Feb 7, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Koren Johnson (3) drives the ball against Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Ole Miss Basketball Loses Former ACC Bucket-Getter to Transfer Portal in Major Loss

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 9:00 AM ET

Ole Miss Rebels guard Koren Johnson will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and depart Oxford after one season with Chris Beard's program, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

Johnson joined the Ole Miss program last offseason after transferring in following stints with the Louisville Cardinals and Washington Huskies.

The well-traveled guard made 25 appearances for Ole Miss with one start this past season. He averaged 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 9.6 minutes per game while shooting 26.7% from the field and 19.4% from beyond the arc.

Johnson transferred to Ole Miss after spending the 2024-25 season at Louisville where he played in five games prior to taking a redshirt season with the Cardinals.

Prior to his stints with Louisville and most recently Ole Miss, Johnson started his career with the Washington Huskies where he averaged a career-high 11.1 points per game as a sophomore - earning the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year.

NEW: Ole Miss guard Koren Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.https://t.co/pZ9ZboC5Zt pic.twitter.com/qsENkYsTZJ
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 7, 2026

Now, he's off to the NCAA Transfer Portal where he joins a growing list of Ole Miss departures with the likes of:

- F Corey Chest
- G Eduardo Klafke
- G Hobert Grayson
- F Augusto Cassio
- G Tylis Johnson

Ole Miss is set to utilize the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason in order to reconstruct the roster following a disappointing 2025-26 season in the Magnolia State after making the Sweet 16 the year prior.

“Certainly, overall, disappointing,” Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said of Ole Miss’ 2025-26 season. “The roster we put together, on paper, had all the pieces and everything we needed to be successful. It didn’t work.

“I think what we saw in Nashville … created a little bit of momentum as we head into the offseason and the roster build for next year. There’s some things he’s going to work through with his staff structure. I think you look around the landscape of college basketball, there’s a lot more movement to more of a kind of front office approach and having a [general manager] and those types of things.”

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

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