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Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin could ‘feel Pat Summitt’s spirit’ in win vs. Tennessee

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Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin could ‘feel Pat Summitt’s spirit’ in win vs. Tennessee


When the buzzer at the SJB Pavilion sounded Sunday and Ole Miss women’s basketball’s 80-75 victory against Tennessee was sealed, Rebels coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was admittedly emotional.

To that point, the Volunteers had been one of just three SEC teams she hadn’t defeated since being hired at Ole Miss in 2018. In reality, though, the win carried an extra significance for an entirely different reason.

“I have so much love for Pat Summitt’s legacy,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Pat Summitt was the first female coach that I was able to witness. I had never seen a woman coach until I saw Pat Summitt. I love Pat Summitt.”

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REQUIRED READING: After contentious week, Coach Yo reaffirms Ole Miss is her home. How far can she take it?

Like many women’s basketball coaches, the legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach played a prominent role in shaping McPhee-McCuin’s exposure to and love of the sport.

Twelve years after her last game and eight years after her death at the age of 64, Summitt is still perhaps the most towering figure in the history of college basketball, men’s or women’s, at any level.

Summitt led the Volunteers to eight national championships, was a five-time Naismith Coach of the Year recipient and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Her 1,098 wins are the third-most of any women’s college basketball coach ever. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease forced her to retire in 2012 at only 59 years old.

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For McPhee-McCuin, Summitt’s accomplishments and legacy loom whenever Ole Miss faces off against Summitt’s former program.

“This means a lot,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Every time we play Tennessee, y’all, I swear I feel Pat’s spirit. It’s not like I played for her. I only met her a couple of times. But this is someone who mentored me from afar. So, for me, beating Tennessee means a lot. More importantly, it puts us in a good position as far as our standings are concerned.”

REQUIRED READING: Coach Yo doesn’t back down, uses social media to ask for support for Ole Miss women’s sports

Before Sunday’s win, McPhee-McCuin had been 0-7 against the Volunteers, one of the SEC’s historic powers.

At least some of those shortcomings could be attributed to Ole Miss’ standing as a program before McPhee-McCuin took over. At the time of her hiring, the Rebels had missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 11 consecutive seasons and had finished seven of those seasons with a losing record.

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Now in her sixth season in Oxford, McPhee-McCuin has taken Ole Miss to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years, including a Sweet 16 appearance last season. The Rebels are 63-23 since the start of the 2021-22 season, including a 15-5 mark this season.



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Tennessee

Titans OT Projected for All-Rookie Team

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Titans OT Projected for All-Rookie Team


The Tennessee Titans have revamped their offense for the upcoming season, and part of their upgrades have come in the form of some new players, some new to the team and others who have yet to play in the NFL.

One of those players is first-round rookie offensive tackle JC Latham, who the Titans took with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter listed his picks for the 2024 All-Rookie Team and tabbed Latham as the player at the tackle spot.

“Latham is another rookie tackle lining up at a new spot in the pros, moving to the left side with the Titans after stoutly holding down the right side at Alabama,” Reuter writes. “At 6-foot-6, 342 pounds, Latham will be a sturdy wall in pass protection for second-year quarterback Will Levis thanks to his wide base and 35 1/8-inch arms. Latham will also move defenders to create running lanes for new feature back Tony Pollard and backups Tyjae Spears and Hassan Haskins.”

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Latham joined quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), running backs Trey Benson (Arizona Cardinals) and Ray Davis (Buffalo Bills), wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals) and Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs), tight end Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders), offensive linemen Joe Alt (Los Angeles Chargers), Jackson Powers-Johnson (Las Vegas Raiders), Tanor Bartolini (Indianapolis Colts) and Graham Barton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) on the list.

Latham was a right tackle at Alabama, but the Titans have plans for him to move to the left side to protect quarterback Will Levis’ blindside. He will have to adjust to the NFL level, but with offensive line coach Bill Callahan helping guide that transition, Latham is in extremely good and experienced hands.

Latham has been a coach in the NFL since the 1990’s and he was recently with the Cleveland Browns, who had one of the best units in the league last season. Now, Latham helps as an anchor for the Titans in the trenches as they look to improve from having one of the worst offensive lines in the league a year ago.

Make sure you bookmark All Titans for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!



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Tennessee Lands Two Players in MLB Mock Drat

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Tennessee Lands Two Players in MLB Mock Drat


The Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball program has landed two players in the latest 2024 MLB mock draft.

The Tennessee Volunteers took home the 2024 national championship after a historic season and the celebrations don’t look like they will be slowing down any time soon. The 2024 MLB draft is just a little over two weeks out from kicking off and the Volunteers have a couple of candidates that could go in the first round.

MLB.com released their latest version of a first-round 2024 MLB mock draft and two Volunteers were included on the list. Christian Moore was pinned as the 12th overall selection to the Boston Red Sox and Billy Amick 33rd overall to the Minnesota Twins in the supplemental first-round selections. Here is what the outlet wrote about Moore:

“Barring a surprise fall — perhaps Griffin or Rainer? — the Red Sox figure to dip into the second tier of college bats that begins with Tibbs and Moore, though Yesavage is also enticing. This is the ceiling for other members of that group, including Florida State third baseman Cam Smith, Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King, Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge, Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt and Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.”

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Moore was one of the best players in Omaha this year. In the first game against Florida State, he became just the second player in college World Series history to hit for the cycle. He was a crucial piece to Tennessee’s national championship-winning team. Over his three years at Tennessee, Moore finished with a .338 batting average, 61 home runs, 160 RBI and 162 starts, which is ironically the same number of games in a full MLB regular season.

Since the college football season came to an end, it has been an eventful offseason for Tennessee athletics. The men’s basketball team made a deep run in the March Madness tournament, the baseball program won its first-ever national title, Dalton Knecht was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft and now it looks like the Volunteers will add to that list when the MLB draft rolls around.

The MLB draft will start on July 14th and will run until July 16th. The draft will last 20 total rounds which will allow plenty of other opportunities for more Volunteers to be selected into the major league. The Volunteers have a history of success when it comes to the professional baseball league and it doesn’t look like the 2024 MLB draft will be any different than the previous years.

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8 of the Best Places to Retire in Tennessee

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8 of the Best Places to Retire in Tennessee


Discover retirement destinations across Tennessee, from eastern cities to western natural wonders. With mild weather, natural beauty, and low living costs, find your perfect spot among the 17% of residents aged 65+. Tour top destinations for retirees seeking city energy or country charm.



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