Ole Miss Eyes Early Portal Addition with Visit from Tennessee Transfer

Most of the country is already shifting into offseason mode, and with that comes the annual rush of transfer news.

The portal technically isn’t open yet, but the early trickle has started, and Ole Miss found itself in the mix on Monday.

“We don’t rebuild at Ole Miss,” Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said after the Rebels’ NCAA Tournament loss to Minnesota. “We lost six last year and had the best start that we’ve ever had here at Ole Miss in my tenure, so we reload.”

Word got out that Tennessee forward Alyssa Latham was in Oxford for a visit, according to OMSpirit’s Zach Berry. She started her career at Syracuse, broke out as a freshman, then moved to Knoxville for the last two seasons. Now she’s exploring a third stop. Because she’s a graduate transfer, she’s allowed to visit before the portal officially opens on April 6.

Latham has played in 93 career games and averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds across three years. Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell has called her one of the most athletic players on the floor, and that tracks with how she looked during her freshman season at Syracuse.

She averaged 8.6 points and 7.0 rebounds there, started most of the year, and earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team. Her minutes dropped at Tennessee, but she still found ways to contribute and has been scoring above her season average in seven of her last eight games.

“She’s one of the most athletic people on the floor,” Kim Caldwell said. “And she can find buckets that other people can’t. She can go get offensive rebounds. She can get steals. She’s a really good and smart slasher cutting. So, she just needs to continue to do what she’s doing.”

Coming out of high school, she was a four-star prospect and the No. 72 overall player in the country.

At 6-foot-2, she brings size, athleticism, and experience in two major conferences. Ole Miss will try to make its pitch while she’s on campus.

The real wave of movement is still coming, but this is an early sign that Ole Miss plans to be active.