In an era where college sports often demand instant gratification, Tina Langley’s tenure as coach of the University of Wisconsin WBB has been a slow and steady climb from last in the conference to nationally competitive. Friday’s first-round matchup with South Dakota State in the NCAA tournament is another big milestone for Langley and the Dawgs, as they have a chance to get the school’s first March Madness win since Kelsey Plum and Mike Neighbors reached the Final Four and Sweet 16 in 2016-2017.
Langley inherits a team that went 7-14 (3-13) in the COVID-shortened 2021 season. The team improved in its first year, especially defensively, but the overall record didn’t reflect a huge jump (7-16, 2-12). Since then, Langley’s Dawgs have won 19, 16, 19 and 21 games each season, improving to a 10-8 record this year in an outstanding Big 10 bracket to post their first winning record in the conference. They are ranked No. 20 in the AP poll, UW’s highest ranking since Plum. Although they made the top four of the NCAA tournament last year, Friday’s game will be the first of 64 games.
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UW’s rivals also have a rich history. San Diego State has participated in the tournament four consecutive years and has participated 14 times since joining Division I in 2004-2005. Head coach Aaron Johnston is a member of the Jackrabbits. In 1997, at the age of 23, he came to the school as a graduate assistant. He joined the team as an assistant coach during the 1999-2000 season, but by the end of the season, he served as interim head coach. He took over the regular job the following year and never had an overall or conference losing record. The Jacks won the D-II national championship in 2003, were promoted to DI in 2005, and have been a top team in the Summit League ever since.
After five straight years of winning or tying for conference titles (and a cumulative 1 summit loss), SDSU actually trailed rival North Dakota State in this year’s regular season. They split the regular season series with the Bison, but crushed the offense in the conference tournament final to earn that bid. NDSU narrowly missed the at-large bid and earned the top seed in the women’s CBT. SDSU ranks 52nd nationally in Bart Torvik’s efficiency ratings — No. 42 on offense and 82 on defense. While the Huskies have a very solid 8-9 record against tournament teams, SDSU has played just three such games and is 0-3. It might be a little unfair to judge SDSU by that metric, as those three teams rank 18th or better nationally in efficiency. SDSU hasn’t played a team with an efficiency rating of 19-52, and they’ve spent most of their schedule outside the top 100. At 19, UW was far better than any team the Jacks had beaten, but they didn’t get too many bites out of that apple.
SDSU is led both statistically and stylistically by interior anchor Brooklyn Meyer. She averaged 22.4 points and 8 rebounds per game and shot 64.6% from the field. Her presence in the paint determines how the Jacks play. They rank 9th in shooting efficiency and 3rd in 2-point field goal percentage. They play slow, take care of the ball, and try to get to the basket. It’s an old-school style, but when you have a player like Meyer, it works well. Her partner is senior Madison Mathiowetz, a lanky wing who averages 13.6 points per game, takes more than four outside shots per game and shoots 40 percent from the field. It’s not quite Shaq and Kobe, but there are shades of scoring big men who can break up defenses and get the ball to wing players who can shoot or drive to the rim.
Washington fits that style well. Brynn McGaughey doesn’t have Meyer’s years of experience, but she has the size and skill to offset some of the advantages. Yulia Grabovskaya can also counter Meyer in the low post if McGaughey gets into foul trouble. The Huskies had to be ready to play early in the day. They will travel to Fort Worth for the game, which will end at 11:30 Seattle time. The Dawgs are 5.5-point favorites in betting markets. According to Bart Torvik, the Huskies are about nine points ahead of the Jacks. Either way, Washington University will be the favorite, but not prohibitive. This should be a great game and a great opportunity for Langley and her team to take a big step forward.
Let’s go, Dougs!