Yolett McPhee-McCuin questions why Ole Miss isn’t ranked: ‘Don’t get me started’

As Ole Miss gets ready for the SEC Tournament, the Rebels look primed to host an NCAA Tournament game. At 19-9 overall, they entered Wednesday night ranked 12th in the NET rankings – fourth among SEC teams – and a No. 4 seed in ESPN’s Charlie Creme’s latest Bracketology.

However, Ole Miss wasn’t ranked in the latest AP Top 25. SEC Network’s Alyssa Lang questioned why during Wednesday’s SEC Tournament first round, and Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin didn’t quite have an answer.

“Coach Yo” and Ole Miss enter the conference tournament with a 10-6 record in league play to head in as the No. 7 seed. That could be a reason the Rebels aren’t in the Top 25, but McPhee-McCuin said she takes solace in the fact her team has respect from her peers around the league and the country.

“Don’t get me started,” McPhee-McCuin said with a chuckle at halftime of Missouri vs. Mississippi State. “I don’t know why we’re not ranked. But I do know that we’re respected in the league and in the country. And for me, that matters. We’re just gonna keep playing basketball.”

Ole Miss’ resume includes a 5-8 record in Quadrant 1 games, and the only other loss came to a Quadrant 3 opponent. The NCAA defines Q1 games as matchups against teams ranked Nos. 1-25 at home, Nos. 1-35 at a neutral site and Nos. 1-45 on the road.

A Q3 game, meanwhile, is against Nos. 56-90 at home, Nos. 66-105 at neutral sites and Nos. 81-130 on the road. Ole Miss’ lone Quadrant 3 loss came to Texas A&M on the road Jan. 5.

Still, the Rebels sit at No. 12 in the NET rankings, which is a key factor in their seeding in ESPN’s latest Bracketology. With a potential March Madness home game on the horizon, depending on how things go Selection Sunday, Yolett McPhee-McCuin said her team deserves it. In addition to the metrics, she pointed how close Ole Miss was to taking down USC – the eventual Big Ten champion – in the season opener.

“We’re one possession, we lose to the Big Ten champs in Southern California,” McPhee-McCuin said, via the Clarion Ledger’s Sam Hutchens. “We were supposed to beat them, had we inbounded the ball. We’re up eight on Texas with two minutes left. If we box out, we win that game … we have been learning as we go, and it was our time to reap.”

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