Coach Yo looks ahead to Rebels’ matchup with Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament
The Ole Miss women’s basketball team is just one day away from beginning its time in the Big Dance for the second year in a row, this time against Gonzaga, but there is a different energy from the Rebels in this year’s tournament versus last year’s, which ended in a first-round exit.
“This is definitely a business trip for us,” Rebel head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said at her press conference Thursday afternoon. “We haven’t left the hotel. Our girls are just excited to get out the hotel because we are focused on treating this as an opportunity to do something that we haven’t done with me at the helm.”
Coach Yo has emphasized her team’s abundance of experience versus last postseason, and she continued to have confidence in this experience at her press conference Thursday afternoon.
“Experience is important because last year, we did not have any, and it showed. Out of the 11 players on our team, nine have had NCAA Tournament experience. It is just a different feel for us being in this tournament.”
Coach Yo on the Rebels’ experience
Coach Yo also mentioned that going after experienced guard Myah Taylor in the offseason was a big step in the growth of the team’s experience. She also explained that playing high-caliber teams during the regular season played a large role in this growth.
“We think our schedule has prepared us for any type of matchup. Our group has been battle-tested…with the hopes that it would prepare us for a moment like this.”
Coach Yo on the Rebs’ schedule this season
Notable matchups from the Rebels’ regular season include two against the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, South Carolina, and Utah, who earned a two-seed in the Big Dance.
Gonzaga, who finished the regular season at No. 18 in the AP Poll, will be the first non-SEC ranked opponent for the Rebels since facing then-No. 23 Oklahoma in late November. Coach Yo said the Bulldogs’ style of play is much different than that of her own.
“We feel like it is going to be an incredible matchup,” McPhee-McCuin said. “As far as styles are concerned, they are contrasting. Both of us have had opportunities to play against contrasting styles. It should be a really good matchup.”
A glaring contrast between the Rebels and Bulldogs comes from the three-point line. The Bulldogs rank first in the country in made three-point percentage (41.5%), while the Rebels defend the three-ball at a high level, holding their opponents to 25.5% from downtown, which ranks ninth in the country.
“They do a great job of spreading the floor and getting it into the hands of their shooters,” McPhee-McCuin said about Gonzaga’s offense. “They take good shots. That is what makes them special.”
Coach Yo has spoken highly of this year’s Rebel team all season, and she said that the love that her team has for each other has allowed them to be successful.
“We spend a lot of time with each other whether I am there or not. We really consider ourselves to be a family. It is our culture at Ole Miss, and it is something that I take pride in. Our team is just rooted in love. I have never been a part of a team that has loved each other the way this group does, and it is really refreshing to see.”
Coach Yo
She also said the 2022-23 team cannot compare to the other teams she has been a part of in Oxford.
“This has been my most enjoyable year at Ole Miss. It has been an incredible experience with this group. They are so humble and just great individuals.”
Coach Yo
Game info
The eight-seed Rebels will begin their time in the NCAA Tournament this Friday in Palo Alto, California, on the campus of Stanford University. Tipoff against the nine-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs is set for 9 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
