After a storied season, Ole Miss has been recognized for its excellence on the court in the final Associated Press Top 25 of the 2024-25 season.
The Rebels (24-12) came in at No. 18 in the poll following a historic Sweet 16 run in year two of the Chris Beard era. But the success during March Madness was far from the only notable accomplishment by this Ole Miss team. For the first time in program history, the Rebels defeated two top-five opponents in a single season.
Those victories came against then-No. 4 Alabama on January 14 and then-No. 4 Tennessee on March 6. Ole Miss later ousted North Carolina and Iowa State in the Big Dance.
As for the losses, while there is no such thing as a moral victory, per Beard, each opponent the Rebels ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard against was showcased in the NCAA Tournament. Not one bad loss blemished Ole Miss’s résumé when all was said and done.
Virginia Tech transfer point guard Sean Pedulla anchored the ship this past season, averaging 15.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Pedulla was also listed as a third-team member of the All-SEC squad.
Other notable contributors to the Ole Miss team include seniors Jaemyn Brakefield (11.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists), Matthew Murrell (10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists), Jaylen Murray (10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists), and Dre Davis (10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists).
“I’m just super appreciative of our players raising the expectations for themselves and our program. Now our fans feel it, our students feel it, our town feels it,” Beard said after the loss to Michigan State in the Sweet 16. “Ole Miss basketball isn’t going anywhere, and we’ll never forget these seniors that took us on a special ride this year.”
Though Ole Miss is losing a lion’s share of its production from its most recent roster, center Malik Dia has elected to remain a Rebel for another year. Dia and Eduardo Klafke will be the most familiar faces on a team filled with transfers and a couple of freshmen from the high school ranks.
At this time, the Rebels have picked up LSU forward Corey Chest in the transfer portal. But the work is far from done. Beard, after reportedly turning down a lucrative offer from Texas A&M, is currently in the process of adding quality players to suit up for the red and blue.
The full top 25, which features eight SEC teams, can be viewed below:
- Florida
- Houston
- Duke
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Michigan State
- Texas Tech
- Maryland
- Michigan
- St. John’s
- Kentucky
- BYU
- Purdue
- Arizona
- Wisconsin
- Iowa State
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Arkansas
- Louisville
- Clemson
- Gonzaga
- Saint Mary’s
- Memphis
The Ole Miss women’s basketball team came in at No. 17 in the final AP poll. The Lady Rebels (22-11), like their male counterparts, ended their campaign in the Sweet 16 versus No. 3 UCLA. The full top 25 can be found here.
