SEC notebook: Mississippi’s KK Deans is the Rebels ‘lieutenant’ in leadership

Moments after deliberating with her team, KK Deans’s voice of guidance and reason isn’t too far behind. The 5’8 Ole Miss guard’s presence and pointers echo the sentiments of Coach Yo, regardless if she’s facilitating her coach’s vision on the hardwood or imparting wisdom from the sideline.

“She’s the lieutenant,” Rebels guard and forward Madison Scott told The Next of Deans. “She’s a leader who wears many hats, always gives what the team needs and doesn’t complain.”

Deans, a veteran guard and graduate student at Ole Miss, is in her second season in Oxford after spending the first three years of her college career at West Virginia (2019-22) and one season at Florida. The sixth-year guard’s initial campaign at Ole Miss was cut short due to a disastrous ACL injury during last year’s Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas, limiting her to six games in the 2023-24 season. Before the injury last season, Deans was averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. 

Neither she nor anyone in the Rebels’ program envisioned an injury derailing her tenure at Ole Miss.

“I had to give myself grace,” Deans told The Next. “That wasn’t my time. But, I’m grateful for that year of learning because it helped me learn my teammates and coaches better.”

Meanwhile, Coach Yo and her players were distraught by Deans’s injury. “I don’t know that we got over that for about a month,” Yo added.

Last season marked the second instance that the Greensboro, North Carolina, native encountered a season-ending knee injury, dating back to her junior year with the Mountaineers. Despite the Rebels’ second-round appearance — one that resulted in a loss to Notre Dame — in the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament, Deans’s absence left huge gaps in the facilitation of the Rebels’ offense, unresolved issues at the point guard position as well as key leadership during stretches of games. 

But even at the heart of adversity, it generated new opportunities for growth in Deans as well as her teammates. Deans’s absence forced Scott and other veteran players like Kennedy Todd-Williams to stretch their wings and play more at the guard position. As for Deans, instead of constantly questioning her path, she elected to embrace God’s timing for her life and the journey set before her. 

Although she wasn’t dishing out top of the line assists or delivering timely buckets on the court, Deans became a “coach on the bench,” according to Yo. Her sideline point of view gave her an opportunity to further learn multiple roles within the Rebels’ system as well as the chance to examine areas where her teammates could improve for the greater good of the program.

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Deans’ newly unlocked tools have already begun to pay off this season as the Rebels (8-3) seek to pick up their ninth and final non-conference win against Alcorn State (2-8) on Monday before heading into SEC play with a road matchup against Auburn on Jan. 2. However, Deans’s ability to become a jack of all trades for Ole Miss started with a deliberate process of building a greater version of herself by watching game film and taking her health and wellness standards to new heights.

“Film is powerful,” Deans told The Next from her time on the bench last season. “It’s a one-eyed monster that doesn’t lie. … You don’t know how much you can learn until you do it consistently. I was intentional about [film study], what I put into my body, how I recovered [in rehab] and was a shoulder to lean on [for my teammates last season] when they needed me. 

“I attacked everything like I was prepping for a game. …I became a student of the game.”

When Ole Miss began the season against then No. 3 USC — now No. 4 in the latest AP women’s basketball poll — in Paris, Deans’ impact was on full display. As the Rebels rallied from a slow start in the opening quarter and a 11-point deficit at halftime, Deans became the catalyst in the team’s relentless fight against the Trojans. She registered a game-high 19 points that included a game-high four, clutch three-pointers despite the 68-66 loss to the Trojans in “The City of Light.”

It was a vintage Deans’ performance, one that was part of an even greater Rebels defensive outing that held USC to one three pointer and forced the Trojans into committing 26 turnovers, the most USC had committed since 2022. Deans also led the team in scoring with 17 points in the Rebels’ 73-60 road loss to UConn on Nov. 27, combined with another signature defensive performance by the Rebels that resulted in the Huskies registering their worst three-point shooting performance (3-of-14) of the season. 

But every game doesn’t require, and won’t generate, a Herculean performance from Deans. In fact, after starting seven of the first eight games for Ole Miss, Yo has elected to bring Deans off the bench in the Rebels’ last three victories against Tennessee State, South Alabama and Mississippi Valley State. 

Currently, Deans is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 36.7% from the floor, but she’s making a career-best 54.8% on two-point field goals, according to HerHoops Stats. She also leads the team in three pointers made (16) and free-throw percentage (90.5). Despite the dip in Deans’s production and change in normalcy, the veteran point guard has full trust in Yo’s vision for her and the team.

“She [Coach Yo] has my best interest,” Deans said. “This is not the first time I’ve had to come off the bench. As long as my presence is felt the way it would if I was starting and I’m still having that joy and playing with passion and purpose, that’s all that matters. …This game is a blessing and I can’t take it for granted.”

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Deans’s leadership and presence will be paramount as Ole Miss opens SEC play in a week against the Tigers. In Yo’s seventh season leading the team, the Rebels have experienced a WNIT appearance, three consecutive women’s NCAA tournament appearances — that includes a Sweet 16 appearance — and multiple 10-win seasons in SEC play that includes the first 12-win campaign in league play last season. 

However, among the eight SEC teams in the current AP women’s college basketball poll released on Monday, the Rebels are the only team that ends non-conference action without a win against an AP-ranked opponent. In addition to Mississippi’s losses to USC and UConn, the Rebels lost to NC State earlier this month, a team that is currently ranked at No. 22. 

Gone are the days where Ole Miss merely wanted to be a team competing in the women’s NCAA tournament. According to Yo, the standard has changed.

“The [NCAA tournament] is the expectation,” Yo told The Next. “We want to play in Tampa [Florida] where the Final Four is hosted.

For Ole Miss, a team that features eight returning letterwinners and seven newcomers that include four international freshmen players, the journey will require elite-level leadership from players like Deans and continually finding ways to improve each game. Against stiffer non-conference action, the Rebels tied their largest deficit (22) of the season against the Wolfpack, their biggest halftime deficit (22) and their fewest points registered in the first half against the Huskies while giving up their most second half points in a game to Geno Auriemma’s squad.

But each contest, Ole Miss fought back despite the slow starts and a Rebels’ squad that is still figuring out its identity, one rooted in defense. Currently, Ole Miss sits atop the nation in scoring defense (47.2 ppg allowed) and among the nation’s top 25 teams in blocks per game (sixth in the country averaging 6.3), ninth in steals and turnovers forced (24.5), 13th in opponents’ field goal percentage defense (34.3) and 12th in three-point percentage defense.

“It’s a grueling time in the months of November and December,” Scott said, the most tenured player on this year’s team. “You’re growing together in preparation for conference play. Everybody that comes into the program doesn’t quite know the Ole Miss way yet. 

“We’re not proud of starting those games slow. We’re really good at that third quarter push and still finding ways to have that energy at the start of games. The margin of error is small against great teams. We’re going to see great teams every night in the SEC that capitalize on mistakes.”

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Ole Miss is one of only two D-I teams in the country that has three players — Deans, Scott and Todd-Williams — in the top 100 for active career points. Beyond those trio of returners, newcomers like UAPB transfer Starr Jacobs, UCLA transfer Chirsteen Iwuala, former Colorado/Washington transfer Tameiya Sadler and freshman guard Sira Thienou have delivered key contributions for the Rebels in non-conference action.

Thienou, a freshman guard from Mali and the Rebels’ leading scorer (12.2 ppg), has already registered two SEC Freshman of the Week honors for her performances on the hardwood. 

“Having that young spark like Sira [Thienou] and Tameiya [Sadler], it’s the perfect balance,” Deans said. “We pour into each other daily.”

But with quality depth from all walks of life maneuvering through an exhausting non-conference slate, discipline and leadership matters. That’s where Deans is a key piece to the long-term aspiration of Ole Miss seeking to be one of the top four teams vying to cut down the net at the end of the season.

“KK always gets us in order,” Scott said. “She knows what to say. Even when I don’t want to talk [to the team], she’s going to speak to help us reach our full potential. Her constant communication sets her apart from anyone else. When she went down last season, we needed her perspective during time outs and she pushed us. 

“She even helped me read defenses differently when I was playing at the guard position in her absence. She embodies everything it takes to be a great leader.”

Ahead of the season, Coach Yo chose the word “joy” for her players to embrace this season. In true holiday spirit, no one has expressed that feeling more than Deans as the Rebels prepare to turn the calendar to conference action.

Leadership is not for everybody. But for Deans, God’s timing has allowed her to be the Rebels “calm in the storm”, according to Scott.

“We never wanted to see her injured but God’s timing has been a blessing in disguise for her and for us,” Scott said. “She’s happy. It’ll be the beginning of the game and she’ll come around and do a triple jump spin in the air, a complete ball of energy.”

Deans concurs: “There’s gems in learning. We all bring a different leadership to the team. Madison’s looks a little different from Kennedy’s but we have to take our space and bring it all together. I want to echo the voice of my coach at all times. God doesn’t make mistakes. I came into this season with a new slate and I’m giving it my all to whatever it looks like.”

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SEC news and notes

South Carolina

• The Gamecocks haven’t lost a game since Nov. 24 when they lost to UCLA, and they have defeated three other ranked opponents — Iowa State, Duke and TCU — as they prepare to enter conference play next week. South Carolina (11-1) is averaging just over 80 points per game, 25th best in the nation according to Her Hoops Stats. Despite a slow start in the Gamecocks’ 82-46 win against Charleston Southern before the Christmas holiday, South Carolina looks poised to enter SEC play with hopes of capturing its fourth consecutive regular season SEC title, its third consecutive SEC tournament championship and the program’s fourth national title. 
• It’s worth noting that the Gamecocks dropped in the latest NET rankings in the top 25 but remain as the best NET rated team in its conference. The Gamecocks have also experienced improvement on defense, specifically in generating steals and forcing opponents into turnovers this season. Freshman forward Joyce Edwards sits second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg), third in total rebounds per game (behind Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins) and first in steals (1.6) per contest.

Texas

• The Longhorns (12-1) sit at No. 5 in the current AP poll but leaped above the Gamecocks for the top spot in the latest NET rankings. Texas is among the top five in the country in points per game (91.5), second in net points (35.3), leads the nation in offensive rating (119.4) and 13th in defensive rating (73.7), per HHS. Madison Booker, who has enjoyed returning back to wing position this season, is one of three Texas players — Taylor Jones (11.6) and Kyla Oldacre (10.2) — averaging double digit totals in points per game. 
• However, make no mistake that Rori Harmon, Aaliyah Moore and Shay Holle will serve as fundamental pieces when SEC play begins next week for the Longhorns on the road against Oklahoma. Aside from the loss to Notre Dame, Texas toughest wins in non-conference play have come against West Virginia and Richmond. In addition, a couple of Schaefer’s talented freshmen—Jordan Lee (registered double digit points in three games this season) and Justice Carlton—have contributed in significant ways for the Longhorns. Carlton registered her second SEC Freshman of the Week honors this week, registering 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the Longhorns’ 103-57 victory against South Dakota State. Sunday’s performance notched her fifth double figure finish in points.

LSU

• Although the Bayou Barbie of Angel Reese no longer resides in Baton Rouge, Tigers forward Aneesah Morrow has made it clear that she is the new double double machine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Morrow is averaging 18.3 points and 14 rebounds per game, coupled with production from stars Flau’Jae Johnson (team-best 20.9 points, 3.2 assists per game, three double-doubles this season) and Mikalyah Williams (16.4 ppg while shooting a team-high 91.9% from the free throw line). 
• Morrow leads the nation with 12 double-doubles and recently surpassed former Stanford star Chiney Ogwumike for the sixth most double-doubles (86) in NCAA D-I history. The Tigers best non-conference win came against NC State. LSU (13-0) will begin conference play next week on the road against Arkansas.

Oklahoma

• Jennie Baranczyk will get her first taste of SEC play when the Sooners face Texas next Thursday. Oklahoma (11-1) has been a scoring machine as the program sits at No. 4 in the nation in points per game and have picked up quality wins against Louisville and a 10-point victory against Michigan. The Sooners have eclipsed the century mark in points three times season with much of the reason due to the play of Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst and Skylar Vann. 
• Beers, the former Oregon product, currently leads the team in points (17.5) and rebounds (9.5) while shooting 72.1% from the floor, sixth best in the nation. The former Big 12 Newcomer of the Year is averaging 13.3 points per game with Vann — the former Big 12 Player of the Year — sits third on the team in scoring with 11.3 points. Sahara Williams, another starter for Baranczyk a season ago, sits at fourth double digit scorer (10.6 ppg) on the roster.

Kentucky 

• The Wildcats were predicted to finish eighth in the SEC this season. While SEC play hasn’t started yet, Kentucky (10-1) sits among the eight teams in the AP top 25 poll this week with key wins against Louisville and Illinois in non-conference action. On a team where only two players — Georgia Amoore (16.3 ppg) and Clara Strack (15.6 ppg) — previously played for Wildcats first-year coach Kenny Brooks, Kentucky will open SEC action next week against a gritty Mississippi State squad. 
• All five starters — Amoore, Strack, Dazia Lawrence, Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett — for Kentucky are averaging double figures in points through this portion of the season.

Tennessee

• Kim Caldwell could not ask for a better start to her coaching tenure in Knoxville, despite injuries and changes to the lineup in the first couple months of the season. The Volunteers (11-0) biggest wins in non-conference play came against Florida State, Iowa and Richmond. Talaysia Cooper leads the team in scoring (19.2 ppg) on a Tennessee squad that features five players averaging double figures in points that include Samara Spencer (12.6), Ruby Whitehorn (12.5), Zee Spearman (11.2) and Jewel Spear (11.4). The Volunteers open up SEC action next week on the road against Texas A&M. 

Alabama

• The Crimson Tide have been in and out of the AP top 25 poll throughout non-conference action. After starting the season at No. 24 in the AP poll for the first time since 1998, Alabama (12-1) best ranking in the poll came during the week of Dec. 2 when the Crimson Tide sat at No. 19/No. 17 in the AP/USA Today rankings. Key wins for Kristy Curry’s squad include California, Michigan State — handing the Spartans their first loss — and Richmond.
• Much of the contribution behind Alabama’s success in non-conference can be attributed to Crimson Tide leading scorer Sarah Ashlee Barker (16.4 ppg), followed by three other double digit contributors in UAPB transfer Zaay Green (15.8), Aaliyah Nye (13.8) and Essence Cody (11.8). Although Alabama was predicted to finish sixth in the SEC this season, the Crimson Tide are hoping to finish as a top four or better team by the end of the season. Alabama will kick off conference play next week against Florida. 

Key games to watch

Saturday, Dec. 28

• Western Kentucky at No. 16 Kentucky

Sunday, Dec. 29

• Norfolk State at Auburn