'Unfinished Business!' Matthew Murrell Withdraws From NBA Draft, Returns to Ole Miss

More good news came for the Ole Miss Rebels basketball program on Wednesday as guard Matthew Murrell withdrew from the NBA Draft and announced his intention to return to Oxford for another season. Murrell shared his news on social media with a post you can view here.

"After carefully weighing my options, I'm excited to announce that I'm coming back to Ole Miss for another year," Murrell said in his post. "Huge thanks to the NBA teams, coaches, my family, and all those who have supported me throughout this process.

"Can't wait to get back out there and take care of unfinished business alongside my teammates this season."

Murrell has been a mainstay for the Rebels for four seasons, and he ranks 16th in program history in career scoring with 1,444 points and fifth in made three-point field goals (218). A native of Memphis, Murrell spent his final season of high school ball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

He was rated a four-star prospect by multiple outlets, and since he's been in Oxford, Murrell has seen action in 121 college basketball games, making him a vital veteran presence on the floor entering the second year of Chris Beard's tenure as head coach.

Murrell has a career average of 11.9 PPG, and he was named to the All-SEC Second Team in the 2023-24 season. Despite these accolades, he has never played on an NCAA Tournament team, as the Rebels have been five seasons without making an appearance in the big dance.

Murrell is the second Rebel to announce his return to Oxford on Wednesday, joining new transfer addition Malik Dia in that category. Fellow veteran Jaemyn Brakefield is also returning to Ole Miss for another season, and these pieces with an impressive offseason transfer portal haul hope to send the Rebels back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

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