For nearly 25 years, Gary Blair has, likely unbeknownst to himself, helped raise the next generation of great college women’s basketball coaches. Now the head coach at Texas A&M, Blair has seen two of his former assistants and pupils at Arkansas blossom and grow into their own successful careers. Today, those two meet when Mississippi State plays the University of Washington in the Sweet Sixteen.
However, despite their time under the same man, Vic Schaefer and Mike Neighbors couldn’t present two more contrasting styles of basketball, and tonight’s game will be quite the clash in approaches for the men who have remained friends throughout their careers.