The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

YOLETT McPhee-McCuin and her Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball programme took centre stage at SEC Media Day.

In her second year at the helm, she was joined by players Torri Lewis and Mimi Reid among other coaches and players throughout the conference to discuss their season outlooks with ESPN, the SEC Network and various media outlets. “This would be a true year one for me because last year when I got the job it was in complete turmoil and I was just focused on giving those players a great experience,” McPhee-McCuin said.

“I call last year ‘Year Zero’ because I got the job at the last minute and didn’t have a chance to do a lot, so this season is ‘Year One.’ What we are going to do is build upon our core values – the way we do things – establish our culture and fight for it every day. Getting (the players) to buy into it is our number-one focus.”

In her first season, the Rebels finished 9-22, 3-13 in Southeastern conference play. They were eliminated in the opening round of the SEC tournament but the season was highlighted by the first ranked road win for the Rebels since 2011 when they defeated the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time since 2007.

In the offseason, she signed an extension that will run through the 2023 season. “I thought the conference was very competitive, I was very impressed by the level of coaching and the technicality. I was more impressed by the players and level of talent we had to face every day. It’s an unforgiving league, so you kind of have to fight your way through it. Like I tell my players, you either eat or be eaten, so it was a great experience for me just being thrown out there and having an opportunity to go through it all,” she said. “There’s never an off night. When I was in other conferences you would have nights against a team that you thought you can probably breeze through or you can figure it out. I always tell a little joke though, when you’re looking at the schedule and you’re looking for an easy team and you can’t find one, maybe that’s you.”

Ole Miss will lose three seniors from last year’s team, but their future includes incoming junior and Bahamian national team standout Valerie Nesbitt.

The Rebels also got a commitment from the highest-rated prospect in their programme’s history when consensus five-star recruit Madison Scott announced her intention to join the Rebels. Scott is ranked No. 13 by ESPN in the class of 2020 and No.2 at her position.