Ole Miss Basketball Lands Coveted Transfer Guard, Former USC Trojans Commitment

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels have landed a commitment from coveted High Point transfer Kezza Giffa, 247Sports reported on Wednesday.

The talented guard has signed the necessary paperwork and will officially join the Rebels for the 2025-26 season after a rigorous recruitment process.

The 6-foot-2 bucket-getter was a two-time All-Big South First-Team selection where he averaged 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game during the 2024-25 season for the Panthers.

After a standout campaign for his High Point squad, Giffa hit the NCAA Transfer Portal in search of a new home for his final season of eligibility.

He originally committed to Eric Musselman and the USC Trojans, but later backed off of his pledge to the program with the Ole Miss Rebels coming in to land his services.

Coveted High Point guard transfer Kezza Giffa has signed with Ole Miss, @chris_hummer and I have learned.

Recently decommitted from USC. Now set to transfer to Ole Miss. Averaged 14.6 points per game last season and 16.2 during the 23-24 season.https://t.co/wkYKVSgBkP pic.twitter.com/oHQNPokriV
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) June 4, 2025

Giffa began his collegiate career with the UTEP Miners during the 2021-22 season and did not play during the 2022-23 season.

The Paris native now heads to Oxford for his final season of eligibility after stints with UTEP and High Point.

Beard and Co. have now landed eight players via the NCAA Transfer Portal with the program reconstructing the roster in a big way this offseason.

What's the latest on Ole Miss' newcomers? Who's in?

The Ole Miss Portal Haul:

Commitment No. 1: Corey Chest [LSU Forward]

Chest, one of the top prospects in Louisiana coming out of high school, made 26 appearances for the Tigers during the 2024-25 season with 19 starts.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound redshirt-freshman averaged 6.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.7 percent from the field during his second season in Baton Rouge.

After three seasons of high school ball in Louisiana, Chest went up to Missouri for his senior campaign to play for Link Academy, one of the top prep schools in the country.

Now, after traveling across America from Louisiana to Missouri and back to the Bayou State, Chest has made the decision to take his talent to Oxford.

Commitment No. 2: AJ Storr [Kansas Guard]

The well-traveled prospect will head to his fourth program in as many seasons with the Rebels landing his services via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Storr has played a trio of collegiate seasons where he's suited up for three programs: St. John’s, Wisconsin, and Kansas.

The 6-foot-7 guard has played in 103 total games across his career with 57 starts for the Red Storm, Badgers, and Jayhawks.

Storr is a bucket-getter. He's averaging 10.7 points (42.3% FG, 33.7% 3PT) and 2.6 rebounds per game during his time in college despite bouncing around.

During his second season of college ball he posted career-best with the Badgers as a sophomore. He tallied 16.8 points a night on 43.4% FG and 32% 3PT while grabbing 3.9 rebounds and earned All-Big Ten honors along the way.

Commitment No. 3: Koren Johnson [Louisville]

The 6-foot-2 junior began his playing career with the Washington Huskies where he won the 2023-25 PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year Award following a standout season.

Johnsn averaged 11.1 PTS, 2.7 AST, and 2.2 REB in 24.2 minutes per game at Washington during his breakout season prior to departing the program.

After two years with the Huskies, Johnson made the move to Louisville for the 2024-25 season, but suited up in only two games after suffering an injury.

Now, he'll head to Oxford for the 2025-26 season after receiving a medical redshirt last season.

Johnson was a four-star, Top-150 prospect in America out of high school in the 2022 Recruiting Cycle prior to signing with the Washington Huskies.

Commitment No. 4: Augusto Cassia [Butler]

Cassia, a 6-foot-8, 220-pounder, heads to Oxford after a stint with the Butler Bulldogs across a pair of seasons.

The rising-junior from Salvador, Brazil appeared in 25 games for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons, averaging 5.1 points per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game

He shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from three-point range this past season.

Cassia is a talented three-point shooter where he can now add a key element to the Rebels' 2025-26 roster moving forward.

He shot nearly 43 percent from three-point range this past season, adding another layer of versatility to his game.

Commitment No. 5: Ilias Kamardine [International]

The 6-foot-5 combo guard is a former MVP and tournament champion at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket while dominating overseas.

Kamardine turns 22-years-old in October and plays for Dijon in Pro A with college coaches salivating at the potential he attains moving forward.

The international guard averaged 8.0 points, 2.4 assists, one steal and 2.4 rebounds in the EuroCup this season.

Kamardine is a prospect that continues evolving as a shooter after shooting 43.4 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three-pount range and 79 percent from the free throw line this year.

Commitment No. 6: Travis Perry [Kentucky]

Perry, a coveted prospect in the NCAA Transfer Portal, received interest from a myriad of schools before shutting down his process and committing to the Rebels.

The talented 6-foot-2 bucket-getter appeared in 31 games with four starts as a true freshman for the Wildcats during the 2024-25 season.

Perry capped off the year after averaging 2.7 points while shooting 31.3% from the floor and 32.1% from 3-point range.

The former Top-100 prospect in America broke the Kentucky high school scoring record during his time on the prep scene with multiple powerhouse programs pursuing his services.

Commitment No. 7: James Scott [Louisville]

Scott, one of the top forwards available in the NCAA Transfer Portal, is fresh off of a visit to Oxford with the Rebels turning up the heat.

The talented transfer appeared in 70 games for Charleston and Louisville across the last two seasons.

After starting his career at Charleston, he elected to follow head coach Pat Kelsey to Louisville and has averaged 6.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 assists across the last two years on the hardwood.

The 6-foot-11 forward shot 77 percent from the field last season with his efficiency playing a pivotal role in his production during limited playing time.

More Ole Miss News:

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

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