[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Matthew Murrell
Frame: 6’4″,  200 lbs
Position: Guard
School: Ole Miss Rebels
2024 Draft Age: 22
Stats via kenpom.com, bartttorvik.com, and sports-reference.com 

Offense

As a senior, Murrell has played a lot of basketball and consistently improved throughout his four-year career. He appeared in 121 games (starting 88), improving to his highest efficiency and usage as a senior, leading to his All-SEC Second Team selection.

Murrell is a lethal catch-and-shoot three-point specialist, ranking fifth all-time in Ole Miss history in three-point field goals made. He converted over 30 percent from deep in all four seasons, finishing 35.5 percent for his career; however, he notably was most dangerous from three this past season, where he converted nearly 40 percent from deep on high volume (over six three-point attempts per game). Murrell had the green light and was always looking for the long ball, with half his attempts coming as three. He was an accurate deep threat in both the halfcourt and transition settings. 

Still, his threes were rarely self-created (coming off the bounce), with over 90 percent of his makes coming off catch-and-shoot. His quick release and proven accuracy make him a very dangerous knockdown shooter from behind the arc.

Murrell converted well above average within the arc, making him an efficient scorer at all three levels. The one “knock” here, analytically speaking, is his two-point shot selection. In most settings, Murrell was likelier to take a midrange jumper than get to the rim. He converted over 44 percent of his non-rim two-point attempts; while an excellent conversion rate for NCAA Division 1 players, these shots still lead to just 0.88 points per possession (PPP).

He was almost twice as likely to take one of these midrange shots than he was to take a rim shot (layup/dunk), which he converted at a very efficient 72 percent (1.44 PPP). Getting to the basket may have been his third offensive option, but it was also his most efficient shot type. His rim-finishing percentage is even more impressive for a 6’4″ guard. Most of his success at the rim came in transition, the one setting where he was more likely to get to the hoop than take a pull-up. He converted a super-efficient 77 percent of his rim finishes on the break.

Given he’s primarily a jump shooter, Murrell found himself at the free throw line fairly often (3.6 FTA per game). For his career, he was a 76 percent free throw shooter.

Murrell’s role was much more as a scorer than a passer. He posed as a capable secondary facilitator for the Rebels’ offense. He led the team as a junior with 2.6 assists per game and was third on the team this season with 2.4. This led to a 14.8 percent assist rate–not overly impressive for a guard, but he’s certainly capable of setting up teammates with scoring passes. Moreover, he’s fairly secure with the ball as a playmaker. He committed just 1.7 turnovers per game for a 13.4 percent turnover rate. He was more likely to make beneficial plays for the Rebels than he was to hurt them with a turnover. While he was an average passer in the halfcourt, he thrived in transition, where his assist rate spiked and his turnover rate uniquely dipped. 

Finally, it’s worth noting Murrell’s overall offensive impact. He played a ton of minutes, so it’s difficult to compare his on/off statistics, but Ole Miss’ offense struggled when he came out of the game last season

Defense

As a team, Ole Miss’ defense was built around forcing turnovers while staying disciplined and not fouling too often. Murrell has consistently forced more turnovers each year of his career while maintaining a low foul rate. His improvements quieted doubters of his defensive ability earlier in his career.

Murrell has improved significantly on this side of the ball and has shown an ability to defend guards effectively. His quickness won’t blow your socks off, but he’s strong and athletic, and his anticipation leads to a high steal rate. Murrell forced 1.6 steals per game for a 2.8 percent steal rate–impressively, while committing just 2.4 fouls per 40 minutes (ranked 17th lowest in the SEC). He’s proven that he can frustrate guards and do so intelligently to stay in the game for his team.

Looking Ahead

Murrell has been appearing on draft boards for the last year, floating up and down, but typically coming in as a mid-late second-round pick.

His accurate three-point shot is his most desirable quality at the next level. In the NBA, his role will likely be a spot-up catch-and-shoot threat from deep. If he can continue to improve his shot and increase the impressive 40 percent clip he saw as a senior, he certainly could find a role as a three-point shooter. 

Add in his ability to convert inside the arc, effectively make plays without turning the ball over, and create steals on defense without fouling, and you have a very solid all-around guard.