ATLANTA — Sean Pedulla sat in his locker at State Farm Arena, unable to contain his emotions.
His college career had just ended in the Sweet 16 with a 73-70 loss to Michigan State. The former Virginia Tech guard had certainly done his part Friday, scoring a game-high 24 points and dishing out four assists despite sitting almost all of the final 11 minutes of the first half with foul trouble.
“I gave it everything,” Pedulla said, tears flowing down his face. “I wish I could say I could go back and regret something or wish I had given more, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we gave all our effort. We bought in 100 percent. We did everything we had to do. We just ran out of time. That’s it.”
Pedulla’s out of eligibility, but he was adamant Friday he and his teammates had laid a cornerstone for future Ole Miss teams to build on.
“The program is in great hands,” Pedulla said. “Coach (Chris) Beard is the best of the best. He’s going to have teams here year in and year out. He just raised expectations, more than anything, for ourselves, the coaching staff, Ole Miss as a basketball program. That’s the biggest takeaway from this year. He raised expectations for everything.”
Down the hall, Jaemyn Brakefield and Matthew Murrell sat at a podium with Beard, trying to put a season into perspective while the emotions were still raw. Both players had chances to leave. They elected to stay. This season rewarded that loyalty.
“It means a lot, obviously just sticking around and seeing the growth,” Brakefield said. “Even off the court, in the community, just engagement in general.
“Oxford is a beautiful place, and I'm glad that we were able to execute.”
“Just being able to be a part of the change, it's definitely been something special,” Murrell said. “Ole Miss wasn't really on the national map a couple years back, and we felt like we've been able to grow it throughout the years. Like Coach Beard said, Ole Miss will be here to stay.
“It was definitely a special season, a season I won't forget, not just for the run that we made, but just the camaraderie, the teammates that I had. It was a very tough season for me. …Just this team helped my confidence so much fighting through everything. So this group of guys will hold a special place in my heart.”
Beard confirmed what everyone knew — Murrell played through a knee injury all season. Beard also admitted Friday he was more emotional at the end of this season than he usually is. This team, he said, was one essentially devoid of ego.
“I'm so proud of these guys,” Beard said. “I’ve kind of bit my tongue all year long because I didn't want to be the coach's speak. Matt Murrell played hurt most of the season. I said it a few times when I just couldn't take it. A lot of guys in college basketball wouldn't be playing this year with what Matt endured. Now we look forward to him getting healthy and going through the spring process to get his body right before he transitions to pro basketball.
“Brakefield, you guys might have heard us tell this story, but he basically helped us put this team together. He was part of every official visit, almost every initial phone call and zoom. He had his hands all over this team. I don't know what Brake's going to do later in life, but the minute he tells me he wants to coach, he has a job -- although I'll try to do everything I can to discourage him to do that.
“But we were a team. Tonight is not about individual players or individual questions. Hope you respect that. Ole Miss, we had a bunch of guys check their ego at the doors, and we became a team. It took a while, but again, by the end of the year, we were playing some great basketball. Our last three or four weeks, we were deserving to be in the Sweet 16, and I really thought we could be a factor in San Antonio.”
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