GREENSBORO,\u00a0N.C. \u2013\u00a0Playing in their fifth neutral site game and third in a row, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team will travel to Greensboro, N.C. and take on the NC State Wolfpack on Sunday, December 21 at noon CT on ESPN.
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\nTEAM FACTS
\nOle Miss Rebels (Record: 7-4, 0-0 SEC)
\nHead Coach: Chris Beard \u2022 3rd\u00a0Season at Ole Miss (51-28) \u2022 288-126 career record (14th Season)
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\nNC State Wolfpack (Record: 8-4, 0-0 ACC)
\nHead Coach: Will Wade \u2022 1st Season at NC State (8-4) \u2022\u00a0254-109 career record (12th Season)<\/p>\n
ON THE AIR
\nTelevision\/Online: ESPN
\nPlay-by-Play: Karl Ravech
\nAnalyst: Jimmy Dykes<\/p>\n
OLE MISS RADIO\u00a0
\nRadio: Ole Miss Radio Network
\nPlay-by-Play: Gary Darby
\nAnalyst: Murphy Holloway<\/p>\n
SERIES HISTORY VS. NC STATE For the latest news and updates regarding Ole Miss Men’s Basketball, follow the Rebels on X at\u00a0@OleMissMBB<\/a>, on Facebook at\u00a0Ole Miss Men’s Basketball<\/a>\u00a0and on Instagram at\u00a0olemissmbb<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThis will be the fifth time these two teams have faced each other on the basketball court, and second time over the past three seasons. First playing in 1928, the series is tied at two wins apiece, with Ole Miss picking up the most recent victory in Oxford during the 2023 ACC\/SEC Challenge. This will be the third time the two teams have played at a neutral site, with their first two games back in 1928 and 1929 taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.
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\nLAST MEETING: November 28, 2023 (W, 72-52, Oxford, Miss.)
\n\u2022 Ole Miss claimed an early lead, up eight at halftime before winning by 20. The Rebel defense would hold the eventual Final Four team NC State to just 31.8 percent from the field with nine blocks.
\n\u2022 Jaemyn Brakefield<\/a> (Ole Miss): 25 points, 7-7 free throws, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, one steal.
\n\u2022 Allen Flanigan (Ole Miss): 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks.
\n\u2022 Ben Middlebrooks (NC State): 13 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, one steal.
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\nSCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
\nNC State has begun their 2025-26 campaign with a record of 8-4, earning wins over North Carolina Central, UAB, UNC Greensboro, VCU, Boise State, UNC Asheville, Liberty, and Texas Southern. Their four losses have come at the hands of Seton Hall, Texas, No. 20 Auburn, and No. 19 Kansas in overtime. The Wolfpack own a NET Ranking of No. 34, and have been ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation in the Coaches Poll and No. 23 in the AP. They are currently receiving votes in the latest Coaches Poll.
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\nThey are paced offensively by Darrion Williams, who averages 16.0 points per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. Three players have connected on 20 or more makes from three to begin the season, each shooting over 40% from deep, in Williams, Paul McNeil Jr., and Tre Hollman. McNeil Jr. most recently put on a historic performance against their latest opponent in Texas Southern, playing 27 minutes and dropping 47 points while going 12-12 from the free throw line, sinking 11 three pointers, and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Wolfpack have been led on the boards by Ven-Allen Lubin who averages 7.3 per game.
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\nOne of the most efficient teams in the nation, NC State has won their games by taking care of the ball and lighting it up from deep. They rank 19th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.78, committing just 9.7 turnovers per game (No. 20 in NCAA) and owning a turnover margin of +4.3 (No. 25 in NCAA). Their average of 89.3 points per game is the 23rd-best mark in college basketball, fueled by their 11.0 made three pointers per game (No. 21 in NCAA) and three-point field goal percentage of 38.9 percent (No. 24 in NCAA). NC State also ranks among the nation’s best in free throw percentage (77.0 percent, No. 34 in NCAA) and effective field goal percentage (57.8 percent, No. 31 in NCAA).
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\nHead coach Will Wade is in his first season with NC State, joining the program this past offseason after spending two years at McNeese where he led them to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Wade previously spent five seasons at LSU from 2017 to 2022 where he won 105 games, including a Sweet 16 run in 2019. Prior to his time in Louisiana, he was the head coach for two seasons at VCU where he won 51 games, and was previously the head coach at Chattanooga from 2013 to 2015.
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\nSHAKE, RATTLE, AND WIN
\nFor the first time since 2004, Ole Miss traveled down to Tupelo, Mississippi for a game, taking on Alabama A&M in Cadence Bank Arena. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by 15 at the half before winning 80-66. Malik Dia<\/a> set a new high for his Ole Miss career with 27 points while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots. Ilias Kamardine<\/a> ran an efficient offense at point guard, dishing out eight assists with just one turnover. As a team, the Rebels set a new season-high by shooting 54.0 percent from the floor.
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\n50 VICTORIES
\nWith an Ole Miss win over Southern Miss on Saturday, December 13, head coach Chris Beard picked up his 50th win at the helm in Oxford. He became the 13th coach to win 50 games at Ole Miss, the fifth coach to reach that mark in their third season, and the third-fastest to 50 in school history.
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\n“WHEN IT’S TIME TO EAT A MEAL, I ROB AND STEAL”
\nIn a heated road battle in Madison Square Garden with St. John’s, Kezza Giffa<\/a> played a key part in the Ole Miss second-half comeback attempt. On the floor for 17 of the final 20 minutes of action, Giffa helped keep one of the nation’s best offenses at bay, collecting six steals to bring his game total to seven. He became one of 11 Rebels all-time to grab seven or more steals in a game, tying him for the fifth-most in school history. It was the most steals for an Ole Miss player in a single game since Matthew Murrell<\/a> had seven as well against Grambling State on November 8, 2024.
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\nTHA BLOCK IS HOT
\nA strong defense has been a staple for Ole Miss under head coach Chris Beard, and this year’s team has used their length and athleticism to average 5.5 blocks per game, the 19th-best mark in the nation. They have been led by forward James Scott<\/a>, who’s average of 1.6 blocks per contest rank 78th in the country and seventh among SEC programs. Through the first 11 games this season, 11 different players have recorded a block paced by Scott’s 18, 11 from Malik Dia<\/a> and Corey Chest<\/a>, and eight from Ilias Kamardine<\/a>.
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\nBLACKJACK
\nFor the third season in a row, the Ole Miss Rebels traveled down to Biloxi, Mississippi to take on Southern Miss in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Holding a narrow lead at halftime, 31-29, guard AJ Storr<\/a> helped fuel a second-half surge where the team shot 63.6 percent from the field, their second-best shooting performance in a half this season. The senior guard finished with a season-best eight made shots and a game-high 21 points while adding three offensive rebounds, and a pair of steals.
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\nThe Ole Miss bench outscored Southern Miss 29-6, led by 13 points from Kezza Giffa<\/a> and 12 from Patton Pinkins<\/a>. For the fourth time this season and third game in a row, the Ole Miss defense had 10 or more steals, led by Giffa with three.
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\nDEFENDED HOME COURT
\nOn November 18, Ole Miss played in their fifth-straight game in Oxford to open the regular season, hosting Austin Peay in what turned into a battle. Leading by eight at the half and as much as 17 early in the second period, the visiting Governors clawed their way back in, tying the game at 52 with just over six minutes to go. The Rebels would hold on, reclaiming the lead and never looking back en route to a victory to remain undefeated, 72-65.
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\nOle Miss was led by Malik Dia<\/a> with 18 points, while Ilias Kamardine<\/a> stuffed the box score with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
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\nONE LAST GOODBYE TO THE TAD PAD
\nNearly 60 years ago, the C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum opened its doors for the first Ole Miss basketball game, when they hosted Kentucky on February 21, 1966. Decades of memories and historic moments later, what was thought to be the final game in the arena was played on December 22, 2015 as the Rebels defeated Troy in a thrilling overtime victory. With the hiring of current head coach Chris Beard came the throwback games, as Ole Miss has since played a pair of games in the former arena still standing on campus. However, the University announced in the fall of 2025 that the coliseum would be demolished in 2026, opening the door for one final game in the Tad Pad early in the 2025-26 season.
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\nHosting Cal State Bakersfield, Ole Miss earned one final victory in front of a capacity sellout crowd, defeating the Roadrunners 82-60.
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\n“WHOOP” THERE IT IS
\nOle Miss defended their home court to move to 3-0 on the new season in their toughest matchup to date, taking down Memphis 83-77 in front of a raucous crowd. While the two would go back-and-forth to begin the matchup, the Tigers held their final lead midway through the first half as Ole Miss stepped in front and held the visitors at bay.
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\nNewcomer Ilias Kamardine<\/a> continued to dazzle and impress, as he paced the Rebels with 26 points by going 11-14 from the field, knocking down a trio of three pointers while adding four rebounds, four assists and a block and steal on defense. Senior guard Kezza Giffa<\/a> made his first start of the season and took advantage of his opportunity with 15 points while dishing out five assists with zero turnovers.
\nThe win gave Ole Miss a win in six of the last nine meetings with Memphis, while the Rebels have won five straight games when playing in Oxford.
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\nKEPT IT ROLLING
\nIn their second game of the season, the Rebels handled Louisiana Monroe 86-65. AJ Storr<\/a> led Ole Miss with 19 points, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc for the second game in a row. Ilias Kamardine<\/a> loaded the box score, dropping 15 points while dishing out seven assists with a block and three steals on defense.
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\nCONVINCING OPENER
\nOne of the most anticipated seasons in program history got off to a great start, as Ole Miss took down Southeastern Louisiana in their opener 88-58 on Monday, November 3. The Rebels out-rebounded the Lions 44 to 26, posting their best rebound margin of +18 under head coach Chris Beard. The team was paced offensively by Malik Dia<\/a>, who scored 20 points with four rebounds, an assist, and two steals.
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\nIn his Ole Miss debut, AJ Storr<\/a> dropped 18 points while going 4-5 from beyond the arc, adding six rebounds and four assists. His 18 were the most for a Rebel debut in a season opener since 2016, when Deandre Burnett scored 23 vs. UT Martin.
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\nInternational guard Ilias Kamardine<\/a> flashed his skill on both ends of the floor in his first college game, scoring 13 points with three boards, four assists, and a pair of steals. James Scott<\/a> led the team on the boards with nine while blocking three shots (eighth career game with 3 or more blocks), while Kezza Giffa<\/a> came off the bench and added 12 points in just 15 minutes.
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\nKEEP THE FUTURE BRIGHT
\nThe Ole Miss men’s basketball program recently welcomed two signees to their 2026 recruiting class, adding small forward Jaron Saulsberry and combo guard Yohance Connor.
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\nSaulsberry will come to Oxford from Marietta, Georgia and Wheeler High School, and is ranked as a top-10 player in his home state by both ESPN and 247Sports. A 6’6″ four-star recruit, he is ranked as the No. 28 small forward in the class of 2026.
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\nHailing from Charlotte, N.C., Connor ranks among the best in his state, tabbed the No. 3 player in North Carolina by 247Sports and No. 5 by Rivals. He is listed as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports, and ranked as the No. 5 combo guard in the class of 2026 by Rivals.
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\n‘CAUSE I PROVIDE, THAT NEW NEW
\nAfter returning three starters and six letterwinners a year ago, head coach Chris Beard and staff were tasked with reloading an Ole Miss team that saw 11 letterwinners and all but one starter depart this past offseason. They delivered, bringing in a handful of top recruits in the 2025 freshman class, while adding a plethora of talent in the transfer portal. A recruiting class ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation and a transfer class ranked as high as No. 19, Ole Miss has retooled with length, athleticism, shooting ability, and much more to fuel the upward trajectory the program has seen in the past two seasons under Beard.
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\nFAMILIAR FACES
\nFour members of the 2024-25 Sweet 16 team return to Oxford for another year this season, led by starting forward Malik Dia<\/a>. Leading the team in rebounding (5.7 RPG) and finishing third in scoring (10.8 PPG) a year ago, Dia looks to continue to build upon his diverse game, where he can play multiple positions and score at all levels of the court. The second letterwinner to return to the 2025-26 roster is sophomore guard Eduardo Klafke<\/a>, who was one of just 11 true freshmen in the SEC to play in all of their team’s games a year ago. A high-energy player with an elite IQ, Klafke led the team in three-point percentage (48.1%, 13-27) and added 16 steals and seven blocks on defense. Returning for a second year each are guards Max Smith<\/a> and Zach Day<\/a>. Smith joined the team as a senior a year ago but took a redshirt following a preseason injury, and looks to help the team on the court this season. Day, a freshman a year ago, took a redshirt to develop his game and earned a scholarship this past offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n