Ole Miss basketball just did something that hasn't been done since the '90s

We are around 12 hours away from hearing Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard, and players Jaylen Murray and Sean Pedulla speak at SEC Basketball Media Days. Pedulla is one of several talented players the Rebels acquired via the transfer portal this off-season, and one reason why the media are high on them heading into the 2024-25 hoops season.

The portal moves, and experienced players such as Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield, returning for one more season, have the associated press on notice. They ranked Ole Miss at the No. 24 spot in their preseason poll, ending a long streak of not making it in.

Over 20 years since Ole Miss basketball was a preseason top-25 team

The last time Ole Miss basketball made the Preseason AP Poll was before the 1997-98 season. This shows the momentum the team has garnered under head coach Chris Beard heading into his second season with the team.

The non-conference schedule is much more challenging than last season, on top of an SEC Conference packed full of teams capable of making it to the SEC Championship game. That shows, with eight SEC teams above Ole Miss in the Preseason AP Poll rankings.

Ole Miss failed to make the post-season NCAA Tournament last season, making it five seasons without an appearance. They also went out in the second round of the SEC Tournament, so bigger goals are expected. During a press conference last week, Chris Beard mentioned that this team has "opportunities to open doors" with their schedule. The question is whether they put it all together on the court in year two under Beard.

The regular season gets underway on Nov. 4 against Long Island at home. Before that, on Oct.27, they play an exhibition against Illinois at the Pavillion, which will be aired on SEC Network at 11:00 a.m. CST.