Nobody knows the truth. Perhaps CBS’s Tim Doyle and Chris Beard are great friends, or maybe Doyle, who referred to the Rebels as “frauds,” is merely providing the Ole Miss head coach and his players with the motivation they need. What we do know is, after knocking off Iowa State to secure a spot in the Sweet 16, Beard pulled a Ryan Day and wanted to know where Doyle was now. Come fall, he’ll be heading to Oxford, Mississippi.
“There’s always two sides to those things,” Beard told Infinity Sports Network host Zach Gelb. “The talk around the tournament and the talk around basketball is fun. Those guys are paid to have an opinion. That’s why my favorite TV show features Kenny [Smith], Chuck [Barkley], and Shaq — they share their honest thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, it makes for great live television. Those guys aren’t scared to tell you what they think; they’re truth-tellers. That’s why I love that show — it always has been and always will be my favorite.”
“Back to us, we have a saying: ‘Never lose your chip.’ Anyone talking about you, whether positively or negatively, is actually a good thing because people don’t discuss those who aren’t relevant. So, for those who have critical things to say about us, I don’t know — they’re talking about Ole Miss. For those with positive things to say, thank you. I think we’ve earned the right to receive some positive attention as well. But that’s fuel for us. All great competitors know how to find their fuel.”
“I think you can say a lot of things about our team, like you can about other teams, but I don’t think you can say Ole Miss Basketball is a fraud.” –@OleMissMBB @CoachBeard
Full Zach Gelb chat with Chris Beard on @InfSportsNet here: https://t.co/LW0ZHUbRM0 @TimDoyle00 pic.twitter.com/dyCsBpOxgE
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) March 25, 2025
“That’s one of the fun things about the NCAA Tournament: we don’t spend a lot of time talking about those things,” Beard continued. “But the whole ‘fraud’ narrative did reach our locker room. We’ve enjoyed competing through that. If we didn’t make it to the Sweet 16, then maybe those comments would hold some weight. But at this point, being one of the 16 teams left in college basketball, I don’t think anyone can honestly say Ole Miss Basketball is a fraud. Looking at the 16 teams remaining, and reflecting on the teams we’ve beaten, head-to-head results are crucial in sports — when there’s a tie-breaker for a championship, everyone goes to that. We’ve had success against many teams in the Sweet 16, which boosts our internal confidence. We believe we deserve to be here, and if we play our A-game, we can succeed. Conversely, if we don’t bring our best, it’ll be ‘Start the band. Start the bus. We’re out.’”
The only thing that matters is what unfolds on the court — and right now, Ole Miss is proving they belong in the Sweet 16.
