The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, January 14
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6 p.m.
Ole Miss
at
Alabama
No. 21 Men's Basketball Takes Undefeated SEC Record to Alabama
1/13/2025 | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – In a premiere matchup of two 3-0 teams in conference action, the No. 21 Ole Miss men's basketball team heads to No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday, January 14 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
TEAM FACTS
No. 21/21 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 14-2, 3-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (34-14) • 271-112 career record (13th Season)
No. 4/5 Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 14-2, 3-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 6th Season at Alabama (131-56) • 227-99 career record (10th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 186th game played on the court between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold a major lead over the Rebels when playing in Tuscaloosa, 74-11, with the last win for Ole Miss in their arena coming in 2015. Alabama has won nine of the last 10 matchups, including seven straight. This is the third contest between the Rebels and Tide when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25, with the previous two coming during the 2000-01 season with No. 21 Alabama defeated No. 15 Ole Miss in the first game 82-63 before No. 14 Ole Miss won the next over No. 20 Alabama, 105-71.
LAST MEETING: February 28, 2024 (L, 88-103, Oxford, Miss.)
• Hosting No. 13 Alabama, Ole Miss took an early lead and held a 42-39 advantage at the half. However, the Tide would score 64 in the second half and shoot over 60% from the field in the final period, winning 103-88.
• Allen Flanigan (Ole Miss): 28 points, six rebounds, one assist, 12 made FT.
• Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss): 21 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block.
• Mark Sears (Alabama): 26 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals.
• Aaron Estrada (Alabama): 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama joins Ole Miss and Auburn as one of three teams to remain undefeated in SEC play, holding an overall record of 14-2 and currently riding an eight-game win streak. Ranked No. 4 in the country in the latest AP Poll, the Crimson Tide have picked up wins over Wake Forest, Memphis, No. 25 Illinois, No. 6 Houston, Rutgers, No. 20 North Carolina, and Creighton during their non-conference stretch. They've begun their SEC slate with victories over No. 12 Oklahoma, at South Carolina, and at No. 10 Texas A&M.
In his third season with the program, Mark Sears once again leads the Crimson Tide on the court averaging an SEC-best 19.1 points per game, leading the conference in free throw attempts and makes as well. Last year's team leader on the glass, Grant Nelson paces the team in rebounds once more this season with an average of 8.6 per game, third in the SEC and 39th in the nation.
The nation's best offense at 91.1 points per game, Alabama gets scoring from top to bottom on their roster, as the Tide rank ninth in the NCAA in bench points per game. Alabama gets their scoring opportunities by dominating the rebounding battle, averaging the second-most boards per game in the nation at 45.4 and owning the 17th-best rebound margin at +8.7. They rank fifth in the country in free throw attempts per game at 27.3, and sixth in the nation in three-pointers shot per game at 31.9.
Head coach Nate Oats is in his sixth season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of over 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four last year, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
LET'S PLAY DEFENSE
A staple of success for head coach Chris Beard has always been his team's defensive play, and it's been evident on this year's Ole Miss roster to start the season. With a turnover margin of +6.4, the Rebels own the fourth-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 15.7 per game (No. 29 in the NCAA) while committing just 9.3 to rank eighth in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in five games this season, allowing an average of just 64.5 per contest, the 30th-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.0 ranks 40th in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 15-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +14.5 this season is 26th-best in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.0, the 12th-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 5.0 to rank 30th.
"HURRY UP AND GET YOUR MUSCLE UP, WE OUT THE PLYOMETRIC"
The start of the grueling SEC schedule has arrived and Ole Miss has stepped up to the challenge so far. In game one, the Rebels faced a Georgia team that entered their matchup 12th in the nation in field goal percentage at 50.7 and 12th in the country in rebound margin at +10.4. Ole Miss responded by holding the Bulldogs to just 29.3 percent from the floor, and out-rebounding Georgia, just the second time UGA had lost a battle on the boards this season.
In game two at Arkansas, the Rebels faced another top team in shooting efficiency, as the Razorbacks entered with the ninth-best field goal percentage in the nation at 50.7. The Ole Miss defense held Arkansas to just 37.3 percent shooting, and once again out-rebounded a team entering with a positive rebound margin.
The Rebels then held LSU to just 40.7 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from deep. Their defense forced 17 turnovers with 12 steals, as five players recorded two swipes.
Across their three SEC games, Ole Miss has held their opponents to just 35.8 percent from the field and 19.4 percent shooting from three-point range, both of which lead the conference. Their clip of 60.7 allowed points per game is also best in the SEC.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking fourth in the nation with a turnover margin of +6.4 while ranking eighth in turnovers per game at 9.3. The Rebels are forcing an average of 15.7 turnovers per contest which ranks 29th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.73 also ranks among the nation's best at 10th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.83. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.0 steals per game (No. 12 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks 25th in steals per game nationally.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 21 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Recently at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll on December 9, it was the highest ranking in a national poll since the Rebels were No. 14 in the AP Poll on January 4, 2010, and the highest position in the Coaches Poll since they sat in 15th on January 21 in 2008. Their current run of eight weeks in the top 25 is the longest streak since the 2009-10 season.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 37 steals for an average of 2.31 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 15 of 16 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 11 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 25th in the NCAA in steals per game and 23rd in total steals.
EASY TO HANDLE - A DIME BY THE DOZEN
Recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.35 in his first season with Ole Miss, senior Jaylen Murray has taken his point guard play to an even higher level this year with 65 assists to just 23 turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.83 ranks 40th in the nation. "Juju" has registered five or more assists in eight games for the Rebels this season and ranks eighth in the SEC at 4.1 assists per game.
During his time at Ole Miss, Murray is averaging 4.00 assists per game, the fifth best career average in program history.
Career Assists Average
1. 7.09, Sean Tuohy (830 assists, 117 games, 1979-82)
2. 4.89, Bob Mahoney (329 assists, 74 games, 1973-75)
3. 4.43, Rod Barnes (456 assists, 103 games, 1985-88)
4. 4.36, Dave Shepherd (218 assists, 50 games, 1974-75)
5. 4.00, Jaylen Murray (192 assists, 48 games, 2023-pres.)
6. 3.96, Jarvis Summers (530 assists, 134 games, 2012-15)
7. 3.93, Chris Warren (452 assists, 115 games, 2008-11)
8. 3.60, Henry Jackson (378 assists, 105 games, 1976-79)
9. 3.53, Todd Abernethy (431 assists, 122 games, 2004-07)
10. 3.52, Deandre Burnett (225 assists, 64 games, 2016-18)
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of January 12, they own the nation's toughest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 83.3 is the third-highest in all of college basketball, and their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 72.6 is the fifth-highest in the nation.
Among the SEC programs, Ole Miss is tied for the second-most quad-one victories with four.
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Seven players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,582), Sean Pedulla (1,455), Dre Davis (1,304), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,254), Jaylen Murray (1,184), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,101), and Davon Barnes (1,026). The Rebels roster is one of three in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Minnesota and Kentucky). Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
HOOP IN THE 'SIP
On November's signing day, Chris Beard and staff added two top recruits to Athletic Financial Aid Agreements in Tylis Jordan and Patton Pinkins. The pair gives Ole Miss a consensus top-25 recruiting class for 2025, ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals, No. 16 by On3, and No. 25 by 247Sports.
Tylis Jordan, PF, 6-9, 210, Wheeler, Louisville, Ga.
Jordan is a consensus top-100 recruit for the class of 2025, owning a national ranking as high as No. 27 in the country by On3 and No. 28 by Rivals. Listed as a power forward, the 6'9" Louisville, Ga. native is an incredibly skilled big man who can easily play with the ball in his hands.
He has the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and is able to knock down threes. One of the top-ranked players in his class in the always-talented state of Georgia, Jordan averaged a double-double last season at Shiloh as a junior with 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and is currently playing his senior season at Wheeler.
Patton Pinkins, SG, 6-5, 170, Frenship, Wolfforth, Texas
Another top-100 recruit, Pinkins is ranked as high as No. 74 in his class nationally by ESPN and No. 78 by Rivals. A 6'5" shooting guard from Wolfforth, Texas, he currently plays at Frenship High School, where he's described as an efficient player with a shooting percentage of over 60 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three.
Pinkins, the son of current Ole Miss assistant coach Al Pinkins, possess a high basketball IQ with strong passing ability. His ability as an on-ball defender pairs well with his prowess at scoring the basketball at all three levels.
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
9. Jarvis Summers - 1,629
10. Joe Gibbon - 1,601
11. Matthew Murrell - 1,582
12. Gerald Glass - 1,564
...
30. Walter Actwood - 1,216
31. Rod Barnes - 1,201
32. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,176
33. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 22 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 21st on December 19 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of January 12, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 14 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, eight in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
IT STILL MEANS MORE
The gauntlet of the SEC got even tougher this season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the conference for the 2024-25 academic year. With nine teams currently owning a spot in the national top-25 polls, including Ole Miss, the schedule for the Rebels is littered with big games, especially at home in the SJB Pavilion. Between January 22 and February 4, Ole Miss will host No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 1 Auburn, Texas, and No. 8 Kentucky.
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 11th in school history in career points with 1,582, and fifth in both three-point shots made (234), and three-point attempts (666). He also sits in 10th for most field goal attempts at 1,301.
A consistent member of the lineup for each of his seasons, Murrell recently entered the top-10 in both career minutes and games played. He currently sits in fifth with 3,846 minutes, just behind John Stroud with 3,955, and has played in 133 games, the third-most and just behind Jarvis Summers with 134 games.
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 career lists in two other categories as well, on the verge in: Career steals (Murrell at 146, 10th is Rahim Lockhart with 148), and field goals made (Murrell at 533, 10th is Breein Tyree with 603).
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.
TEAM FACTS
No. 21/21 Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 14-2, 3-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 2nd Season at Ole Miss (34-14) • 271-112 career record (13th Season)
No. 4/5 Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 14-2, 3-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Nate Oats • 6th Season at Alabama (131-56) • 227-99 career record (10th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Color: Dane Bradshaw
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALABAMA
A series that dates back to 1921, this will be the 186th game played on the court between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide hold a major lead over the Rebels when playing in Tuscaloosa, 74-11, with the last win for Ole Miss in their arena coming in 2015. Alabama has won nine of the last 10 matchups, including seven straight. This is the third contest between the Rebels and Tide when both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25, with the previous two coming during the 2000-01 season with No. 21 Alabama defeated No. 15 Ole Miss in the first game 82-63 before No. 14 Ole Miss won the next over No. 20 Alabama, 105-71.
LAST MEETING: February 28, 2024 (L, 88-103, Oxford, Miss.)
• Hosting No. 13 Alabama, Ole Miss took an early lead and held a 42-39 advantage at the half. However, the Tide would score 64 in the second half and shoot over 60% from the field in the final period, winning 103-88.
• Allen Flanigan (Ole Miss): 28 points, six rebounds, one assist, 12 made FT.
• Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss): 21 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block.
• Mark Sears (Alabama): 26 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals.
• Aaron Estrada (Alabama): 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama joins Ole Miss and Auburn as one of three teams to remain undefeated in SEC play, holding an overall record of 14-2 and currently riding an eight-game win streak. Ranked No. 4 in the country in the latest AP Poll, the Crimson Tide have picked up wins over Wake Forest, Memphis, No. 25 Illinois, No. 6 Houston, Rutgers, No. 20 North Carolina, and Creighton during their non-conference stretch. They've begun their SEC slate with victories over No. 12 Oklahoma, at South Carolina, and at No. 10 Texas A&M.
In his third season with the program, Mark Sears once again leads the Crimson Tide on the court averaging an SEC-best 19.1 points per game, leading the conference in free throw attempts and makes as well. Last year's team leader on the glass, Grant Nelson paces the team in rebounds once more this season with an average of 8.6 per game, third in the SEC and 39th in the nation.
The nation's best offense at 91.1 points per game, Alabama gets scoring from top to bottom on their roster, as the Tide rank ninth in the NCAA in bench points per game. Alabama gets their scoring opportunities by dominating the rebounding battle, averaging the second-most boards per game in the nation at 45.4 and owning the 17th-best rebound margin at +8.7. They rank fifth in the country in free throw attempts per game at 27.3, and sixth in the nation in three-pointers shot per game at 31.9.
Head coach Nate Oats is in his sixth season with the Crimson Tide, owning a win percentage with the program of over 70 percent. He's guided Alabama to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Final Four last year, and has won two SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles. He previously led Buffalo for four seasons, where he accumulated 59 wins in his final two years and guided the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
LET'S PLAY DEFENSE
A staple of success for head coach Chris Beard has always been his team's defensive play, and it's been evident on this year's Ole Miss roster to start the season. With a turnover margin of +6.4, the Rebels own the fourth-best average in all of college basketball, forcing 15.7 per game (No. 29 in the NCAA) while committing just 9.3 to rank eighth in the NCAA.
They have held opponents to 60 points or less in five games this season, allowing an average of just 64.5 per contest, the 30th-fewest in the NCAA. Their field goal percentage defense of 40.0 ranks 40th in the country this season, and Ole Miss holds a record of 15-1 in two years under Beard when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field. Their scoring margin of +14.5 this season is 26th-best in the country.
Ole Miss ranks among the top teams in the nation in steals per game at 10.0, the 12th-best clip in college basketball, and blocks per game at 5.0 to rank 30th.
"HURRY UP AND GET YOUR MUSCLE UP, WE OUT THE PLYOMETRIC"
The start of the grueling SEC schedule has arrived and Ole Miss has stepped up to the challenge so far. In game one, the Rebels faced a Georgia team that entered their matchup 12th in the nation in field goal percentage at 50.7 and 12th in the country in rebound margin at +10.4. Ole Miss responded by holding the Bulldogs to just 29.3 percent from the floor, and out-rebounding Georgia, just the second time UGA had lost a battle on the boards this season.
In game two at Arkansas, the Rebels faced another top team in shooting efficiency, as the Razorbacks entered with the ninth-best field goal percentage in the nation at 50.7. The Ole Miss defense held Arkansas to just 37.3 percent shooting, and once again out-rebounded a team entering with a positive rebound margin.
The Rebels then held LSU to just 40.7 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from deep. Their defense forced 17 turnovers with 12 steals, as five players recorded two swipes.
Across their three SEC games, Ole Miss has held their opponents to just 35.8 percent from the field and 19.4 percent shooting from three-point range, both of which lead the conference. Their clip of 60.7 allowed points per game is also best in the SEC.
AP FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, BUTTER, AND WATER
Ole Miss has dominated the turnover battle this year, ranking fourth in the nation with a turnover margin of +6.4 while ranking eighth in turnovers per game at 9.3. The Rebels are forcing an average of 15.7 turnovers per contest which ranks 29th in the NCAA. Ole Miss' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.73 also ranks among the nation's best at 10th, led by Jaylen Murray with a season ratio of 2.83. They've been a force on the defensive end with an average of 10.0 steals per game (No. 12 in NCAA), paced by Sean Pedulla, who ranks 25th in steals per game nationally.
"POLL" POSITION
In the latest top-25 polls released this past Monday, Ole Miss ranks No. 21 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Recently at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll on December 9, it was the highest ranking in a national poll since the Rebels were No. 14 in the AP Poll on January 4, 2010, and the highest position in the Coaches Poll since they sat in 15th on January 21 in 2008. Their current run of eight weeks in the top 25 is the longest streak since the 2009-10 season.
I'LL TAKE THAT, PLEASE
Sean Pedulla has had a big impact for the Rebels on defense, forcing 37 steals for an average of 2.31 per game. The senior guard has collected a steal in 15 of 16 games during the 2024-25 season, grabbing multiple swipes in 11 games this year with a season-best of five against Oral Roberts. He currently ranks 25th in the NCAA in steals per game and 23rd in total steals.
EASY TO HANDLE - A DIME BY THE DOZEN
Recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.35 in his first season with Ole Miss, senior Jaylen Murray has taken his point guard play to an even higher level this year with 65 assists to just 23 turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.83 ranks 40th in the nation. "Juju" has registered five or more assists in eight games for the Rebels this season and ranks eighth in the SEC at 4.1 assists per game.
During his time at Ole Miss, Murray is averaging 4.00 assists per game, the fifth best career average in program history.
Career Assists Average
1. 7.09, Sean Tuohy (830 assists, 117 games, 1979-82)
2. 4.89, Bob Mahoney (329 assists, 74 games, 1973-75)
3. 4.43, Rod Barnes (456 assists, 103 games, 1985-88)
4. 4.36, Dave Shepherd (218 assists, 50 games, 1974-75)
5. 4.00, Jaylen Murray (192 assists, 48 games, 2023-pres.)
6. 3.96, Jarvis Summers (530 assists, 134 games, 2012-15)
7. 3.93, Chris Warren (452 assists, 115 games, 2008-11)
8. 3.60, Henry Jackson (378 assists, 105 games, 1976-79)
9. 3.53, Todd Abernethy (431 assists, 122 games, 2004-07)
10. 3.52, Deandre Burnett (225 assists, 64 games, 2016-18)
BATTLE TESTED
The future schedule for Ole Miss is one of the most difficult in the nation. As of January 12, they own the nation's toughest remaining strength of schedule according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Their remaining opponent's win percentage of 83.3 is the third-highest in all of college basketball, and their cumulative strength-of-schedule win percentage of 72.6 is the fifth-highest in the nation.
Among the SEC programs, Ole Miss is tied for the second-most quad-one victories with four.
I GOT ALL NUMBERS
The 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball roster boasts some serious career statistics. Seven players have scored over 1,000 points in their collegiate career, including Matthew Murrell (1,582), Sean Pedulla (1,455), Dre Davis (1,304), Jaemyn Brakefield (1,254), Jaylen Murray (1,184), Mikeal Brown-Jones (1,101), and Davon Barnes (1,026). The Rebels roster is one of three in the nation to feature seven players with over 1,000 career points (also Minnesota and Kentucky). Entering the season, the team possessed 8,735 career points, 3,062 rebounds, 1,346 assists, 596 steals, and 327 blocks.
HOOP IN THE 'SIP
On November's signing day, Chris Beard and staff added two top recruits to Athletic Financial Aid Agreements in Tylis Jordan and Patton Pinkins. The pair gives Ole Miss a consensus top-25 recruiting class for 2025, ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals, No. 16 by On3, and No. 25 by 247Sports.
Tylis Jordan, PF, 6-9, 210, Wheeler, Louisville, Ga.
Jordan is a consensus top-100 recruit for the class of 2025, owning a national ranking as high as No. 27 in the country by On3 and No. 28 by Rivals. Listed as a power forward, the 6'9" Louisville, Ga. native is an incredibly skilled big man who can easily play with the ball in his hands.
He has the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and is able to knock down threes. One of the top-ranked players in his class in the always-talented state of Georgia, Jordan averaged a double-double last season at Shiloh as a junior with 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and is currently playing his senior season at Wheeler.
Patton Pinkins, SG, 6-5, 170, Frenship, Wolfforth, Texas
Another top-100 recruit, Pinkins is ranked as high as No. 74 in his class nationally by ESPN and No. 78 by Rivals. A 6'5" shooting guard from Wolfforth, Texas, he currently plays at Frenship High School, where he's described as an efficient player with a shooting percentage of over 60 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three.
Pinkins, the son of current Ole Miss assistant coach Al Pinkins, possess a high basketball IQ with strong passing ability. His ability as an on-ball defender pairs well with his prowess at scoring the basketball at all three levels.
PROGRAM POINT PRESIDENTS
Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have each surpassed the 1,000-point mark during their careers here in Oxford, and continue to climb the program leaderboard. Here's a snapshot of where they lie among the career points list at Ole Miss:
9. Jarvis Summers - 1,629
10. Joe Gibbon - 1,601
11. Matthew Murrell - 1,582
12. Gerald Glass - 1,564
...
30. Walter Actwood - 1,216
31. Rod Barnes - 1,201
32. Jaemyn Brakefield - 1,176
33. Rahim Lockhart - 1,160
NETWORKING
The 2024-25 NET Rankings made their debut on Monday, December 2 and Ole Miss has since climbed their way to No. 22 in the nation. Since the ranking's first iteration at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, their ranking of 21st on December 19 is the highest-ever NET Ranking for the Ole Miss program.
As of January 12, the entire SEC is ranked among the top 100, with 14 of the 16 programs sitting inside the top 50, eight in the top 25, and four in the top 10.
IT STILL MEANS MORE
The gauntlet of the SEC got even tougher this season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the conference for the 2024-25 academic year. With nine teams currently owning a spot in the national top-25 polls, including Ole Miss, the schedule for the Rebels is littered with big games, especially at home in the SJB Pavilion. Between January 22 and February 4, Ole Miss will host No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 1 Auburn, Texas, and No. 8 Kentucky.
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 11th in school history in career points with 1,582, and fifth in both three-point shots made (234), and three-point attempts (666). He also sits in 10th for most field goal attempts at 1,301.
A consistent member of the lineup for each of his seasons, Murrell recently entered the top-10 in both career minutes and games played. He currently sits in fifth with 3,846 minutes, just behind John Stroud with 3,955, and has played in 133 games, the third-most and just behind Jarvis Summers with 134 games.
Murrell has his eyes set on entering the top-10 career lists in two other categories as well, on the verge in: Career steals (Murrell at 146, 10th is Rahim Lockhart with 148), and field goals made (Murrell at 533, 10th is Breein Tyree with 603).
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.
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