Select Page

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker with Updates

Posted by | Apr 2, 2021 |

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker with Updates

Note: This article was originally published April 2, 2021, but has been updated as of April 14, 2021 to reflect current commitments. 

OXFORD, Miss. — The college basketball world is changing and with the transfer portal doing a booming business, the phrase “March Madness” is more appropriate than ever.

Programs around the nation are seeing players leave at an all-time high, creating a change in the landscape of college basketball for the next season as well as the near future.

This change offers some programs the opportunity to hit the reset button. For others, it allows them to recruit more talent to help complete their roster. In some cases we see players thrive in new environments, and in others we see a tougher adjustment period.

Ole Miss lost Dimencio Vaughn, KJ Buffen, Shon Robinson, Antavion Collum, and Khadim Sy to the portal this season; that is no secret. This has, however, left the Rebels in a position to reshape their roster.

According to Verbal Commits, the Rebels still has a few remaining roster spots for next season. This doesn’t include the five newcomers: Daeshun Ruffin, James White, Grant Slatten, Eric van der Hejiden (LOI pending), Tye Fagan (Georgia Transfer) and Nysier Brooks (Miami Transfer).

How Coach Davis and his staff choose to administer the remaining scholarships is yet to be seen. One thing we do know is that the staff is doing their due diligence on players in the transfer portal and they have reached out to a few of them.

For this article, I will focus on the players I can confirm Ole Miss has contacted. Fans are going to hear a lot about “who they may be talking to and who they aren’t,” but with over a thousand names floating around, it’s easy to talk. The staff may have very well have reached out to others and it’s most likely they.

Before a deep dive, I feel I should mention a couple names who Ole Miss approached but who have already committed elsewhere. The first is Zep Jasper of College of Charleston who has committed to Auburn; Au’Diese Toney who committed to Arkansas; and Matt Cross out of Miami who has since committed to Louisville.

Now here’s  a quick synopsis on some of Ole Miss’ transfer targets. The Rebel Walk will do its best to keep you updated as things change. As stated earlier the Rebels have landed 7’0 big man Nysier Brooks from Miami as one commitment already

Myreon Jones – Penn State

(Committed to Florida – 4/7/21)

A three-star prospect out of high school, Jones found himself coming out of high school with offers from both high major and mid major schools. He hails from Birmingham, Ala. and originally committed to play for Memphis in March of 2018. During his recruiting process Ole Miss did offer him.

Eventually, Jones flipped to Penn State where he has started the last two out of three years for the Nittany Lions. A 6-foot-3 combo guard by nature, the Alabama native really has a knack for shooting the outside shot. Jones made a 134 triples over three years (50 and 61 in ’20 and ’21, respectively) and over the last two years is just below 40% on almost six attempts per game.

This past season Jones was the Nittany Lions’ leading scorer with 15.3 PPG. Jones thrives better off ball where he can attack closeouts and help stretch defenses with his deadly catch and shoot game.

Parker Fox – Northern State DII

Recently had the chance to interivew the DII All-American. Go ahead and read that here. 

Update Fox has listed a Top 8 without Ole Miss. His final eight include: Vandy, TCU, Ohio St, Dayton, Creighton, Florida St, Minnesota, and San Diego St.

Phlandrous Fleming Jr. – Charleston Southern

 (Committed to Florida on 4/12/21)

Fleming Jr. is a physical guard at 6’4″ and 210 lbs. He has earned back-to-back First Team All-Big South nods and in 2020-2021 earned conference Defensive Player of the Year. He started 60 of 72 total games in his career at Charleston Southern.

Brian Geisinger of ACCSports.com said it best about Fleming Jr.: “While carrying one of the least efficient teams in the country, Fleming put together a monster senior season.”

Fleming, who averaged 20.1 points per game, was one of eight players with 30 percent usage, 20 percent defensive rebound rate and 15 percent assist rate. Fleming scored, rebounded, defended and created offense for others.

C.J. Felder – Boston College

(Committed to Florida on April 2)

C.J. Felder had an impressive sophomore season at Boston College, displaying some of his sky high potential. At 6’7,”  he may look a little undersized as a forward — but he plays a lot bigger than his size and can beat players in unique ways.

Felder is a good athlete who can move out in transition, defend well enough on the perimeter and finish with explosion above the rim. His greatest strength may be his rim protection as he had 2.2 blocks per game this season.

Felder has begun to extend his range out to the three-point line as he shot 31% from there this season, a .15 improvement since the 2020 season. As a freshman, he started 18 of 31 games for the Golden Eagles and this year he started 17 of 19.  A lot of teams have been in on the forward since he entered the portal. He has had meetings with Xavier, one with Texas A&M and a couple with Florida and Mike White.

Jayden Gardner – ECU

(Committed to Virginia on 4/12/21)

One of the most productive players in the transfer market, Jayden Gardner will add an instant impact to whoever lands him. At 6’7″ and 235 lbs., Gardner had his worst rebounding year of his collegiate career this past season and he still notched 8.3 per game this year, if that tells you anything about his rebounding prowess.

Gardner is also a force in the low post as he can score and score some more. His three-year average in points is 18.0 PPG, and that’s not just for last season, but all three.

Gardner earned First-Team All-AAC honors this past season while leading the conference in scoring. In the 2020 season, he was on the second team. His scoring ability comes from his strength down low but also his good footwork for a forward to take players off the dribble. His balance and touch help his game excel more.

Gardner so far has had zooms with Arkansas, NC State, Virginia, and Oklahoma State.

Joel Murray – West TX. A&M

(Committed to Long Beach April 7)

The second DII player on the list comes from West Texas A&M and is junior guard Joel Murray. In 2020-2021 he scored 23.1 PPG with 6.2 RPG and 4.2 APG. Better known as “JoJo,” he was a two-time All-American. JoJo excels as a pull-up shooter due to his ability to create space and stop on a dime. Murray will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Noah Locke – Florida

(Committed to Louisville on 4/11/21)

A familiar face to SEC fans, Noah Locke has been a consistent starter for the past three years. Locke has started 79 out of 92 games in his collegiate career. Ole Miss may remember his performance against the Rebs in 2018-2019 as he notched 22 points in an overtime thriller.

Locke is a sniper from deep as his career average is at 40.5%. He will provide any team he goes to with a two-way presence as he will bring outside shooting and defense. This past season Locke averaged 10.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 0.7 APG. His shooting slash was .425/.404/.778

Jaemyn Brakefield – Duke

The 42nd-ranked player in the class of 2020, Jaemyn Brakefield played one season at Duke and is looking for new beginnings. In high school he took an unofficial visit to Ole Miss and made two coaches visits as well.

The former prized recruit should be familiar to Ole Miss fans as he hails from right down the road in Jackson, Miss. It is worth noting that Brakefield has two crystal ball predictions on 247 to Ole Miss as of this writing. He played 12.5 minutes per game at Duke while shooting 31% from three and averaged 3.5 PPG.

Mason Faulkner – Western Carolina

Another guard, Faulkner is a 6-foot-1, 190-lb. point who spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Northern Kentucky before transferring to Western Carolina. He started 49 out of 53 games for the Catamounts while being the teams leading scorer each season.

A shifty guard, he has a jerky style to him that works as he was able to score at all three levels at WCU. He has solid touch and while he wasn’t a great three-point shooter, he can shoot above the 32% average.

This past season he averaged 16.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.8 APG. Faulkner plays with a toughness about him as he can find ways to use his body to shield himself as he tries to get to the rim. He is starting to get more Power Five looks, and it is rumored Kentucky and Louisville are making a strong push for him as of late.

DJ Jeffries – Memphis

The former top player in the state of Mississippi is now in the transfer portal after two seasons at Memphis. The 6-foot-seven-inch forward was a former four-star recruit for Penny Hardaway and played over 25 minutes per game this past season. He has since picked up two quick crystal ball predictions to Mississippi State.

Potential Players to Watch

While there are certainly guys that we don’t know about who deserve to be on the list, I am taking a look at some players who could be Ole Miss targets. These are a few guys who are either from around the Ole Miss area or were recruited by Ole Miss in some capacity.

Xavier Johnson (Pittsburgh) – Updated: Committed to Indiana

Yes, another Pitt guy. As a freshman some in the NBA circle were intrigued by Johnson’s play. Two years later he’s in the portal looking for a fresh start. Averaged 14.2 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 3.4 RPG last season. Allegedly Ole Miss and Pitt offered soon after his Nebraska release back in April 2018.

Elijah Wood (Nebraska)

An early name into the portal is Elijah Wood. A 6-foot-5-inch combo guard from Potomac, Maryland, Wood actually took an official visit to Ole Miss back in 2019. In his first season for the Huskers, Wood struggled to find time on the floor, only appearing in 13 contests.

KyKy Tandy (Xavier) – Staying with Xavier

Coming out of Kentucky in 2019, KyKy Tandy had Ole Miss in his top two. At 6-foot-1-inch, he was a Top-100 recruit out of high school and the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky. In this past season at Xavier he played 18.5 minutes per game while scoring 6.5 PPG.

Chandler Lawson (Oregon)/Jonathan Lawson –

In 2018, Chandler Lawson took an official visit to Ole Miss. He is from Memphis but ended up going to the West Coach to play for Dana Altman at Oregon. Lawson’s strength is his length and versatility for a player at 6-foot-8-inches. He could thrive as a defensive menace at Ole Miss especially atop the 1-3-1. In two seasons at Oregon he averaged 18 minutes per game. High athleticism, high upside guy.

Chandler’s brother Jonathan was an Oregon commit for the class of 2019.  The Memphis native is currently the 91st player in the country for the class of 2019. He is a 6’6′ SF wing and he and his brother may end up committing somewhere together.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Scotland Campus)

If you don’t know the name by now, you should get acquainted. The 6-foot-9, 220-lb. forward is currently a top-10 player in the class of 2022. However, there has been recent speculation about a potential reclassification into the 2021 class. BHH picked up a Crystal Ball prediction to Ole Miss last August but Tennessee is making a serious push. The rest of his top five includes: Syracuse, Kansas, and Wake Forest.

Our Lee Ann Herring-Olevedo recently got to sit down with the prized recruit. Take a look at that here.

Jonas Aidoo (Liberty Heights HS) – Committed to Tennessee on 4/14/21

Aidoo is not a college transfer but a high school guy I felt would be fun to add on. Ole Miss offered Aidoo back in August of last year. The big man hovers around 7 feet and recently announced his decommitment from Marquette. 247 has him listed as the composite 60th recruit in the country and 7th-best big man in the class. His strength is in his rim protection as of now, but he could be a really nice player once he fills out.
TJ Oxley

TJ Oxley is the Vice President of Operations and the Director of Community Relations for The Rebel Walk. He is also the Director of Basketball Content and Senior Basketball Writer. He has over five years of experience providing in-depth analysis of college basketball through multiple platforms. A former MBA graduate of Ole Miss, TJ started with The Rebel Walk in 2019.

About The Author

TJ Oxley

TJ Oxley is the Vice President of Operations and the Director of Community Relations for The Rebel Walk. He is also the Director of Basketball Content and Senior Basketball Writer. He has over five years of experience providing in-depth analysis of college basketball through multiple platforms. A former MBA graduate of Ole Miss, TJ started with The Rebel Walk in 2019.

Related Posts

TRANSCRIPT | Everything Chris Beard said after the Rebels’ win over State: ‘…If you’re going to win the fight, you’ve got to get in the fight’

TRANSCRIPT | Everything Chris Beard said after the Rebels’ win over State: ‘…If you’re going to win the fight, you’ve got to get in the fight’

January 31, 2024

Kennedy’s Rebels have the talent and depth to go far this season

Kennedy’s Rebels have the talent and depth to go far this season

November 5, 2017

New look for Rebel men’s basketball in 2014

New look for Rebel men’s basketball in 2014

July 23, 2014

Ole Miss announces Kermit Davis as men’s basketball head coach: Why this is a great hire for the Rebels

Ole Miss announces Kermit Davis as men’s basketball head coach: Why this is a great hire for the Rebels

March 15, 2018

Leave a Reply

Get RW Updates