Ole Miss Guard Matthew Murrell Selected as Finalist for Howell Trophy
JACKSON, Miss. – (Release) The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum announced their finalists for the 2024 Howell Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort, as Matthew Murrell was named one of three finalists for the second-straight year. The Howell Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding men’s college basketball player in the state of Mississippi and is named after Bailey Howell.
Murrell has been a driving force on both the offensive and defensive end for head coach Chris Beard this season, averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game and 1.7 steals per game. He ranks among the top-10 in the SEC in each of those categories, all while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 40.1 from beyond the arc. The Memphis, Tenn. native averages 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest as well.
One of three finalists that will be celebrated at the award presentation, Murrell is joined by Josh Hubbard of Mississippi State and Austin Crowley of Southern Miss.
The finalists were selected by a panel of statewide media who cover college basketball, with the same panel tasked to select this year’s winner which will be announced during a luncheon and presentation on March 11 at the Golden Moon Casino.
Former Ole Miss men’s basketball player Gerald Glass will be the featured speaker for the event. The luncheon is open to the public, but tickets must be purchased in advance. If you cannot attend in person, the event will be live streamed on the Hall of Fame website.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
