Prized International signee Ilias Kamardine arrives at Ole Miss on Sunday

Former EuroBasket MVP Ilias Kamardine will arrive at Ole Miss on Sunday, Rebel Grove has confirmed. 

Kamardine has been awaiting visa clearance for the last handful of months. He was the lone holdout for the new-look Rebel roster, which also features seven transfers and three Top 100 high school signees. 

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. 

“When he gets here, it’ll be a catch-up curve,” third-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard previously 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.”

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

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.”

Ole Miss signed a Top 20 transfer class. 

The Rebels landed guards Kezza Giffa (High Point), Travis Perry (Kentucky), Koren Johnson (Louisville) and AJ Storr (Kansas), as well as forwards James Scott (Louisville), Augusto Cassia (Butler) and Corey Chest (LSU).

The Rebels last week wrapped their eight-week summer program.

“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.”