Defend the Block: KBA Recaps Tourney Run, Impact on Fans, Scary Flight Home
4/7/2021 8:30:00 AM
By Brian Boesch
In this week's edition of the "Defend the Block" podcast, Brian catches up with Michigan women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico about the wide range of emotions that still linger from the NCAA Tournament, the impact that this team's season had on Michigan fans around the world, the team's scary return from Texas, and her main priorities now that the offseason has arrived.
The roller coaster that was the 2020-21 Michigan women's basketball season had one more surprise on March 27, the day that the Wolverines dropped an overtime heartbreaker to second-seeded Baylor in the Sweet 16. Shortly after 5 p.m. EDT, the final buzzer sounded in San Antonio, Texas. After media obligations, showers, dinner, and a bus ride, the travel party was on its plane, scheduled to arrive in Ann Arbor late that night.
Instead, a significant thunderstorm caused the plane to lose cabin pressure, prompting oxygen masks to be needed as the plane dropped much quicker than expected. Fortunately, the pilots executed a safe emergency landing in Evansville, Ind., around 11 p.m.
"Things start going through your mind really quickly," head coach Kim Barnes Arico said on this week's edition of the "Defend the Block" podcast with Brian Boesch. "It's another reminder -- as this whole year has really been -- of telling people that you're close to how you feel about them, and telling your loved ones that you love them, and enjoying each moment that you have."
Enjoying the moment was a key value for Michigan women's basketball all season long. The Wolverines, like so many throughout college basketball, vividly remembered the pain that stemmed from last season's cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, so Barnes Arico and her staff encouraged each player to embrace every opportunity that comes around.
This was vital during the regular season, as the team did not get to compete in every scheduled game. The Wolverines contended with 10 postponements or cancellations, including six during the department-wide pause that began in late January. As a result, Michigan entered the NCAA Tournament with only 19 games on its resume.
It is unknown if Michigan's game total affected its bracket positioning, but the sixth-seeded Wolverines took advantage of their opportunities in the Big Dance to exceed their seed line by knocking off a popular upset pick in Florida Gulf Coast in the first round before dispatching powerhouse Tennessee to reach the program's first Sweet 16.
"I thought we were composed. I thought we were confident. I thought we had a tremendous belief in each other," Barnes Arico said. "It was kind of a reflection of this season and the perseverance that we had throughout the ups and downs of the COVID year."
Barnes Arico admitted that the loss to Baylor still stings, but she and the program recognize the impact that this run had on the Michigan fan base.
"So many people have reached out to us -- so many alumni, so many people in the community, people all around the world," Barnes Arico said. "That's really special, and that will be something that I will remind them of because they did sacrifice, and they committed to this.
"To have the opportunity to watch Michigan basketball -- Michigan men's basketball and Michigan women's basketball -- perform on the biggest stage and represent our university and our university community the way we did was truly special."
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April 07, 2021 at 07:32PM
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Defend the Block: KBA Recaps Tourney Run, Impact on Fans, Scary Flight Home - University of Michigan Athletics - MGoBlue
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