Turns out, the terrible four-game skid that Ole Miss women's basketball suffered towards the end of their regular season was a trial by fire. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin pinned it on her squad drifting away from their defensive identity to an offensive one, and getting lost in the translation.
That was the only wake-up call they needed. The following game against Texas in the first round of the SEC Tournament saw the Rebels coming back to being the defensive bullies they were, and now, it is what makes them a truly formidable SEC team entering the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss's defense will bully Gonzaga
The Rebels take on Gonzaga to start their Big Dan run, and the odds heavily favor Coach Yo to easily crush the Bulldogs.
They harass opponents into poor shots, poor shot selection, and hurried shots. And it worked against the Zags, who made just 1 of 17 attempts from 3-point range.
Further, Ole Miss's physical, SEC-style 'dictate-and-disrupt' defense is designed to expose exactly where Gonzaga is most vulnerable: turnovers.
Gonzaga’s biggest red flag this season has been ball security. They are averaging 17.2 turnovers per game, and in seven of their nine losses, turnovers were the primary culprit.
The Rebels, on the other hand, thrive on chaos, forcing an average of 18.1 turnovers per game. Coach Yo loves to dial up the full-court pressure, and given Gonzaga's regular season turnover rate, it might turn out to be an even more lopsided win than anticipated.
Coach Yo's squad has all the tools to harass Gonzaga with Latasha Lattimore and Christeen Iwuala giving excellent rim protection. Plus, the Zags are not used to the type of physicality that Guards Cotie McMahon and Sira Thienou bring to the court.
How well the Zags handle the Rebels' athleticism will determine whether they have a shot at winning at all.
Ole Msis takes on Gonzaga on March 20, 2:30 PM CT.