Chris Beard has been around the block in college basketball, but even he admits the 2025-26 season with Ole Miss was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. After leading the Rebels to their first Sweet 16 in 24 years—just the second in program history—expectations were sky-high. But with four of five starters departing and six four-star transfers arriving via the portal, building chemistry was always going to be a challenge.

The season started promising enough, with five straight wins to open the campaign. Then came a four-game skid that tested the team's resolve. At 11-7, following a gritty one-point win at Mississippi State, the Rebels looked poised to turn the corner. Instead, they dropped 10 straight games and 12 of 13 to close the regular season. Two of those losses came in heartbreaking overtime fashion, and the regular-season finale ended on a buzzer-beater by South Carolina.

But this team had fight. Entering the SEC Tournament as the No. 15 seed, Ole Miss rattled off three consecutive wins to reach the semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Arkansas in overtime. The Rebels finished 15-20—Beard's first losing season as a head coach.

"I've never experienced a season like we did last year," Beard said in a one-on-one interview. "So for me, there's a lot of fuel, a lot of opportunity."

In today's college basketball landscape, there's little time for reflection. The calendar moves fast, and Beard has been laser-focused on what's ahead. But when he does pause, he looks back with respect for a group that refused to quit. "We were consistently kind of one or two possessions away," he noted. "Really haven't had a chance much to reflect on that. It's been full speed looking ahead. What I would tell you about last year's team—I do have a lot of respect for those guys and how they continued to just fight and to compete and really stick together."

That SEC Tournament run was proof of their resilience. "We were one basket away from being in that championship game. But I think when I do have a chance to reflect—which I have not to this point—I think just respect and appreciate are the words that come to mind. Those guys really stuck together last year."

Now, the roster looks completely different. Leading scorer AJ Storr (15.5 ppg) and Malik Dia (14.5 ppg) have moved on to professional careers, while eight other players have transferred out, including Eduardo Klafke, Travis Perry, James Scott, and Tylis Jordan. Beard harbors no hard feelings, pointing out a common "misconception of how the portal really works." Players have to make the best decisions for themselves, and that doesn't always mean staying in Oxford.

"We're really proud of all the players we had," Beard said. "In college basketball, all these players are making decisions that are best for them and their families. We support that completely."

With a new-look roster and a chip on his shoulder, Beard is using last season's heartbreak as motivation. For a program that just proved it can compete with the SEC's elite—even in a down year—the future is bright. And for fans looking to represent the Rebels as they reload, there's never been a better time to gear up in Ole Miss apparel.