Texas women draw inspiration from coach of long-ago national champion

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Rori Harmon does not hear many speeches from Jody Conradt, the retired Texas women’s basketball coach who led the Longhorns to their solely national championship 40 years in the past.

The fifth-year point guard figures there’s not a lot want for a lot of phrases.

“I feel that national championship presence,” Harmon stated. “It’s that undefeated season presence around us. That’s almost like all you need.”

Conradt was across the program lengthy earlier than the newest effort by the Longhorns so as to add a banner to the one raised for the 34-0 crew of 1985-86.

Top-seeded Texas will chase a second consecutive Final Four berth when it faces No. 2 seed Michigan within the Fort Worth Regional 3 final Monday night.

Conradt’s crew did not have to go away Austin to achieve the Final Four in 1986, profitable thrice there earlier than occurring to Lexington, Kentucky, the place they beat Cheryl Miller and Southern California for the title.

These Longhorns did not have to go away Texas for March Madnessprofitable twice in Austin earlier than going 200 miles north to Fort Worth for a Sweet 16 victory over Kentucky that arrange the assembly with the Wolverines.

Conradt was behind the bench in opposition to the Wildcats and will likely be there once more Monday evening. The 84-year-old goes to observe when she will be able to, typically provides gamers puzzles (Jordan Lee stated she and fellow guard Bryanna Preston bought a 1,000-piece behemoth not too long ago) and can every now and then supply just a few phrases of encouragement or recommendation.

Her presence is a reminder of the final time the Texas program was among the many elite — now that it lastly seems to be once more underneath Vic Schaefer, who was born in Austin and remembers first assembly Conradt in 1990 when he was the first-year coach at Sam Houston State within the jail city of Huntsville, about 150 miles from the UT campus.

“I think they’re aware,” Conradt stated. “We just celebrated the 40th year, and the exes all came back and that team was recognized. I know they talked about it as a team, and I think they would like to be the second team to win the national championship.”

Texas’ Final Four berth final 12 months was its first since 2003. The Longhorns misplaced to South Carolina within the semifinals, so that they’re nonetheless searching for their first journey to the championship recreation since profitable all of it.

The Longhorns have an opportunity for consecutive top-five finishes in The Associated Press poll for the primary time since 2003-04 underneath Conradt. Texas completed a minimum of that prime yearly from 1982-88, together with 4 consecutive No. 1 rankings.

“I think one of our best reminders is having Coach Conradt at the gym with us,” stated Lee, a sophomore. “We see the banners hanging up in our practice gym every day and not only (chasing) a second championship for the university but also a first one for Coach Schaefer. That was a big reason why I came here.”

Conradt gained her title within the adolescence of women’s athletics and is taken into account one of the pioneers of her sport. Schaefer actually sees her that method.

“I think the longer you’re away from coaching, it becomes less about wins and losses,” stated Conradt, whose remaining season was 2006-07. “I think the pride I feel now is we had the opportunity to build a foundation for young women having opportunity. It sort of set the standard for what was going to happen across the country.”

As the Longhorns chase Conradt’s on-court legacy, they’re equally as conscious of what her tenure meant outdoors the strains.

“She wasn’t just a coach,” senior publish Kyla Oldacre stated. “She was everywhere. She was a huge advocate for women’s basketball, and that’s what’s so outstanding for us when she talks to us, you do take that personal, in a positive way, of course.”

They’re taking the pursuit of a championship personally, too.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness