Ole Miss basketball starts building 2025 run

New-look Ole Miss basketball is two weeks into summer workouts.

The Rebels feature three returners from last season’s 24-win team. They signed three Top 100 recruits and eight transfers, including former Eurobasket MVP Ilias Kamardine.

Ole Miss only recently made the announcement of the addition of Kamardine. However, he hasn’t reported yet as he awaits clearance. Kamardine is a 6-foot-5 combo guard. He declared for the 2024 NBA Draft last spring after a season averaging 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

Kamardine played both guard spots for Vichey and flashed craftiness as a ball-handler. He’s considered a two-way guard with a handle and creative finishing.

“We were able to develop a relationship with Ilias and his family, his representation, his basketball family,” third-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said. “Just excited that he’s trusting us with his next step in his basketball future.”

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Ole Miss in 2024-25 matched the program’s greatest-ever single-season accomplishment and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The Rebels lost double-digit seniors but replenished their roster with transfers from, among others, Kentucky, LSU, Kansas, Butler, Louisville, St. John’s, Washington and Wisconsin.

“We’re just fighting time,” Beard said. “But it’s the summertime. A big part of summer is balance. We all know what’s coming when the grind starts, so it’s kind of a fine line. We want to work really hard during the summer, but we also want to encourage these guys to have some fun.

“All these guys have a passion off the court. So, that’s kind of a fine line in the summer. We want to work extremely hard, but there’s a great value and just a natural off-day, too, where these guys can kind of just on their own terms spend time with each other.”

Ole Miss this week took to the Square for summer workouts with strength and conditioning coach John Reilly. The included photos were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.

“I give those four returning players a lot of credit — they’ve tried to help their teammates get comfortable in Oxford,” Beard said. Walk-on Max Smith is back, too. “The new guys have come in here with a lot of courage. We’ve got some guys already making some strides in the weight room. A few guys academically off to a good start.

“We’ve got this week and then next week [followed by] July 4th. We’re going to take a few days off. Just trying to get as much done as we can every day. But, again, also letting the guys enjoy Oxford. This is a great college town. It’s summertime. We all know what’s ahead here in a few months. It’s a fine line, for sure.”