Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin may have been stunned by the seeding her team received in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. But once the dust settled, she let it be known the Rebels weren’t going to be defined by what others think of them. Instead, they were going to stay in the moment, regardless of what it looked like.

Appearing in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament, fifth-seeded Ole Miss (20-10) travels to Waco, Texas, to play 12th-seeded Ball State in the opening round of the Big Dance. The game tips at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The Rebels, who notched two wins over top-10 opponents this season, held a NET ranking of 11 and were projected by ESPN’s Charlie Creme to be a No. 4 seed in the tournament prior to the official announcements, just missed out on hosting for the first time since 1994. 

Even before the bracket was revealed, McPhee-McCuin told her team to embrace any and all outcomes.

“I said, ‘Regardless, this is a great opportunity for us, and we have to choose joy.’ That’s our word,” McPhee-McCuin said Sunday. “I didn’t jump up and scream and shout, but this is not my first rodeo. If anything, I was ready to do this and go ahead and watch film. … I kind of looked at Ball State just a little bit the other night when they were in their championship game, because I figured we would either be a four or five (seed). So I started looking at teams that may be a 12 or 13 seed.

“ … Just really excited to have an opponent. This week has been tough for us, because we’re used to playing, and then we just get on a full stop. … We’re excited about the opportunity ahead. That’s for certain.”

Ole Miss has played in Waco for the NCAA Tournament before, making the trip in 2022. The Rebels lost to 10th-seeded South Dakota in the first round that season.

Ball State (27-7) is on a seven-game winning streak and defeated Toledo in the MAC championship game. The Cardinals are led by MAC Player of the Year Ally Becki and also have the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Marie Kiefer. Head coach Brady Sallee was named MAC Coach of the Year. Ole Miss and Ball State, which is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance, have never played each other.

“They have the MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. So, pretty balanced team,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We expect anybody that’s in the tournament to be competitive. So we’ll be ready.”