No. 12 Ole Miss women’s basketball tips off today vs. Queens on Kid’s Day in the SJB Pavilion
OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 12 Ole Miss women’s basketball team leads off the season for a trio of Top 25 basketball teams who’ll be playing today, as three ranked vs. ranked matchups are on the schedule.
The 12th-ranked Rebels host Queens at 11:00 CT Monday morning to ring in the 2023-2024 women basketball season. It’s Kid’s Day in the SJB Pavilion, as Ole Miss welcomes elementary, middle and high school students from across the state of Mississippi.
The opener will be streamed on SECN+.
Then, at noon on ESPN, No. 6 South Carolina meets 10th-ranked Notre Dame in Paris, France. At 1:00 pm, it’s No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 21 Southern Cal in Las Vegas, followed by No. 1 LSU and No. 20 Colorado at 6:30 on TNT.
The other ranked SEC team tipping off today is No. 25 Mississippi State who’s hosting Alcorn in Stark Vegas.
The Ole Miss women, led by head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, are coming off a thrilling season from a year ago, one that saw the Rebels knock off Gonzaga and No. 1-seed Stanford in Palo Alto in the NCAA Tournament, earning a Sweet-16 appearance.
Coming off a 25-win season and a Sweet-16 appearance, Coach Yo and the 12th-ranked Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Team are the first team on the court in the 2023-2024 season starting at 11 AM. See y’all there! 🏀 pic.twitter.com/nVSV6LARWA
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) November 6, 2023
In spite of the losses of leaders in Angel Baker and Myah Taylor, the Rebels bring back a strong core of starters in Marquesha Davis, Madison Scott and Tyia Singleton as well as extra depth coming off the bench with Snudda Collins, Elauna Eaton, Rita Igbokwe and Ayanna Thompson.
They also bring back the following production:
- Points: 1,521 of 2,334 (65.1%)
- Rebounds: 1,091 of 1,421 (76.8%)
- Assists: 169 of 419 (40.3%)
- Blocks: 155 of 174 (89.0%)
- 3-Pointers: 101 of 164 (61.5%) – Snudda Collins accounted for 55 of 164 (33.5%)
McPhee-McCuin hit the portal this offseason once again in search of fresh talent to infuse into the Rebel program, picking up three Power Five transfers, including two of ESPN’s Top-15 available.
Look for KK Deans (Florida), Kharyssa Richardson (Auburn) and Kennedy Todd-Williams (North Carolina) to make an immediate impact on the Rebels.
- Deans was the leading scorer for the Gators in 2022-23 with 14.1 points per game and was rated as the No. 14 available transfer by ESPN.
- Richardson transferred from Auburn following her freshman campaign after appearing in 28 games for the Tigers, starting in 27. She led Auburn in rejections with a total of 23 blocks.
- Todd-Williams joined the Rebels following three seasons at North Carolina. She was touted as the No. 11 available transfer by ESPN. She was named Second-Team All-ACC as a junior, ranking second in scoring for the Tar Heels with 13.4 points per game. She also led Carolina in triples in 2022-23 with a total of 52 makes from beyond the arc.
All-time in season openers, the Rebels are 41-7 and 4-1 under McPhee-McCuin. In home openers, the Rebels are 45-3.
Coach Yo, now entering her sixth season with the Rebels, is obviously extremely excited to see this team in action and is anticipating an outstanding debut in front of the Rebels’ home crowd.
“I feel confident saying this is the toughest team I’ve had. I know that people say when they describe us, they describe us as gritty, defensive minded and we’re going to be that. That’s never going to change. This is the most competitive group I’ve had. Team 49, they don’t take a play off. I think it’s because the talent has increased, so everybody has to bring their A-game every single day. They are fearless and they are willing, they have big big goals. I think three years ago we just wanted to get to the tournament. We didn’t care how, by bus or if we had to walk. This team is like we have other bigger things. We feel like we’re going to get to the tournament and that’s a great place to be. I’m in year six, I don’t know if I would be standing here if we weren’t at this place right now, let’s be honest. That’s where our program is right now and I’m pretty pleased by it.“
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Under her tutelage in the first two seasons of the transfer-portal era, Ole Miss has compiled 48 wins against 18 losses (.727) with NCAA Tournament berths in the first two seasons of the NCAA’s free-transfer era.
Hotty Toddy!
David Walker
David Walker was named Louisiana’s High School Player of the Year at just 16 years old and, at 17, became college football’s first quarterback to earn Freshman of the Year honors. He remains the NCAA’s youngest-ever starting quarterback, a distinction that has stood for decades.
Transitioning from a wide-open high school offense to Emory Bellard’s renowned wishbone triple option, Walker excelled as a dual-threat quarterback. He graduated as Texas A&M’s all-time winningest quarterback and served as a two-time team captain, helping to transform a program that had endured 15 losing seasons in the previous 16 years.
After his playing career, Walker coached and taught algebra at six Texas high schools before moving into private business. In 2011, he published his memoir, “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good,” a title inspired by the coaching philosophy of Shannon Suarez, the Sulphur High and Louisiana High School Hall of Fame coach who was a significant influence on Walker’s life and career.
Walker’s compelling storytelling in his autobiography reflects the breadth of his experiences in high school and college football, and it is an undeniable fact that he saw more action than any athlete in the history of the NCAA. Since 2013, he has contributed to The Rebel Walk, sharing his insights and expertise with readers.
