In his fifth and final season with the Rebels, basketball guard Matthew Murrell shines as a veteran leader in a breakthrough year for Ole Miss.
In his three years with Whitehaven High School in Memphis and one year at IMG Academy, Murrell was rated a four-star guard by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals. The Memphis native signed with Ole Miss in 2019 as the No. 2 prospect out of Tennessee and the No. 39 ranked player nationally.
Murrell has stayed with Ole Miss for the entirety of his collegiate career and waived his chance to enter the NBA draft after four seasons in order to use his last year of eligibility.
“It’s been great to me. You don’t usually see this nowadays in college basketball, staying at the same school for five years,” Murrell said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian. “So just to be able to say I’ve done that here at Ole Miss, it’s special.”
Murrell has been an asset to the Rebels lineup since his freshman season in 2020, when he played in all 28 games, starting in three of them. He finished his freshman season shooting an average 31.1% beyond the arc and 55.6% from the free throw line.
Murrell’s decision to stay with the Rebels stemmed from his desire to play in the NCAA Tournament.
“Making that tournament run, that was a big thing,” Murrell said. “Winning has been for the most part what I’ve been missing most and just trying to get on the right track with the program. I feel like this is going to be a great year.”
In 109 starts with Ole Miss, Murrell has guided the Rebels to 80 victories. So far this season, Ole Miss has secured three Top 25 conference wins. If the Rebels stay consistent through the end of SEC play, Murrell and the team could secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, marking the program’s first appearance since the 2019-20 season.
“We sell out every home game at this point,” Murrell said. “As a college athlete, this is what you want, the attention towards the sport that you play, and now we’re getting more known on a national scene. That’s big for the program and for the school.”
Murrell notched his first 20-point game this season when Ole Miss upset No. 14 Kentucky 98-84 on Feb. 4. Murrell finished his performance with 24 points and six shots from beyond the arc.
For Murrell, a long awaited win like that became a great feeling.
“That’s definitely a big win. But due to the SEC schedule, you can only celebrate wins for so long,” Murrell said. “It was a great feeling. After everything I’ve been going through this year, just to feel like you finally got your head above water and finally be able to have a great game you’re capable of having.”
Murrell has battled lower body and knee injuries all season and was forced to sit out a few crucial games for the Rebels.
Beard referenced the respect he has for Murrell during the Kentucky postgame press conference.
“I’ve said it before and just (have) a lot of respect for him and admiration of what he does on a daily basis. What he does with his 24 hours each day,” Beard said. “Just a lot of respect for him. Matt is doing what you have to do at this level when you’re banged up to give yourself a chance to try to help your team each night.”
Murrell and the Rebels will compete against Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tip off is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network.
