2025 Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

OXFORD, Miss. — After reaching the second Sweet Sixteen in program history, Ole Miss men’s basketball is now looking to reshape its roster and reload after losing talented players such as Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield, Sean Pedulla, JuJu Murry, Davon Barnes, Mikeal Brown-Jones, and Dre Davis who exhausted their eligibility. Chris Beard and his staff will turn to the transfer portal to find a new batch of players who will seek to take the program to an ever higher level.

Ole Miss is set to return star forward Malik Dia as well as guards Eduardo Klafke and Robert Cowherd. The Rebels also will bring in a freshman class consisting of the duo of Tylis Jordan and Patton Pinkins.

This article will keep you up to date with the latest on Ole Miss’ portal targets and will be updated daily. The Rebels have 10 roster spots to fill this offseason cycle and only return one starter from last year’s team.

Note: The latest player updates will be featured at the top of the article. At the very bottom of the article will be a list of portal players who Ole Miss reached out to in the 2024 cycle who are currently in the 2025 transfer portal.

James Scott (Louisville) – Committed to Ole Miss

A 6’11 forward, Scott followed Pat Kelsey from the College of Charleston to Louisville. At College of Charleston, Scott earned All-CAA Freshman honors in a role off the bench. This season despite jumping to a league with tougher competition, Scott found more success starting 31 of 35 games for Louisville. In 23.6 minutes a game last season, Scott finished averaging 7.1 PTS and 6.1 REB per game.

Scott finished with the second highest 2PT FG% in the NCAA last season at 78.1%. Scott also provided the Cardinals with skills to being a defensive anchor in the paint hoisting a 4.1 BLK% and a defensive rating in the top-10 of the ACC at 99.2. Chris Beard conducted an in-home visit with Scott in either late April/early May. When Scott first entered the portal, the school to watch was NC State but Will Wade and the Wolfpack landed a commitment from Paul Mbiya.

UPDATE: Auburn was the first school to bring Scott in for a visit on Friday May 2nd, and hereportedly visited Ole Miss shortly after. Scott committed to Ole Miss May 7, 2025.

Desmond Claude (USC)

It’s been a little bit of give and take for Eric Musselman in the portal this cycle. Shortly after landing Maryland G Rodney Rice, star guard Desmond Claude entered the transfer portal. A 6’5 guard who spent one season in Los Angeles is instantly one of the top available players in the transfer portal. Prior to his time at USC, Claude spent two seasons at Xavier. After earning Big East All-Freshman honors, Claude followed it up by becoming the 2023-2024 Big East Most Improved Player of the Year. A school that keeps getting mentioned with Claude is Florida. Ole Miss was on the early interest list.

UPDATE: After visiting with the Gators, the two sides mutually decided to go a different route. Shortly after multiple sources confirmed Ole Miss was in contact with Claude recently. Given the need for Ole Miss, this pairing makes sense but the question becomes can Ole Miss put together the best offer and supporting cast. Other schools to be mentioned according to Jeff Borzello (ESPN) include Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, and Kentucky.

Later on reports from KSR, stated that Kentucky wasn’t expected to be involved. There’s been a lot of early chatter about Ole Miss and Virginia. Don’t rule out Duke as a possibility either, as reports stated that the Blue Devils have nearly $10 million in NIL for this 2026 season.

Travis Perry (Kentucky) – Committed to Ole Miss

One of the major prep targets for Chris Beard in the Class of 2024, Travis Perry entered the transfer portal from Kentucky. Out of Lyon County, KY Perry was the all-time leading prep scorer in the state of Kentucky. He is the only Kentucky high school basketball player to eclipse 5,000 career points. A four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, Perry committed to Kentucky following a late push from John Calipari. He chose the wildcats over Ole Miss and Cincinnati.

This past season, Perry appeared in 31 games for the Wildcats with four starts. Perry averaged 2.7 PTS on 32% from the perimeter in 9.7 minutes per game. The freshman saw a small uptick in playing time in SEC play and twice scored in double figures against Alabama.

During the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Darrel Bird of CatsPause.com asked Beard on what attracted him to a player like Perry. Beard responded saying “I love Travis. He’s one of those guys that’s addicted to basketball; loves it. Basketball guy.”

When Perry entered the transfer portal, Ole Miss coach Chris Beard was quick to get in contact with the guard. The Ole Miss coach went to Kentucky on the weekend of Friday April 25th to conduct an in-home visit with Perry and his family per Ben Garrett of On3 and the Ole Miss Spirit.

Maryland had scheduled a visit with Perry. This recruitment came down to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Up until the weekend of May 2nd, Vanderbilt sources felt good about where things stood but that weekend a lot of chatter began to build with Ole Miss before Perry ending up committing to the Rebels.

UPDATE: Perry committed to Ole Miss on Sunday, May 4th.

Elijah Fisher (Pacific)

Ole Miss has shown interest in Pacific wing Elijah Fisher. A lengthy 6’6 wing, Fisher reclassified into the class of 2022 and enrolled at Texas Tech while being recruited by current Ole Miss assistant Mark Adams. Another guy who screams versatility for this transfer board. After averaging 12.2 minutes a game as a freshman at Texas Tech, Fisher transferred to DePaul where he started 30 games and scored in double figures. This past season, Fisher transferred to play under Dave Smart at Pacific. Smart was a former longtime coach at a prestigious university in Canada while Fisher is from Toronto and the two had crossed paths before. Fisher displayed some growth offensively under Smart averaging 15.7 PTS while also grabbing 4.8 REB. Fisher scored 20+ points nine times this season in the WCC.

According to Joe Moussa of NorthPoleHoops, schools to stand out to Fisher include Villanova, Ole Miss, Colorado, and Seton Hall.

PJ Haggerty (Memphis)

One of the premier players in the transfer portal is Memphis’ PJ Haggerty. A 2024-2025 AP All-America second team honoree, Haggerty has a big choice ahead of him. Haggerty has entered the transfer portal but can return to Memphis, can transfer to a new team, or explore the NBA route as a potential second round pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

This past season was his only one at Memphis but Haggerty made the most of it and was the third leading scorer in the nation averaging 21.7 PTS. A true volume scorer, this is Haggerty’s second season averaging >20 points per game as he did it at Tulsa for the 2023-2024 season.

When Haggerty entered the transfer portal rumors have swirled that the AAC Player of the Year wanted an NIL figure in the range between $3-$4 million. Other top transfer players have also seen figures up to and slightly north of the #3 million dollar mark. College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman has said that many top-25 programs have ‘opted not to get involved’ because of that NIL figure. A later addition to the transfer portal, many teams have already alloted a sizeable portion of their allotment already.

Goodman later went on to say that Ole Miss was ‘a potential destination’ for Haggerty. After that rumors have circulated to varying degrees on the mutual interest between the two.

Later on rumors stated that Haggerty has scheduled a visit to Ole Miss. Other sources stated that both NC State and Texas were both involved in the recruitment of Haggerty.

UPDATE: Ole Miss is no longer in the mix to land PJ Haggerty according to Jeff Goodman. All signs point to NC State as the team likely to land him. Memphis made a strong push for him to return as well.

Terrance Ford (Arkansas State)

Ole Miss has been in contact with Arkansas State guard Terrance Ford. The 6’1 guard from Chicago has had a consistent impact for the Arkansas State program. As a freshman, Ford averaged 10.8 PTS, 2.8 AST, and 2.5 REB. After being limited to two games due to injury for the 2023-2024 season, Ford came bounced back as a full time starter this season.

Ford averaged 9.0 PTS, 4.9 AST and 2.9 REB this past season. Quietly, Ford was one of the more impactful distributors at the mid-major level. During Sun Belt play, Ford averaged 10.0 PTS and bumped up the assist average to 6.3 per contest. His 170 assists on the year were the most in the Sun Belt conference.

Ford has scheduled three visits via The Portal Report. Ford visited UTSA on Friday April 25th, will visit Tulsa today and be in Oxford on Monday April 28th.

UPDATE: Ford committed to Tulsa on April 29th.

Augusto Cassia (Butler) — Committed to Ole Miss 

A 6’8 220-lb forward, Cassia visited Ole Miss in early April. He started 8 games for Butler this season. It was a short-lived season as he left the Butler program in February, only competing in 10 games. As a sophomore, Cassia averaged 5.1 PTS and 3.1 REB. In 10 games, Cassia scored in double figures twice, scoring a career-high 16 points against Western Michigan while also adding 11 points against Houston. Cassia is a native of Brazil and participated in the NBA Global Academy in both Australia and Mexico.

UPDATE: Cassia committed to Ole Miss on April 28th.

Curtis Givens III (LSU)

A memphis native, Ole Miss has reached out to LSU freshman Curtis Givens III. A former recruiting target in the Kermit Davis era, Givens had taken an unofficial visit to Ole Miss in the past. Givens transferred in his prep career to Montverde Academy where he would play on a team with several high major players including Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Robert Wright, and Liam McNeely, He would finish as a four-star recruit and top-60 prospect in the class of 2024.

The 6’3 PG committed to LSU where he made 12 starts as a freshman this past season. 11 of those 12 starts came in SEC play. On the year, Givens averaged 4.8 PTS, 1.7 REB and 1.6 AST. Givens scored in double figures four times on the season including a 15-point outing against Missouri.

Jalen Ricks (South Plains College)

Ole Miss is one of the schools to reach out to JUCO prospect Jalen Ricks according to Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Ricks averaged 12.8 PTS on 38% shooting from the perimeter. On the season the 6’7 accounted for 89 made three pointers. Ricks is a native of Sherwood. Arkansas. Several other mid-major programs have reached out to Ricks.

Dezayne Mingo (Marshall)

Ole Miss reached out to Marshall guard Dezayne Mingo. The junior guard spent one season at Marshall where he averaged 12.6 PTS, 5.2 AST and 4.7 REB. Mingo scored a season high 25 points in an earlier contest against Appalachain State. Prior to attending Marshall, Mingo spent two seasons at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

UPDATE: Mingo committed to Charlotte.

Simeon Wilcher (St. John’s)

One of the players to transfer out for Rick Pitino this offseason was guard Simeon Wilcher. A majority starter as a sophomore this season Wilcher, was a solid defender for the Johnnies this sesason. On the year, Wilcher averaged 8.0 PTS, 1.9 REB, 1.4 AST, and 1.1 STL in 25.4 minutes a game this year.

Sources told The Rebel Walk, that Ole Miss was trying to get involved with Wilcher. A 6’4 guard with plus athleticism who gets after it on the defensive end, fits the bill for Chris Beard. Wilcher was a former top-50 recruit.

UPDATE: Wilcher has committed to Texas.

Baba Miller (Florida Atlantic)

Ole Miss is among a long lsit of high major schools to reach out to Florida Atlantic center Baba Miller. The 6’11 big man is a native of Mallorca, Spain and averaged a career-high 11.3 PTS, 7.0 REB, and 2.7 BLK in 30.0 minutes a game. Prior to playing at Florida Atlantic, Miller spent two seasons at Florida State under Leonard Hamilton. After seeing limited action as a freshman, Miller became a full time starter in year two at Florida State.

Derrion Reid (Alabama)

Another former five-star recruit joins this list. Reid spent his freshman season at Alabama appearing in 24 games for Nate Oats and even starting three. On the year, Reid averaged 6.0 PTS and 2.8 REB. Despite seeing an average of 14.0 minutes per game, Reid did manage to score in double figures five times on the season. Reid adds to the list of versatile forwards on this last standing at 6’7 and weighing around 180 lbs. A former McDonald’s All-American, Reid provides that perimeter defensive ability that Beard looks for while being an offensive threat in the mid-post.

Reid has visited both Oklahoma and NC State with a trip to Norman being more recent. According to a source on the NC State beat, Reid and Ole Miss were in communications to set-up a visit. Oklahoma appears to be the favorite.

Update: Reid has committed to Oklahoma.

Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn)

A name that is familiar to Ole Miss fans and any fan in the SEC is Chad Baker-Mazara. A bit of a surprise entry after teasing the possibility of playing for the Tigers earlier this year. Jeff Goodman released four teams who had been talking to Baker-Mazara. Those four include Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Providence. As a 25-year old this season Baker-Mazara averaged 12.3 PTS and earning All-SEC third team honors this season.

It’s been a windy road for Baker-Mazara who started his collegiate at Duquesne for the 2020-2021 season. He would spend one season there before transferring to San Diego State where he earned Mountian West Sixth Man of the Year honors. Baker-Mazara spent one year at Northwest Florida State College in the Junior College ranks before returning to division one basketball at Auburn.

He will be a highly sought after wing for high major teams looking to make a run.

UPDATE: Baker-Mazara has committed to USC.

Federiko Federiko (Texas Tech)

Plenty of high major teams are looking at Texas Tech big man Federiko Federiko. Orginially from Finland, Federiko started his collegiate career at Northern Oklahoma where he earned NJCAA All-America honorable mention honors. Federiko would then play two seasons at Pitt starting 53 games over two seasons. This past year Federiko transferred to Texas Tech where he saw a small dip in his playing time. In 18.9 minutes per game, Federiko averaged 5.1 PTS and 4.5 REB. A major lob threat (standing at 6’11) on offense, Federiko will bring easy offense around the rim, and offensive rebounding. In his two seasons at Pitt, Federiko ranked in the top-five of the ACC in offensive rebounding percentage. Others to reach out include Auburn, Indiana, NC State and more.

UPDATE: Federiko has committed to Texas A&M.

Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State)

Seeing a trend here, but another former five-star has drawn the attention of Ole Miss. After being a spot starter at Kentucky as a freshman, Bradshaw spent this past season at Ohio State. Playing 16.9 minutes a game this sesason, Bradshaw averaged 6.0 PTS and 2.7 REB this past season. The former five-star suffered a foot injury prior to arriving at Kentucky that caused him to miss some time during his freshman season. Bradshaw was the number one center in the class of 2023.

Bradshaw took a visit to Ole Miss shortly after heading to Memphis on April 16th.

UPDATE: Bradshaw has committed to Memphis.

Jahki Howard (Auburn)

Ole Miss has reached out to Auburn’s Jahki Howard. A former four-star prospect, Howard saw action in 21 games this past season for the Tigers seeing only 9.1 minutes a game. Howard twice scored in double figures twice this season with 13 points against Richmond and 11 points against Ohio State. Coming out of high school, Howard was one of the most explosive athletes in the 2024 class.

UPDATE: Howard committed to Utah.

Bryson Tucker (Indiana)

The first of the Indiana teammates to visit was Bryson Tucker. A former five-star prospect, Tucker played an average of 16.5 minutes per game in his lone season for the Hoosiers. On the year he averaged 5.4 PTS and 2.9 REB including a 16 point performance against Minnesota in Big Ten play. Coming out of high school, Tucker was known for his offensive skill and ability to score the ball by getting to his spots in the mid-range. At 6-7, Tucker fits the bill of the longer versatile wing players that Beard covets for his lineup. Tucker visited Ole Miss on April 13th.

UPDATE: Tucker committed to Washington following a visit on April 18th.

Teddy Washington Jr. (SEMO)

Another player who will be benefitting from the JUCO route, Teddy Washington Jr. has been drawing interest from teams at several levels. Washington started his collegiate career at Pensacola State College before moving onto Shawnee Community College. After a year at Shawnee, Washington Jr, then moved onto Moberly Area Community College. After a year there, Washington made the jump to the NCAA division one level landing at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Washington spent this past season at SEMO where he averaged  13.9 PTS, 5.4 REB, 2.5 AST, and 2.0 STL. Other schools to show interest include USC, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Robert Morris and others at all levels of D1.

Taye Fields (North Alabama)

Ole Miss has shown interest in the 6’4 guard who earned All-A Sun Second Team honors. Fields spent only one season at North Alabama but made his presence known with his two-way ability. On the season, Fields averaged 11.2 PTS, 8.6 REB, 3.5 AST, and 2.6 STK (steals + blocks). The 8.6 rebounds per game are good to be second in the A-Sun, a rare feat for a sub 6’5 guard. Prior to joining the North Alabama program, Fields spent three seasons at Missouri Western where he earned two all-conference honors.

Duncan Powell (Georgia Tech)

Powell entered both the transfer portal and the NBA Draft after one year at Georgia Tech. The 6’8 forward averaged 12.2 PTS and 5.4 REB while greatly improving his perimeter game. As a three-star prospect in the class of 2021, Powell visited Ole Miss back in 2018 when he received his offer. Powell started his career at NC A&T before transferring to Sacramento State and ultimately Georgia Tech.

Sources say that Powell visited Memphis. He also was receiving interest from Kentucky, TCU, Providence, and others. On April 5th, Powell committed to Georgetown.

Update: On April 19th, Powell de-committed from Georgetown

Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati)

A former recruit to Texas under Chris Beard, it makes a lot of sense why Ole Miss would be interested in Dillon Mitchell. At 6’8, Mitchell fits into the typical four man with plus athleticism that Beard would covet. Mitchell is also a three-year starter at the collegiate level with two seasons at Texas and this most recent at Cincinnati.

This year for the Bearcats, Mitchell averaged 9.9 PTS and 6.9 REB. Mitchell was also second in the Big-XII in rebounds for the 2023-2024 season. This year he finished 8th in the conference in rebounds. Coming out of high school, Mitchell was a top-five recruit in his class and the #2 SF. Mitchell visited Ole Miss on Tuesday April 15th. 

UPDATE: Mitchell has committed to St. John’s.

AJ Storr (Kansas) – COMMITTED TO OLE MISS

It’s been quite the road for AJ Storr. The 6’6 guard possesses quality size for the collegiate level. Storr likely slots in as a SG or SF for Ole Miss this upcoming season. This past year at Kansas, Storr had an up-and-down season. Early in the year, Storr had double digit performances against Duke, Creighton, North Carolina and Arkansas. Towards the end of the year Storr struggled to keep his footing in the rotation. On the season, Storr averaged 6.1 PTS, 1.7 REB, and 0.7 AST.

Before transferring to Kansas, Storr had an impressive season at Wisconsin. After averaging 16.8 PTS and 3.9 REB, Storr earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. That season included four outings of 28+ points. Storr should provide Ole Miss with some volume scoring as they begin to reshape their roster.

UPDATE: Storr committed to Ole Miss Tuesday, April 15.

Koren Johnson (Louisville) – COMMITTED TO OLE MISS

Louisville guard Koren Johnson recently was in Oxford for a visit to Ole Miss. The 6’2 guard only played in two games for the Cardinals this season. Prior to transferring to Louisville, Johnson spent two seasons at the University of Washington. During the 2023-2024 season, Johnson averaged 11.1 PTS, 2.7 AST, and 2.2 REB. Had a career-high 30 points against Stanford in February of 2024. His play earned him Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023-2024 season.

Other schools to be involved include USC, Oregon, Memphis and more.

UPDATE: Johnson committed to Ole Miss Tuesday, April 15.

Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana)

Another former five-star recruit for the update, Ole Miss hosted Indiana combo forward Mackenzie Mgbako this past weekend. The main school to watch in this is NC State. Will Wade and his staff have also hosted the 6’9 forward. Texas A&M was rumored to host Mgbako on Tuesday.

Mgbako has averaged 12.2 PTS over the last two seasons at Indiana. This past year he added 4.6 REB per game and shot the three at a 32% clip.

UPDATE: Mgbako committed to Texas A&M.

Peyton Marshall (Missouri)

A familiar name to Ole Miss fans, Peyton Marshall was a high school target for Chris Beard back in the summer of 2023. The 7’0 300lb center played at Missouri this past season. The center appeared in 22 games for the Tigers this season averaging a total of 4.4 minutes per game.

Out of high school, Marshall was a top-70 recruit in the class of 2024. Marshall visited Missouri in June of 2023. Now Ole Miss is making another run at him. Other schools to be interested include Texas A&M, Memphis, Georgia Tech and more.

UPDATE: Marshall has committed to Georgia Tech

Jaron Pierre (Jacksonville State)

A 6-foot-6 guard, Pierre is one of the top scorers in the country. Pierre started his career at Southern Miss for two seasons before transferring to Wichita State for two seasons (one redshirt) and this past one at Jacksonville State. Similar to Lamar Wilkerson, Pierre also made over 100+ three point attempts.

Pierre has already visited SMU in this portal cycle. Kentucky is another team to monitor in this recruitment as members of UK’s staff met with Pierre in Dallas following the SMU visit. He also did a zoom with them as well. On the season, Pierre averaged 21.6 PTS, 5.5 REB, and 3.8 AST while shooting 38.2% from deep.

Pierre is down to four teams and took a visit to Oxford this weekend. Kentucky is no longer one of those four teams.Pierre has been rumored to visit Arkansas this weekend as well. The other schools on the list include Auburn, Ole Miss and SMU. Pierre has already visited SMU. I would expect this to be a busy weekend for Pierre considering the rumor that he would like to make a decision Monday.

UPDATE: Pierre committed to SMU on Monday April 14.

Marcus Millender (UTSA)

Ole Miss has been in contact with UTSA guard Marcus Millender. As a sophomore this past season the 5’11 guard averaged 14.9 PTS, 3.3 AST, and 3.0 REB. Millender also shot the three at a 43.8% clip for the second straight year in a row. All his averages improved after transferring to UTSA from South Alabama, which is also against a higher competition level. Several other high majors have been interested.

UPDATE: Millender has committed to Georgia.

Keshawn Murphy (Mississippi State)

Ole Miss has reached out to the 6’10 Center from Mississippi State. Despite coming off the bench, Murphy was a key factor for the Bulldog offense. Murphy is an athletic rim running big man who logged five double doubles last season. This past season the junior averaged 11.7 PTS, 7.4 REB, 1.6 AST, and 1.1 BLKs. In an overtime win against the Rebel last season, Murphy finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Murphy has spent three seasons at Mississippi State. Other notable schools to reach out inlcude Texas A&M, Auburn, and Alabama. A return to Mississippi State is also in the mix.

UPDATE: Murphy committed to Auburn on Tuesday April 15. 

Jestin Porter (Middle Tennessee State)

Ole Miss didn’t take long to reposition following Pop Isaacs’ commitment to Houston. Things have heated up between Ole Miss and MTSU guard Jestin Porter. The 6-foot guard earned back-to-back second team All-CUSA honors. This past season, Porter averaged 15.0 PTS, 2.9 REB, and 1.2 AST and 1.1 STL. On the year, Porter averaged 36% from three and had 8+ threes of 25 feet or more.

Porter is a native of Houston, TX. Rumors are that Porter had quietly committed to Arizona State earlier this cycle. He also had taken a visit to Loyola Chicago. The weekend of April 11-13, Porter visited Ole Miss and was one of several players on campus. Following the visit, the door has open backed up for Porter with Arizona State as well as Houston.

UPDATE: Porter has committed to Clemson

Lamar Wilkerson (Sam Houston State)

A two-time All-CUSA First Team selection, Lamar Wilkerson has gathered interest as one of the better mid-major players to enter the transfer portal. Wilkerson is a former teammate of Ole Miss wing Davon Barnes. The two were both on the SHSU roster for the 2023-2024 season. This past season, Wilkerson averaged 20.5 PTS, 4.0 REB and 2.1 ASTs including a 32 point performance against New Mexico State. Indiana seems to be a team to watch here. Wilkerson was the leader in the CUSA with 109 made three point field goals this past season.Wilkerson is set to take four visits before making a final decision. The four schools are Ole Miss, Indiana, Auburn and Kentucky. The date of these visits have yet to be confirmed.

UPDATE: Wilkerson committed to Indiana on Tuesday April 15. 

Ian Jackson (North Carolina)

Ole Miss was one of the early schools to watch out for on UNC G Ian Jackson. The freshman was a former five-star, who is athletic and gets after it on the defensive end while attacking the rim on offfense. It’s easy to see with his 6’4 size and plus-athleticism why Chris Beard would pursue a player like this. A lot of early buzz comes from St. John’s as Jackson is from New York City. Jackson has a visit lined up to St. John’s. Other schools who were/are in the mix include USC, Arkansas, and Illinois. There was also some early chatter with NC State.

UPDATE: Jackson has committed to St. John’s

Shawn Phillips (Arizona State)

A familiar name to Ole Miss fans should be Arizona State big man Shawn Phillips. The 7’0 245-lb big man was a class of 2022 center that Ole Miss made the final three teams of. Phillips originially committed to NC State before ultimately decommitting and enrolling at LSU. Phillips has spent the past two seasons at Arizona State where he started a total of 24 games. This past season, Phillips averaged 5.4 PTS and 5.2 REB in 18.0 minutes per game.

Ole Miss is among the list of schools to reach out to Phillips this cycle. He has drawn interest from both the high major and mid major level. Shawn Phillips released a top-five on Friday April 11th. Ole Miss was not listed in the five. Those schools are Cincinnati, Memphis, Missouri, Villanova, and Kansas.

UPDATE: Shawn Phillips has committed to Missouri

Rodney Rice (Maryland)

Ole Miss has reached out to Maryland guard Rodney Rice. A starter for the Terrapins this season, Rice averaged 13.8 PTS, 2.2 REB and 2.1 AST this past season. A 6’4 guard, Rice has gathered interest from several high major programs. Prior to his one season at Maryland, Rice started his career at Virginia Tech.

On April 11th, Rice released his “Final Six” Ole Miss is not listed amongst the schools. The finalists are Maryland, Villanova, Tennessee, Auburn, Southern California, and Gonzaga. Previously Rice has conducted zooms with USC and Gonzaga. He will visit Villanova and Tennessee. Rice has visited both Villanova and Tennessee.

UPDATE: Rice has committed to Southern California.

Corey Chest (LSU) – COMMITTED TO OLE MISS

A former top-100 recruit, Chest stayed close to home to attend LSU coming out of the class of 2023. After redshirting his first season with the Tigers, Chest provided an instant impact in a redshirt freshman season. This past season Chest averaged 6.1 PPG, 6.6 REB, and 1.2 BLKs in 20.1 minutes per game. His field goal percentage was 60.7%.

A slashing forward, Chest thrives at the rim. LSU’s leader in rebounding, Chest also provides impact as an athletic rim protector and fits the mold of a switchable big who can get out and run in transition. The 6’8 210lb forward was recruited by Ole Miss coming out of his high school class. Ole Miss is amongst a lot of SEC teams who are interested in landing Chest Jr.

Corey Chest took visits to both Texas A&M and Alabama as well as Ole Miss. Chest was on the Oxford campus early in the first week of April. Things were said to have gone well, and with A&M’s Buzz Williams moving on to Maryland and Alabama signing two forwards already in this class, Ole Miss was able to seal the deal

UPDATE: On April 6th, Corey Chest committed to Ole Miss.

Ja’Borri McGhee (UAB)

A native of McComb MS, Ole Miss was rumored to be interested in UAB guard Ja’Borri McGhee. The 6’0 guard started 37 games in his first year under former Ole Miss and current UAB coach Andy Kennedy. On the year, McGhee averaged 11.1 PTS, 2.8 AST and 2.7 REB per game. McGhee earned a spot on the All-AAC conference tournament team. Prior to his time at UAB, McGhee played two seasons, one at Garden City Community College and one at South Plains in Texas.

UPDATE: McGhee committed to play at Mississippi State.

Pop Isaacs (Creighton) 

Ole Miss was a likely destination for Isaacs when he first announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. This was the second straight cycle Chris Beard and his staff had been linked to the volume scorer in the transfer portal. Isaacs visited Oxford at the tail end of March for an elongated visit. Many on the Ole Miss side pegged this as a formality.

Days passed by without a commitment from Isaacs. There were rumors of a quiet commitment that had been made. Shortly after the visit, other programs came into the picture with Isaacs. The most notable of which was Houston. Isaacs competed in 8 games this season with Creighton in which he averaged 16.3 PTS, 4.8 REB, and 3.9 ASTs. This includes a 27-point performance against Kansas back in December.

Prior to this season, Isaacs spent two seasons at Texas Tech. This includes a freshman season where Isaacs was coached by current Ole Miss assistant Mark Adams.

UPDATE: On April 8th, Pop Isaacs committed to Houston.

Rakease Passmore (Kansas)

Ole Miss has stated interest in Kansas’ freshman Rakease Passmore. A former top-50 recruit, Passmore saw limited action in 23 games for the Jayhawks this season. Others to reach out to Passmore include Auburn, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and more. During high school, Passmore took visits to LSU, Oklahoma, Wake Forst, and Mississippi State.

UPDATE: Passmore has visited UVA and may visit Miami and Tennessee.

Ante Brzovic (College of Charleston)

A three-year starter, Brzovic instantly becomes the top avaiable Center in the transfer portal. Under Chris Mack this past season, Brzovic averaged 18.4 PTS, 8.1 REB, and 2.8 ASTs. His performance over the past three years has earned him All-CAA honors each year he’s been at College of Charleston. The past two seasons, Brzovic was named to the All-CAA first team.

Prior to three years at College of Charleston, Brzovic spent two seasons at Southeastern Oklahoma which competes at the Division II level. This is important to note as Brzovic is currently in a lawsuit against the NCAA for an additional year of elgibility.

Brendan Hausen (Kansas State)

Ole Miss is amongst the schools to reach out to Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen. The 6’4 sharpshooter thrived in his one season in Manhattan. Starting all 33 games, Hausen upped his scoring average to 10.9 points a game. Hausen shot 38% from three on 7.0 attempts per game. Last year, he was a top-five three point shooter in the Big XII. Prior to playing at Kansas State, Hausen spent two seasons at Villanova.

Update: Hausen has committed to Iowa.

Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) 

A former 5-star, top recruit Quaintance spent one season at Arizona State. A productive year as Quaintance earned Big-XII All-Defense and All-Freshman honors. The 7’0 center averaged 9.4 PTS, 7.9 REB and 2.6 BLKs. Quaintance started all 24 games he competed including a 15-point, 14-rebound and 5-block performance against Cincinnati.

Coming out of high school, Quaintance was originially committed to Kentucky. When John Calipari left for Arkansas, he requested a release from his NLI and reopened his recruitment where he landed at Arizona State.

UPDATE: Quaintance has since committed to Kentucky, the school he originally committed to out of high school.

Ezra Ausar (Utah)

Another familiar name is Ezra Ausar. Ole Miss reached out to Ausar in the 2024 portal cycle when Ausar left East Carolina. This past season, Ausar elevated his game in the Big XII at Utah. The 6’9 240lb forward averaged 12.5 PTS and 5.0 REB while starting 29 of a possible 31 games. A big time scorer for the Utes, Ausar scored in double figures for 20 games and twice scored 25+ points (Arizona State and BYU). Ausar has completed zoom meetings with Kevin Willard’s former program (Maryland) and his current program (Villanova). He has also conducted a visit with Nebraska.

UPDATE: Ausar committed to USC.

Honor Huff (Chattanooga)

The nations leading three point shooter has entered the transfer portal after two seasons at Chattanooga. This season, the 5’10 guard made 131 three pointers averaging nearly 3.5 made threes per game. On the year Huff averaged 15.2 PTS, 2.3 AST, and 1.8 REB. The guard has heard from plenty of high major teams. He has completed zoom meetings with Penn State, Iowa, St. John’s and Vanderbilt.

Huff has released a top-five consisting of Iowa, St. John’s, Vanderbilt, Pitt, and West Virginia.

UPDATE: Huff has committed to WVU.

Jerry Deng (Florida State)

A 6’9 forward, Deng spent one season at Florida State. PRior to that he played his freshman year at Hampton where he averaged double figures in a reserve role. This season at Florida State, Deng’s numbers took a bit of a dip in a smaller role. Deng is a toolsy forward who has heard from plenty of high major schools including Ole Miss. Others include Kansas State, Syracuse and Memphis.

UPDATE: Jerry Deng has committed to NC State.

KJ Lewis (Arizona) 

Ole Miss reached out to former Top-100 recruit and Arizona Wildcat KJ Lewis. As a sophomore this season, Lewis saw an increased role off the bench and raised his averages. Lewis upped his scoring average to 10.8 PTS, while also increasing his rebounding effort to 4.6 per game, and assists to 2.9.

The Ole Miss interest fits as Lewis is a Duncanville, TX native and was recruited by Mark Adams to go to Texas Tech. A large number of high major teams have shown interest in the over-athletic 6’4 guard.

Update: On April 6th, Lewis committed to Georgetown.

Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB)

Instantly becoming the top player available,  Lendeborg has officially entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the NBA Draft. Lendeborg was on the preseason Naismith Award watch list. Lendeborg is a two-time All-AAC first team honoree while also being a two-time AAC Defenseive Player of the Year. For the second straight season, Lendeborg averaged a double-double for former Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy’s squad. This past season Lendeborg averaged 17.7 PTS, 11.4 REB, and 4.2 ASTs on the season.

There will be no shortage of suitors for Lendeborg this cycle should he decide to remain at the college level.

Update: Lendeborg committed to Michigan but will still go through the NBA Draft process.

Alex Steen (Florida Southern)

Ole Miss is in contact with a second Florida Southern product. This time it is two conference Defensive Player of the Year Alex Steen. The 6’9 wing averaged a double-double last season with 18.2 PTS, 11.5 REB, and 2.6 BLKs. Steen has drawn the interest of a lot of teams with over 80 division one programs reaching out to him. Others to reach out include Kentucky, Creighton, Alabama and more.

Jadin Booth (Florida Southern)

Ole Miss reached out to DII guard Jadin Booth. The 6’2 sharpshooter has also heard from USF, Creighton and New Mexico. Booth was a DII All-American last season after averaging 21+ PTS and 5+ ASTs and 4+ REBs a game. He originially started his career at Omaha before transfering to Florida Southern. Other mid-majors have expressed interest as well.

UPDATE: On April 20th, Booth committed to Samford.

Kezza Giffa (High Point)

Ole Miss has contacted High Point guard Kezza Giffa. A senior who orginially hails from France, Giffa led a High Point team that won 29 games and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament. Giffa averaged 14.6 PTS, 2.5 REB and 2.5 ASTs this season. He was one of two High Point team members to earn All-Big South First Team honors. Giffa originally started his career at UTEP.

Amarion Dickerson (Robert Morris)

A 6’7 wing, Amarion Dickerson earned honors as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year last season. Dickerson averaged 13.2 PTS and 5.9 REB last season. Multiple high major programs including Ole Miss have reached out to Dickerson. There were rumors that Dickerson was setting up visits to both Kansas State and Memphis. Others interested include USC, NC State, and Louisville.

UPDATE: Dickerson committed to USC on April 5th.

Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State)

Ole Miss is amongst plenty of high major to reach out to Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley. The 2024-2025 CUSA Rookie of the Year also earned CUSA first team honors. As it stands, Wooley is one of the top players in the portal this cycle after averaging 18.8 PTS, 5.2 REB, and 3.6 ASTs. Wooley is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

UPDATE: Wooley has commited to Louisville.

Abdi Bahsir Jr. (Monmouth)

The nation’s leading three point shooter, Bashir Jr. has received a ton of interest since entering the portal. The 6’7 wing averaged 20.1 PTS while shooting 38.3% from three with 3.8 3pM per game. Bashir Jr. was awareded All-CAA first team this past season. He is the brother of Auburn commit Abdul Bashir who was one of the leading scorers in the junior college ranks.

Bashir has had zooms with Kansas, Kansas State, and Alabama.

UPDATE: Bashir has committed to Kansas State.

Marquel Sutton (Omaha) 

Ole Miss has made contact with the Summit League Player of the Year. A three-year starter, Sutton averaged 18.9 PTS, 7.9 REB, and 1.2 ASTs this past season. The 6’7 wing heard from a lot of high major programs after entering the portal including Miami, Ohio State, Utah, and more.

Per sources, Sutton planned a visit to LSU and will complete a zoom with Nebraska.

UPDATE: Marquel Sutton committed to LSU.

Terrence Brown (Fairleigh Dickinson) 

The 2024-2025 Northeastern Conference Most Improved Player, Brown entered the transfer portal in March. A 6-3 guard, Brown averaged 20.6 PTS, 5.6 REB, and 3,2 AST. Brown was recoginized as a All-NEC First Team this season after earning NEC All-Freshman team in the 2023-2024 season. As a sophomore, Brown led the conference in points, steals, and free throws.

UPDATE: Terrence brown has committed to Utah.

Derrian Ford (Arkansas State)

Ole Miss reached out to Arkansas State guard Derrian Ford. A former four-star recruit, Ford started his career at Arkansas before transferring to Arkansas State for the past two seasons. This past season, Ford averaged 8.0 PTS and 3.4 REB. He recorded 13 games where he scored in double figures.

UPDATE: Ford conducted zooms with FAU, Tulsa, and Appalachian State. He has visited FAU.

Karris Bilal (Vanderbilt)

A redshirt this past season, Karris Bilal has received plenty of interest since entering the transfer portal. A 6’2 guard from the Atlanta area, Bilal was a two-time all state selection in the state of Georgia. During his junior season at Riverwood International, Bilal averaged 22.8 PTS and 5.1 REB. Despite redshirting, Bilal was expected to take on a larger role for the Commodores next season. Teams to express interest in Bilal include Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, USC, TAMU, Charlotte and a large amount of mid-majors. Bilal was set to visit Charlotte on April 13th.

UPDATE: Bilal has committed to Louisiana.

Bryce Lindsay (James Madison)

The 2024-2025 Sun Belt Rookie of the Year hit the portal after one season at James Madison. After attending IMG Academy, Lindsay spent his first collegiate season at Texas A&M where he appeared in 8 games for the Aggies. This season with the Dukes, Lindsay started 13 games while averageing 13.4 PPG, 2.8 REB, and 2.2 ASTs. Lindsay found success as a high level shot maker that earned him a spot on the All-Sun Belt Third team. Ole Miss is amongst a list of schools to express interest in Lindsay. Lindsay has completed zooms with both SMU and Mississippi State.

UPDATE: Lindsay has committed to Villanova.

Moe Odum (Pepperdine) 

Ole Miss was in on one of the top passing players in the nation. Odum, a 6’1 160lb guard, averaged 13.1 PPG, 7.5 AST, and 3.2 REB last season. Those scoring numbers elevated in the WCC tournament where Odum averaged 21.5 points on 55.7% shooting while adding three douuble-doubles via assists. The junior guard started his collegiate career at Pacific, where Odum earned WCC Freshman Team honors.

UPDATE: Moe Odum committed to Arizona State on Mar. 27th

Nick Pringle (South Carolina)

A familiar name to SEC fans is South Carolina’s Nick Pringle. Having previously paid for the Gamecocks, Pringle also suited up for two seasons at Alabama. The 6’9 220lb forward announced his decision to enter the transfer portal while also declaring for the NBA Draft. Ole Miss fans should remember his name after he was recruited by former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis coming out of Dodge City Junior College in the Class of 2022. This season, Pringle averaged 9.5 PPG and 6.3 REB in his first season as a full-time starter. Other schools who are interested include Auburn, Arkansas, Kansas State, Clemson and others.

UPDATE: Pringle committed to Arkansas

Treysen Eaglestaff (North Dakota)

Exploding in March with a 51-point outing in the Summit League conference tournament, many schools are after the services of Treysen Eaglestaff. A 2024-2025 All-Summit Second Team honoree, Eaglestaff averaged 18.9 PPG, 2.8 REB, and 2.4 ASTs per game on the year. Following a visit to South Carolina with several other visitors, Eaglestaff committed to the Gamecocks on Mar. 30th.

On April 16th, Eaglestaff decommitted from South Carolina. On April 19th, he was visiting WVU. All signs are pointing towards the mountaineers.

UPDATE: On April 20th, Eaglestaff committed to WVU.

Amarri Monroe (Quinnipiac)

The 6’7 forward and MAAC Player of the Year, Monroe has a list of interested suitors well over a mile long. On the season, Monroe averaged 18.1 PPG and 9.1 REB. A bouncy athlete who can get to the rim embodies toughness that Chris Beard (& several others) would covet. Had an impressive 24 point, 19 rebound outing earlier this season. Schools to be interested include UCONN.

Monroe is potentially setting up a visit to Ole Miss per Joe Tipton of On3.com (3/26). News on Monroe has been pretty quiet and this process may not be in any rush. Monroe listed a top-six of Rutgers, UConn, Miami, Ole Miss, Pitt, and Kansas.

UPDATE: On April 5th, Monroe posted on his social media that he will be returning to Quinnipiac.

Zarique Nutter (Georgia State)

Ole Miss has been in contact with Georgia State wing Zarique Nutter. After transferring down south following a two year stint at Northern Illinois, Nutter averaged 14.2 PPG in 26.5 minutes per game while being a key rotational starter. Nutter started his career as the class of 2020 where he first attended Saint Peter’s before leaving the program before adding two years at Clarendon College (JUCO). Then Nutter proceeded to play at Northern Illinois, and Georgia State.

Other schools interested include Miami, UCLA, Cincinnati, Xavier and more.

Jamichael Stillwell (UW-Milwaukee)

Stillwell earned first team All-Horizon league honors in his lone season at UW-Milwaukee. The 6’8 220lb forward averaged 13.0 PPG and 10.7 REB en route to becoming the leading rebounder in the conference. In December, Stillwell earned Lute Olsen Player of the Week honors after averaging 18.5 rebounds during the stretch. Ole Miss was listed amidst a long list of schools interested.

Visits for Stillwell include Memphis and Oklahoma. He is down to a final six including Oklahoma, WVU, UCF, UVA, Xavier, and Memphis. He will also visit UCF.

UPDATE: Stillwell committed to UCF.

Jacari White (North Dakota State)

The 6’3, 170-lb guard was a 2024-2025 All-Summit 2nd Team player from this past season. White averaged 17.1 PPG and 4.3 REB per game in his best collegiate year yet. A threat off the dribble, White shot 45% from the floor and 39% from three. Schools to reach out to White include Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee and more.White took a visit to Virginia Tech as reported on March 25th.

UPDATE: White committed to Virginia on April 6th. UVA was not listed in his final five schools.

Cooper Koch (Iowa)

A former top-100 recruit, Koch played sparingly at Iowa in his freshman season. The 6’8 wing appeared in 10 games and averaged 4.6 PPG while shooting 42% from three. He missed a lot of time this past season due to an undisclosed illness. Koch entered the portal following the separation between Iowa and former coach Fran McCaffrey. Ole Miss was one of several schools interested when he first entered. Others included DePaul, Saint Louis, Valpo & more.

UPDATE: Koch is withdrawing from the portal and returning to play for new coach Ben McCollum.

Chase Forte (South Dakota)

The Summit league DPOTY, Forte earns another year of eligbility due to the JUCO ruling. As a senior this past season, Forte averaged 17.9 PPG, 4.4 REB, 3.2 AST, and 1.9 STLs. Forte is a 6’3, 190lb guard who is from Raleigh, NC. Schools that we believe to be further interested in Forte are Kansas State, Arizona State, Boston College, and others.

Keyshawn Hall (UCF) – Committed to Auburn

Ole Miss was heavily mentioned amongst the schools to pursue UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall. The 6’7 wing is one of the top players in the transfer portal. Last season at UCF, Hall averaged 18.8 PTS, 7.1 REB, and 2.4 ASTs. Prior to his time at UCF, Hall also has played at UNLV and George Mason.

UPDATE: Hall has committed to Auburn

2024 PORTAL CYCLE RE-ENTRIES

Below is a comprehensive list of players who Ole Miss has had a connection to in the previous transfer portal cycle, whether that’s a player who played at Ole Miss previously or one the Rebels contacted in the 2024 cycle. This isn’t to confirm any interest but to inform.

Sam Alexis (Florida)

Cade Tyson (UNC)

Austin Nunez (Arizona State)

Kris Parker (Villanova)

Aidan Mahaney (UCONN)

Ezra Ausar (Utah)

Pop Isaacs (Creighton) | Committed to Houston

Filip Borovicanin (New Mexico) | Committed to Xavier

Christ Essandoko (Providence) | Committed to South Carolina

De’Shayne Montgomery (Georgia)

Joshua Ola-Joseph (Cal)

Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M) | Committed to Maryland

Marcus Hill (NC State)

AJ Storr (Kansas)

Deuce Turner (UCSB)

Mekhi Mason (Washington)

Michael Ajayi (Gonzaga) | Committed to Butler

Sincere Parker (McNeese State)

Greg Gordon (UAB)

Rashaud Marshall (Arkansas State)

AJ Smith (College of Charleston)

Jason Rivera-Torres (San Francisco)

Sky Wicks (UTSA)

Trey Edmonds (Minnesota)

Jacob Meyer (DePaul)

Camren Hunter (Wisconsin)

Tyran Cook (Indiana State)

Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all your Ole Miss men’s basketball portal news!