'Unfinished Business!' Jaylen Murray Has 'Opportunity of a Lifetime' With Ole Miss

Ole Miss Rebels guard Jaylen Murray says that he never considered transferring to a new program this offseason.

Mar 5, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Jaylen Murray (5) brings the ball up the court against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball may not have reached the NCAA Tournament last season, but there were some bright spots to head coach Chris Beard's first year on the job. Jaylen "JuJu" Murray played a pivotal role at point guard for the Rebels, and he says that his loyalty lies in Oxford.

Murray is a previous transfer from Saint Peter's, but even after the Rebels failed to reach the tournament last season, he never considered leaving. He was asked about that in media availability on Tuesday, and he says he owes a lot to what Beard has given him at Ole Miss.

"I didn't one time second guess whether I was going to transfer or not," Murray said. "I gave my trust to Coach Beard, and he put his trust into me. Somebody giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to just come to this level and basically give me the keys and do what I do, you can't go around stuff like that.

"You've always got to show respect to those people, and I've got a lot of respect for Coach Beard."

Murray is still expected to be a big piece of Ole Miss' plan on the hardwood in 2024-25 despite some transfer portal additions this offseason. Last season with the Rebels, he averaged 13.8 points per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field.

All of that is just part of the plan, however. If Beard has any say in the matter, he'll have Murray in the postseason this year.

"We both came to Ole Miss with the No. 1 thing in mind: winning," Beard said. "I don't want to speak for him, but proud of some of the things we did last year. Definitely have some unfinished business. It's time for JuJu to play in the NCAA Tournament again, and that's something that me and him talk about all the time."

Ole Miss has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but Murray does have some experience in the Big Dance that came during his freshman year when Saint Peter's advanced to the Elite Eight. Could he help lead the Rebels back into the tournament this winter?