Vanderbilt women pursue March Madness history at home
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Vanderbilt star Mikayla Blakes. Photo: Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It's already been a dream season for the Vanderbilt women's basketball team, and now hoops history is within reach.
Why it matters: Vanderbilt will host the NCAA tournament this weekend, giving the No. 2-seeded Commodores a highly valuable home court advantage.
Driving the news: Vanderbilt has all the ingredients necessary for a deep March Madness run.
- The Commodores boast the SEC player of the year in Mikayla Blakes, to go along with coach of the year Shea Ralph and freshman of the year Aubrey Galvan.
Flashback: Ralph methodically built the Commodores into a national powerhouse since she arrived on campus in 2021.
- Vanderbilt went 10 seasons without making the NCAA tournament before qualifying each of the past three seasons.
What she's saying: "While I would like it to happen faster, I think it's been happening exactly as it should have," Ralph told The Tennessean. "And if there isn't anywhere else that I want to be, the way that the path has gone, ups and downs, I think it teaches our players and it reminds our staff and hopefully the people that are watching us."
Yes, but: The Commodores have yet to win an NCAA tournament game under Ralph.
What we're watching: Vanderbilt is the prohibitive home favorite against No. 15-seed High Point on Saturday.
- If the team wins that game, Vanderbilt will also be the favorite against either No. 7 Illinois or No. 10 Colorado.
Fun fact: To build hometown support, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell attended a Vanderbilt practice yesterday and gave the team a pep talk.
The big picture: O'Connell says the team has been especially inspirational for girls.
- "Part of what has made this so special is seeing the joy and admiration in the eyes of so many young girls who are watching the achievements of this team and thinking, 'That's going to be me,'" he said.
- "Our younger daughter plays basketball, and getting to bring her to see the four-point win here at Memorial over LSU was such a great reminder of Memorial Magic and an opportunity for her to see leaders on the court in person."
The bottom line: The program hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2009. But with Blakes' scintillating play, a well-rounded roster and the leadership of Ralph, this could be a memorable March for Vandy fans.
Zoom out: In addition to the Vanderbilt women, the state of Tennessee has four teams in the NCAA men's or women's tournaments.
🏀 The Tennessee women, once a powerhouse program, are more of an underdog this tournament. The No. 10-seed Lady Vols play No. 7 NC State on Friday.
🐅 The Tennessee State men's team ended a 32-year tournament drought. The No. 15-seed Tigers play No. 2 Iowa State on Friday.
⚓ The No. 5-seed Vanderbilt men play No. 12 McNeese State Thursday.
🟠 The Tennessee men's team earned the 6-seed and will play either Miami, Ohio or SMU on Friday.