NCAA Basketball: Buy or Sell Clemson, James Madison, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss as 2024 NCAA Tournament teams?

Ole Miss Rebels

Ironically, the biggest surprise unbeaten team right now isn't James Madison but rather the Rebels. They had an incredibly shaky first couple of weeks to the season, starting with a close win over Alabama State. Ole Miss then had to fight to the finish to beat bad teams like Detroit Mercy and Sam Houston State, before beating Temple by a single point.

To their credit, the Rebels have gotten much better since. They beat both NC State and Memphis at home, followed by a road win over UCF. And assuming they get past Cal this weekend in a neutral site matchup, they'll likely be unbeaten by the time SEC play starts.

The biggest reason for the success is the play of the guards. Jaylen Murray is one of the biggest surprise impact transfers in NCAA Basketball, scoring even more than he did at Saint Peter's to average 14.7 ppg and 4.3 apg. Auburn transfer Allen Flanigan (18.0 ppg and 6.9 rpg) is playing at an all-league level, while the big man duo of Jamarian Sharp and Moussa Cisse have given them needed interior defense.

Add Georgetown transfer Brandon Murray potentially in the mix and the Rebels have plenty of firepower to compete in the SEC. New coach Chris Beard has had success at each of his previous stops and it was expected to happen here at Ole Miss. Folks just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Buy