Where Does Ole Miss Basketball Land in Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings?

OXFORD, Miss., -- Chris Beard’s inaugural season with the Ole Miss Rebels men’s basketball team did not end nearly as well as it started, but the program is still on the uptrend ahead of the 2024-25 season.

On3 released its fifth set of “Way-Too-Early” Top 25 rankings for the upcoming season on Monday, and the Rebels landed at No. 24 in the projections following a fruitful spring of recruitment in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Ole Miss is one of seven programs from the SEC to make the early rankings.

The media outlet also listed each team’s key returners, additions, and departures.

“Key returns: Matthew Murrell*, Jaemyn Brakefield, Jaylen Murray, TJ Caldwell
Key additions: John Bol, Mikeal Brown-Jones, Malik Dia, Davon Barnes, Dre Davis, Sean Pedulla,
Key departures: Allen Flanigan”

After starting the 2023-24 season 13-0, Ole Miss took a beating during conference play and finished the year with an overall record of 20-12. The Rebels simply did not have the talent or bench depth to make a serious postseason run in Beard’s first year – but Ole Miss has undergone a facelift this offseason.

In just 11 days, Beard received commitments from transfers Mikeal Brown-Jones, Malik Dia, Dre Davis, Davon Burnes, and Sean Pedulla, respectively. These talented newcomers are set to join veteran Rebels Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield, Jaylen Murray, and TJ Caldwell. Beard also has a commitment from 2024 four-star center John Bol, the ninth-best center in his class.

Ole Miss suffered multiple losses to the portal this offseason as well, but fortunately, most were not impact starters. The biggest loss was Allen Flanigan, who averaged 14.8 points per game and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game.

The entire way-too-early Top 25 rankings can be found below.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

2.     Kansas Jayhawks

3.     Houston Cougars

4.     Uconn Huskies

5.     Baylor Bears

6.     Duke Blue Devils

7.     Iowa State Cyclones

8.     Gonzaga Bulldogs

9.     Auburn Tigers

10.  Creighton Bluejays

11.  UNC Tar Heels

12.  Texas Longhorns

13.  Arizona Wildcats

14.  Marquette Golden Eagles

15.  Providence Friars

16.  UCLA Bruins

17.  Florida Gators

18.  Purdue Boilermakers

19.  Clemson Tigers

20.  Tennessee Volunteers

21.  Indiana Hoosiers

22.  Texas A&M Aggies

23.  USC Trojans

24.  Ole Miss Rebels

25.  New Mexico Lobos