Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is tired of what she sees as disrespect from the AP Poll. Her side was bumped only two spots to No. 16, even after beating then-No. 5 Oklahoma, 74-69, on the road and routing Mississippi State 93-68, at home. “This is a joke! And if the voters are not going to do their jobs, we don’t need an AP Poll! Had we lost two games in a row, we’d be fighting to stay in, or we’d be out!” She wrote. However, the latest SEC honor has given Coach Yo some welcome counterweight to that disappointment. 

It was announced that Cotie McMahon was the Co-SEC Player of the Week, her first honor since arriving at the program and the conference. It was more than deserved as McMahon led the team with 22 points, four assists, and 4 rebounds against the Sooners. Her final minute and one three-point play sealed the deal for the Rebels in the 74-69 win. 

Then, McMahon dropped 21 points and 2 rebounds against Mississippi State. Naturally, Coach Yo was delighted by this latest news and congratulated her star player. “This makes sense! Congrats @cotiemcmahon23! Our way! ❤️💙 #NoCeilings”  she wrote. It is finally some recognition going their way, which the media has to take notice of. McMahon has been averaging a career-best 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. 

When this was brought up in the press conference, Coach Yo said, “Yeah, finally,” with a tone of relief. “So somebody’s giving you a little respect there?” asked a reporter. She clarified that her frustration wasn’t about disrespect but about the higher standard she believes her team is held to. “I would love to sit around and say people don’t respect us,” She said. “People respect us. I just think that they make us do things twice as much as others. And that’s the part that’s unfair.”

The AP Poll ultimately won’t matter much for seeding or postseason evaluation, and Coach Yo acknowledged that as well. The NCAA NET rankings are a reference for their potential seeding, and Ole Miss currently stands at No.16 with a 2-2 Quad 1 record. While it might seem that AP gave them the correct ranking, the poll was never harmonious with the NET ranking. 

For example, Vanderbilt is No.5 in the AP Poll but No.10 in the NET rankings. AP voters prioritize overall team quality and weekly performance shifts rather than strictly following technical metrics. The Cotie McMahon SEC honor is a relieving touch, but Coach Yo will continue pushing the media. While she protests on this end, Coach Yo doesn’t quite agree with Vic Schaefer and his anti-SEC comments. 

Coach Yo Fires Back At Vic Schaefer Torching The SEC

Much like Coach Yo, Texas coach Vic Schaefer was furious and was handing out accusations of discrimination. But, to a different party: the SEC. Schaefer said the SEC had a “vendetta” against the Longhorns after his team fell 70-65 to LSU and then dropped to No.3 in the AP poll as a result. However, to Coach Yo, a tough schedule is a cross every team in the SEC has to bear. 

She mentioned she did not see the exact comments and pointed out that they had the chance to opt out of the Vegas festival if they wanted to. “Here’s the thing: we all have a tough slate. I was looking at Mississippi State’s schedule,” She said. “Starting with us, I think they’ve got six more top-25 teams in a row that they’re going to play. Then we have a stretch—I think our three-game stretch is top-10 teams in the country, and then one that’s in the top 25. I think it’s like Vandy, or LSU, Vandy, Tennessee, something crazy. But that’s why you come into this league.”

Ole Miss will face No.21 Alabama, No.7 Kentucky, No.6 LSU, and No.2, with only unranked Arkansas in between the Alabama and Kentucky games. Almost every team has such a slate, and there is really no escaping it. SEC is the toughest conference this year, by far. Per Warren Nolan, the SEC’s Non-Conference win percentage of 89% is 5% more than the next-best Big Ten. 

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That is the most disparity in any of the top 5 conferences. And to Coach Yo, this is a blessing rather than a curse, as she relishes the competition. “I welcome it because it’s not going to hurt you. It can only make you better,” she said. Going forward, Ole Miss is in a strong place to gain a favorable seeding at the tournament, and this team could further improve as well. They are back on the road against Georgia and will look to extend their winning streak.