OXFORD — First-year Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard said he depends on exhibition games to expose flaws, allowing him to address them before the onset of the regular season.
And in an 85-44 win Monday over Division II Tusculum in an exhibition game at SJB Pavilion, Beard said he found plenty of issues to fix before Ole Miss hosts Alabama State to kick off its season Nov. 6 (7 p.m., SEC Network+).
But there were positives to highlight for the new-look Rebels, too. They shot 56.3% from the floor and got to the free-throw line 21 times. They were overwhelming on defense, forcing 24 turnovers and holding the Pioneers to 31.5% shooting.
Here’s what we learned from the matchup.
Ole Miss basketball has work to do from 3-point range
Among the many issues that sank Kermit Davis’ Ole Miss team last season was 3-point shooting. The team connected on 30.3%, which was 344th out of 363 Division I teams.
That issue has reared its head again as the Rebels connected on two of its 19 shots.
That number was exacerbated by some optimistic attempts from end-of-the-bench options who entered the game late, but it remained an inefficient night from the 3-point line.
“The basket closed up on us,” Beard said. “That’s never a thing we talk about. We talk about shot selection a lot more than shot making. If you’re going to be a championship team, you gotta figure out how to win a game on a night when the basket’s big for you or the basket’s closed up a little bit. From where I was sitting, we had a lot of good shots by the right shooter.”
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Freshman Rashaud Marshall can make early impact
Four-star forward Rashaud Marshall was the jewel of the Rebels’ 2023 signing class, and he gave a positive first look.
He was the second Rebels player off the bench, a right Beard said Marshall earned with his preparation. He finished the night with eight points and made an impression with his physicality. It’s going to be tough to push the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Arkansas native around, even when SEC play starts.
Still, Beard wanted to see more from him.
“He did some good things,” he said. “There’s obviously some things to clean up. We need him to rebound better. He’s a physical guy, he needs to understand how to block out at this level. But the good thing about Rashaud is he wants to be coached.”
Beard plans to tinker with waivers still in flux
Beard confirmed that Ole Miss is still waiting on NCAA waiver decisions for key transfers Moussa Cisse and Brandon Murray. Both of them sat out against Tusculum, as per NCAA rules.
Jaylen Murray, TJ Caldwell and Matthew Murrell started at guard for the Rebels, with Jaemyn Brakefield and Jamarion Sharp getting the nod at forward. Murray, a Saint Peter’s transfer, was the primary ballhandler, but Beard was critical of his showing, citing turnovers. Ole Miss gave the ball away 12 times.
Beard said expects the starting lineup to fluctuate early in the season.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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