Ole Miss Basketball: Hot start under Chris Beard as Rebels sit at 8-0

Ole Miss Basketball have gone 8-0 to start the season, the first time since the 2007-08 season. Chris Beard and the Rebels are one of just 14 unbeaten teams left in college basketball. It’s a start few expected, with the feeling more is yet to come.

Ole Miss Basketball have recently come through their toughest stretch of games under Chris Beard, still sitting unbeaten. The Rebels reeled off wins against Temple, NC State and Memphis before making it eight from eight on Wednesday, defeating Mount St Marys.

The 8-0 start was not expected by many Rebel fans, especially in head coach Chris Beard’s first season. However, there is a different energy around the program, one not seen since the early Andy Kennedy era. The hashtag used on The Ole Miss Basketball X account, “Build The Culture” seems to be a driving force from Beard, as seen in his past head coaching roles.

Coach Beard has utilized the transfer portal well, bringing in key contributors, such as Jamarion Sharp, Allen Flanigan and now Moussa Cisse, after being granted his eligibility waiver by the NCAA two weeks back.

The team came through some difficult games early in the season, games on paper that had the favoured. However, this season has shown that any basketball team needs to be ready for the unexpected or just find a way to win. Something that Chris Beard’s teams have achieved in getting to 8-0.

The Rebels have five more non-conference games in December before the big Southeastern conference games appear on the schedule. It will be the big telling point of where Ole Miss are in their first season under Coach Beard.

It will be a momentous achievement if Ole Miss can head into January unbeaten. There is still a long way to go until we get to March and the possibility of an NCAA Division 1 tournament spot, the first since 2019.