Head coach Chris Beard is generating some excitement around the Ole Miss basketball team this off-season. Alongside several top transfer portal commits some top players are returning for another season, including guard Matthew Murrell.
Media expect a stronger showing in Beard's second season with the team. Ole Miss will get to test where they are at in the first month of the new season. The Rebels have accepted an invite to play in the four-team Rady Children's Invitational Tournament.
Ole Miss will play alongside three teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season. The team will face at least two of BYU, NC State, and Purdue, with the previous two mentioned teams making the final four in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers made it to the championship game, losing to UConn.
Chris Beard's team faced NC State early last season, beating the ACC team 72-52. Jaemyn Brakefield had an excellent performance, scoring 25 points and securing 8 rebounds.
The two-day tournament will be held in San Diego from November 28 to 29. It will consist of two games daily, with a championship and a third-place match on November 29. All games will be live on either FOX or FS1.