10/5/2023 basketball Edit

Mizzou Basketball opponent preview: Ole Miss

Drew King • PowerMizzou

Basketball Writer

In this series, we’ll look ahead at Mizzou’s opponents in the upcoming 2023-24 season. We’ll continue by previewing the Ole Miss Rebels.

Date & Location: Feb. 17 at The Pavillion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., and March 2 at Mizzou Arena

2022-23 Record: 12-21 overall (3-15 SEC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: N/A

KEY LOSSES

Amaree Abram (transferred), Theo Akwuba (graduated), Robert Allen (transferred), Myles Burns (graduated), Malique Ewin (transferred), Tye Fagan (graduated), Josh Mballa (graduated), Jayveous McKinnis (graduated), Daeshun Ruffin (transferred), James White (transferred)

KEY RETURNERS

Jaemyn Brakefield, T.J. Caldwell, Robert Cowherd, Matthew Murrell

KEY INCOMING TRANSFERS

Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State, 6.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 0.6 apg), Allen Flanigan (Auburn, 10.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 apg), Brandon Murray (Georgetown, 13.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg), Jaylen Murray (St. Peter’s, 12.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg), Austin Nunez (Arizona State, 4.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.9 apg), Jamarion Sharp (Western Kentucky, 7.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.2 apg)

KEY INCOMING FRESHMEN (rankings from Rivals.com)

Rashaud Marshall (No. 125), Cameron Barnes (N/A), Jacob Gazzo (N/A)

OUTLOOK

Ole Miss is in a similar spot that Missouri was a year ago. The Rebels’ 2022-23 season unraveled after a 6-0 start, the team only winning six more games for the rest of the year, leading to head coach Kermit Davis being removed from his post on Feb. 24.

Chris Beard, who was fired at Texas after being arrested in December for assaulting his fiancée but later saw the charges dropped, was hired to give the program a much-needed reset. He brings a long track record of success, making clear improvements at every program he’s been a part of — in seven years as a head coach, his teams have never ranked lower than 56th in the country in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin rating.

He managed to retain some of the best players on the roster. Senior guard Matthew Murrell led Ole Miss a year ago, putting up 14.4 points per game, and considered going through the NBA Draft. Senior forward Jaemyn Brakefield was second on the team averaging 11.1 points and was one of its most consistent shooters, knocking down 35.1% of his 3-pointers. Sophomore guard T.J. Caldwell displayed toughness on defense as a rookie and could see a bigger role with Beard. And Robert Cowherd, who redshirted his freshman year, will get a chance to cash in on his potential.

Beard mostly relied on the transfer portal to rebuild the rest of the team. 7-foot-5 giant Jamarion Sharp will give the team a defensive backbone as he’s led the nation in blocks in each of the last two years at Western Kentucky, averaging 4.4 per game for his career. Auburn transfer Allen Flanigan is a two-way wing who has proven he can produce in the SEC and should fit in nicely next to Murrell. St. Peter’s transfer Jaylen Murray and Arizona State transfer Austin Nunez will compete for the starting point guard spot. Murray was a member of the Peacocks team that made a Cinderella run to the Elite 8 as a No. 15 seed in 2022. And Nunez was the No. 57-ranked member of the Class of 2022 coming out of high school and saw a limited role with the Sun Devils last year.

Some of the Rebels’ most talented newcomers might not be able to play this year. Oklahoma State big man transfer Moussa Cisse was named the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and, combined with Sharp, could make the paint impenetrable for opponents. Cisse would also be crucial on the boards as he ranked in the top 100 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage last season. And Georgetown transfer Brandon Murray is a do-it-all wing versatile enough to fill in at almost any position. But both players will need to receive a waiver from the NCAA to see the court this season as second-time transfers. Ole Miss’ ceiling will be raised significantly if both are cleared to play.

Beard also brought in a trio of freshmen to bolster the team’s depth. Four-star forward Rashaud Marshall will back up Brakefield and could be a cornerstone for the Rebels to build on moving forward. And centers Cameron Barnes and Jacob Gazzo give Beard some insurance behind Sharp if Cisse is deemed ineligible.

Mizzou swept the Rebels last year when they were one of the worst teams in the conference. Ole Miss won’t be as easy to get past in the Tigers’ matchups this season.