Chris Beard stated the Ole Miss roster is ‘drastically’ changing for next year. So what might it look like?

The book is all but closed on the 2023-24 basketball season for Ole Miss and Chris Beard is already thinking about his second season in Oxford hours after his first one is over.

Beard intimated in his post game comments after the Rebels lost to Texas A&M, 80-71, in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday that the roster will undergo a makeover.

In fact, the roster will look “drastically different” for next season, according to Beard.

Of course that comment was followed with a qualifier.

“I don’t think there’s any coach in the country that would say different,” Beard said. “You get four or five guys to return that’s going to be a huge advantage in college basketball now. One thing we’ve always done, is done a pretty good job of adapting, thinking ahead, play offense, not defense. We don’t make the rules, but you can sit around and complain about ’em or you can figure out how to win within the system. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Though when Beard said Ole Miss is going to have a drastic chance to its roster for the 2024-25 season one cannot help but think it will be in the form of taking big swings to create a change in results as soon as possible.

Almost like a car coming in for a pit stop that is struggling to keep pace at Talladega and the crew chief tells his guys to make wholesale changes to everything.

Beard is that crew chief and his crew is about to make those wholesale changes, starting Monday when the transfer portal’s 45-day window officially opens for business in college basketball.

But just what are those changes going to be?

We already know some absolutes when it comes to who will not be wearing an Ole Miss uniform. Allen Flanigan and Jamarion Sharp have exhausted their eligibility after transferring in for one season. Matthew Murrell re-affirmed his decision to media after Thursday’s game to leave after this season and going pro.

Ole Miss currently has 10 remaining scholarship players but Beard is going to need to have discussions will all 10 of those players.

Jaemyn Brakefield stated last week that this past Saturday was not his final home game, though the ambiguity in the statement was noticeable.

After Thursday’s game Brakefield was also asked about returning for next year but did not offer up any affirmation or doubling down of any kind to his comments made a week ago.

Then there is Jaylen ‘JuJu’ Murray who has the opportunity to return if he so chooses, as does Moussa Cisse. Neither have publicly stated their plans for the future.

There are two scholarship players incoming with November signees John Bol and Eduardo Klafke already in the fold for next year.

“Portal is open now,” Beard said. “A lot of players already in it. With the coaching changes and all, guys get fired, guys change jobs, a lot of players are already in it.

“Our coaching staff is already talking about recruiting five minutes after the SEC tournament ends for us. Yeah, our roster will look different. I’m not sure that any coach could sit up here after the season and say, ‘Hey, we got everybody coming back, we’re going to roll it back.’ That would be a special team if that happens.”

Whatever the changes are for the next Ole Miss roster there should be a real feel for them by early next week once the portal dominoes start falling and exit interviews are completed by Beard.

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