Ole Miss Basketball 2026 Transfer Portal Strategy
Despite a strong SEC tournament performance, the Ole Miss Rebels will not be at the NCAA Tournament due to rough regular season. How should the Rebels attack the transfer portal?
After a trip to the Sweet 16, the Ole Miss Rebels are missing the Big Dance this season. They finished with a 12-19 regular season record and won just 4 of their 18 SEC games. However, the Ole Miss Rebels clicked during the SEC tournament, came within a game of reaching the conference championship as the 15th seed — overcoming Texas, Georgia, and Alabama before a 3-point overtime loss.
So why the mixed results?
It may be discounted how much of their depth Ole Miss lost from its Sweet 16 team. Through their upperclassmen, the team struck the right balance of continuity (Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield, and Jaylen Murray) and bolstering through the portal (Malik Dia, Sean Pedulla, Dre Davis). The only returning players from its rotation were Malik Dia and freshman Eduardo Klafke.
So, Ole Miss had to dip into the portal to replenish the depth lost from its graduating seniors. They made big moves with a pro acquisition of Ilias Kamardine, a polarizing yet talented AJ Storr, and a SEC sharpshooter in Travis Perry. They also sought frontcourt depth between Corey Chest, James Scott, and Augusto Cassia.
The Rebels didn’t make any bad moves by any means. It just didn’t click in the way that led to repeatable success from the previous season. Not every team can be Michigan that built a dominant starting 5 through the transfer portal. More often than not, it just doesn’t gel. It’s basketball, and in team sports, there has to be a level of continuity mixed with talent for success.
After the final regular-season game, Chris Beard told the media:
We’ve obviously got to put a better product on the floor. I really want to thank the season-ticket holders and the students who supported the team this year.
We’re going to do everything we possibly can in the next 12 months to put a better product on the floor next year.
Beard can definitely orchestrate a bounce-back campaign. The team’s performance in the SEC tournament is a strong driver of this belief. He’s also been synonymous with winning wherever he goes. He’s already shown that at Ole Miss, leading them to their first Sweet 16 appearance last year for the first time in over two decades. This SEC tournament run shows that there’s still buy-in with the culture and message Beard has formulated. Now, he will have to get into the portal, especially after the losses of their two leading scorers, Malik Dia and AJ Storr.
How should Beard and Ole Miss attack the portal after a down season?
Core — Looking Ahead
The objective of the offseason should be towards retention, as the Rebels have an intriguing set of young talent that could build a steady foundation.
The main piece is Patton Pinkins, a sweet-shooting freshman 2-guard. Don’t let his sub-10 scoring average fool you. His shot-making stood out significantly in major moments this season, as his three highest scoring outings came in SEC games on the road. If he’s back — and with his dad on the coaching staff, it may be a lock — he has the chops to take on the go-to scorer role for next year’s Ole Miss team.
Eduardo Klafke is another underclassman who’s emerged as a bonafide rotation player and an integral part of Ole Miss’ future. His value lies within his defensive versatility, connective playmaking, and shooting — while flashing some skill as a live-dribble shooter inside the arc. He led the Rebels in box plus/minus in conference play with a 6.6 BPM.
Corey Chest is a fascinating big man prospect who’s a strong rebounder, shot-blocker, and play-finisher. He should be first in line when it comes to big man minutes this season.
Ilias Kamardine didn’t quite pop to the degree expected from his early-season showing and his professional background. He needs to level up as a shooter, but his playmaking and positional size hold equity as a primary playmaker in the SEC. He got granted another year of eligibility and will be an important piece for the Rebels to retain.
Travis Perry has value as a lights-out shooter that can jump passing lanes and serve as a connector — although he’s small for SEC play.
The Rebels also have a big man duo of Augusto Cassia and James Scott. They could have hidden upside in freshmen Niko Bundalo and Tylis Jordan — two of the highest-rated recruits in program history.
Obviously, you can’t keep everyone nowadays. However, they have an infrastructure of intriguing talent that could find a groove with more continuity.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Ball security — The Rebels finished with a 14 turnover percentage, which ranked 24th in the country.
PNR defense — The Rebels hold pick-and-roll ball-handlers to 0.812 PPP when accounting for passes.
Play-finishing — 93rd percentile in dunk frequency (17.7% of possessions end in a dunk).
Weaknesses
3-point attempt percentage and volume — The Rebels fell outside the top-200 in percentage (33.2) and rate (35.5).
Opponent Rebounding — They gave up a 32.6 offensive rebounding rate for opponents, which was 289th in the country.
Fouling — The defense gave up an opponent free throw rate of 41.2, which was 315th in the country.
Opportunities
The Rebels have an opportunity to shift their offensive philosophy a bit. They’re losing a ton of isolation scoring between AJ Storr and Malik Dia. The Rebels were in the 99th percentile in iso scoring frequency (10.1), and in the 85th percentile in isolation scoring efficiency (0.943 PPP). They boast a good assortment of shooters to shift their philosophy to more drive-and-kick.
Patton Pinkins: 42.2 percent from 3 (102 attempts) — 52.9 percent on catch-and-shoot 3’s (68 attempts)
Eduardo Klafke: 41.3 percent from 3 (46 attempts) — 36.1 percent on catch-and-shoot 3’s (36 attempts)
Travis Perry can prove to be a better shooter than percentages given him credit for (34.8 percent), as he shot 40.5 percent from three on 42 attempts in the final 12 games of the season.
They also have play-finishers that can see enhanced roles with any combination of Scott, Chest, Cassia, and Bundalo.
While they will need a way to manufacture looks beyond Kamardine’s primary playmaking, this combination could help offset their loss of shot creation with an efficient approach that resembles Morey Ball.
Threats
Creation loss — As mentioned above, the Rebels are losing a chunk of creation in the form of isolation scoring with Storr and Dia graduating. While they weren’t the most efficient — both players finished with effective field goal percentages under 50 and with rather low assist percentages relevant to usage rates — they still manufactured offense for the Rebels. As a result, the Rebels are losing a lot of creation. The loss of offense can make things clunky for the Rebels, as they need to prioritize a level of shot and advantage creation to elevate their offense.
The portal — The biggest threat is the transfer portal, because it’s the Wild, Wild West where you never really know what to expect. Schools can come out of nowhere and offer prospects more than what’s being offered. I’m looking at the big man spot between Chest, Scott, Cassia, and Bundalo. Do any of them seek a different role elsewhere? Can the Rebels keep Niko Bundalo and Tylis Jordan — two top-ranked prospects in program history according to 247Sports, who barely played this season?
Portal Objectives
Find a big that can piece things together
There’s a common theme in a lot of the country’s top teams: they boast big men — or bigger forwards — that are capable of stringing actions together as playmakers.
Duke — Cameron Boozer (26.4 assist percentage), Patrick Ngonbga (15.8), Maliq Brown (14.6)
Michigan — Aday Mara (18.1), Yaxel Lendeborg (17.9)
Florida — Alex Condon (19.2)
Arizona — Koa Peat (17.9)
Illinois — David Mirkovic (16.4)
Iowa State — Joshua Jefferson (27.7)
Nebraska — Reink Mast (19.9)
St. John’s — Zuby Ejiofor (23.0), Dillon Mitchell (20.0)
Iowa — Alvaro Folgueiras (21.2)
North Carolina — Caleb Wilson (18.0)
Sure, some of these players are one-and-done players that trend towards blue-blood schools. It’s also not exactly a surefire bet that a playmaking big means your team will become a top team in the country. However, it’s a tactical advantage that can help manufacture easier offense.
In addition, they should target a big man that can add value in the interior as a rebounder and shot-blocker. Maybe, they can achieve this through some sort of combination of Chest, Scott, Cassia, or Bundalo.
At this juncture of the portal, it’s hard to piece together names to associate with these objectives. However, let’s give two names — one possible transfer and one incoming freshman. I wrote about Belmont big man Drew Scharnowski last week as a possible underclassman to monitor, as he has a fascinating intersection of playmaking, rebounding, and shot-blocking. He’s not necessarily a big man, but Fred Smith Jr. — a 6’6” power forward with a good frame and a 7’1” wingspan out of Memphis — is a player to monitor. He visited Ole Miss this past fall, and with the Under Armour circuit, he averaged 5.2 assists with a 2.06 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Find players who can impact the game beyond scoring
One of the main struggles with Ole Miss was their go-to guys — Malik Dia and AJ Storr — being limited outside of scoring. This isn’t to look past their scoring talent by any means, especially considering the Rebels are losing a significant scoring load with them gone. However, when their shot isn’t falling, it reduces the margin of error.
They need more playmaking on both sides of the floor. Offensively, Kamardine was their best playmaker, but they’re low on connectors outside of Klafke. Adding more players that can create advantages and make the extra reads can help manufacture easier scoring opportunities when they’re struggling with their shots.
Defensively, Klafke is their main stopper. He can take on different roles — defending at the point-of-attack, slotting as the low-man in rotations, covering positions 1-4, and helping win the possessions game with rebounds and turnover creation. Perry’s activity is encouraging — 3.1 steal rate — but his size hinders him defensively at the SEC level.
The Rebels will need to have players step up into Dia and Storr’s scoring load. Pinkins seems the best equipped of the potential returners to fill the void, and Klafke has the shooting efficiency and touch to crack double-digits — as long as he revs up his volume.
However, adding players that can score but also are multi-faceted will go a long way into raising the team’s floor.
Find another wing/forward with size
I found where the Rebels were low on size in different high-leverage situations several times. Usually, it was when they had a 4-man combination of Pinkins, Kamardine, Storr, Perry, or Klafke with a big. It can lead to a size discrepancy in conference play.
They can use a bigger forward — one that can toggle between the 3 and 4 — that can dribble, pass, shoot, and defend. It could be Tylis Jordan, or even an incoming recruit like Fred Smith Jr. However, leveling up their size around the forward spots could pay off for lineup optionality.
Find their Sean Pedulla
Finding the next Sean Pedulla isn’t exactly a 1-to-1 deal, especially considering what he provided tangibly and intangibly. However, this is the intersection of skills I’m looking for with a possible offensive engine that can man the point guard spot.
Playmaking: as mentioned above, among potential returners, a lot of playmaking responsibilities fall on Ilias Kamardine. Pedulla finished with a 22.7 assist percentage with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. He pushed the pace and organized the offense. This isn’t to say they need to bring in a new lead guard ahead of Kamardine; after all, Jaylen Murray’s presence off the bench was big in their Sweet 16 campaign. They could just alleviate some responsibilities off him.
Aggressive POA defense: although on the smaller side, Pedulla was a feisty defender capable of picking up his man full court. With his quick hands, he generated a 3.3 steal rate, which is a ticket to provide transition offense. Picking up a guard that can defend primary ball-handlers gives them role versatility with their defensive stoppers, and an additional source of turnover creation.
Creation but can play off the ball: While the creation is a critical skill — especially with the loss of Storr and Dia — Pedulla’s value lies in his ability to create but also function off the ball. He made 40.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers at Ole Miss. The Rebels struggled with shooting from their primary playmakers, so it should be a need to address this offseason.
Again, finding another Sean Pedulla isn’t easy. However, if they can target a guard that provides each of the following skills, it could do a lot to provide a launchpad for Ole Miss to bounce back next season. It would shore up the lost creation from departing seniors, while adding some juice on both sides of the ball.
While it’s a bit early to discuss transfer portal targets, the Ole Miss Rebels have an opportunity to build off a strong SEC tournament to bounce back next year after a rough regular season. Behind Chris Beard and their potential returns, they have the ingredients to return to the NCAA Tournament next season, and the transfer portal is an integral step in building their momentum.
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