OXFORD – Last year at this time, Ole Miss guard Eduardo Klafke was absorbing knowledge from the Rebels’ veterans. He now finds himself as one of just two players on the roster who has ever played a game for the program.

A lot changes in a year.

Klafke, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Brazil, averaged 1.4 points per game in his debut campaign in Oxford and tallied a career-best eight points at Louisville in December. Ole Miss was a veteran-laden team a year ago with returners like Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield and experienced transfers like Sean Pedulla, and the Rebels rode that experience to the program’s second-ever Sweet 16 appearance.

Klafke played in all 36 games as a freshman, one of just six players on the team to play in every game.

“He’s somebody I really believe in,” head coach Chris Beard said. “First of all, what he did last year was really difficult to do. … I think he was one of about maybe 10 players or so, plus or minus one or two, of freshmen in this league that were really a part of the rotation all year long.”

Klafke and senior forward Malik Dia are the only two holdovers from last year’s team, however, and a nearly entirely new cast of players will take the court in the fall at SJB Pavilion. The Rebels added six four-star transfers and three four-star prep players in the offseason, according to 247Sports’ rankings. But Klafke’s continued growth could go a long way in determining just how far the Rebels go in 2025-26.

“I’m basically just trying to learn how to be a leader for this team,” Klafke said. “I’m not even trying to think too much ahead in the future, just trying to stay present, just trying to focus on, ‘How can I be better for my teammates? How can I pass out to them?’ Everything that I learned last year, and how can I be just a better person and an individual for them.”

While Beard admits it’s impossible to project how quickly a player blossoms into his full potential, he said he appreciates Klafke’s willingness to embrace the grind and do the little things. Klafke hit 48.1% of his 3-point tries last season and, despite playing just 20 minutes per game, was tied for seventh on the team with seven blocks. He brings the same high-effort playing style fans see during games to practices, Beard said.

“Now, the opportunity is to take the next step. And I think there’s always two sides of the coin. … It’s kind of natural for some people to just expect and to anticipate a huge step. And I hope that’s the case. And there’s one person that’s in charge of that fate, and that’s Klafke,” Beard said. “… I think one of the best things about Klafke, for the most part, he embraces the day to day. (He) tries to live where his feet are, doesn’t get too high or too low, which is a challenge for him, because he’s very, very competitive.”

“ … He’s certainly a player who continues to run his own race that I have a lot of confidence in.”

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