It’s the third year in a row. Toyelle Wilson took the SMU Head Coaching job after the '21 season.
The KBA Coaching Tree keeps getting new branches.
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We also lost assistants Danielle Edwards (SMU), Yvonne Sanchez (ASU, I think, and now retired) and Wesley Brooks (TSDS 
) over the last 3 years. Brooks also coached with Beilein, at WVU.
I mean, that’s a sign of a good program, but that hurts because she was also the recruiting coordinator and was here less than a calendar year. Sure hope that doesn’t have a negative impact on 2024 Olivia Olson’s commitment.
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I thought your deal was getting paid by the word 
.
I hope all of our programs represent the great things you mentioned about college athletics (and I know you do too).
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Wow, what an incredible and touching piece of writing/speaking by a truly outstanding young lady! I am certain you, your wife, her parents, and her teammates and coaches are bursting with pride at these heartfelt and eloquent words. I don’t know her, but I am proud, as a teacher, a coach, and a human being in this nation of ours that brilliant young people like your granddaughter will be leading us in the decades ahead, God Bless her, and you and your wife, and all of your family.
BBREP, your granddaughter is possessed of amazing and truly refreshing wisdom for such a young lady. I wish everyone who has ever posted or ever will post on a sports message board would read her wonderful speech because there is so much to be learned from it. Please thank her for me. She has put into words what I believe in my heart about the true value of sports, and she has done it much better than I could! 
Oh, and as a former musician and lover of music who is enamored with everything percussion, I’d love to hear her drumline, and I wish her everything good in life!
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OSU woxen doxinating UNC early
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one of these OSU players is completely insufferable
Just like the men, Miami women take down Indiana. Huge upset in Bloomington.
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The last few minutes of that game were wild! And then you get Destiny Harden dropping an F-bomb on ESPN2 afterward. 
I saw someone complain recently (I don’t think it was here) about the first two rounds being at home sites. I could not disagree more. I think it’s awesome!
The environments in Bloomington, Iowa City, Baton Rouge, etc. were incredible and a well-deserved benefit to being a top-16 seed. Playing in some sterile environment in Scranton, PA on a Thursday night is lame. I’m a big believer – especially in the women’s tournament which is much more poorly attended – that the top seeds should be rewarded in this manner. Let them get even more exposure for their venues, benefit from concession revenue, get their home fans, etc.
Does it make it tougher on the other teams in that pod? Absolutely. But those top seeds earned it. And it makes upsets like the one in Iowa City last year and the two 1-seeds losing at home this year that much more incredible and memorable.
I would have been ecstatic to attend two more games at Crisler and try to get the ladies the edge that the home crowd would give them. That was massive incentive for them to try and earn one of those top 16 seed lines. Would I have traveled to some random regional site to do so? Much less likely.
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Semi-related: I also feel the CFP should 100% do this, at least for the first round or two. Who wouldn’t have wanted to see TCU play in the Big House in December? Let’s see Bama or UGA come to Columbus and try to play in a raucous Shoe in the snow. The best of college sports environments gets stripped out of the postseason and it’s a shame. I understand if you want to put the finals or maybe even the semis at neutral sites – and maybe it’s just a pure logistics thing where those sites and the organizers can plan so far out for those games/dates rather than needing the schools to scramble to be able to host (especially during winter break) – but it sure does change the complexion of the games.
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I agree. Maybe there’s a point where the women’s game is popular enough to play at neutral sites and still get quality attendance but it’s not there yet. Probably means fewer upsets at home venues but they do happen as we’ve seen.
Personally I think the men’s game has suffered as they’ve moved away from neutral campus sites. Hate seeing the neutralized venues in the first couple rounds. Love watching Temple and UConn battle it out with the Cleveland St Vikings logo on the court. Looked way cooler IMO. I get why they play in the adapter football stadiums for regionals and final four but first two rounds should be on neutral campus sites. JMO
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Saw that Michelle Sidor is going to play her last two years of eligibility at DePaul. Good luck to her!
It was great to see all of the Michigan players supporting her post and sharing it. Hope she does well. Absolutely loved the fun she, Jordan, and Ari brought from the sidelines in their celebrations!
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DePaul is a good program - not a bad landing spot
Villanova on a 23-2 run to take a one point lead against Miami
Glad Michigan never played Memphis!
In a related story, Shutes has entered the transfer portal, and Mel Tucker has reached out.
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Of course, this story is sad, but I got a laugh out of it. Tuck comin’!
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Outside tournament news, saw that Minnesota and Michigan St are making coaching changes.
Gopher legend Lindsay Whalen stepped down after the season. Never made the NCAA tournament. They hired Dawn Plitzuweit, whose was an assistant under Kevin Borseth at both Green Bay and Michigan. Coaches at Grand Valley St (won D2 national title), then Northern Kentucky and South Dakota (played us tough in the Sweet 16 last season), then spent this past season at West Virginia. I think Minnesota should start to turn it around.
Suzy Merchant at MSU also stepped down after the season due to health reasons. Won two conference titles in the first half of her MSU tenure but they hadn’t finished higher than 5th in the conference since 2015-16. Not sure who the top candidates are but it’s a solid job.
Need the conference to get better so we are more battle tested and can continue to recruit better.
Yeah Dawn is a solid coach and been successful everywhere she has been. Good hire by the Gophers!
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Granted that I’ve only been closely following the Women’s side of the B1G for 5-6 years, but the conference seems its strongest, right now. Four teams were 3-seeds or higher in the NCAA Tournament, including a 1-seed, one (Iowa) has already made the Elite 8, and two more may join them today.
I think Iowa has a chance to make a title run, since they have a Superstar, plus another very good player. Maryland has Diamond Miller but lost two other very good players (one who I really wish hadn’t portal-ed to LSU) so I’m quite impressed with the season they’ve had. OSU… I’ll skip talking about them😁.
I guess the conference could improve its depth, but there were plenty of tests for Michigan. We had a lot of really good players but maybe not that ganebreaker like Naz was. I think Phelia has potential to be that, next year. We’ll need to have other players step up to have additional threats.
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