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247Sports way-too-early SEC basketball power rankings has Ole Miss in the Top-10

Isaac Trotter, college basketball writer at 247Sports, released his SEC basketball way-too-early power rankings on May 23. Ole Miss squeezed into his top 10 with the potential to climb further.

By Jordan Merritt

Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) drives to the hoop against Texas A&M Aggies
Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) drives to the hoop against Texas A&M Aggies / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA
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SEC basketball teams are nearing finalizing their 2024-25 season rosters. Like many SEC teams, the Ole Miss depth chart looks slightly different from last season.

The Rebels returned several vital players from last season's roster, including forward Jaemyn Brakefield and guard Jaylen Murray. However, the team's leading scorer, Matthew Murrell, could still return, which would boost head coach Chris Beard.

During April, Chris Beard dipped into the transfer portal, landing commitments that changed people's opinion of the roster. Virginia Tech transfer Sean Pedulla and Seton Hall transfer Dre Davis were two of the top commitments in the conference.


Where do the new additions and familiar faces have Ole Miss ranked in the way-too-early SEC rankings?

Ole Miss land at No. 8 in the SEC basketball way-too-early power rankings

In his May 23 SEC basketball power rankings, Isaac Trotter had Ole Miss at the No.8 spot. This time last year, Ole Miss sat around 12 in the 14-team conference. The 2024-25 season sees two new teams, Texas and Oklahoma, join the Southeastern Conference, taking it to 16 teams.

Landing at No. 8, just behind Kentucky and Arkansas is primarily due to the players Chris Beard has brought in during the off-season. Sean Pedulla and Dre Davis have been mentioned. However, Malik Dia, Mikeal Brown-Jones, and Davon Barnes are commits who also can make a big difference for the Rebels.

One big decision surrounding Matthew Murrell could have Ole Miss ranked even higher later in the year. Murrell, who entered the NBA draft process, still could decide to head back to Oxford for the 2024-25 season. Despite impressing throughout the process, he was not invited to the NBA combine. If Murrell joins back up with the Ole Miss team, they will be among the higher-ranked teams in SEC basketball.

With or without Murrell, Ole Miss basketball is seen as a dark horse in the way-too-early power rankings. Could Chris Beard guide the Rebels to their first NCAA Tournament since 2019?

Next. Projected early Ole Miss starting lineup, depth chart for 2024-25 season. Projected early Ole Miss starting lineup, depth chart for 2024-25 season. dark

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