Right in the thick of football season, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team is set to begin its regular season. After a disappointing 2021-22 season plagued by injuries, the Rebels aim to finish higher than 13th place in the SEC.
This roster, as currently constructed, provides a nice mix of experience and new blood for head coach Kermit Davis to work with.
Former two-time Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin, who missed a large part of his freshman year due to injury, is ready to show his worth to Rebel fans. The 5-foot, 9-inch guard now has college basketball experience and a full offseason of improvement, so he projects to be a top player in the SEC.
This offense is infamous for low-scoring affairs, but the Rebels can overcome this narrative with marginal steps forward from the returning cast and productive minutes from the incoming freshmen.
Amaree Abram and T.J. Caldwell are 6-foot, 4-inch combo guards who thrived in high school, and the hope is that their games will translate seamlessly to college.
The Rebels will also rely heavily on the production of former Georgia guard Tye Fagan and Georgia native Matthew Murrell. This program has struggled with depth, but through the transfer portal and solid recruitment, the depth chart looks better than ever.
Jackson State transfer Jayveous McKinnis, who averaged an impressive 12 points and 10 rebounds last season, projects to split minutes in the frontcourt with Josh Mballa and Theo Akwuba, both of which came to Oxford via the transfer portal. McKinnis was one of the best forwards in the SWAC last season, but fans will see more of a frontcourt-by-committee this season.
Davis did not just look into the Division-I transfer prospects. He set his sights on 6-foot, 6-inch combo guard Myles Burns from Loyola University New Orleans. At Loyola, Burns was a four-time All-American, three-time First-Team All-SSAC and a three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year.
“Some have thought Myles (Burns) was the most impactful player in NAIA basketball since Dennis Rodman,” Davis said when the team added Burns last April. “Myles has an unbelievable motor and is super athletic in the open floor. He led the NAIA with 151 offensive rebounds and has the most steals by a player at any collegiate level during the 21-22 season.”
A big part of the Rebels’ struggles last season was with defense, so Burns will surely aid in improving that side of the ball. Moreover, Josh Mballa, Jayveous McKinnis and Theo Akwuba were all defensive players of the year at their previous schools. So Davis, as a defensive-minded coach, finally has the personnel to be a top defense in the conference.
Rebel fans can expect a much-improved basketball squad that will be worth watching. Ole Miss begins its season at home on Monday, Nov. 7, against Alcorn State.
