OXFORD ― Too many SEC games lie ahead for Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard to claim total victory in his bout against the Rebels' putrid history of 3-point results, but he remembers the early doubts.

Cashing in on 10 of their 25 3-point attempts in a 69-56 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday, the No. 23 Rebels fell right in line with what's become their standard from beyond the arc through 16 games: 40% ‒ well above the median 3-point percentage in college basketball of 33.2%.

Since starting its season 22-for-77 (28.6%) from deep through four games, Ole Miss (15-1, 2-1 SEC) has converted its 3-point attempts at 35% or better in 11 of its 12 ensuing contests. It entered Saturday as the SEC's best 3-point shooting team, ranking seventh in all of Division I college basketball.

"We had some off nights (early), and people were even asking questions about our shooting," Beard said. "To be a quality team, you have to have four, five guys who are 40% 3-point shooters, and different guys that have different shot selections. There's no doubt about it, we need that."

Ole Miss' 3-point marksmanship is extraordinary when contextualized with what the Rebels have achieved – or, more accurately, haven't achieved – in recent seasons.

In 2022-23, Ole Miss ranked 344th out of 362 Division I teams with a 30.3% 3-point success rate. They'd had two above-average shooting seasons since 2010-11, the most recent of which came in 2018-19 – Kermit Davis' first season as coach.

Beard has a history of building teams that can shoot 3-pointers with relative consistency. But none of them have toyed with the 40% threshold like this team has.

The secret, he and his players believe, is in the toil.

"Coach has the 300 Club," veteran Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell said. "To be considered a shooter, you have to come in and make 300 threes every day. It's a minimum. Every guy has their own routine on top of that. The work that you put in every day, it shows."

There has been no greater beneficiary to Ole Miss' newfound 3-point proficiency than Murrell. The senior shot 6-for-12 on 3-pointers against Vanderbilt (5-11, 0-3) on his way to a 24-point game. He entered Saturday cashing in on 39.3% of his 3-poiners, up nearly 10% from last season.

Ole Miss' offense no longer relies on Murrell to create his own shot on possession after possession. There is no hand in his face every time he pulls up.

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The system is more functional. And the Rebels' ability to spread the floor with 3-point shooting is a major reason. Four of their five starters Saturday entered shooting 3-pointers at a rate above 37%.

"Our guys put in a lot of work," Beard said. "We're committed to that, among many other things. Guys get in the gym, our green-light shooters. Then we've got that next tier of 3-point shooters that we have a lot of confidence in. Everybody's got a little different role in shot selection."

Beard's staff meticulously charts the Rebels' 3-pointers in practice. Their attempts from range are distributed according to a meritocracy.

That's why Beard and his staff can turn toward the 3-pointer at a game's pivotal point and feel confident. With Vanderbilt making a second-half charge to cut a double-digit Ole Miss lead to three points with under 10 minutes to play, Jaylen Murray pulled up from 3-point range to halt the Commodores' momentum. Murrell followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession to destroy it entirely.

"We're not going to turn down open threes when our best shooters have them," Beard said.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Chris Beard turned around Ole Miss basketball's 3-point shooting