I'm trying some new things. Gave a different prompt to ChatGPT, then re-wrote a few things myself. Just playing around.
#17 Tennessee @ #18 Ole Miss — Scouting Report (Mon. Jan 26, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | ESPNU)
Context in one sentence: This is a top-20-ish, “styles-clash” SEC game: Tennessee’s pace/pressure/depth vs. Ole Miss’ physical half-court defense + a true go-to scorer (Cotie McMahon).
Quick numbers that matter
• Tennessee: 14–3 overall, 6–0 SEC; road 4–3.
• Ole Miss: 17–4 overall, 4–2 SEC; home 10–0.
• NET (quality snapshot): Tennessee ~15, Ole Miss ~18/19 depending on source snapshot.
• Quads): Tennessee is 4-3 Q1, 5-0 Q4; Ole Miss is 1-3 Q1, 10-0 Q4
What decides this game
1) Is Janiah Barker available?
Tennessee just beat Kentucky without Barker. If she’s still out, Tennessee’s margin for error shrinks because you lose a reliable interior scorer/rebounder vs. an Ole Miss front line that plays grown-woman basketball.
2) Can Tennessee’s pressure create “extra possessions” on the road?
Ole Miss is comfortable grinding in the half court. Tennessee has to manufacture pace with defense: live-ball turnovers, runouts, and short-clock shots before Ole Miss can set its defense. (If this becomes a clean half-court game, that’s Ole Miss’ preferred diet.)
3) Who wins the star battle: Talaysia Cooper vs. Cotie McMahon?
McMahon is coming off a statement 33-point double-double at Missouri and is clearly their offensive engine. Tennessee needs Cooper playing like an All-SEC lead guard, not like she did vs Kentucky (Caldwell publicly put some of that on herself).
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Recent form (last 3–4 games)
Tennessee (W7 streak) — trending steady, winning different ways:
• W vs Kentucky 60–58 (home) — freshmen carried offense; Barker out.
• W at Alabama 70–59 (road)
• W vs Arkansas 85–50 (home)
• W at Mississippi State 90–80 (road)
Ole Miss — volatile, but ceiling is real:
• W at Missouri 82–61 — McMahon took over late; Ole Miss clamped the arc.
• W at Georgia 82–59
• L vs Mississippi State 68–93 (home) — got punched in the mouth.
• W at Oklahoma 74-69
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Quality of opposition (who’s been tested?)
Ole Miss has a legit top-end schedule: they’ve defeated OK and played a one possession game at Texas, but they also have a few SEC results that show their floor if McMahon is contained and the offense stagnates.
Tennessee has played a tougher schedule overall and has more Q1 wins, but doesn't (yet) have an SEC win to match Ole Miss' victory over Oklahoma.
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Injuries / availability watch
Tennessee: Barker missed Kentucky, and no word yet for Monday.
Ole Miss: Full strength.
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Ole Miss identity (Coach Yo’s blueprint)
Head coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin (“Coach Yo”) has built a roster that’s physical, older, and defense-first, with a true alpha scorer (McMahon) and size/length around her. The Missouri game was the clean example: defend hard, force tough shots, then let McMahon close.
Conference-level team stat vibe: Ole Miss is scoring in the mid-70s in SEC play while allowing in the high-60s — good, not “track meet.”
Bench usage: Their minute distribution leans starter-heavy (McMahon especially), which is exactly what Caldwell tries to punish with waves and pace.
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Likely Ole Miss starters + roles (SEC-play production)
“Most-likely 5” based on SEC minute-load/roles:
• Cotie McMahon — Sr, F, 6’0, transfer (Ohio State). Primary scorer/closer; just dropped 33 at Mizzou.
• Sira Thienou — So, G, 6’1. Two-way wing/guard; creates havoc (steals) and can swing quarters.
• Latasha Lattimore — Sr, F, 6’4, transfer (Virginia). Size + scoring support; part of their physical identity. ([
• Frontcourt/connector pieces — Ole Miss typically pairs McMahon/Lattimore with another post/forward plus a perimeter glue player to keep the defense solid. (They’ll adjust matchups depending on whether Tennessee plays big with true posts or small with speed.)
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Tennessee rotation + lineup combos you’ll actually see
Caldwell’s “starters” matter less than who closes halves and which units can keep pressure without bleeding offensive rebounds.
What Tennessee is likely to do (based on recent usage + situation):
• If Barker plays: expect more two-big looks (Barker + Spearman) to keep Ole Miss from living in the paint and to punish them on the glass.
• If Barker sits again: Tennessee probably leans harder into speed/spacing and accepts some size tradeoffs—meaning more minutes where Spearman is the lone true interior scorer/rebounder, surrounded by guards/wings who can press and run.
• Closing-game combo to expect: Cooper + Mia Pauldo + (Civil/Latham/Prawl depending on defense) + Spearman + best-available forward (Barker if active). That group gives you ball-handling, rim pressure, and your best chance to survive Ole Miss’ physical half-court defense late.
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Road / home splits (quietly huge)
• Ole Miss is unbeaten at home (10–0). That’s not nothing; they’re comfortable in their grind there.
• Tennessee has won big road games already, and they actually seem to be shooting better on the road lately.
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“Color” — what Ole Miss people are saying this week
• The official Ole Miss tone after Missouri was basically “statement win + McMahon takeover mode”, with social posts hyping the road dub and the finish.
• Non-Ole Miss coverage of that game leaned into the same themes: Ole Miss’ defense travels, and when McMahon catches fire, the margin gets ugly fast.
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Keys for Tennessee)
1. Turn McMahon into a volume scorer with low efficiency (no easy transition leaks, make her finish through bodies).
2. Win the possession battle: offensive boards + forced turnovers. If possessions are even, Ole Miss’ half-court defense becomes a bigger problem.
3. Don’t let Ole Miss dictate pace. If Tennessee’s pressure isn’t turning into runouts, you’re playing their game.
4. Track Barker’s status right up to warmups. That one variable changes Tennessee’s best lineup answers.
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#17 Tennessee @ #18 Ole Miss — Scouting Report (Mon. Jan 26, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | ESPNU)
Context in one sentence: This is a top-20-ish, “styles-clash” SEC game: Tennessee’s pace/pressure/depth vs. Ole Miss’ physical half-court defense + a true go-to scorer (Cotie McMahon).
Quick numbers that matter
• Tennessee: 14–3 overall, 6–0 SEC; road 4–3.
• Ole Miss: 17–4 overall, 4–2 SEC; home 10–0.
• NET (quality snapshot): Tennessee ~15, Ole Miss ~18/19 depending on source snapshot.
• Quads): Tennessee is 4-3 Q1, 5-0 Q4; Ole Miss is 1-3 Q1, 10-0 Q4
What decides this game
1) Is Janiah Barker available?
Tennessee just beat Kentucky without Barker. If she’s still out, Tennessee’s margin for error shrinks because you lose a reliable interior scorer/rebounder vs. an Ole Miss front line that plays grown-woman basketball.
2) Can Tennessee’s pressure create “extra possessions” on the road?
Ole Miss is comfortable grinding in the half court. Tennessee has to manufacture pace with defense: live-ball turnovers, runouts, and short-clock shots before Ole Miss can set its defense. (If this becomes a clean half-court game, that’s Ole Miss’ preferred diet.)
3) Who wins the star battle: Talaysia Cooper vs. Cotie McMahon?
McMahon is coming off a statement 33-point double-double at Missouri and is clearly their offensive engine. Tennessee needs Cooper playing like an All-SEC lead guard, not like she did vs Kentucky (Caldwell publicly put some of that on herself).
---
Recent form (last 3–4 games)
Tennessee (W7 streak) — trending steady, winning different ways:
• W vs Kentucky 60–58 (home) — freshmen carried offense; Barker out.
• W at Alabama 70–59 (road)
• W vs Arkansas 85–50 (home)
• W at Mississippi State 90–80 (road)
Ole Miss — volatile, but ceiling is real:
• W at Missouri 82–61 — McMahon took over late; Ole Miss clamped the arc.
• W at Georgia 82–59
• L vs Mississippi State 68–93 (home) — got punched in the mouth.
• W at Oklahoma 74-69
---
Quality of opposition (who’s been tested?)
Ole Miss has a legit top-end schedule: they’ve defeated OK and played a one possession game at Texas, but they also have a few SEC results that show their floor if McMahon is contained and the offense stagnates.
Tennessee has played a tougher schedule overall and has more Q1 wins, but doesn't (yet) have an SEC win to match Ole Miss' victory over Oklahoma.
---
Injuries / availability watch
Tennessee: Barker missed Kentucky, and no word yet for Monday.
Ole Miss: Full strength.
---
Ole Miss identity (Coach Yo’s blueprint)
Head coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin (“Coach Yo”) has built a roster that’s physical, older, and defense-first, with a true alpha scorer (McMahon) and size/length around her. The Missouri game was the clean example: defend hard, force tough shots, then let McMahon close.
Conference-level team stat vibe: Ole Miss is scoring in the mid-70s in SEC play while allowing in the high-60s — good, not “track meet.”
Bench usage: Their minute distribution leans starter-heavy (McMahon especially), which is exactly what Caldwell tries to punish with waves and pace.
---
Likely Ole Miss starters + roles (SEC-play production)
“Most-likely 5” based on SEC minute-load/roles:
• Cotie McMahon — Sr, F, 6’0, transfer (Ohio State). Primary scorer/closer; just dropped 33 at Mizzou.
• Sira Thienou — So, G, 6’1. Two-way wing/guard; creates havoc (steals) and can swing quarters.
• Latasha Lattimore — Sr, F, 6’4, transfer (Virginia). Size + scoring support; part of their physical identity. ([
• Frontcourt/connector pieces — Ole Miss typically pairs McMahon/Lattimore with another post/forward plus a perimeter glue player to keep the defense solid. (They’ll adjust matchups depending on whether Tennessee plays big with true posts or small with speed.)
---
Tennessee rotation + lineup combos you’ll actually see
Caldwell’s “starters” matter less than who closes halves and which units can keep pressure without bleeding offensive rebounds.
What Tennessee is likely to do (based on recent usage + situation):
• If Barker plays: expect more two-big looks (Barker + Spearman) to keep Ole Miss from living in the paint and to punish them on the glass.
• If Barker sits again: Tennessee probably leans harder into speed/spacing and accepts some size tradeoffs—meaning more minutes where Spearman is the lone true interior scorer/rebounder, surrounded by guards/wings who can press and run.
• Closing-game combo to expect: Cooper + Mia Pauldo + (Civil/Latham/Prawl depending on defense) + Spearman + best-available forward (Barker if active). That group gives you ball-handling, rim pressure, and your best chance to survive Ole Miss’ physical half-court defense late.
---
Road / home splits (quietly huge)
• Ole Miss is unbeaten at home (10–0). That’s not nothing; they’re comfortable in their grind there.
• Tennessee has won big road games already, and they actually seem to be shooting better on the road lately.
---
“Color” — what Ole Miss people are saying this week
• The official Ole Miss tone after Missouri was basically “statement win + McMahon takeover mode”, with social posts hyping the road dub and the finish.
• Non-Ole Miss coverage of that game leaned into the same themes: Ole Miss’ defense travels, and when McMahon catches fire, the margin gets ugly fast.
---
Keys for Tennessee)
1. Turn McMahon into a volume scorer with low efficiency (no easy transition leaks, make her finish through bodies).
2. Win the possession battle: offensive boards + forced turnovers. If possessions are even, Ole Miss’ half-court defense becomes a bigger problem.
3. Don’t let Ole Miss dictate pace. If Tennessee’s pressure isn’t turning into runouts, you’re playing their game.
4. Track Barker’s status right up to warmups. That one variable changes Tennessee’s best lineup answers.
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