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Beard: 'Nobody Cares More' Than Rebels Forward Jaemyn Brakefield

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Ben King | Last updated 11/29/23

The Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team picked up their biggest victory of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday night when they crushed the N.C. State Wolfpack 72-52 in The Sanday and John Black Pavilion.

Senior forward Jaemyn Brakefield led the way for the Rebels in scoring, recording a season-high 25 points while shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 2-for-4 from behind the three-point line. Brakefield also finished the night with eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.

It is safe to say that Brakefield played his best game of the season so far, and Ole Miss coach Chris Beard had high praise for his player after the game.

"College basketball is a players game," Beard said. "You've got to have some special performances, and [Brakefield] was outstanding tonight. It's not just the 25 points, it's how aggressive he was rebounding the ball and getting to the free throw line. He was locked in all week in practice, and he played like I think he should.

"My expectations for this guy are ridiculously high because I think he's one of the best players in college basketball."

"Brake" exploded on Tuesday night after failing to score more than 10 points in Ole Miss' first five games of the season. He is currently averaging 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, but Beard is confident that Brakefield's best ball is still to come.

"The season's still young, but he obviously isn't playing at the level he can play at early on," Beard said. "There's no panic in the organization. It's what he puts in every day, his confidence comes from hours in the gym. You go in the morning and the ball's bouncing, it's Brake. You go in late at night and the ball's bouncing, it's still Brake.

"Nobody cares more than Brake."

Brakefield and the Rebels will return to Craddock Court on Saturday afternoon for a tough matchup versus the Memphis Tigers. Ole Miss is undefeated entering the matchup while Memphis is 5-1. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN 2.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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