Northwest Women’s Basketball Coach Joe McKeon Minnesota has its weak spots. he has a house herehe’s friends with the lynx coach Cheryl ReeveWorked as an assistant at George Washington in the early 1990s. Two of his best players acquired during his time at Northwestern University were from Minnesota. Nia Coffey When Abi Shyde.
“Except when I play with the Gophers, I’m one of the biggest fans in Minneapolis and Minnesota,” McKean said Tuesday at the beginning of two Big Ten Conference media days at the Target Center.
In particular, he appreciates the amount of talent generated by the state and the way the state is embracing women’s and women’s basketball. Doing is just right.
“I don’t think there’s a better venue, so hopefully we’ll see the Wildcats in a championship game.”
Minnesota has been the center of women’s basketball for some time, with the Reeves Lynx winning four titles between 2011 and 2017.
Last spring, the Final Four at the Target Center drew a sold-out crowd of 18,286 and 18,304 fans to watch South Carolina defeat Connecticut in the title game in the semifinal round. And now, the Big Ten women’s tournament is coming to Target Center for at least the next two seasons. Her 2024 tournament for men will also be held here. “
Maryland coach Brenda Freese I saw how strongly the fan base reacted while she was coaching Lindsey Warren The Gophers earned a general berth in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
“It’s the best of the best,” Frese said. “They support the women’s team. They love sports and track and field in general. increase.”
conference commissioner Kevin Warren During my years working with the Vikings, I experienced it all.
“Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities, this whole area is hungry for basketball,” Warren said. People here will be very excited and perhaps a little surprised at how basketball is supported here in the Twin Cities.
new house
On Monday, many coaches spoke about the challenges posed by the NCAA’s transfer portal. Of course, one of the high-profile moves this offseason was the former Stillwater High School standout. Sarah Scalia Moved from the Gophers to Indiana. A consensus Second Team All-Conference pick, Scalia was eighth in the league in scoring (17.9) and second in threes per game (3.4).
‘There are some really good parts, some frustrating parts,’ says Indiana coach terry mollen Talked about portals. “We benefit from Portal. We’d be lying if we said otherwise. We’re thrilled to have Sarah join our basketball team.”
The former Wayzata star is back
purdue men’s coach matte painter On Big Ten Media Day, he said his program has overcome nagging injuries, especially for younger players, this summer.
One of those players was a former Wayzata standout camden heideHe played only three games in his senior season after suffering a foot injury at Wasatch Academy in Utah. The 6-7 pound, 205 pound Heide has also been out all summer as the boiler makers go through the recovery process.
“Cam is very athletic and can really shoot a basketball,” Painter said. I had a few bugs.”
Expansion chatter
Warren was asked if the Big Ten plans to expand the conference’s 14 teams beyond adding UCLA and USC next season. He only said they were “expansion-aware.”
“Our priority is to ensure that basketball manages 14 member institutions. [scheduling] From a conference perspective,” Warren said. “And we will do everything we can to ensure the perfect integration of UCLA and USC.”
