Ilias Kamardine Announces Return to Ole Miss for 2026-2027 Season

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss men’s basketball entered the 2025-2026 season with high hopes, coming off a Sweet 16 run the season prior, but they needed to do so with a nearly brand-new lineup.

A key piece to the Rebels new squad was French transfer Ilias Kamardine, who came from Marseilles France. Kamardine spent some time with the JDA Dijon in the professional league LNB Pro A, the first league in France’s professional league.

Kamardine and the Rebels did not have the season many fans — or the team, itself — expected. They faced a strong non-conference schedule and were unable to put together strings of wins during SEC play, finishing with just four conference victories in the regular season. However, head coach Chris Beard’s squad didn’t give up and they made a run in the SEC tournament. They became the lowest seed in any D1 conference to advance to the semifinals of their conference championship before they were ultimately defeated by Arkansas. The Razorbacks went on to win the SEC Championship the following day.

During the tournament semifinal run, Kamardine showed fans what they had been expecting to see all season, averaging 13.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game.

With one year of eligibility left, the question surrounding Kamardine after the tournament’s conclusion was if Kamardine would return to Oxford for his final season of college basketball.

Well, that was answered on Tuesday, March 31, when it was announced Kamardine will be returning to Oxford.

This is a crucial step in retainment as the 6-foot-4 guard is the first member of the team to announce his commitment to Beard’s 2026 squad and could be the first of the dominoes to fall for Beard and Co. The staff is also looking to retain a handful of the 2025-2026 team including: true freshman guard Patton Pinkins, assistant coach Al Pinkins’ son; sophomore Guard Travis Perry; junior forward James Scott; and junior forward Augusto Cassia.

Ole Miss sophomore guard Eduardo Klafke has announced his intent to enter the transfer portal. While he is unlikely to return, it is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Brazilian native returns to Oxford.

Kamardine is a major piece because he gives Ole Miss a true guard, which they expected him to be this season. He gained more confidence and familiarity as the season progressed. A true point guard was something the Rebels lacked last year, costing them a handful of games throughout the season. Therefore, the return and growth from Kamardine could be crucial to next season’s outcome.