all to the benefit of his teammates. The evolution of his jumper has allowed the rest of Murray’s game to blossom, and he combined with Murrell to sink 62.2% of the triples Ole Miss hit as a team last year. He’s now well-established as a key piece, though Murray’s role may change given the upgrades Beard has made.
Point guard should be a strength of this team because Sean Pedulla has transferred in from Virginia Tech, and he may well supplant Murray this year. Over the past two seasons, Pedulla averaged 15.7 points and 4.2 assists for the Hokies, and he brings a wealth of experience facing the varied defenses of the ACC. He’s a solid shooter who has grown strong on the drive as well, and Pedulla can coordinate the offense while being a primary scorer. Pedulla’s three-point percentage fell in each of his three seasons, but some of that had to do with usage and defensive attention. He also struggled with turnovers last winter, coughing up the second-most in the ACC with 104 giveaways. At Tech, Pedulla was often one of the only consistent offensive options, but in Oxford, there will be more help. His performance late in the season gives cause for real excitement. Despite all the wear and tear, Pedulla averaged 20.1 points and 5.5 assists on 50.0% shooting over Tech’s final eight games.
“JuJu has played in the NCAA tournament as a freshman, and Sean’s played in the NCAA Tournament…for them to come here and impact winning an Ole Miss is the ultimate plan.”
– Chris Beard
“JuJu has played in the NCAA tournament as a freshman, and Sean’s played in the NCAA Tournament,” Beard explained this fall. Mississippi’s coach is expecting big things from his veteran point guards now that they’ve joined forces. “Both guys have had some success individually at different levels, and for them to come here and impact winning an Ole Miss is the ultimate plan.”
Over the first three seasons of his career, Dre Davis had played a solid, versatile supporting role for Louisville and Seton Hall. Last year, in his second year with the Pirates, Davis developed into one of the Big East’s breakout stars. A strong, physical wing player who makes some of his best plays in the lane, Davis can hang just fine as a small-ball 4 who makes an impact in transition. He made great strides as an outside threat at Seton Hall, hitting 53 triples at a 36.8% rate over the past two seasons. Davis is a versatile defender who is best used against mid-sized forwards and wings, but he has no problem knocking around with the bigger guys. Last winter, Davis also became a menacing shot blocker both on the wing and around the paint. He had blocked 29 shots total through three seasons, but the 49 attempts that Davis swatted last year ranked fifth in the Big East. Though Hall was left out of the NCAA Tournament, Davis was playing some of his best ball late last season, and he ratcheted things up as the Pirates made a run to the NIT championship. Over the Hall’s final 15 games, Davis averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. As a contrast to Murrell, Ole Miss is going to have something for every occasion on the wings.
With Brakefield at one big spot and Mississippi’s pair of seven-plus-footers moving on, there are 40 minutes available in Beard’s frontcourt. This year’s group won’t have the overwhelming size of last season, but with the additions of Malik Dia and Mikeal Brown-Jones, Ole Miss has added a couple of proven bucket-getters.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 15.1 – Assists Per Game (50th) |
| 14.6 – Opponent Assists Per Game (306th) |
| 36.5% – Team 3FG Percentage (35th) |
| 67.1% – Defensive Rebounding Rate (350th) |
| 5.8 – Blocks Per Game (7th) |
At Belmont last winter, Dia enjoyed one of the bigger breakouts of any young big in the country. After playing sporadic minutes as a freshman at Vanderbilt, Dia consistently put up big numbers for the Bruins as a sophomore. He scored 20+ points a dozen times in 33 games, and Dia left Belmont fans with a performance to remember with his 32 points in a huge win over Missouri Valley power Drake. A smooth stretch big man, Dia can heat up from the outside and devastate the opposition from all over the floor. He’s quick around the basket and has great touch even while being shoved around in the lane, and Dia can play with an edge at times. He will need to play tough all the time this year, because Dia is going to see primary minutes at the 5 spot for Ole Miss. Is Dia big enough to handle SEC post players effectively, and do so without sapping too much of his offensive effectiveness? If he can, Dia will provide Beard with an important x-factor, and the rest of the rotation can find its orbit.
After a couple of seasons as a solid rotation piece at VCU, Brown-Jones leveled up a whole bunch in his two years at UNC Greensboro. Last winter he missed some time due to injury, but sandwiched around it Brown-Jones was super productive. He was the Southern Conference’s second-leading scorer, and Brown-Jones was dubbed a first-team All-SoCon pick at season’s end. He dropped not one but two different 39-point performances with a 29 & 10 double-double in between them. A powerful presence near the rim, Brown-Jones can overpower other forwards. He’s always been capable of sticking an open jumper, and last year Brown-Jones became a genuine deep threat, hitting 25 triples at a terrific 43.1% rate. He should be able to help at both big spots, but like Dia, Brown-Jones wasn’t a dominant rebounder at a lower level. If Mississippi’s bigs can defend at a high enough level and clean the boards, the team should be able to hit its stride. If not, things may be a struggle.
The one freshman who’s coming in this year may be able to help out with all that. Consensus 4-star pivot John Bol is a 7’2″ defensive weapon. He still needs to fill out his lanky frame, but Bol should be able to protect the rim and make some plays at the back end of Beard’s defense.
Experienced guards TJ Caldwell and Davon Barnes will lend additional firepower off the bench. A second-team All-CUSA pick last year at Sam Houston State, Barnes has averaged precisely 13.5 each of the past two seasons. The difference between his campaign two years ago at Texas Southern and last winter’s effort for the Bearkats was his three-point shooting. A big guard who can match up in the SEC, Barnes hit 39.1% of his deep balls a year ago, a marked improvement over the 27.5% rate he hit for the Tigers. Beard will find some minutes for Barnes if he can keep it up. Entering his third year in Oxford, Caldwell made a Barnes-like improvement from the land of trey as a sophomore. He’s not huge or a particularly aggressive scorer, but if Caldwell continues to improve, Ole Miss will have an embarrassment of riches at guard.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N Purdue/NC State – November 29 |
| N BYU – November 28 |
| @ Memphis – December 28 |
| @ Louisville – December 3 |
| N Colorado State – November 16 |
Young guys will do battle for the remaining run, whether they’re brand new or coming off of a redshirt. Eduardo Klafke is a creative Brazilian guard who should help to run offense. He’s unselfish and brings good size and bloodlines – Klafke’s father, Rogerio, played hoops for Brazil at the 1996 Olympics. After enrolling early and gaining experience last winter, Eduardo Klafke is ready to contribute. The larger freshman will likely have a more immediate effect. At 7’2″, John Bol is an unmissable presence. Without Jamarion Sharp or Moussa Cissé, who Marfo’d back to Memphis this spring, Beard needs a new huge guy in the middle, and Bol should be ready to begin his ascent. A McDonald’s All-American last year, Bol is mobile, coordinated, and an extreme hazard to people who want to shoot near the goal. If he can prove his strength and defend without fouling, Bol will earn the minutes to put together a legit scoring repertoire.
20 wins just don’t buy what they used to. Especially in a bigger, badder SEC than there’s ever been, team’s will need to find ways of standing out from the crowd in order to garner a bid to the Big Dance. Beard and his staff understand that fact, and have planned accordingly.
“Every year when you put a team together, you have some objectives. It always starts with talent, with this being a talent-based business,” Beard explained to Inside the Rebels during the offseason. “You have to have guys that can contribute in the SEC that can thrive, ultimately, guys that can play at the next level after college.” In addition to stacking talent, this team knows it will have to cash in on its most important non-league contests in order to build a March-ready-résumé. If all goes to plan, the monster Beard is attempting to put together in Oxford may just start terrorizing the countryside by the new year.
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