There are no current Rebels in the NBA and only two — Terence Davis and Justin Reed — in the past 20 years. Matthew Murrell is the most likely current Rebel to join the NBA in the near future.
Justin Reed
Reed was a consistent four year player for the Rebels from 2001-2004. In his rookie season, Reed helped Ole Miss reach their first ever NCAA Sweet 16 in program history. In the same season, Reed was also distinguished as SEC Freshman and Newcomer of the year.
In Reed’s final season with Ole Miss in 2004, he led the conference in scoring, averaging 19 points per game. Since Reed was a four-year player, he fell to the second round in the 2004 NBA draft, where he was drafted to the Boston Celtics.
Shadowed by legendary Celtic Paul Pierce for the beginning of his career, Reed only scored an average of four points and a single rebound over his three seasons in the NBA. He spent two seasons with the Celtics before getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for his final season in the NBA.
Reed is an example of a player who performed well in college but could never find his footing in the NBA.
Terence Davis
Davis was a standout at Ole Miss, averaging 15 points during his final season with the Rebels and leading the team during the 2018-2019 season.
Davis is one of the more famous examples of a Rebel to make it to the league. He started his career in Toronto as an undrafted free agent, earning a ring in his rookie season. Davis was a key contributor off the bench for the championship-winning team.
He then moved on to Sacramento, where he averaged 11 points — a breakout season for him, but he often moved between the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Raptors. He was a part of the Kings roster last season, but he is now a free agent.
Matthew Murrell
Murrell is a talented player with strong potential of getting drafted. In Murrells final season playing for the Rebels, the 6’4” shooting guard from Memphis became a key player in the starting five.
He remains the only starter who has stayed with the Rebels for his entire collegiate career, setting a solid foundation of his leadership and determination as a player over the past four seasons. Murrell led the Rebels in scoring, averaging 16 points per game and finishing 16th in program history, with 1,444 career points. Murrell was fifth in three-point field goals with a total of 218.
Murrell is a strong shooter with a high percentage shooting from a three-point range. Coming in at 6’4” Murrell doesn’t really present himself as a solid defensive player. However, his drive and physicality makes him a key player attacking on offense.
Why Aren’t There More NBA Rebels?
Ole Miss has never really had starpower like Kentucky and Duke. The Rebels play a team game and don’t rely on a single player. This is most likely the reason for the Rebels not having any current NBA talent. However, under Head Coach Chris Beard, Ole Miss has the potential to produce NBA talent each season.
