The Chris Beard era is in full effect. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Niko Bundalo is the 31st-ranked player in the country, with a rating of 0.9879. Bundalo would become the highest-rated prospect to sign with Ole Miss, surpassing Matthew Murrell, rated .9850, respectively.
Bundalo's commitment also helped Ole Miss jump to 14 in 247Sports' recruiting class rankings, the highest in program history, since the website began ranking basketball recruiting classes in 2011.
"Bundalo is an inside-out lefty four-man with good positional size, athleticism, and deceptive strength. He has good bounce around the rim, a great right hand, and while his frame doesn't boast a ton of visible muscle mass, he plays through contact fairly well. He's legit low-post scoring threat who understands angles and is especially effective sealing off defenders prior to the catch for easy buckets.Adam Finkelstein, 247 Sports
Bundalo is equally capable of facing the basket and has a soft touch that extends to the arc with ease. He can play out of pick-and-pop action and is a reliable three-point shooter when he's in rhythm, but gets much less efficient when he tries to jab into threes or shoot off the dribble. Bundalo has a bit of a high dribble and isn't really a creator, although he's capable of driving a close-out. He's both versatile and comfortable playing various spots on the floor in different types of offensive actions, seemingly picking up concepts quickly, and yet he is not always an overly willing passer.
The most important variable for Bundalo is his overall intensity. He's hyper-competitive, and when he can harness that while maintaining full control of his emotions, he's extremely effective on both ends of the floor. When that fire burns too hot though, it can be detrimental, with implications on his shot selection, decision-making, and overall mentality.
Overall, Bundalo is a prospect who can experience some highs and lows, but has a terrific combination of size, deceptive strength and athleticism, and crafty inside-out skill."
How will Chris Beard use Bundalo in the rotation as a freshman? John Bol, a four-star recruit from the 2024 class, saw minimal playing time as a true freshman, averaging only 4.1 minutes per game over 17 appearances, which led him to transfer to UCF.
Eduardo Klafke, a 2024 three-star signee from Brazil via the NBA Global Academy in Australia, appeared in every game and averaged ten minutes as a freshman. Beard was willing to give true freshmen minutes despite an experienced roster, and Bundalo seems to have the tools to force his way into the rotation in some regard. Bundalo will be a significant factor as Ole Miss looks to continue rebuilding its roster following their Sweet 16 run.