Ole Miss Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Rebels
As ex-Texas head coach Chris Beard enters the fold, the expectations and standards have inevitably been raised for an Ole Miss Basketball program that has struggled to consistently compete throughout the rigors of the SEC.
In the 2022-2023 season, the Rebels saw themselves amidst a tumultuous season. They finished with a 12-21 (3-15) record and saw their head coach — Kermit Davis — get fired on February 24, 2023, with three games remaining in the regular season.
To reiterate their struggles, the last time the Ole Miss Rebels went to the NCAA Tournament was in 2019, where they lost in the Round of 64 to the 9-seed Oklahoma Sooners. The last time they made it to the Sweet 16? That would be in 2001. 22 years ago.
Expect that to change. Quickly.
The new-look Rebels sport a plethora of high-ceiling transfers, compiling the ninth-ranked transfer class in the country, according to 24/7 Sports.
Incoming to Oxford include the likes of two of the nation’s best interior defenders Moussa Cisse* (Memphis/Oklahoma State) and last year’s nation-leading shot blocker Jamarion Sharp (Western Kentucky). Additionally, Beard and company have stocked up on additional talented transfers including Allen Flanigan (Auburn), Jaylen Murray (Saint Peter’s), Brandon Murray* (LSU/Georgetown) and Austin Nunez (Arizona State).
Note: Both Murray and Cisse will need a waiver to be eligible for the 2023-2024 because they are two-time transfers. As of September 28th, there is no official word on their eligibility.
Although the Rebels return only 37.9% of their total minutes, according to BartTorvik, they arguably retained two of their most important pieces — last year’s leading scorer Matthew Murrell (who withdrew from the 2023 NBA Draft) and stretch-forward Jaemyn Brakefield.
Despite Brandon Murray and Moussa Cisse’s pending waivers continuing to loom large, there is still plenty of talent on the floor heading into year one of the Chris Beard era. Take a look at the early season preview for the Rebels heading into the 2023-24 season.