The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Illinois (Exh.)
Men's Basketball Opens SJB Pavilion with Charity Exhibition on Sunday
10/23/2024 | Men's Basketball
TEAM FACTS
No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels (2023-24 Record: 20-12, 7-11 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (20-12) • 257-110 career record (13th Season)
Illinois Fighting Illini (2023-24 Record: 29-9, 14-6 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Brad Underwood • 8th Season at Illinois (143-88) • 195-113 career record (12th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
A BIG TIME TEST
Ole Miss will get a great idea of where their team stands among the nation's best early, hosting one of the sport's premiere programs in college basketball's long history. The Illinois Fighting Illini first competed in the 1905-06 season, and have won 18 regular season conference titles, four conference tournament championships, earned bids to the NCAA Tournament 34 times, reached the Elite Eight 10 times, and the Final Four in five seasons. The school ranked 13th in all of college basketball in total victories in the most recent NCAA record books.
The 2024-25 team is led by head coach Brad Underwood, who has been at the helm since 2017. In four seasons since the 2020 Tournament was canceled, he has guided Illinois to an NCAA Tournament bid each year and finished in the top two of the Big Ten three of the last four seasons. The team won 29 games last year, earning a three-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and reaching the Elite Eight.
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Five players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,444), Sean Pedulla (1,230), Dre Davis (1,144), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,103), and Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,015). Jaylen Murray (995) and Davon Barnes (924) are on the cusp of hitting that mark as well. Collectively, the team possesses 9,058 career points, 3,187 rebounds, 1,413 assists, 621 steals, and 331 blocks.
SETTLED IN
Success in year two under Chris Beard has been evident throughout his coaching career. At Angelo State, he jumped from 19 wins in year one (2013-14) to 28 in year two (2014-15) and reached the round of 16 at the NCAA Division II Tournament. He then increased his win total by nine in year two at Texas Tech (18 wins in 2016-17, 27 wins in 2017-18), leading the Red Raiders to the 2018 Elite Eight. Following his first campaign at Texas, Beard began the next season with convincing victories over No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 7 Creighton, earning a national ranking as high as No. 2 in the nation.
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and have their sights set on the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
14. Aaron Harper - 1,505
15. Murphy Holloway - 1,476
16. Matthew Murrell - 1,444
17. Ansu Sesay - 1,428
...
41. Denver Brackeen - 1,040
42. Todd Abernethy - 1,036
43. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,025
RECORD BOOK WRECKER
Senior guard Matthew Murrell enters his fifth season with Ole Miss, and continues to put his name up and down the program record book. The Memphis native currently ranks 16th in school history in career points with 1,444, and fifth in both three-point shots made (218), and three-point attempts (614).
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 lists in multiple other categories as well, on the verge in: Career minutes played (Murrell at 3,483, 10th is Breein Tyree at 3,634), career games played (Murrell at 121, 10th is Jason Flanigan at 127), and career steals (Murrell at 121, 10th is Rahim Lockhart at 148).
For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men's Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissMBB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Men's Basketball and on Instagram at olemissmbb.
