OXFORD, Miss. — Sean Pedulla only spent one season in an Ole Miss uniform, but it was more than enough time to leave his mark on the Rebels’ basketball program.

Now, the former Ole Miss guard is getting another opportunity to make his mark in the NBA.

The Houston Rockets and guard Sean Pedulla have agreed to a two-way deal, agent George S. Langberg of @GSLSportsGroup told @hoopshype. Pedulla was the NBA G League Rookie of the Year, averaging 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game in the G League last season. pic.twitter.com/jBOcYZoAQy

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 17, 2026

The Houston Rockets announced Monday they have signed Pedulla to a two-way contract, giving the 23-year-old guard another chance at the NBA level after a breakout rookie season in the G League.

For Ole Miss fans who watched Pedulla help lead Chris Beard’s Rebels to the Sweet 16 in 2025, his rapid rise probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Pedulla arrived in Oxford after spending his first three college seasons at Virginia Tech and immediately became one of the most important pieces on Beard’s roster. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound guard started all 36 games for Ole Miss and led the Rebels in scoring at 15.4 points per game as the program won 24 games and made its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2001.

And Pedulla wasn’t simply a scorer.

He led Ole Miss with 135 assists and knocked down 87 3-pointers, the eighth-most in a single season in program history. His 68 steals ranked fifth on the Rebels’ single-season list, while his 1,181 minutes played were also fifth-most in school history. Pedulla shot 44.1 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from beyond the arc.

That production earned Pedulla Third-Team All-SEC honors as well as a spot on the NABC All-District First Team. He was also named CSC Academic All-District and finished his lone Ole Miss season ranked sixth in program history in career 3-point percentage at 39.2 percent.

But some of his best basketball came when the Rebels needed it most.

Pedulla scored 20 points in each of Ole Miss’ first two NCAA Tournament victories during the Rebels’ run to the Sweet 16. When the season finally ended against Michigan State, he went down firing, pouring in a team-high 24 points with four made 3-pointers. That 24-point performance tied for the second-most points by an Ole Miss player in an NCAA Tournament game.

His professional career began shortly afterward.

After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Pedulla agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and played with Portland during NBA Summer League before beginning his G League career with the Rip City Remix.

It didn’t take long for Pedulla to show he belonged.

He eventually signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in February and continued putting up huge numbers in the G League. Between Rip City and the San Diego Clippers, Pedulla appeared in 28 regular-season games, starting 27, and averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 32 minutes per game.

He shot 44.3 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 84.5 percent at the free-throw line. Pedulla scored in double figures in all 28 appearances, topped 20 points 17 times and reached the 30-point mark seven times. His season included a 46-point performance against College Park on Feb. 7, followed two days later by an 18-assist outing against the same opponent.

Sean Pedulla scoring 46 PTS in the GLeague https://t.co/mA7xZDvXGu pic.twitter.com/rFwZIAgcba

— Aaron 🚀 (@AaronPKP) August 17, 2026

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Those numbers ultimately earned Pedulla the 2025-26 Kia NBA G League Rookie of the Year award as well as a spot on the G League All-Rookie Team. He led all qualified rookies in scoring and finished second among rookies in assists.

Pedulla also broke through to the NBA with the Clippers during the 2025-26 season, becoming the 12th former Ole Miss player to appear in an NBA game.

Now comes Houston.

A two-way contract will allow Pedulla to move between the Rockets and their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, while continuing to compete for opportunities on the NBA roster.

For a player whose path has taken him from Virginia Tech to one memorable season in Oxford, through Summer League and the G League and eventually onto an NBA floor, Monday’s signing represents another opportunity to keep moving forward.

Pedulla’s time at Ole Miss may have lasted only one season, but Rebel fans saw exactly what he could do when given an opportunity.

The Rockets are giving him another one.

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Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com