Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Receives First-Ever Spot in Preseason Coaches Poll
OXFORD, Miss. — (Release) For the first time in program history, the USA Today Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll featured Ole Miss on their preseason list, ranking the Rebels No. 25 in the nation.
Excitement around the men’s basketball program is high as Chris Beard’s team boasts a strong combination of returners, transfers, and first-year players. The roster leads the SEC and ranks fourth among power-five programs in returning minutes per game, with 10 seniors on the team. Five players own over 1,000 career points, with seven having scored over 900.
Last season, Ole Miss was ranked by the Coaches for six weeks, peaking at No. 19 in the nation to start the 2024 calendar year.
The Rebels are joined by eight other teams from the SEC, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Texas, No. 21 Florida, and No. 23 Kentucky.
Next Up
Ole Miss will play in a top-25 matchup before the regular season begins, hosting No. 24 Illinois for a charity exhibition on Sunday, October 27 at 11 a.m. in the SJB Pavilion. They then host Long Island to begin the 2024-25 campaign on Monday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
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.
