Ole Miss Basketball Beats Out North Carolina Tar Heels, UCONN for Top-50 Prospect

Uniontown (Ohio) Prolific Prep four-star forward Niko Bundalo has committed to Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels, he revealed via social media on Tuesday evening.

Bundalo, a consensus four-star prospect in the 2025 Recruiting Cycle, signed to play for Washington in November, but was released from his National Letter of Intent on April 29.

Now, the Top-10 power forward in America made the decision to commit to Beard and Co. fresh off of a visit to Oxford this past weekend.

The 6-foot-10, 205-pounder made his way to the Magnolia State where he had the chance to take in what the Ole Miss Rebels are building after adding seven newcomers to the roster via the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason.

NEWS: Niko Bundalo has committed to Ole Miss, his agents Taquan Dean and Niko Filipovich of BDAI Sports told ESPN. The 6'10 power forward and Prolific Prep product was named a McDonald's All-American this season. pic.twitter.com/ufSEh11bTt
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 20, 2025

Bundalo averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds for Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep last season and was named a 2025 McDonald's All-American following a dominant senior campaign.

Once Bundalo was released from his National Letter of Intent last month, On3 Sports labeled St. John's and Kansas State as schools to watch.

But the Ole Miss Rebels quickly gave the talented prospect something to think about following a visit to campus.

Now, he's a Rebel after going public with a commitment decision on Tuesday.

Bundalo received a flurry of additional offers from the likes of North Carolina, UCONN, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, Syracuse, LSU, Kentucky and Texas, but chose Ole Miss down the stretch.

4⭐️ Niko Bundalo decommitted from Washington 🚨 Where do you want to see him hoop in college???@slam_university pic.twitter.com/oD3ABDKMns
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) April 29, 2025

What will Bundalo bring to Oxford once with the program this summer? On3 Sports' Jamie Shaw broke down what he expects to see from the skilled big man once in town.

On3 Sports' Take: “Niko Bundalo is a skilled lefty with size,” On3 national basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw wrote. "He is comfortable on the ball, pushing the break under control. His teams (both HS and AAU) line him up at various spots in the half court and run offense through him. He is a good passer and processes reads quickly.

“A threat as a jump shooter, he will need to continue working on his shot load as it can get a little long. But the base balance and release are consistent with spot shooting. He’s embraced being more of a mismatch 4/5 and his game has gone to another level. He finishes well toward the rim. A good area rebounder and is a threat to start the offense.

“He will need to get stronger and continue to tighten the handle and shot (play with a lower center of gravity). There is a lot of production already in play here and a game that continues to evolve each time you see him. He is very competitive also.”

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.