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LOOK: Perry and new-look Ole Miss basketball a month into summer workouts

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett07/21/25SpiritBen
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Ole Miss forward Tylis Jordan (Photo credit: Ole Miss Basketball/Instagram)

Travis Perry has been here before. 

Ole Miss basketball is a little over a month into summer workouts. The Rebels return three players (Malik Dia, Eduardo Klafke and Zach Day) from last season, when they won 24 games and matched the program’s greatest-ever single-season accomplishment by reaching the Sweet 16.

They’re breaking in double-digit newcomers. Ole Miss signed seven transfers, three Top 100 high-school players and former Eurobasket MVP Ilias Kamardine. Kamardine isn’t expected to arrive until August.

Perry went through a similar adjustment period with Kentucky last season. Such is life in the now-transfer-dominated culture of college athletics. Most every Power 4 roster is turned completely each year. 

“Last year at Kentucky is was kind of the same way,” Perry said. “Everybody was new, so that was my first time being in a situation like that. This year it’s been pretty easy. I think for all of us, with the way the transfer portal is, you’re getting new teammates basically every year.”

RELATED: Ole Miss basketball “a very skilled team,” says Perry

The 6-foot-1 Perry is a former 4-star and Top 100 prospect, according to On3. 

He appeared in 31 games (four starts) for the Wildcats last season, averaging 2.7 points in 9.7 minutes per game. Perry shot 36.6 percent from 3-point range (15-41) in 18 SEC games.

Perry was a part of a Top 20 transfer class for the Rebels. Ole Miss also signed fellow guards Kezza Giffa (High Point), Koren Johnson (Louisville) and AJ Storr (Kansas), as well as forwards Corey Chest (LSU), Augusto Cassia (Butler) and James Scott (Louisville). 

“We have a great mix of guys like Malik, Zach, Max and Eduardo. Those guys that we here last year can kind of teach us about the system [and] off the court teach us about the environment here,” Perry said. “Then a mix of guys that are hungry and new and have outside information and outside ideas and outside questions to grow our learning for everybody together. 

“I think it’s a great way to grow culture quickly. You’ve got to learn each other quickly and learn to love each other quickly. I think we’re doing a great job of that.”

The included photos were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.

Malik Dia

Max Smith, Nico Bundalo and Travis Perry

Corey Chest

AJ Storr

Travis Perry and Max Smith

Tylis Jordan

AJ Storr

AJ Storr

Kezza Giffa

Corey Chest

Niko Bundalo

Malik Dia

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