Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - ACC Women's Basketball Showing Out In the NCAA Tournament

Episode Date: March 27, 2024

Notre Dame, NC State, and Duke are still dancing on the women's side of the NCAA Tournament. We get into all of their runs on this episode! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So Kenny Brooks is out at Virginia Tech. We'll talk about his next destination where he's landed and maybe the reasons why the change. We also will talk about NC State and Duke both being teams that have Sweet 16 for men's and women's basketball. And then finally, Hannah Hildalgo, did she get snub for college basketball finalist for player of year? All of those questions answered on today's episode of Locked on ACC. You are Locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's going on, everybody?

Welcome to today's edition of Lockdown ACCC. I'm your host, Candace Cooper, joined by Kenton Gibbs of Lockedown Wolfpack. Each and every day, you find us wherever we list the podcast. Make sure you download, subscribe to the pod from anywhere. Kenton, we've got 2,000 subscribers on our YouTube page. So let's take a moment, hand clap and praise. You know, if we had church bells, tambourine, all the things, we would be shim-shaking it.

And I don't know if you should be shaking for the Lord, but maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. Well, Dan your dance with all this might, right? I mean, I'm just saying, you know. Did he shimmy? Who knows? You know, praise Jesus. We have 2,000 subs. We are so excited that you guys, organically, one by one, decided to put that subscribe button.

And it means a lot because you can listen to just about anything and you can get your information in news anywhere. But you choose us, and that just means something special to us. Today's episode is brought to you by our friends at Fandul. FanDul. Make every moment more new customer. members join today and you'll get $200 in bonus bets if your first bet of $5 and more wins. Visit fandul.com slash locked on to get started today.

And I will say as a fan deal user myself, wise of you to put the money in the basketball on the women's side. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and throw that out there. It's a little buzz for you. They oftentimes try to make the very lopside, a lopside a game that went extremely left with that North Carolina, South Carolina game. But other than that, if you watch Iowa for West Virginia, if you watched some other other good ones. It certainly was a lot closer than they necessarily predicted.

So if you want some easy money, I'm just telling you right now, women's basketball is it. Now, did I have my money on Kenny Brooks not being the Virginia Tech head basketball coach? Sure didn't. That was one of the most, okay, of today being all the things that has gone on this Tuesday. That's certainly was not on my bingo card. None of what has happened recently is on anybody's bingo card. These are unprecedented times we're living in. but Kenny Brooks leaving Virginia Tech is so interesting because he had built up a team that I,

honestly and truly, I don't think that they hit a ceiling that you would say, you can't be better than this in Blacksburg. And also, even if this is their ceiling, were they not final four participants last year? And where? Like, did they not come one game short of the national championship last year or were they in the national championship? They came one game short. Okay, either way you cut it or slice it, that's still a team. If that is your bar for like, oh, we came one game short and it didn't work out and, you know, I need a team that can reach higher than that.

I don't see how. Now, obviously, you and I both know, this wasn't about sealing so much as it is. You know, as 121 Savage once said, I got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight M's in my bank account. We know that's what it's about. But it's still disappointing to see the ACC lose such a quality coach, you know. It really is a moment. You know, I can just, I just now, I'm getting some range of motion back in my neck and they tell them to keep your head on the swivel because these coaches are hot out the door.

And it's really sad to see Kenny Brooks go because the ACC is losing it really good with him. Yeah, and I think to your point, not only losing someone great for the ACC, but truly an advocate for women's basketball, it hurts, you know, as we are so much, homers, as they like to call us, it's just tough because he's such a big advocate for women's basketball and he's not running to go coach men's basketball, even though Kentucky might be looking for a new men's basketball coach neither here nor there.

I definitely feel like the money is certainly greener. It had to be in order to make that decision. You also look at losing Elizabeth Kittley, potentially losing George A. Moore, which I feel like this makes her decision a little bit easier as she decides whether to go to the draft or whatever her next steps maybe or be a graduate transfer. But, you know, just losing that core, doing all that you could for the program. And I had to be some internal things going on for you to decide, take your talents. There's a lot of upside and growth opportunities for Kentucky.

You're now in the SEC, which we know with LSU, with Georgia, with, what's the other team, Tennessee, you have some great teams that you're going to be battling against. And of course, you can keep competing and elevating that program, taking it to Greener Heights. I just, I wish there was an ACC home for him, but we know we have some pretty good staples around here. Yeah, and I want to say that, you know, this isn't a Kenny Brooks hate trainer like he hasn't been an excellent, an excellent ambassador. We're all four people going to get paid. The coaches just like the players. And he did it in an ethical way where the season had come to an end before, you know, he decided to make his exit.

But it really, I really and truly sit here and say to myself, myself, you know, Kenny, you don't put yourself in a position where you go from a place where you basically got a lifetime contract to where you're going to be in a little bit of pressure cooking, brother. You don't be a little bit of pressure country. So, you know, hopefully the grass is greener, but as the as told by Ginger theme song reminded us, you know, when I took a visit, I was happy I missed it. It was different, but exactly the same.

And so, you know, we'll see what it looks like in terms of Kenny Brooks. and more so more importantly than Kenny Brooks and where he's going, who's going to step up and fill that vacancy? Because that leaves a huge void of kind of, you know, changing of the power dynamics in the ACC. 100%. I think that Virginia Tech is wide open right now. We talk about being one of those staples of recent years.

He also had the ACC player of the year and Elizabeth Kittley now that she is no longer going to be here who sort of comes back in. Maybe is NC State returning to their throne? Is it North Carolina trying to rebuild? And even though Paulina Parris just decided to leave, which I can go in about that one, but I'm trying to be nice today. As you tell me, I'm usually not about UNC women's basketball.

Could it be Notre Dame remaining on top of being that dominant force with not only Hannah Hildago, but Olivia Miles returning? So I think it's a lot out there. You also have Louisville, which has a great coach and coach Wall. So there's so many moving parts. But we do wish him the best and hope that it all works out for him in the end. Greener Pastures, as you say, she would have done it in a macy grave voice but no judgment you know we move on and have our ways so as i

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All right, Ken, so we've got some great basketball that's been happening for the women here of the ACC Duke, picking up a surprising win against Ohio State, NC State, getting a victory against a really good Tennessee program. I think they saw that light blue and just really retreat. figured, not sure what it was, Notre Dame's in this bad boy, of course, but it's Duke and NC State both having men's basketball and women's basketball in the Sweet 16 that let you know not only is it a hoop state, you know, for the men, but the women especially too. Yeah, they're the only power five teams to accomplish such a thing, right? And so, you know, it's so interesting to see the ways in which, you know, we hear the

narratives about the ACC and we heard about Duke and Coach Lawson and what they were or not and how Ohio State, when that game started to get a little bit out of hand, everybody said, hey, it's over. Ohio State is going to stump a mud hole in them. And yet they just kept fighting. They just kept clawing. And, you know, Carol Lawson said something that I think is very interesting. She said, there is no 20-point shot.

We had to come back bit by bit, possession by possession. That's what they did in terms of winning. this game and you know nc state was almost on the opposite into that thing because like you said they got triggered when they saw that light blue and took their self a 20 point lead they got cut all the way down to four but they still did enough to finish or i believe it got cut down to two rather but they did what they need to to finish and and the zai james came up clutch as always and did what she needed to do there and so do on the main side the upstart team or i'm sorry the uh power in the group that everybody knows about NC State, the team that just kept battling,

kept battling, kept making it happen. And on the women's side, it's almost the exact opposite, except nobody expected NC State's women's basketball to be this good this year, yet they have. Same thing for Duke. Nobody expected them to be this good this year, especially losing their miss everything. And yet, especially losing their miss everything and Jay Wilson and losing Day Wilson. And yet, they still showed up, still did what they did, and found a way to get to the sweet 16. So Les Taylor decided she's going to go to Ohio State and then to get knocked out by your team is kind of crazy.

I will say, this has been a long time coming for Carol Lawson, if I can make the argument, right? I feel like we've been waiting for Carol Lawson's team to sort of get it. There have been, you know, many speculations about, you know, her style and all the things and adjustments coming from, you know, the Boston Celtics down to collegiate sports and coaching women and all of that jazz. But I feel like I've been waiting for Carolosson to sort of have this spark and just talk about me. You know, she's a great player in her own right, a great coach. and now just to see that team finally sort of get it. It's certainly been exciting.

But I've sort of just been, I don't know, I've been waiting for this. It's kind of like, I don't know if it's not expected, but maybe with this group, we weren't exactly expecting this. And I can get behind that. But when you talk about Carol Lawson's track record as a coach, she's pulled off some of the biggest upsets in Duke's women's basketball history as their head coach. She, you know, a team that many people didn't see with all due respect, right? For all that we talk about with Celeste Taylor, who saw her being that good? Who said, hey, this is not only going to be a player that saw a conference. She's going to be all everything.

She's going to dominate in every way imaginable. She's going to lead you in almost every statistical category. Who saw that coming? And yet, under coach loss and tutelage, she ends up being that. And then, like you said, even without her, even with, you know, your arguably your top two players leaving off last year's team, what happened? They're further than they were last year. This is a hell of a story. And you know what I mean?

There's nothing but praise that you can pour on Carol Lawson for the job that she's done with this team. Because, I mean, what else could you really ask for in terms of, hey, we need somebody who's going to get our program into relevance. When you look at an NC state that's been not just a perennial powerhouse in North Carolina, but any ACC as a whole. and you look at a UNC women's basketball team that seems to be going in that direction, you know, who knows what happens after you lose Daisy Kelly and Utt's being company, but, you know, it's still to be seen. So it's for her to not only have them relevant, but also in this space, I fix your face. Your face just told her you a little bit.

But we ain't go go there. This is, you know, a great story for care. A hundred percent agree. I think, you know, one thing that I appreciate about care is I always leave with a message, right? It's always a sermon and testimony something. Like I always feel better, more inspired, maybe run through a brick wall type energy, just like wanting to be a better person or really keeping it in perspective. She is a great perspective coach to me. Another great coach who just tells it like it is West Moore on that side for NC State. I think, you know, he hasn't

necessarily had the horse in the stable from statistically national speaking. I think he has had some very quality girls, whether they've been overlooked as a whole different story. But for West Moore, like he has a system. You go into NC State knowing you're going to be a part of the Westmore system. And he sort of excelled in that way. And what has made these girls play so inspired do you think and really have an opportunity to get into that elite eight final four conversation? Player development.

Player development. Player development. That is all there is to end. Well, not that is all there is. I mean, obviously a top 10 recruiting class last year, one of the better recruiting classes in the portal and back to back years as well, and another top 10 class coming in next year, Westmore knows how to pick up, but he also knows how to develop it. His players get better from year to year. Look at River Baldwin's offensive game last year against what we're

doing this year with her. Look at Mimi Collins' offensive game last year against her shooting percentages and shooting splits this year. She is showing up in a way that that can only happen when you get players who have the right mentality and mindset to develop, but also the coaches are putting you in position to have that success. And, you know, the all seasons are just wasted because there is most of us thing as staying the same. When you are playing at this level, people get paid hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to do their job. So what does that mean? People are scouting you. They have every shot that you took last year logged and charted somewhere. So they know when the ball's in her left hand, this is what she's going to do. When the balls in her

right hand, it's where she casts it here. It's what she's going to do. So if you stay the same player, you get worse. And yet somehow, all of these. these players take these massive leaps. And I didn't even talk about the player that probably took the biggest leap in Isaiah James. We have all talked about how talented she is and how special she is and the fact that she was almost like a nuclear reactor in some ways, right? Unlimited potential, unlimited energy. But if you can't contain it, it's going to melt down everything around it. And yet this year, she has found a way to contain that Westmore and her have worked together to kind of contain that and, you know, push her to that next level to where she is

that finisher and closer. And of course, the glue piece in Madison Hayes coming along and being a better player as well. And again, her shooting splits getting better. She's always been, she's played that the woman Jose Alvarado role in that she's just going to defend her tail off on every single position. How many basketball players you know play with a mouthpiece of 2024? That's the type of energy she brings. So, So Westmore does a good job picking him. He does a good job of developing, but also these players need credit for working on their game and developing, working on their shot and developing. So not only are they comfortable taking these shots in game time, but they can knock them down.

So I think both of these schools out of the triangle, really all three out the triangle, great stories this year, all for their independent different reasons. And it just so happens to be that these two other ones that are advanced into the sweet 16. Yeah, so let's talk about, you know, some of the upcoming game. for the women. You know, NC State will face off against Stanford, a newly joined ACC squad. You've got Cameron Brink, who, of course, is one of the top dogs here in the tournament talks.

But, you know, they play at 7.30 on Friday night, I think it's just one of those matchups where NC State's going to have to give them their best, right? I think you have two really great coaches, two really great, you know, basketball minds coming to a head. And NC State is more than capable of hanging tough with the Cardinals. Yeah, I think that this game is going to be about whether or not NC State can be consistent and not have those types of lows where they just struggle to score, where they get a lead and take their foot off the gas.

If you do that against this Stanford team, congratulations, Cardinals, congratulations our newly welcomed ACC team, you'll be moving forward. You'll be going to the elite eight. Congratulations, you'll have earned it. But for NC State, that's the biggest thing. Do not let your start fast. Don't let you foot off the gas. Those are the two things that when NC State does those things effectively,

I mean this very genuinely. They have the most ranked wins in the country for a reason. And I'm going to leave it right there because I know they say I talk too much about NC State, but those are two things. Start fast, master gas. All right. We love a little rapper. Duke will face off against Yukon on Saturday at 8 p.m.

And I think this Yukon team is slowly starting to come around. They're playing at their highest clip. They're very healthy. Papeak Bukers, you know, talk of the town, all those things. One thing Duke loves is a nice little upset. And it's not impossible for caring the girls to get it right together. No, Candice, I got a question for you, okay? I'm listening.

Do you know where this game is going to be played? It's going to be in Portland region. And I don't know where specifically, but please help the church. Okay. Because I know that Yukon generally likes to or they don't like to, but they find themselves having home court advantages in these here NCAA term. Man, I'm not just talking about the normal home court advantage because obviously in the women's game, the top seeds, I believe the top three or four seeds in your bracket, they're going to get those two home games.

I'm not talking about that. They generally find themselves in a region somewhere around Connecticut, you know, somewhere in Bridgeport or something like that. But I need to hear from there. The reality is very simple. This may be the first time that I ever say this. I think this Yukon team is a little underseated. I think that they have been consistently one of the best teams all year. Okay.

This Duke team, you got to show up big time, big time. The biggest thing that I think they can do is don't let the moment get too big for you. Do not let this moment have you playing out of sorts, have you, you know, trying to do things that trying to play outside yourself. This Connecticut team is beatable, but they're still a very good team. They're still a very good team, right? When you think of this team and you talk about Alia Edwards, Pagebackers and all that, you know, you've got big names and all that good stuff. So did Ohio State. Your goal and your role in winning this one is simple.

Be the best you you can be. Do not look for the role of star. Look to star in your role. And this Duke team, let it rip. start your role and let it rip and let the chips fall where they made because I do believe that this Duke team can beat Yukon, but it's going to be a tall order. Yeah, I think Richardson's going to have to have her best game in terms of scoring. I think Tyene is going to have to have her best, you know, assist game in order to get this one out. And there's going to have to be some major upsets going for Duke to really fly at their highest clip.

And then Ashland Jackson, of course, she's been a superstar for the Blue Devils. It's just going to be all around playing team. ball for the Blue Devils, which is going to ultimately help them get that victory. Now, we want to talk about another team who, of course, you know, they're ACC champions. They have a really good freshman guard, you know, and we're not talking about juju. Okay, I want to talk about Hannah Hidalgo, and maybe did she get snub because a lot of people are thinking so. But first, passion driving patience.

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and stay at 2.30 on Friday, good Friday, if you will, hope you're not working on that one, and you're enjoying the sunshine and or some WMBA NCAA women's basketball attorney. And I think that Hannah Hulago probably feels away about not being college basketball player of the year finalist. Did she get snubbed? Many can make you that argument. Paige, Caitlin, juju, you know, of the top names, right? I think certainly you make those cases. but did Hannah not get her rightfully deserved nod? No, Hannah wasn't stowed. And here's the thing.

I love Coach Ivy, love Hannah's game. And I've always said that if Hannah wasn't born, or if she was born a year later or earlier, Zoe Brooks would definitely be the ACC freshman the year. And she's a phenomenal player, phenomenal player on both ends of the floor. With that being said, the players that are up for player to year, I don't know if any of their teams are relevant without them. And not just relevant.

I mean, like, I don't know if they're even, like, decent without them, except Paige. Page is the only one that doesn't really have that argument because she plays for Yukon. But, Juju, you know, listen, a little bit of a shot checker Supreme. Not going to lie to you, right? she's got a little bit of that Deja Kelly and her that mid-range contestant. She loves it. But she can get to the rim.

She can knock it down. So you live with that. And Caitlin Clark, she is the woman version of Steph Curry. She's revolutionizing what people are even allowed to do in the women's game on the court. So you've got to give her her guts for that. So all in all, I would say no.

And here's the other, here's the beautiful thing about that. Yes, it's a no-in-that I don't think she was snubbed, as those are the three finalists, correct? Yes, there's one more, but I'm drawing a blank. Okay. But either way you cut it or slice it, with them as the finalist, here's what I know. She has more eligibility left than all of them combined. So she'll have her time. And if she continues to develop and build on what is already a phenomenal game, not only would she be in contention for this.

she will win one or two Nate Smith players of the year. Mark my words right now. It's going to bother me. So I'm Googling because if I don't, then I don't know. That's all right. That's all right.

But again, either way you cut or slice it, you're not talking about, you know, a few women. Camera break. Sorry. Sorry. Yeah. And Cameron,

I mean, she very much so. You think she deserves it over Hannah? Here's the thing. I think there's an argument. there, I think there's an argument. I think that Hannah definitely has an argument, but what I would say is that Brink has led that team and again, she's in that, she's the only one that I say an argument for because she's in that page, she's in

that page Becker space where she plays with a really good team that even if she didn't exist, they would probably still be a tournament team. But even beyond that, even beyond that, she's not as impactful as a as a pagebacker's either. So I could see the argument for Hannah being in over her. But again, it's this feels like, this feels like, you find that a lot good. You find it. You find it. You find that you finding your word.

Here's a thing. Okay. One thing about you, you don't stutter and you don't go slow. And you're going to slow. And let me, let me, let me be very honest. right now. Let me be very honest because I tell people all the time, willing to change my opinion when new information is introduced, there's a very but-soil argument for her over break. I'm not saying this a thousand percent guarantee she was snub. I think that's a little far, but I do think that there was an argument for her over-brick. So the other three, I don't think is particularly close. The fact that I couldn't even find Cameron, that lets you know that she's

forgetting. Listen, all I'm saying, all I'm saying is you don't, you don't, you don't. You know how to talk at the highest of clips. You know how to let it roll off the tongue. And one thing about you, you don't go slow. And you was trying to find it. And you was fine. You took a long while to get to nowhere. Because, baby, I just said, like I said, she got snub next.

And like we talk about with John Ross standing company, right? I don't have confirmation bias. I didn't walk into this saying, oh, Hidalgo wasn't snub. Therefore, there's nothing you could tell me to make me think there's an argument that she was. When I heard Brinknan, because the other three, hey, hey listen let's stop playing sure but but brink there's an argument there's there's an argument there there's an argument there that she she needs to be a finally there so i i understand the snub i wouldn't go as far as to say this is a guaranteed certified terrible snub but i i can see the

argument you see me see me feel me knocking at you i see the vision i see the vision well they play organ state like i said on friday i think they have a great opportunity in front of them to get a good dub i would like i think of all the teams if it ain't nc state it's going to be noterdame to go the furthest you know here's the thing right i i think with all the the the women that made it in how some of the results have went a lot of people are like oh like how good is the acc on the women's side but that means that you're not paying attention to the games because if you are you would see all of the teams that made these early exits it's interesting injuries everywhere.

Oh, you lost the ACC player the year, a player who probably would have been a finalist for Naismet player a year if she was healthy. Oh, you lost multiple players in terms of your leading scores and rebounders with Louisville. Oh, no. However, did you lose a game in the first round? Come on. Like, you know what I mean? So I will say this.

I will say this. I love how you didn't find a reason for North Carolina because there's none, but I appreciate it. In the words, in the words of one Beyonce knows. This ain't Texas. Ain't no hold them. Okay. I'm going to lay them cars down and tell you what it is. Okay.

But with that being said, if not NC State, I, a thousand percent agree that Notre Dame has the clearest path. But I can see multiple ACC teams advancing. Oh, yeah. I hope it's all three, honestly, truly. I mean, you know how I'm rocking. Loiter to the soil, baby. I absolutely let us see it.

Of course. If we're going down with the ship, we are going down definitely east. Funk-tastic. I'm going to tell you, the way that the ACC lawyer is looking, even though Jim Phillips refuses to go in ESPNA, that the ship is going to be just five for at least another five years or so.

All I'm saying, Jim, I ain't heard you yet. I ain't heard you go on nobody's show yet. And I mean nationally, because locally, you're doing what you got to do. They ain't going to hold you. But all I know is, all I know is you could have found yourself on the flagship, right, that the women

have been playing on. Right. sometime. I would have been on all the flag. I would have been on all the flag. I would have called up give me Nick Rice number. Give me exactly. Give me, give me, give me, give me Skip Bayless's number. I heard they struggling over there with ratings. Give me that. Jay and whoever like, come on. Give me all their numbers. Give me all. Give me Shannon Sharp. Give me Stephen A. Come on. Give me, give me Molly. Give me somebody. I want to talk. Give me greenie. I want to talk. I need to get some things off my chest. You know, I would have been like Kendrick-Govar. You know,

forget the big three baby it's just big me you need to tell them jimmy p you need to tell them jimmy p you know sick making me sick anyway we got more to go through this week hopefully there's no team that leaves the acc but you never know could get spicy on a wednesday we might answer your question so if you have some please drop them in the mailback i can't continue because of two thousand subs it's giving it's giving community right it's giving mailbag questions you know i think we should just throw one up there for the group and just figure out, you know, what are the fans wanting to say? We're going to read some comments. We're going to have a little fun, razzle, dazzle, on tomorrow's episode. So make sure you drop that leave it for us. But for Candace Cooper and

Kenton Gibbs, we are out of here. We hope you have a great rest of your day. Until next time.