Ole Miss Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Rebels
Season Outlook for Ole Miss
The Ole Miss Rebels are a team that will surprise many people this upcoming season.
With six players from the portal (all of whom are expected to make an immediate impact) and five incoming freshmen, there is no doubt Chris Beard and staff will have their work cut out for them to try to mesh this team together, establish a culture and reach their highest potential. It should be noted Beard brought over many familiar faces from his coaching tree — such as Bob Donewald Jr., Al Pinkins, Brian Burg and strength and conditioning coach John Reilly. In addition, Beard retained last year’s Ole Miss interim coach Win Case as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach.
What certainly helps bridge the gap with a plethora of newcomers is the returnees of last year’s top two leading scorers — Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield. Both are expected to play crucial minutes and their experience will certainly help this team move forward throughout the season.
No doubt, the pending waivers of Brandon Murray and Moussa Cisse continue to loom large. If the waivers are denied, the Rebels still have enough pieces set in place for other players to step up and take on larger roles to stay competitive. Players like Rashaud Marshall, Jaylen Murray and Austin Nunez will be expected to take on expanded roles if that is indeed the case.
Regardless of the waiver situation, this team will boast a strong, hard-nosed interior defensive presence similar to many of the successful Chris Beard teams in the past. Although questions surround how they can consistently score on offense, ball movement, high/low action and transition basketball will be the key if the Rebels want to stay poised offensively.
Next. Preseason top-25 power rankings for 2023-24. dark
Nonetheless, the Rebels are not only positioned to have a successful team this upcoming season — but are positioned to have an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. Although it is easier said than done, the ceiling is high in Oxford. Keep an eye out for the new-look Rebels as they enter year one of the Chris Beard era.