Malik Dia tested the NBA Draft waters in the spring before fully committing to playing his final college basketball season with Ole Miss.
The feedback was invaluable. Dia has the necessary build and skillset for the next level. However, he needs refinement, even if his numbers indicate a plug-and-play starter for a tournament hopeful in the Rebels.
“A lot of the feedback was, ‘Very skilled and very versatile.’ The next step would be to simplify my game and try to get myself into better shape, which I think we’ve done a really job here at Ole Miss of doing,” Dia said earlier this month.
“Each and every day getting with (Ole Miss strength and conditioning coach) John Reilly and doing extra conditioning, extra lifts, early-morning runs and then our men’s morning, which is something unbelievable. I’d say getting in shape and then just simplifying my game. There’s a lot of tools and assets I use a lot. If I can just focus on getting two or three things that I’m really good at and just being simple, I think that can take it to the next level.”
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Dia was one of the more decorated transfers signed by Ole Miss in the off-season.
The Rebels finished with a portal class ranked No. 14 nationally by On3. The 6-foot-9 Dia is previously of Vanderbilt and Belmont. He averaged 16.9 points per game for Belmont last season, including scoring double-digit points 30 times.
He had 20 or more in 12 games. Ole Miss also brought in Sean Pedulla (Virginia Tech), Ja’Von Benson (Hampton), Davon Barnes (Sam Houston State), Dre Davis (Seton Hall) and Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNC-Greensboro).
Dia and Brown-Jones visited together. Brown-Jones actually helped pull Dia over the finish line and into the Rebels’ boat.
“I had a lot of ups and downs throughout my past two years,” Dia said. “This past year I was able to showcase a lot of things and was able to use my skillset. But at the same time, I also did have a lot of turnovers. Just trying to do too much at times and trying to showcase that I can do some of these things.
“I just realized I don’t really have to prove or show anything to anybody. I know what my game is, and I think if I simplify that and just make that more efficient, there’s nothing that stops me.”
Ole Miss will hold a charity exhibition against Illinois October 27 at 11 a.m. CT.
The Rebels officially open against Long Island November 4 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
SEC media picked Ole Miss to finish ninth in the conference. The Rebels were preseason ranked No. 24 by the Associated Press. They were one of nine SEC teams included. Lead guard Matthew Murrell is preseason All-SEC for the third straight season.
Photo Credit: Ole Miss Basketball/Instagram
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard
Davon Barnes
TJ Caldwell
Ja’von Benson
John Bol
Dre Davis
Robert Cowherd
Sean Pedulla
Mikeal Brown-Jones
