The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HEAD coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said she’s delighted to have another Bahamian joining her University of Mississippi women’s basketball team with Rhema Collins becoming the latest plsyer to commit to play with the Rebels next year.

McPhee-McCuin, here in town with the Rebels for the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship, said Collins comes in when Ole Miss are tipped to return to the Bahamas next Thanksgiving to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Paradise Island.

“It’s another prideful moment. I’m just really excited to be able to continue to go after the best talent in the Bahamas and to bring them to us at Ole Miss,” said McPhee- McCuin. “Rhema said to me ‘Coach, I’m coming to you because I trust you.’

“It’s a Bahamian connection. That kid is going to be a star and I’m excited to be able to help her in her development.”

Just two years ago, McPhee-McCuin had the services of point guard Valerie Nesbitt on her Ole Miss roster. Collins is set to become the next Bahamian to star for the Rebels.

Collins, at 17 years old, is a senior at Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. At the age of 14, Collins represented the Bahamas on the junior girls’ national basketball team, coached by Varel Davis, that won the CentroBasket Under- 17 Championship title in 2019. She averaged 11 points and 10.8 rebounds in the five games played.

Collins and Webb School girls’ basketball team are the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s Division II-A State champions.

But having achieved all of that, McPhee-McCuin said the 6-foot, 2-inch Collins is still raw when it comes to the NCAA Division One play.

“We’re going to just rely on her athleticism and rebounding first,” McPhee- McCuin said.

“But this kid has a chance to be a pro (professional basketball player) and so we’re going to develop her skills so that she can become the player we know she can be.”

At Ole Miss, McPhee- McCuin said she expects that Collins will fit in as a small and power forward, but she’s expecting that she will join the other four freshmen they have signed to be a part of the nucleus of the returning 10 players from this year’s squad.

“We’re going to be pretty talented next year and the Bahamas will not only get to see the Rebels, but Ole Miss will have another Bahamian in the line-up when we come back for the Battle 4 Atlantis next year.”

Although their trip here for the Baha Mar Hoops does not count as a foreign tour, McPhee-McCuin said they won’t have to wait on the NCAA policy to travel every four years, so they will be back with Collins in the line-up as they compete over at Atlantis.

“Right now, I can’t think about what will happen next year,” she summed up.

“My only thoughts are on getting this team ready to play Utah (tonight). We are trying to get a win over them and get a chance to move up in the ranking,” added McPhee McCuin.