Column: Time to Take Notice of Ole Miss Women's Basketball's Swift Rise

How quickly things can change.

While the focus of many Ole Miss fans may be on the upcoming Sugar Bowl and the football program, something pretty special is happening under its nose on the hardwood in Oxford.

Yolett McPhee-McCuin's women's basketball team is rolling.

Like many college sports, fan investment in a certain program varies from school-to-school across the country. Depending on who you ask, Ole Miss fans have usually cared about football first, baseball second and men's basketball third, but that also varies from person-to-person. Most of the time, a focus on the women's basketball program isn't at the forefront of the minds of Ole Miss fans, in large part due to the fact that before this season, it had been a while since the program had been competitive.

Well, that's changed.

Since losing its opening game to Belmont 62-50, Ole Miss has rattled off 12-straight non-conference wins heading into the advent of SEC play. By comparison, the Ole Miss women did not hit a total of 12 wins in the 2018-19 or 2019-20 seasons.

Last season, something began to click, however, and Ole Miss made it to the championship game of the WNIT. Although it would lose that game to Rice 71-58, it was clear that after years of struggle, the program appeared to be on the right track.

Now, the Rebels are fresh off a win over No. 18 South Florida on Tuesday and will open SEC play at home against Arkansas on Dec. 30.

Much like the swift turnaround seen by Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss football program, "Coach Yo," as she is known around Oxford, has been recruiting at a high level since she arrived on campus, and the dividends are starting to be seen on the court.

For some, it's a return to what used to be the norm at Ole Miss. The Rebels have made it to the Elite Eight five times, most recently in 2007, and the Sweet Sixteen eight times. Sure, it's early in the season, and there's a lot of basketball left to be played, but early returns seem to indicate that this team could make a push for an NCAA Tournament berth, something that also hasn't been done since 2007.

If that happens, or even if it doesn't, the trajectory is currently upward for this Ole Miss women's program, and it's past time to start taking notice.

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