What is the future trajectory of the basketball season for Ole Miss? Response: No one. The current time in the season is too early to make bold predictions, and let’s face it: no significant college basketball awards are given in December.
However, Chris Beard‘s inaugural Ole Miss basketball squad has made significant progress in pursuing meaningful basketball leading up to Christmas. They not only defeated the highly skilled Memphis team with a score of 80-77, but they also triumphed against St. Mary’s and UCF.
A Perfect Start for Ole Miss
Proclaiming Ole Miss to be a potential 2024 NCAA Tournament winner in the header-title might feel optimistic at this stage of the season, but look at the facts thus far:
- Numerous down-the-wire victories, including a nail-biter with a top-ranked Memphis, have contributed to the Rebels’ pristine 9-0 record.
- As they continue to become acquainted, they are gaining knowledge of Beard’s system. They appear to improve with each passing game but are not even close to being as excellent as they could be in March.
- They have two seven-footers who tenaciously defend the interior, primarily from above the arc, and deprive many inferior teams of inside games.
- Supporters of Ole Miss are reacting. They painted the SJB Pavilion crimson, which was packed to a capacity of over 9,400, and threatened to blast the top off in the second half when the Rebels cut an 11-point deficit.
It’s an exciting moment for Ole Miss fans, but for bettors, sit tight with your ESPN Bet promo code because the 9-0 record, while impressive, hasn’t been reflected on the point spread. Thus far, Ole Miss has gone 3-6 ATS (Against the Spread). Nonetheless, Beard doesn’t care about point spreads; he cares about winning, and that’s exactly what this team has accomplished this season through their initial nine games.
Point Guard anxiousness? No need to worry
Some have pondered whether this squad has a good enough point guard to contend with the NCAA’s finest. But after Jaylen Murray’s performance against Memphis on December 2, said worries were put to bed.
There are not many statistical lines that surpass Murray’s. He participated for the entire forty minutes. His 22 points, which led all scorers, are certainly commendable, but what follows is even more so. He dished out nine assists and committed only one turnover. Four of his six three-point attempts were successful. Seven of those points were converted within the final two minutes, all while triumphing in a contest that Ole Miss was on the verge of losing.
Despite being only 5 feet 11 inches tall, he possesses the necessary skills to achieve victory. Against Memphis, he completed the task. As a Rebel, this was by far his finest performance. Before the contest, he had distributed 23 assists in contrast to 13 turnovers. Although it’s not terrible, that is by no means as excellent as nine and one.
The Style of Beard
Aggressive and tenacious defense has been a defining characteristic of Beard’s previous squads, most notably his squad’s overtime loss to Virginia during the 2019 NCAA championship game at Texas Tech. It would appear that this could be the case with the inaugural Ole Miss team. Despite their fast-paced approach, the Rebels limit opponents to 66 points per game. Under 40% of opponents’ shots originate from the floor.
With the eligibility of Oklahoma State recruit Moussa Cisse, that percentage may fall even further. Athletic at 7 feet, Cisse is five inches diminutive than the individual he is presently positioned behind. That is Jamarion Sharp, a superstructure with an approximate wing extent of a small airplane that was transported to Oxford from Western Kentucky. His 2.7 per game in blocked attempts is the most in the SEC. Following his collegiate tenure at Memphis, Cisse spent two seasons at Oklahoma State, blocking two attempts per game.
It will be extremely challenging to score against Ole Miss in the paint. That is already an excellent foundation for winning basketball contests.
