‘No red flags’: What Chris Beard had to say about the delay in Ilias Kamardine’s arrival

International Ole Miss basketball signee Ilias Kamardine is on track to arrive ‘sooner rather than later,’ third-year head coach Chris Beard said Tuesday. 

Sources indicate the hold-up is a clearance issue, specifically with his foreign visa. The expectation is he arrives first of August.

Kamardine, 21, has been playing for JD Dijon Basket, a professional basketball club from the city of Dijon, France. He’s a 6-foot-5 combo guard and former MVP and tournament champion at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket. 

“We just continue to go through the process, both with the NCAA and also with eligibility,” Beard said. “But I think everything’s moving in the right direction. We can’t wait to get him here. Also, it’s not breaking news right now, but the I-20s, with everything going on in the world right now, we’re optimistic, but it’s safe to say these things have been slowed down a little bit. 

“Just with each step trying to get him here, but we see no red flags along the way. We’re doing exactly what’s asked of us. Ilias is doing everything asked of him. We look forward to him joining the team sooner than later.”

Ole Miss returns four players (Malik Dia, Eduardo Klafke, Zach Day and walk-on Max Smith) from last season’s 24-win and Sweet 16 team.

They signed seven out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, in a class ranked No. 19 in the nation by On3. They also added three Top 100 recruits in their 2025 high-school class.

Ole Miss is replacing, among others, nine seniors, including lead guard Sean Pedulla, two-way wing Dre Davis and multi-year veterans Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield. 

Pedulla, Davis and Murrell have all received NBA Summer League opportunities.

“When he gets here, it’ll be a catch-up curve,” Beard said of Kamardine. “But with his experience in basketball I’m optimistic we can catch him up quickly. It’ll be a real team effort, too. His teammates will have to contribute to making sure he’s up to speed. But everything’s looking good in the process. Wish it moved a lot faster. But anything dealing with this kind of stuff moves at a snail’s pace. We feel the urgency, but we’re also doing exactly what we’re asked to do to get him here as soon as we can.”

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Kamardine declared for the 2024 NBA Draft last spring.

He averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals the season prior, playing both guard spots for Vichey and flashing craftiness as a ball-handler. 

One scout told Sports Illustrated Kamardine is a ‘true disruptor’ on the defensive side, which should fit nicely with the defensive-minded Beard. He’s a two-way guard with a handle and creative finishing.

Kamardine averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds in the EuroCup last season.

“Basketball kind of speaks for itself,” Beard said. “He’s got great size to play the guard position. Like all the players we try to recruit, he has a point-guard mentality, but he can score as well. Defensively he has some real tools with his anticipation and his length. He’s got long length, wingspan. And just like with every guy on the team we feel he has a story, a chip on his shoulder [and] he’s motivated. 

“He has some really defined goals on what he wants to do through basketball with the rest of his life. He’s somebody we believe in and we can’t wait to get him here. I think he can be a great teammate as well. Every time I text or call him on WhatsApp it’s always about, ‘How’s the team?’ It’s never about him. 

“I think he’s an experienced, really good player. He can’t wait to get to Ole Miss to play college basketball with his teammates. That’s refreshing.”