How To Watch Chris Beard, Ole Miss Basketball Take On Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

OXFORD, Miss. – Following their victory in the season opener, the Ole Miss men's basketball team looks to continue rolling into the new season as they host Louisiana Monroe in the SJB Pavilion on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. and on SEC Network+.

TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (45-24) • 282-122 career record (14th Season)

Louisiana Monroe Warhawks (Record: 0-1, 0-0 SBC)
Head Coach: Phil Cunningham • 1st Season at Louisiana Monroe (0-1) • 80-112 career record (7th Season)

ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Analyst: Kermit Davis

OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway

SERIES HISTORY VS. LOUISIANA MONROE
The Rebels and Warhawks have faced each other 20 times before, dating back to 1969. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 16-4, having won 13 straight matchups, and have won 14 of the 16 total games played in Oxford.

LAST MEETING: December 1, 2018 (W, 83-60, Oxford, Miss.)
• Ole Miss led early, taking a 13-point advantage into halftime before eventually winning by 23. The Rebels held the Warhawks to just 38.5% from the floor while shooting over 52% themselves.
• Breein Tyree (Ole Miss): 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal.
• Travis Munnings (LA Monroe): 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal.

SCOUTING THE WARHAWKS
ULM went 7-25 last season, going 3-15 in Sun Belt action before falling in overtime to Louisiana in the opening round of the conference tournament.

They finished with a final NET Ranking of 349. In their season opener this past Monday, the Warhawks traveled to Northern Illinois for an offensive battle, falling 102-82 despite shooting over 50% from the floor as a team while grabbing seven steals on defense.

Louisiana Monroe was tasked with replacing each of their top six scorers from a season ago, and were led in game one by Krystian Lewis, a transfer from Pearl River CC.

The sophomore guard scored 22 points for the Warhawks in his debut, going 8-10 from the charity stripe while dishing out five assists in 39 minutes of action. The team was also given a 16-point performance by freshman forward Przemek Hartman of Poland coming off the bench, while guard Dylan Diaz added 13.

Head coach Phil Cunningham was hired on as the new leader for Louisiana Monroe in March of 2025, after being elevated from assistant on the staff a season ago.

Ole Miss basketball bench — The Ole Miss bench celebrates during its win over Southern on Dec. 17. | Ole Miss Athletics

He was previously the associate head coach at Western Kentucky from 2019 to 2023, and was the head coach for Troy for six seasons from 2013 to 2019, highlighted by a 22-win season and berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. He has had previous stops on staffs at Mississippi State, Georgia State, and James Madison, among others.

CONVINCING OPENER
One of the most anticipated seasons in program history got off to a great start, as Ole Miss took down Southeastern Louisiana in their opener 88-58 on Monday, November 3.

The Rebels out-rebounded the Lions 44 to 26, posting their best rebound margin of +18 under head coach Chris Beard. The team was paced offensively by Malik Dia, who scored 20 points with four rebounds, an assist, and two steals.

In his Ole Miss debut, AJ Storr dropped 18 points while going 4-5 from beyond the arc, adding six rebounds and four assists.

His 18 were the most for a Rebel debut in a season opener since 2016, when Deandre Burnett scored 23 vs. UT Martin.

International guard Ilias Kamardine flashed his skill on both ends of the floor in his first college game, scoring 13 points with three boards, four assists, and a pair of steals.

James Scott led the team on the boards with nine while blocking three shots (eighth career game with 3 or more blocks), while Kezza Giffa came off the bench and added 12 points in just 15 minutes.

'CAUSE I PROVIDE, THAT NEW NEW
After returning three starters and six letterwinners a year ago, head coach Chris Beard and staff were tasked with reloading an Ole Miss team that saw 11 letterwinners and all but one starter depart this past offseason.

They delivered, bringing in a handful of top recruits in the 2025 freshman class, while adding a plethora of talent in the transfer portal. A recruiting class ranked as high as No. 14 in the nation and a transfer class ranked as high as No. 19, Ole Miss has retooled with length, athleticism, shooting ability, and much more to fuel the upward trajectory the program has seen in the past two seasons under Beard.

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