Matthew Murrell Named Finalist For Howell Trophy

The Rebel has been named a finalist for the award given to Mississippi's top basketball player.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Rebels guard Matthew Murrell was named a finalist for the Howell Trophy on Thursday, putting him in the running for the award given annually to the top basketball player in the state of Mississippi.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum bestows the award each year, and Murrell, the Rebels' leading scorer with 14.7 PPG, was named the representative for Ole Miss. He is joined by Tolu Smith of the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Austin Crowley of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. 

Crowley himself is in his first year at USM, suiting up for Ole Miss during his career through last season.

A panel of media members across the state were placed on the panel to decide this year's finalists, and that same group will announce the winner of the award on March 6 at the Golden Moon Casino and Pearl River Resort in Mississippi.

Murrell's Rebels have not had a strong season to this point, currently sitting at 10-18 overall and 2-13 within the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss will return to the floor at home on Saturday when they play host to the LSU Tigers.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

---

You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

Hey Rebel Fans! Want to see the Ole Miss in action? Get your Ole Miss game tickets from SI Tickets here!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here.

Follow The Grove Report On Facebook and Twitter.

Want even more Ole Miss Rebels News? Check out the SI.com team page here.