Madison Scott believed in Yolett McPhee-McCuin and Ole Miss and is seeing that belief pay off
When Madison Scott decided to sign with Ole Miss and come be part of Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s vision to rebuild a women’s basketball program in shambles she was surrounded by doubters.
Still, Scott came to Oxford and over the past four seasons has elevated Ole Miss from being one of the worst programs in the Southeastern Conference to a yearly contender and NCAA Tournament regular.
That continued this season with Scott leading the Rebels to a third place finish in the SEC and 12 conference wins in the regular season for the first time in program history.
After Sunday’s win over Arkansas, securing the historical mark, Scott was reflective of her career at Ole Miss up to this point.
“Each year we continue to get better and better since I’ve been here,” Scott said. “We continue to grow. We continue to thrive under coach Yo and her vision.
“When I first came, everybody was telling me not to come here or, ‘Why Ole Miss?,’ and I stood 10 toes down because I believed in her vision. Everything she’s said we were going to do we’ve done. Each year we continue to get better, we continue to make history. Each year we show that we belong.”
Scott’s senior season, which could end up being her last at Ole Miss, might be her most impressive as she took over a new role within the team. Her success this season earned Scott a spot on the All-SEC First Team.
Marquesha Davis joined Scott on the First Team, announced by the league office on Monday. Scott also landed on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
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Davis and Scott are 16th and 17th Ole Miss players in school history to earn First Team accolades and are the first duo to do so in the same year since 1989.
Despite the setbacks Scott has put Ole Miss on her back and helped keep the season on track to where it currently heading this postseason.
Scott is averaging 12 points per game but her 6.1 rebounds per game and seven double-doubles tell the real story of her season.
A major part of McCuin’s rebuild is the foundation Scott and Snudda Collins helped put in place. With a roster consisting of transfers in the portal era Scott and Collins are two homegrown talents that have helped put Ole Miss on the national map of women’s college basketball.
“The way the business is now you don’t get to see that a lot,” McCuin said. “Yes, Marquesha is special to me and so is Rita (Igbokwe) and all of them but Maddie and Snudda came to me when we were 0-16. They believed.
“Maddie said to me when we lost to someone by 40-50 points she says, ‘Coach, how is this going to end when I come in?’ I broke it down and I said, ‘I think your last year we’ll go to the Sweet 16.’ Well, we already did that. Obviously we want to go beyond that and if she were to come back for Team 50 then it’s Final Four. That’s what we’re talking about, but I don’t want to cut this team short.”
The goals are lofty these days for Ole Miss. No longer is it trying to just get above .500 in SEC play and see what happens in the SEC Tournament. Now it is Final Fours or bust and a large reason is because of the work Scott and Collins have put in.
