Ole Miss has offered the tallest player in college basketball, Western Kentucky’s Jamarion Sharp

Ole Miss and new head coach Chris Beard struck gold on Monday with the addition of Georgetown small forward Brandon Murray. Now they are back on the transfer portal recruiting trail. The Rebels have now reached out to 7-foot-5 center Jamarion Sharp.

Originally from Carterville, Ill., Sharp played at John A. Logan College before arriving in Bowling Green. There he averaged 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 blocks as a sophomore and was named all-conference and all-region.

Once he arrived at WKU, though, he was a massive presence on the defensive end and around the rim. As a junior, he played in every game for the Hilltoppers and averaged 7.6 rebounds and 4.62 blocks per game, leading the country in swats. He ended the season with 148 total blocks, shattering the program record of 97.

This past year, Sharp averaged 7.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He also, to no one’s surprise, led the nation in blocks (131) and blocks per game (4.1).

Jamarion Sharp earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team honors. This jives with what Chris Beard wants.

The four-star portal prospect would fill a need for the Rebels. Jayveous McKinnis, Theo Akwuba and Malique Ewin are gone. 2023 signee Rashaud Marshall will arrive this summer but it’s a lot to ask of an undersized power forward in year one.

Keenan Womack of Orangebloods did a deep dive into Beard’s system in 2021.

“Chris Beard’s teams are known for their defensive prowess, and utilize a system known as “no middle,” which specializes in forcing ball handlers to the baseline and sidelines, using the out of bounds as another defender, essentially. The primary objective of the no-middle defense is to keep dribble penetration out of the paint to prevent easy looks at the rim. The system puts an emphasis on icing ball screens.”

Sharp would allow a lot more freedom for forwards and guards to utilize space when guarding opponents. Knowing you have a 7-foot-5, 235 pound shot block specialist looming has to make defending a tad bit easier.

Photo by Joe Murphy | Getty Images

It is also being reported Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, LSU, UNLV, Memphis, Wake Forest, Gonzaga, NC State and Cincinnati have also reached out. Sharp will have two years of eligibility remaining.

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