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Ole Miss

With Kamardine on the way, Beard’s Rebels begin building next culture

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett06/12/25SpiritBen
Screenshot 2025-06-11 at 3.54.47 PM
Former Eurobasket MVP and Ole Miss signee Ilias Kamardine (Photo credit: Ilias Kamardine/Instagram)

Ole Miss basketball has opened summer workouts, with every player reporting except former Eurobasket MVP Ilias Kamardine.

Kamardine, 21, is currently playing for JD Dijon Basket, a professional basketball club from the city of Dijon, France. He’s expected to arrive any day now.

Kamardine is a 6-foot-5 combo guard and former MVP and tournament champion at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket. Kamardine declared for the 2024 NBA Draft last spring after a season averaging 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals. He played both guard spots for Vichey and flashed 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 this season.

“It’s just such a small world now,” third-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said of landing Kamardine. “Spain or Russia or France or Italy, just like somebody in Jackson, Mississippi. Just the access to the information. Basketball is a small world when you really get at it. There’s all sorts of connectors. 

“(Ole Miss assistant) Brian Burg was the lead recruiter and everyone on our staff did a great job on all these players. But we were able to develop a relationship with Ilias and his family, his representation, his basketball family. Just excited that he’s trusting us with his next step in his basketball future.”

Ole Miss is No. 19 in On3’s transfer team rankings. 

Ole Miss returns three players (Malik Dia, Eduardo Klafke and Zach Day) from last season’s 24-win and Sweet 16 team. They also signed seven transfers and three Top 100 high-school players.

“We’ll have enough talent on our team to win any 40-minute game,” Beard said. “There won’t be a 40-minute game this year we just throw up the white towel because of talent. We’ll be there. We’ll have to piece this thing together and play winning basketball. 

“We all enjoyed that ride last year. That team was built on character. That team was built on guys that from the first day to the last day, through the ups and downs (and) the valleys and peaks, just kept fighting. We got a little spoiled. This year we tried to put really good human beings together. Now, can we turn this into a culture? Yet to be seen. That’s what we’re working on.”

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