OXFORD, Miss. — Kezza Giffa, a transfer guard from High Point, is expected to play a crucial role for Ole Miss to build on last season’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.
Giffa, who averaged 14.6 points per game last year, was the final addition to coach Chris Beard’s 2024-25 roster.
He chose Ole Miss over offers from Florida, Memphis, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech. Giffa, a Paris native and former UTEP player, brings experience and a proven ability to run a fast-paced offense.
“Obviously it’s my last year,” Giffa said. “I’m just trying to maximize this last year and trying to help this team. With this offense, I’d like to come in and play with a fast tempo and make my teammates better.
“We’ve got a lot of great individual guys. Trying to help space the floor and find the guys down in the paint.”
Giffa consulted several former players who have played for Beard, including Clarence Nadolny, who played at Texas Tech, and Sir’Jabari Rice, who played under Beard at Texas, before making his decision.
“They told me great things about him. Nothing but great things. Obviously he’s a great coach,” Giffa said.
Beard, entering his third season as Ole Miss head coach, has led four different programs to the NCAA Tournament. He was named the 2025 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year after guiding the Rebels to a 24-win season and the Sweet 16, matching the program’s best postseason finish.
“First it was his maturity, his experience,” Beard said this week. “Kez is a father. He takes that role real seriously. It’s the most important thing in this life, period. I got a lot of respect for that. I’ve got three daughters myself, so we shared that bond.
“Had some great experience over the years coaching players that are fathers, ‘cause a certain maturity level is needed for that. Dre Davis last year. So, with Kez, a lot of respect just before I ever got a chance to talk to him.
“Also have tremendous appreciation and respect for his journey. Certainly coming from France, we’ve got a lot of great players and great staff members from France. There’s a lot of connectors.”
Giffa joins a retooled Ole Miss roster that lost more than 10 players from last season. The Rebels return only forward Malik Dia, guard Eduardo Klafke and reserves Zach Day and Max Smith.
Beard signed nine transfers and three Top 100 recruits, including the highest-ranked signee in school history, Niko Bundalo. French guard Ilias Kamardine, a former EuroBasket MVP, is expected to arrive in June.
“We have a really connected group,” Giffa said. “We’re with each other a lot.”
Beard praised Giffa’s perseverance.
“He goes to UTEP as a freshman, doesn’t quite get in the rotation. Why?” Beard said with the media. “UTEP was really good. He doesn’t make excuses, he just goes to work and chose to go the junior college route to kind of bet on himself. He finds a great spot at High Point.
“This wasn’t just a mid-major team, a Cinderella. It’s a good basketball team. For two years, Kez played on a well-coached, really talented team. Probably a Top 50 team in college basketball.
“He’s gotten his degree. To have him here as an experienced player, a guy that’s got a demeanor and a composure about him, we’re pleased to have him.”
Ole Miss will also rely heavily on Dia, a 6-foot-9 forward from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who averaged 22.7 points per game in high school and considered entering the NBA Draft before deciding to return for his final college season.
Dia, Klafke and Day provide continuity for a team otherwise defined by new faces and new expectations.
The incoming transfer class is ranked No. 19 nationally by On3, and Beard’s recruiting class includes three top national prospects. The roster overhaul is something going on at almost every school in the country.
The Rebels’ backcourt will feature competition for the starting point guard role, with Giffa, Louisville transfer Koren Johnson and Kentucky transfer Travis Perry all in the mix. Beard said Giffa’s leadership and experience set him apart as a true floor general.
Beard, a four-time conference coach of the year, has a reputation for quickly rebuilding programs and has led teams to the NCAA Tournament at Little Rock, Texas Tech, Texas and now Ole Miss (Ole Miss Athletics). He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6 million in 2025-26 under a contract that runs through 2031 (Yahoo Sports).
The Rebels face a challenging SEC schedule and high expectations after last season’s tournament breakthrough. But Beard believes the blend of returning talent and transfer experience will give Ole Miss a chance to contend once again.
“We’re building a team that’s connected, experienced and unselfish,” Beard said. “We want to be playing our best basketball in March.”
Giffa agrees. “We’re working together and pushing each other every day,” he said. “We want to go even further this year.”
If Ole Miss is to surpass last season’s Sweet 16 run, the combination of Giffa’s leadership and Beard’s coaching will be central to the Rebels’ hopes.
