Jody Conradt, her team and a little town 2 hours northwest of Austin can finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
Conradt won her 900th game Tuesday night after losing six of her last seven, making her one of two coaches in the entire NCAA basketball landscape to reach that mark. Pat Summitt at Tennessee is the other. Conradt's left such legends as John Wooden, Dean Smith and Phog Allen in her wake.
While winning those hundreds of games - and a national title to boot - Conradt's earned attention and respect, receiving spots in multiple halls of fame. But no one's taken more notice of her than the people of Goldthwaite.
Goldthwaite boasts about 2,000 residents. It's the town where Conradt grew up, where she averaged more than 40 points a game during her four years in high school. And, according to Mayor Mike McMahan, it's the town she put on the map.
"We just feel fortunate she's from here, and we've known her all our life," McMahan said.
The 55-year-old McMahan has kept a close eye on Conradt's career, as has most of Goldthwaite's population. A sign near the city limits declares you're approaching her hometown.
Conradt's squad has struggled this season and will need a large dose of benevolence from the NCAA selection committee to compete in this season's tourney, but Conradt's accomplishment should not be overlooked.
Nor should the team. While the Longhorns have notched a modest 18 wins, they've beaten No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 13 Texas A&M. They've shown that when they put their minds to it, they can beat some of the top teams in the nation. With 64 bids to hand out, the selection committee just might be able to find a spot for the Texas team. ESPN's Bracketology currently projects the team as a 12 seed.
That was before they lost 67-58 Wednesday night against the Sooners. The ground these women stand on couldn't be any shakier.
"We're hopeful," Conradt said. "I think our team did everything they could do to try play themselves into the tournament."
But even if Conradt fails to put a team in the field of 64 for the second straight year, she knows she has loyal, albeit frustrated, fans in Goldthwaite.
"When we get beat, or when things are down, we all hurt," McMahan said.
"We all" is the 99.9 percent of town residents that he estimates know who she is. Their kids practice in the same gym that she started her basketball career in. Goldthwaite Eagles look up to her - their reminder that growing up in a pixel of a town doesn't mean they can't affect the world.
"Jody continues to be a role model," McMahan said. "Not only for girls, but for young men around here."
Labels: Austin, basketball, Dean Smith, Goldthwaite, Jody Conradt, John Wooden, longhorns, NCAA, Oklahoma, OU, selection committee, Sooners, Texas, ut
