It’s no secret that first-year Ole Miss head basketball coach Chris Beard has gotten things rolling in Oxford, and that’s finally being highlighted by the Associated Press.
After receiving 180 votes in this week’s AP Top 25, the Rebels came in at No. 25 for their first ranking since 2019. The national recognition follows the Rebels’ first 10-0 start since the 2007-2008 season, which has featured wins over NC State, Memphis, Central Florida, and most recently, California.
Auburn transfer Allen Flanigan has been the most impactful player on the court so far this year as he leads the team in scoring (17.4 points per game), rebounding (7 boards per game), and takeaways (1.7 steals per game)
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St. Peter’s transfer Jaylen “Juju” Murray has been vital when it comes to facilitating as he is averaging 4.3 assists per game. Returning veterans Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield have also been notable contributors throughout the early run.
Beard’s team joins Houston (11-0), James Madison (10-0), and Oklahoma (10-0) as the only unbeaten programs in the nation. The Rebels are the only SEC team who have not yet been beaten,
Next up for Ole Miss is a Tuesday night match against Troy. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with the game being streamed on the SEC Network+ as well as participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
The full list of rankings can be found below:
- Purdue
- Kansas
- Houston
- Arizona
- UConn
- Marquette
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Baylor
- North Carolina
- Creighton
- Illinois
- Florida Atlantic
- Gonzaga
- Colorado State
- BYU
- Clemson
- Texas
- James Madison
- Duke
- Virginia
- Memphis
- Wisconsin
- Ole Miss