The Ole Miss basketball team shocked plenty of people this season as they earned a winning record in the SEC, which many consider to be the best conference in the history of college basketball. Head coach Chris Beard also led the Rebels to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament this March for the first time in over 20 years.

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels battled until the final buzzer on Friday night in a Sweet 16 loss to the No. 2-seeded Michigan State Spartans. In Ole Miss' second-ever Sweet 16 appearance, it was a heavyweight battle against Tom Izzo's Spartans with Michigan State ultimately coming out on top to reach the Elite Eight.

Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard was named the 2025 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year on Monday. It comes after the Rebels finished 24-12 and made it to the NCAA tournament as the No.