SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25 season
By Justin Wiles
9. Ole Miss Rebels
Last season the Rebels got off to a fast start, winning the first 13 games of the season. In year two under Chris Beard, Ole Miss should take a step forward. Not a ton of production was lost from last year's team. The only major piece that doesn’t return this year is Allen Flanagan, otherwise the team looks to be in a good position coming into the season.
Matthew Murrell (16.2 ppg), Jaylen Murray (13.8 ppg), and Jaemyn Brakefield (12.9 ppg) all scored in double-digits a season ago and return this year to give the Rebels plenty of offensive firepower. But Beard wasn’t satisfied with the returning production and went out and signed some depth at the wing. He added All-ACC Third Team selection Sean Pedulla (16.4 ppg) from Virginia Tech to help run the offense, as well as, Dre Davis (15.0 ppg) from Seton Hall, Malik Dia (16.9 ppg) from Belmont, Devon Barnes (13.5 ppg) from Sam Houston State, and Mikeal Brown-Jones (18.9 ppg) from UNC Greensboro.
The defense on the other hand might be an area of concern. Last season Ole Miss was one of the top shot-blocking teams in the country, averaging nearly six per game. But with Moussa Cisse and Jamarion Sharp no longer on the roster Beard decided to take his defense in a different direction. He ultimately signed more versatile bigs like Brown-Jones to anchor that end of the court.
It’s clear that Chris Beard beefed up his offense to compensate for what could be a questionable defense. Last season the Rebels gave up nearly 74 points per game, and with the additions this offseason, it doesn’t appear that the defense will be much better. Beard has the reputation of being a good defensive coach, so there is a chance the team improves on that end of the court. The uncertainty about the defense holds the team back a little in the offseason rankings, but this should be one of the top offenses in the conference so maybe the defense won’t matter all that much. Beard knows how to win so it should be expected that he can win at Ole Miss and turn the Rebels into a competitive team in the SEC.