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Chris Beard high on freshman Tylis Jordan as former 4-star settles in

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett08/05/25SpiritBen
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Ole Miss basketball forward Tylis Jordan (Ole Miss Basketball/Instagram)

Tylis Jordan was one of three Top 100 prospects signed by Ole Miss basketball in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Jordan was the highest-ranked at No. 28 overall, according to Rivals. He was a 4-star, as were Niko Bundalo and Patton Pinkins. Bundalo was No. 30 nationally.

All could contribute as freshmen. The Rebels return just two players from last year’s 24-win team. Ole Miss matched its best-ever single-season accomplishment by reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

“Tylis is talented,” third-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said. “Young player, position-less guy. His mother did a great job with him growing up, and then the coaches he played for, he wasn’t just put in the post because he was the tallest guy on the team. He has a real opportunity to be a guy that can play on the perimeter as well. 

“I’ve just been impressed with, you know, a little bit of toughness coming in. With all the freshmen, you recruit them and see them play, you get to know them, but you don’t really know everything until that first rep in a college practice or that first time they get banged up a little bit. 

“But Tylis has a little toughness to him. He’s associated with his length and talent and youth. But he’ll fight you a little bit. He’s had a good summer.”

Jordan was a consensus 4-star and Top 100 recruit. 

He played his senior season at Wheeler (Georgia) High School, where the 6-foot-9, 215-pound Jordan helped lead his team to a 29-3 record and Class 6A State Championship.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been surprised coming into it,” Jordan said of the transition to the SEC. “I knew what I was coming into as a freshman out of high school. Obviously had to get adjusted to the strength and speed of the game.

“Feel like it’s really slowed down for me the weeks we’ve been here in the summer. I don’t think I was really blindsided by anything. I knew what I was getting when I was coming into this program.”

Jordan chose Ole Miss over, among others, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, LSU and Auburn.

“Just the consistency coach Beard and his staff had when recruiting me,” Jordan said of why he chose Ole Miss. “Making it clear in the plan that they had put out there for me to be a part of this program and where I could help them win, as well as help myself get to where I want to be.”

Jordan is trying to break into a overhauled Ole Miss front court. 

Malik Dia is back. He started all 36 games in his debut Ole Miss season and posted 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. 

Dia averaged 24.3 minutes in Ole Miss’ three NCAA Tournament games and scored 11 against Michigan State. He shot 64 percent from the floor, including 35 percent from 3-point range.

Ole Miss signed a Top 20 transfer class. Among those added were forwards Corey Chest (LSU), Augusto Cassia (Butler) and James Scott (Louisville).

Ole Miss in the midst of summer workouts. The Rebels haven’t yet announced their schedule for 2025-26 but open in November.

“I feel like I’ve caught on pretty quickly and it’s just going to help me as a player, as a human, just going up against guys who have college experience and real college games under their belts,” Jordan said. 

“Just learning as a young guy out there.”

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