College Basketball’s Best Big Men

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There are a number of really, really talented big men in college basketball this season.

Probably more than we have seen in recent years.

Of the three college guys currently in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, two of them – Marvin Bagley III and Deandre Ayton – are bigs. Another big man is a potential top five pick, as well as a trio of players that you’ll find listed as first-team all-americans at some point during the preseason.

In a sport that has routinely been dominated by terrific lead guards in an era where small-ball and floor-spacing has become the most important part of the game, there are going to be some teams with some throw-back front courts this year. 

And that certainly isn’t a bad thing.

Before we dive into the top 20 big men in college basketball, a quick disclaimer: We used four positions to rank players – lead guards, off guards, wings and big men. If your favorite player isn’t on this list, he’s probably slotted in a different position.

RELATED: Top 100 Players | Top Backcourts | Top Frontcourts | Top Lead Guards
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1. Marvin Bagley, Duke

A potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Bagley’s August decision to reclassify and attend Duke was the biggest roster news of the offseason. By adding Bagley, the Blue Devils are getting a double-double machine who is one of the most fluid and athletic big men of the last decade.

And that doesn’t even go into Bagley’s skill level with the ball in his hands or how hard he plays. The lefty can take a rebound at above rim level in traffic and run like a guard down the floor, delivering passes or finishing with long and fluid strides to the rim. If there is one big question mark with Bagley it is consistent perimeter shooting as Bagley has a workable jumper but it doesn’t always fall. Even with an inconsistent jumper, Bagley has a chance to be a major force for the Blue Devils this season.

2. Angel Delgado, Seton Hall

Arguably college basketball’s most productive big man last season, the 6-foot-10 Delgado put it all together for an All-American caliber junior season. Putting up 27 double-doubles and back-to-back 20-20 games in Big East play, Delgado averaged 15.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per contest.

An absolute warrior on the glass who makes an impact with putbacks, Delgado also improved his overall skill level and became a much better passer last season, nearly garnering a triple-double in the Big East tournament. With a veteran team around him that has played many games together, Delgado and Seton Hall could have a huge year.

Final Four Sleepers | Louisville | Villanova | West Virginia | USC | Wichita State | Miami
Ethan Happ (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

3. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

The 6-foot-10 junior continues to be one of the most important players in the country and now Wisconsin needs Happ more than ever. With most of the senior core now gone, Happ is the team’s only returning starter after nearly averaging a double-double last season while leading the Badgers in both blocks and steals.

Happ’s summer project became re-working his jumper and proving that he can score outside of the paint — something he’s rarely done at the college level. Although Happ’s jumper looked okay during the summer at the Under Armour All-America Camp, Wisconsin big men have also shown dramatic increases in skill as their careers have gone on. Seeing if Happ can expand his range will be something to watch for.

4. Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame

He’s only 6-foot-5 but there is no doubting that Colson is one of the best in the country at playing inside. Putting up 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43 percent from three-point range, Colson has become a versatile player for the Irish the last few seasons.

Capable of playing against bigger post players because of his natural timing and 7-foot-0 wingspan, Colson is also a lot quicker than some of his larger counterparts and his range allows him to take them outside. One of the winningest players in program history, Colson has been on two Elite Eight teams and a team that made the Round of 32 last season.

5. Deandre Ayton, Arizona

It’ll be interesting to see how this five-star freshman fits in at Arizona in what will likely be his only season. The Wildcats return a ton of talent around Ayton, including another double-double threat in Dusan Ristic, and guards like Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins can get shot-happy at times. Arizona would be wise to keep Ayton active and engaged during the season because college hoops hasn’t seen many 7-footers like Ayton in recent memory.

Gifted with outstanding athleticism and the touch of a wing, Ayton is quick enough to guard smaller wings while being big enough to wall up at the rim. Ayton can easily soar above the rim and he’s also capable of stretching the floor for three-pointers.

CONTENDER SERIES: Kentucky | Kansas | Arizona | Michigan State | Duke
Deandre Ayton (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Final Four Sleepers | Louisville | Villanova | West Virginia | USC | Wichita State | Miami

6. Mo Bamba, Texas

The most fascinating player to watch on this list could be this 7-foot-0 freshman with an absurd 7-foot-9 wingspan. Bamba might be a little bit raw in certain areas of his game this season, but the New York native can make up for it by erasing almost everything on the defensive end.

For a player with an elite standing reach, Bamba’s lateral quickness and ability to switch might be his best attributes. Still skinny and needing to add weight as he increases his level, Bamba is going to be bullied by some but he might be long and athletic enough to make up for it.

Offensively, Bamba is fast and able to make an impact on the offensive glass and on lobs but he has to show a more consistent jumper than he has displayed in the past. The sky is the limit for Bamba’s basketball future but will we see a ton of positive flashes in the likely few months he’s in Austin?

RELATED: Why did Big Bob Williams return to school for his sophomore year?

7. Robert Williams, Texas A&M

One of the most fascinating returning players in the country this season will be Big Bob Williams as his freakish displays of athleticism earned him plenty of admirers last season. The SEC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Williams is capable of playing well above the rim on both ends of the floor and he has some of the best natural timing in the country for putbacks and blocks.

The key for the 6-foot-10 Williams this season (and for his NBA Draft stock) is to expand his skill level and show some more range on offense. There is no doubting that Williams can make impact plays thanks to his one-percent athleticism but he’ll also need to expand his game as jumps up some levels.

CONTENDER SERIES: Kentucky | Kansas | Arizona | Michigan State | Duke
Chimezie Metu (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

8. Chimezie Metu, USC

USC needed the 6-foot-11 Metu to step up in a major way last season and he became the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player. Another freak athlete who can easily play at 11 or 12 feet, Metu can put up big numbers. The scary thing about Metu is that he has personal room to grow with his game and the Trojans have the kind of talent around him to make a serious run.

Metu put up a lot of big numbers last season while Bennie Boatwright was injured, and now that Boatwright is back, it could mean that defenses don’t have enough to stop a loaded frontcourt.

9. Yante Maten, Georgia

Quietly one of the best two-way big men in the country last season, the 6-foot-8 Maten can put up points in multiple ways while also being a solid defender and rebounder. Averaging 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, Maten can make impact plays on both ends of the floor.

Although he needs to improve as a defensive rebounder, Maten is strong on the offensive glass and also skilled enough to stretch the floor from three-point range. A sleeper SEC Player of the Year pick, Maten is hoping to lead the Bulldogs back to the NCAA tournament.

10. Tyler Davis, Texas A&M

Davis only shot 61 percent last season as a sophomore after the massive 6-foot-10 Davis was at 65 percent as a freshman. One of the nation’s best post scorers, Davis owns a soft set of hands, developing post moves and the size that makes him very tough to defend one-on-one.

The key for Davis will be continuing to improve his agility and mobility as he’s done a great job of improving his conditioning throughout his college career. Also watch for the spacing the Aggies are able to put around Davis. With a frontcourt-heavy team last season, there were times when it got too clogged for Davis to be at his best. Now with more point guard options this season, Davis might have some easier touches.

CONTENDER SERIES: Kentucky | Kansas | Arizona | Michigan State | Duke
Tyler Davis (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
  • 11. Wendell Carter, Duke: The other five-star freshman in the Blue Devil frontcourt, Carter also has a chance to be a top pick with a big year. Big and skilled, Carter is a tenacious rebounder with a surprising amount of touch and vision.
  • 12. Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State: The Spartans have a wealth of bigs this season but this five-star freshman might be a lottery pick. At 6-foot-10, Jackson can knock down threes at 40 percent or defend the rim with his 7-foot-4 wingspan.
  • 13. Reid Travis, Stanford: The Pac-12’s returning leader in points and rebounds per game last season, Travis has become a force to reckon with now that he can stay healthy and on the floor. The Cardinal will run more offense through Travis this season.
  • 14. Mike Daum, South Dakota State: The 6-foot-9 junior plays in a one-bid league but he’s also a one-man show. Capable of 50-point games and huge numbers across the board, Daum is a must-watch for diehard college hoops fans.
  • 15. Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s: Improving immensely from sophomore to junior year, the 6-foot-11 Landale just missed averaging a double-double last season. One of the nation’s most efficient players, Landale is also a solid passer.
Nick Ward (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
  • 16. Nick Ward, Michigan State: Others in Michigan State’s recruiting class were more highly-touted but Ward’s production in just under 20 minutes a game was huge for the Spartans making the NCAA tournament.
  • 17. Mo Wagner, Michigan: Wagner improved in every way during his sophomore season as he’s a three-level shooter who became more comfortable off the bounce. Defense and rebounding are areas Wagner can improve but he shows potential in both.
  • 18. Gary Clark, Cincinnati: A former AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Clark can lockdown multiple spots on the floor while also being a double-double threat. If Clark’s perimeter touch improves then watch out.
  • 19. Ben Lammers, Georgia Tech: One of the nation’s most improved players last season, Lammers became a force on both ends for the Yellow Jackets. He’s one of the best bigs in the country at playing from the elbows.
  • 20. Kyle Washington, Cincinnati: Washington thrived with the Bearcats last season following his transfer from N.C. State. The bouncy big man is a solid rim protector while being skilled enough to shoot 35 percent from three.

North Texas reaches NIT finals, shuts down Wisconsin 56-54

Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
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LAS VEGAS – Tylor Perry scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half, Rubin Jones scored all 12 of his after halftime and North Texas closed on a 10-0 run to beat Wisconsin 56-54 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the NIT.

North Texas (30-7) advances to the program’s first NIT championship game on Thursday. Conference USA is now 16-1 this postseason.

North Texas, which trailed 41-29 at halftime, took its first lead of the game at 56-54 with 2:08 remaining on Moulaye Sissoko’s shot in the lane to cap a 10-0 run.

Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl missed two free throws with 49.1 seconds left and North Texas worked the clock down before Perry had it poked away. Wahl had a shot blocked at the rim, but Wisconsin secured the loose ball and called a timeout with 5.8 left. Wisconsin got it inside to Wahl but Sissoko knocked it away and dove on the ball to end it.

The Mean Green, the nation’s leader in scoring defense at 55.7 points per game, held Wisconsin without a point for the final 9:07 of the game. The Badgers made just one of their last 16 shots – with 10 straight misses.

Kai Huntsberry scored four of his 12 points in the game-closing run for North Texas, which extended its program record for wins this season.

Chucky Hepburn scored all 15 of his points in the first half for Wisconsin (20-15), which was making its first appearance in the NIT semifinals.

Wisconsin dropped to 13-8 this season in games decided by five points or fewer.

NEW VENUE

The semifinals and final are being played at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas after Madison Square Garden in New York hosted every year but two since 1938, with the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 event held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The 2024 semifinals and final will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

LSU’s Mulkey senses reunion in trip to Texas for Final Four

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DALLAS – Kim Mulkey is returning to Texas for another Final Four, keenly aware that her LSU Tigers will play a short road trip from the school she made synonymous with women’s basketball.

Mulkey is the third coach to take multiple schools to the Final Four, doing so in her second season back in her home state of Louisiana after leading Baylor to the national semifinals four times in 21 seasons.

The Bears won three national championships under Mulkey, combined for 23 regular-season and tournament titles in the Big 12 Conference and made the NCAA Tournament in all but one of her seasons.

“You never spend 21 years of your life building a dynasty, and that’s what we did at Baylor. I think we can all agree with that,” Mulkey said Tuesday. “I still have a home there. My grandchildren are there. So my heart will always be there.”

Mulkey and the Tigers (33-2) will face first-time Final Four qualifier Virginia Tech (31-4) in the opener Friday night in Dallas, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Mulkey’s former college home in Waco. Defending champion South Carolina (36-0) plays Iowa (30-6) in the late game.

Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer took three teams to the Final Four, and Gary Blair made it that far with two.

Blair’s second was Texas A&M in 2011, when he won an Elite Eight showdown with Mulkey at American Airlines Center. Five years later in Dallas, the Bears again fell one win short of the Final Four.

Mulkey is back in Dallas with a new team after a 54-42 Elite Eight victory over Miami.

“There will be Baylor people sitting in my section that are heartbroken that I left,” Mulkey said. “I get it. Someday when I’m retired, maybe I’ll write another book and have more details, but I love Baylor University, the fans there, the Lady Bear fans there. But it was time. Timing is everything in life.”

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has fonder memories of the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. The Gamecocks won their first national title there five years ago, beating Mississippi State after the Bulldogs ended Connecticut’s 111-game winning streak in the semifinals.

“Dallas, it will be etched in my memory forever,” said Staley, whose team – the No. 1 overall seed – earned a return trip with an 86-75 victory over Maryland. “I remember vividly the police escorts. I remember our fans. I remember UConn losing. That was a huge moment in college women’s basketball.”

Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks is a Dallas Cowboys fan, so he remembers seeing star quarterback Dak Prescott in the stands five years ago rooting for his alma mater, Mississippi State.

Prescott remembers the “huge moment” to which Staley referred. His reaction to Morgan William’s buzzer-beating game-winner in overtime made the rounds on social media five years ago.

“That was a surreal moment,” Brooks said. “But my surreal moment was last night.”

That’s when the No. 1 seed Hokies beat Ohio State 84-74 to reach their first Final Four in Brooks’ seventh season. Iowa, which beat Louisville 97-83 in the Elite Eight, has advanced this far for the first time since 1993, when Stringer became the first coach to lead multiple teams to the Final Four.

Stringer had done it with Cheyney in the inaugural tournament season of 1982, and after the Iowa trip, she went twice more with Rutgers in 2000 and 2007.

“She called me immediately after we beat Louisville,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “In fact, she was my first voice message I got that night. I know coach Stringer is behind us. I haven’t been able to get back to her yet, but I will soon.”

Mulkey’s Bears were one of the top seeds in 2017, hoping to chase a title just up the road from their Waco campus. Mississippi State beat Baylor in overtime in the Elite Eight before the OT thriller against UConn.

The Tigers are this deep in the tournament for the first time since the last of five consecutive Final Four appearances in 2008, all of which ended in the semifinals.

Mulkey was asked if she felt the burden of living up to those glory years.

“We’ve already done that,” said Mulkey, who has now reached the NCAA Tournament in 19 consecutive seasons as a coach. “Winning a national championship will only put an exclamation mark on it. We have exceeded probably what anybody could just realistically say was possible this quickly.”

Black female athletes: Having Black female coach is crucial

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South Carolina senior guard Brea Beal knew she could trust Dawn Staley before she even suited up for the Gamecocks.

It wasn’t just Staley’s coaching accolades, which include fueling South Carolina’s meteoric rise in women’s basketball, that sold Beal. Beal knew that Staley – a Black woman like her – would best understand how to guide her as she navigated both life and playing basketball on a big stage.

“People that were telling me what this community was about, I know it’s somewhere I wanted to be,” Beal said. “As soon as I got here, she definitely led me down a journey so I could find out who I am.”

Black female representation in the coaching and sports administrative ranks has existed on a minute scale – even in a sport like basketball, which along with track and field has the highest concentration of Black female college athletes. Black female players who have been coached by a Black woman told The Associated Press that it was crucial to their development.

“There are some coaches who will just have all guys with no understanding that there are sometimes things that a young woman may need to talk to another woman about,” said Kiki Barnes, a former basketball player and jumper at New Orleans and current Gulf Coast Athletic Conference commissioner.

While the number of women coaching women’s sports has increased in the past decade, Black women continue to lag behind most other groups. During the 2021-22 school year, 399 Black women coached women’s NCAA sports teams in Divisions I, II and III, compared with 3,760 white women and 5,236 white men.

In women’s NCAA basketball, a sport made up of 30% Black athletes, Black women made up 12% of head coaches across all divisions during the 2021-22 season, according to the NCAA’s demographics database.

Fourteen Black women led women’s basketball teams across 65 Power Five programs this past season – up one from 2021. That’s less than 22% of the total in a sport that was played by more Black athletes (40.7%) than any other race in Division I, according to a report with data from the 2020-21 season.

For the first time in a decade, four Black coaches advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women’s basketball tournament, including Staley, who said she believes it’s more popular to hire a woman at “this stage of the game.”

“And it’s not to say that I’m going to sit here and male bash, because we have a lot of male coaches who have been in our game for decades upon decades,” said Staley, who will lead her team into the Final Four this weekend. “But I will say that giving women an opportunity to coach women and helping women navigate through life like they have navigated through life will allow your student-athletes a different experience than having a male coach.”

For years Staley has been an advocate for hiring more female coaches – especially minorities – in college basketball, but WNBA player Angel McCoughtry said Black female coaches as successful as Staley are still too few and far between in the sport.

“When I was getting recruited in high school, I don’t remember having a Dawn Staley to look up to,” said McCoughtry, who played at Louisville from 2005-09.

McCoughtry also named Carolyn Peck, the first African American woman to coach her team to an NCAA women’s basketball title in 1999 with Purdue, as another example of representation in the sport.

“So there’s one or two every decade,” McCoughtry said. “Why can’t we have 10? There’s 10 Caucasian coaches every decade.”

McCoughtry, a former No. 1 overall pick by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, got used to being around people who didn’t look like or understand her. She is Black. Her AAU and high school coaches were Black men. Her college coaches were white men. Marynell Meadors, a white woman, was her first coach in Atlanta.

She has fielded frustrating questions from white peers, coaches and owners – like how often she washes her hair, or whether her passionate play was because she was from Baltimore.

“There’s just a disconnect in understanding things,” the 36-year-old said, adding: “We need more coaches to protect us.”

McCoughtry has never had a Black female head coach but did have the impactful guidance of Michelle Clark-Heard, a Black woman whom Jeff Walz brought on as an assistant when he took over at Louisville in 2008.

She also leaned on Tim Eaton, a Black assistant coach who she said advocated for her in her freshman year, when then-coach Tom Collen wanted to send her back to Baltimore because she was late to one of her first practices. Similarly, McCoughtry said, she felt she had less room to make mistakes than white teammates. When she questioned a coach, she was labeled a troublemaker; when she got fired up about a play, she was told she had a bad attitude.

“We just never had any inch to be human, like our Caucasian counterparts,” she said, adding: “But who understands that? Our Black coaches. Because they went through everything we went through. They have a story, too.”

Part of the reason for the lack of Black female coaches is because of who ultimately holds the power to hire, Barnes said. That’s often athletic directors, a level where there is an even greater lack of diversity – 224 of 350 in Division I are white men. Plus, she added, there are changing requirements for what it takes to get leadership opportunities.

“And now the system has changed to where now you’ve got to know search firms because now search firms are the ones that are managing and determining who gets these opportunities,” she said. “Every time we understand how to get in the room and what it takes to be prepared, it’s like the rules change.”

Barnes played high school basketball in her hometown of Minden, Louisiana, where she had an assistant coach who was a Black woman; Barnes still refers to her as “Coach Smith.”

“For her, it wasn’t just about basketball. It was about who I was as a young lady,” Barnes recalled, adding, “I would say it’s similar with a young woman wanting to talk to a mom about womanly things. It’s not that a man couldn’t do it, but I wouldn’t feel as comfortable talking to either my dad or any other man about woman things.”

Priscilla Loomis, a 2016 Olympic high jumper who is Black, said she became a coach to provide kids that look like her the representation the sport has lacked. NCAA track and field numbers mirrored women’s basketball numbers in 2021-22: 5% of head coaches were Black women, while 19% of women’s NCAA track and field athletes are Black.

“They want so badly to feel seen and to feel loved and to be given guidance,” Loomis said. “And so that’s why I always say it’s important to get women of color, men of color to the starting line, because a lot of times we’re so many steps behind.”

Auburn’s top ’22 hoops signee, Traore, plans to transfer

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AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn’s top signee from last year, center Yohan Traore, plans to transfer.

The five-star recruit from France, who played a limited role as a freshman, announced his plans in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-10 Traore initially committed to LSU but landed at Auburn after the firing of coach Will Wade a little more than a year ago. He was rated the No. 24 overall recruit and No. 5 center according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Traore averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds after arriving from Dream City Christian School in Arizona.

Traore was a member of the U15 and U16 French National Team.

He played nine minutes in Auburn’s opening NCAA Tournament game against Iowa. Traore failed to score and didn’t play in the second-round loss to Houston.

Unbeaten Gamecocks, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark star in women’s Final Four

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SEATTLE ⁠— An undefeated South Carolina team led by star Aliyah Boston and guided by vaunted Dawn Staley, an Iowa squad that features high-scoring Caitlin Clark and the return of LSU and flashy coach Kim Mulkey headline the women’s Final Four this weekend.

Virginia Tech is the newcomer to the group as the Hokies are making their first appearance in the national semifinals. Hokies coach Kenny Brooks became the third Black male coach to take a team to the Final Four in women’s basketball history.

All of the women’s basketball world will descend on Dallas this week as the Division I, II and III championships will be held there. It’s only the second time that all three divisions will have their title games in the same place.

Staley and the Gamecocks are looking to become the 10th team to go through a season unbeaten and the first to repeat as champions since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16. South Carolina advanced to its third consecutive national semifinals and fifth since 2015 thanks to another superb effort by Boston, the reigning AP Player of the Year. The three-time All-American had 22 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Maryland on Monday night.

Next up for the Gamecocks is Iowa and the sensational Clark. She helped the Hawkeyes reach their first Final Four in 30 years with a game for the ages in the regional semifinals on Sunday night. The junior guard had the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA history in the win over Louisville.

The Gamecocks have the experience edge having reached the Final Four so often with this group. No one on Iowa’s roster was alive the last time the team advanced to the game’s biggest stage. C. Vivian Stringer was the coach of that team in 1993 that reached the Final Four before losing to Ohio State in overtime.

“It is like a storybook, but it’s kind of been like that for us all year long,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, we have had — honestly, we keep talking about destiny and how it’s supposed to happen and it is happening. But I’m so happy for Caitlin. I can remember sitting in her living room and her saying, I want to go to a Final Four. And I’m saying, We can do it together. And she believed me. And so I’m very thankful for that.”

The other game will pit LSU against Virginia Tech. The Tigers are making their first trip to the national semifinals since 2008 when Sylvia Fowles dominated the paint. Now LSU is led by another stellar post player in Angel Reese.

She broke Fowles’ record for double-doubles in a season earlier this year and was key in the Tigers’ win over Miami in the Elite Eight.

Reese, who transferred in this season from Maryland, has made Mulkey’s second season at the school a special one. She came to LSU with a resume headlined by three NCAA titles from her time at Baylor along with some flamboyant sideline looks such as her silver-shimmering jacket with white pants that she wore in the Elite Eight game Sunday.

“What really makes me smile is not cutting that net down,” Mulkey said. “It’s looking around out there at all those LSU people, looking at that team I get to coach experience it for the first time.”

LSU’s opponent is also making its first appearance at the Final Four. The Hokies have had the best season in school history, winning the ACC crown as well under Brooks. He joined former Syracuse Quentin Hillsman and Cheyney State’s Winthrop “Windy” McGriff.

The significance has not been lost on Brooks, who hopes he can inspire other Black male coaches to get more opportunities.

The Hokies run to the national semifinals has been led by star post Elizabeth Kitley and sharpshooter Georgia Amoore. The pair combined for 49 points in the win over Ohio State in the Elite Eight.