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Everything Ole Miss Coach Chris Beard Said After SEC Tournament Loss

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6 months ago

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Ole Miss coach Chris Beard during a SEC Tournament semifinal game against Arkansas in Nashville. | Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss’ SEC Tournament run ended just short of another game in Nashville, but head coach Chris Beard made it clear afterward that the story of this team goes beyond the final score. Sitting alongside seniors AJ Storr and Malik Dia, Beard reflected on a season defined by adversity, praised the leadership of his veterans, and emphasized the fight his team showed until the very end.

Here’s everything he said:

Opening Statement…

Does everybody need to stand up and stretch a little bit? Maybe do a couple of jumping jacks? When we meet with our team it’s eight to ten minutes before attention spans go away, so we’re about there after waiting quite a long time.

Normally in my years of college basketball the SID or media relations requests which players come up here, but tonight that was a special request from me. I wanted to be joined by these two guys. I want to be very clear about something. I really appreciate AJ Storr choosing to come play for us at Ole Miss. It wasn’t the season either of us envisioned, but AJ is one of the most misunderstood stories in college basketball. I’ve never coached a more loyal, poised, even-headed guy.

I feel like I know AJ as well as I could possibly know someone in a one-year setting because we went through everything together. There were a few highs — this weekend was a good run — and obviously some lows. But I’ve got a lot of respect for AJ. He’s going to play basketball as long as he wants to, until his body tells him otherwise. I really appreciate him and I’ll have his back forever.

Malik Dia, same thing. I appreciate Malik choosing our program two years ago when he had other options. At that time we weren’t coming off an NCAA Tournament or anything like that, but Malik believed in the vision. He was a huge part of our Sweet 16 team last year — arguably one of the best teams in Ole Miss history. I’ve got a lot of respect for Malik. I coached him hard and the outside world saw that, but don’t get it twisted: I always had his back and he always had mine.

From our first conversation in a coffee shop here in Nashville, Malik told me what he wanted out of basketball and out of life. I’m still as confident as ever that he’ll achieve whatever goals he sets. This season was a journey with a lot of ups and downs. Your true character comes out during adversity and we had our share of that. But the way we finished here speaks highly of everyone in our locker room, including these two seniors. I have a lot of respect for them.

Briefly on the game: we made more shots than the opponent, we made more threes than the opponent, and turnovers were about even. The glaring difference was the free-throw differential — 22 fouls to 10. We fouled twice intentionally at the end, so it was really closer to 20-10. That’s frustrating, but it also gives us a chance to learn this offseason — how we can get to the free-throw line more and how we can keep opponents off it. I thought our guys played with a lot of courage today. We played the game to win. We didn’t lose the game — we just ran out of time. AJ had two potential game-winners. He made one and another rimmed out. I wish we had one more minute.

On lasting memory of this team…

They didn’t quit.

You wake up one day and it’s your eight-year-old daughter’s birthday party. You’re sick, you don’t want to get out of bed, but you have to. On the way to work you get a speeding ticket. The clown you hired for the party cancels. Your boss wants to talk to you. You go out to the parking lot and your tire’s slashed. But you can’t quit. You’ve got to get to that birthday party. And when you get there, you can’t act like you had a bad day. You’ve got to put a smile on your face and make it happen. That’s what these guys did. They didn’t quit. Our fans know that. The national media probably just sees the scores and the record, but this team competed until the end.

The speech I gave them in the locker room after the game is one of the hardest things you do every season. Everyone has to give it except one team. Unless the confetti is falling on you, that season-ending speech is coming. Today was a different speech than I imagined giving this team. After the run we made here in Nashville, I’m just proud of them. There are lessons from this year they’ll carry with them — not just in basketball, but in life as husbands and fathers.

We didn’t lose today. We ran out of time. Big difference. We’re one inch away from sitting here preparing for the championship game tomorrow.

On potential interest in playing in NIT…

I haven’t even thought about that. This is the first time it’s been mentioned to me.

On team’s growth during SEC Tournament…

We just kept fighting.

After heartbreak or a loss, the next day we’d have a 10 a.m. film session. You walk into the gym and guys are already working on their game, shooting free throws, watching clips. Then you walk into the film room and there are 15 players sitting there ready to go back to work.

Two things matter in our program: mental toughness and physical toughness. The mental side is four times as important. These guys were mentally tough. Tough times pass. Tough people last. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a team embody that more than this one.

On carrying momentum into next season…

That’s a good question. I’m probably not in the mental space to fully answer it right now. But I know this — we’re going to support our players 100 percent. In college basketball guys make decisions about whether to return, go elsewhere, or pursue pro opportunities. Those will be conversations we have. Our seniors, including AJ and Malik, we’ll support fully in their professional paths. Our relationship with these players is just getting started. Whether we coach them next year or not, we’ll have their backs for the rest of our lives.

On message to Ole Miss fans…

First thing is thank you. Attendance this year — the season ticket holders, the students — was tremendous. We had a lot of people travel here to Nashville. I saw a lot of students here. Thank you to the community and to our administration, Chancellor Boyce and Keith Carter.

You really learn about relationships when you go through tough times, and our fan base was nothing but supportive this year. We’re going to keep building this program. We’re just getting started. Over the next two months we’ll work to put the roster together, and over the next 11 months we’ll work to put ourselves in position so that next year, no matter what happens here in Nashville, this won’t be our last tournament of the season.

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Basketball

Ole Miss Basketball Appears in First Look at Expanded NCAA Tournament Field

Published

4 months ago

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May 8, 2026

By

Ole Miss Men's Basketball during the game against Mississippi St. at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi on January 17, 2026. | Ole Miss Athletics

Most college sports fans saw Thursday’s news that the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams. Eight additional teams will be added to what is currently the First Four, turning it into a 24‑team play‑in stage with 12 games across two days. The winners will join the 52 teams already slotted into the traditional first‑round bracket.

We already talked about what expansion means for both Ole Miss programs, and it’s still way too early to know which teams will actually benefit next season. But you know that won’t stop anyone from trying.

NCAA.com analyst Andy Katz posted his first 76‑team projection Friday morning, based on his initial Power 44 rankings for 2026‑27. Katz or his model must really like what Ole Miss has done this offseason. The Rebels show up at No. 39 in the Power 44 and land as a No. 10 seed in the South quadrant.

Again, it’s early. The last season ended a month ago. Ole Miss shouldn’t start booking hotel rooms in Pittsburgh just yet.

Still, this tells us two things about Ole Miss and the new tournament format.

First, it’s going to be hard for a middle‑of‑the‑pack SEC team to miss the field now. Second, if the bracket had been at 76 teams this past season, the committee would’ve had a real decision to make about the Rebels.

Maybe they get in. Maybe they don’t. Did they deserve a spot? Probably not, and adding eight more at‑large bids doesn’t change that much.

But the future looks better now for Ole Miss.

Andy Katz’s Initial Power 44

1. Duke

2. Florida

3. Michigan

4. Illinois

5. Tennessee

6. UConn

7. Arizona

8. Arkansas

9. Texas

10. Michigan State

11. Vanderbilt

12. Virginia

13. Kansas

14. Houston

15. Louisville

16. Alabama

17. Nebraska

18. Iowa State

19. Purdue

20. USC

21. Gonzaga

22. St. John’s

23. Miami (FL)

24. Indiana

25. Missouri

26. VCU

27. Saint Louis

28. UCLA

29. Ohio State

30. BYU

31. Iowa

32. Texas A&M

33. North Carolina

34. Providence

35. Baylor

36. Wisconsin

37. Auburn

38. Xavier

39. Ole Miss

40. Marquette

41. Texas Tech

42. Kentucky

43. Maryland

44. New Mexico

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Basketball

What NCAA Tournament Expansion Means for Ole Miss Basketball

Published

4 months ago

on

May 7, 2026

By

Ole Miss basketball players celebrate a SEC Tournament win against Alabama on Friday night. | Ole Miss Athletics

Missing the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments is about to get a lot harder.

Multiple outlets reported and the NCAA itself announced Thursday that the committees overseeing both tournaments have officially voted to expand the fields to 76 teams.

None of this should catch anyone off guard. The NCAA started exploring expansion about a year ago, and reports two weeks ago made it clear the process was in its final stages. Now it’s done. The new format will debut in 2027.

According to ESPN, top NCAA officials met with the tournament’s media partners to finalize the updated contracts before the vote. The committees required signed agreements before making anything official, and once those were in place, expansion moved forward.

The biggest change comes at the front end of the tournament. Eight additional teams will be added to what is currently the First Four. That round will grow into a 24‑team play‑in stage with 12 games spread across two days. The winners will join the 52 teams already slotted into the traditional first‑round bracket.

The NCAA is expected to rebrand the First Four language, but the structure stays familiar. The opening round will still include both automatic qualifiers and at‑large teams. All 16 seeds and half of the 15 seeds will make up half of the 24‑team group. The other half will come from the lowest‑seeded at‑large teams, including a mix of 11 and 12 seeds.

It’s a significant shift, but the goal is simple: more teams, more access, and fewer seasons ending on Selection Sunday with nothing to show for it.

What This Means for Ole Miss

On the women’s side, this doesn’t move the needle much. Yolett McPhee‑McCuin has raised the bar to the point where simply making the tournament isn’t the goal anymore.

Ole Miss wants to host a NCAA Regional for the first time in program history, and that standard doesn’t change with a bigger field.

The men’s side is a little different. It depends on the year. Two seasons ago, expansion wouldn’t have mattered. This past season, it would’ve changed everything.

Ole Miss finished 15-20 and sat at No. 80 in the NET. In a 76‑team bracket, that puts you on the bubble, and one more win in the SEC Tournament probably gets the Rebels into the field.

For programs in a league as deep as the SEC, the extra spots matter. The women’s side won’t feel much of a shift, but the men’s side absolutely will. Bubble teams in this conference won’t be living on the same razor’s edge anymore.

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Basketball

Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Portal Picture Comes Into Focus

Published

4 months ago

on

May 5, 2026

By

Ole Miss coach Chris Beard

It’s been two weeks since the transfer portal window closed, and after a slow start, Ole Miss is finally nearing the end of its roster‑building phase.

The Rebels have added seven transfers, plus TJ Clark who committed back in December. Four‑star recruits Jaron Saulsberry, Yohance Connor and Daniel Patton are also on the way this summer.

Those 10 newcomers will join Ilias Kamardine and Patton Pinkins, the only returning Rebels, to form the foundation of next year’s roster.

The question is whether that’s enough, and whether Chris Beard is actually done adding.

The honest answer is maybe and probably not.

Nobody knows yet if this group will be better or worse than what Ole Miss just put on the floor.

There’s no headline addition, but that doesn’t mean the roster can’t mesh, grow together and avoid needing a miracle run in March.

There’s also the chance it looks like last season, when the pieces never fully clicked.

Given the current guard‑heavy build, it feels likely Beard will look for more frontcourt help. Stefan Cicic gives Ole Miss a true 7‑footer and Santiago Trouet adds more size, but the Rebels could still use another proven interior presence.

One name to watch is former Florida Atlantic forward Devin Williams, who has reportedly met with Ole Miss over Zoom and is visiting Arizona this week. Williams finished fifth nationally in blocks last season at 2.58 per game, which would give Beard a real defensive anchor inside.

In the end, Ole Miss won’t know what this roster really is until the group gets on the floor together, but the picture is at least starting to take shape.

Beard has rebuilt almost the entire program for the second straight offseason, and there’s still room for one or two more pieces to round it out.

Whether this version ends up being better, worse, or simply different from last year’s team is impossible to know in May, but the next additions will tell us plenty about how the Rebels plan to finish the job.

Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

Men

Outgoing

Incoming

  • Christian Brown, F, 6-8, Fr. (James Madison)
  • Stefan Cicic, C, 7-0, Fr. (Pepperdine)
  • Adam Clark, G, 5-10, Jr. (Seton Hall)
  • TJ Clark, G, 6-3 (Hermosillo)
  • Dasear Haskins, G, 6-8, So. (St. Joseph’s)
  • ND Okafor, F, 6-7, Jr. (Washington State)
  • Roman Siulepa, F, 6-6, Fr. (Pittsburgh)
  • Santiago Trouet, F, 6-10, Jr. (Arizona State)

Women

Outgoing

  • J’Adore Young, 6-4, C, Soph.
  • Sira Thinenou, 6-1, F, Soph.
  • Tianna Thompson, 5-10, G, Soph. (Baylor)

Incoming

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