McPhee-McCuin: “At Ole Miss We Don’t Really Replace, We Try to Reload”

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UNITED STATES – With a cast of newcomers, Coach Yo and Ole Miss women’s basketball are projected to finish sixth in the SEC preseason poll, the conference announced Monday.

They return three letter winners from last season’s Sweet 16 team and add nine newcomers, including eight transfers from the nation’s No. 2 transfer portal class.

This will be Coach Yo’s eighth season at the helm, and he looks to build on a run of consistent success, with the team surpassing preseason expectations four times in the last five years.

Yolett-Mcphee McCuin – Head Coach, Ole Miss WBB
“The journey has continued to grow.”

Dating back to his high school days, this season in Oxford, Mississippi will be AJ Storr’s eighth team in as many years.

His journey began at St. John’s University, where he earned Big East All-Freshman honors. Storr then moved to the University of Wisconsin, leading the Badgers with 16.8 points per game and earning All-Big Ten Second Team recognition.

He then transferred to Kansas, where he struggled for consistency in the rotation and averaged 6.1 points per game.

Now at Ole Miss, Storr is expected to play a pivotal role in Coach Chris Beard’s offense.

Chris Beard – Head Coach, Ole Miss MBB
“Yes, AJ has been a key piece of our team in a winning way.”

Additionally, Storr has represented the Bahamas national team, most notably in their run at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain.

Mclean, Mackey and Wildcats Ranked No.9 in Ap Preseason Poll

The Wildcats are back in the national spotlight, opening the 2025-26 season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason poll, marking the 58th time in program history they have started a season in the top 10.

The staff features associate head coach Mikhail McLean in his second year with the program and Willis Mackey, who is in his first year as a graduate assistant.

Last season, McLean focused on scouting, recruiting, and developing the Wildcats’ bigs. Kentucky returns key contributors from last season’s Sweet 16 run, and McLean again contributed to putting together one of the nation’s top transfer classes.

The Wildcats will face 12 preseason Top 25 opponents this year.