Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 2, 2026

Daeshun Ruffin

Daeshun Ruffin is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Ole Miss Rebels and Jackson State Tigers. He was named the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Last revised
Aug 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
957 w
Citations
15
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Daeshun Ruffin
Personal information
Born (2003-03-26) March 26, 2003
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight157 lb (71 kg)
Career information
High schoolCallaway
(Jackson, Mississippi)
College
NBA draft2026: undrafted
PositionPoint guard
Career highlights

Daeshun Ruffin (born March 26, 2003) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Ole Miss Rebels and Jackson State Tigers. He was named the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

High school career

Ruffin played basketball for Callaway High School in Jackson, Mississippi. In his freshman season, he averaged 19.6 points and 5.8 assists per game, and led his team to the semifinals of the 5A state tournament.1 In his first game at the tournament, Ruffin scored 42 points, breaking Malik Newman's scoring record.2 Ruffin averaged 26 points, 4.6 rebounds and three assists per game as a sophomore.3 He averaged 26.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game in his junior season, and won a 5A state title. Ruffin was selected as Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year.4 As a senior, he averaged 33.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, and repeated as Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year.5 He was named a McDonald's All-American, and received All-State honors in each year of high school.67

Recruiting

Ruffin was a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top point guards in the 2021 class.8 He initially committed to Auburn before reopening his recruitment.9 On June 17, 2020, Ruffin committed to Ole Miss over offers from Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and LSU, among others.10 He became the highest-ranked recruit in program history.11

College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Daeshun Ruffin
PG 		Jackson, MS Callaway (MS) 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jun 17, 2020 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (86)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 57    247Sports: 57    ESPN: 40
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

College career

Ruffin suffered a broken hand in his college debut against New Orleans on November 9, 2021.12 He made his return on December 15 during a 62–52 win over Middle Tennessee State, scoring 12 points in 13 minutes.13 He recorded a team-high 19 points off the bench in their next game, a 76–68 victory over Dayton.14 Ruffin scored 19 points during a 76–72 win over LSU on February 1, 2022, but suffered a season-ending knee injury. He averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and a team-high 2.3 steals per game.15 Ruffin played for Ole Miss during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons before transferring to Jackson State.

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Ole Miss 14 10 25.9 .373 .216 .754 1.5 3.4 2.3 .1 12.6
2022–23 Ole Miss 11 3 18.1 .367 .300 .724 1.1 3.2 .6 .1 9.5
2023–24 Jackson State Redshirt Redshirt
2024–25 Jackson State 24 24 31.7 .386 .327 .849 3.5 4.2 1.5 .0 15.7
2025–26 Jackson State 28 28 33.6 .426 .309 .843 2.8 5.3 1.6 .1 23.3
Career 77 64 29.4 .401 .299 .824 2.5 4.3 1.6 .1 17.0
References

References

  1. Alexander, Wilson (November 5, 2018). "Introducing the 2018-19 Clarion Ledger boys' basketball Dandy Dozen". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  2. Alexander, Wilson (January 11, 2019). "'You don't think he can do the things he does.' All eyes on Callaway's 5-foot-9 basketball star". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  3. Jordan, Jason (June 4, 2019). "Daeshun Ruffin earns respect after dominating the Nike EYBL". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  4. "Daeshun Ruffin named MS Gatorade Player of the Year". WJTV. March 26, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  5. Milligan, Rashad (June 4, 2021). "Ole Miss basketball signee Daeshun Ruffin repeats as Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  6. Cook, Joe (February 23, 2021). "Callaway's Daeshun Ruffin is a McDonald's All-American". WAPT. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  7. Capers, Joshua (February 23, 2021). "Callaway's Daeshun Ruffin is first Ole Miss basketball signee named McDonald's All-American". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  8. Suss, Nick (December 2, 2020). "Sports Illustrated ranks Callaway star, Ole Miss signee Daeshun Ruffin 15th in the nation". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  9. Blum, Sam (June 14, 2019). "Top basketball prospect reportedly decommits from Auburn". AL.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  10. Berry, Zach (June 17, 2020). "4-star guard Daeshun Ruffin commits to Ole Miss over Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, and LSU". Red Cup Rebellion. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  11. "Daeshun Ruffin Named McDonald's All-American". Ole Miss Athletics. February 23, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  12. Kostka, Andy (November 11, 2021). "Ole Miss basketball guard Daeshun Ruffin out four weeks with broken hand". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  13. Suss, Nick (December 15, 2021). "Ole Miss basketball beats Middle Tennessee; freshman Daeshun Ruffin returns from injury". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  14. Macon Gillespie, John (December 18, 2021). "Ole Miss Basketball Knocks Off Dayton 76-68 in Oxford". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  15. "Mississippi Rebels guard Daeshun Ruffin suffers season-ending knee injury". ESPN. Associated Press. February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
External links