Longtime Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw on CMU: 'I don't think of them as a Mid-Major'
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Central Michigan plays Michigan State; Notre Dame plays Bethune-Cookman.
However, wins from the No. 8 Chippewas and No. 1 Fighting Irish in the NCAA Tournament first round would bring legendary coach Muffet McGraw and 12th-year CMU coach Sue Guevara together on the court for a matchup in the second round on Monday.
Sitting back in her chair on Friday morning, McGraw was asked if she respects the Chippewas, and if Guevara's team has made enough noise to gain national recognition.
McGraw's answer: Without a doubt.
"I have a lot of respect for Sue Guevara," McGraw said. "She's done an outstanding job. I don't think of them as a Mid-Major. They're a team that's getting an at-large bid."
McGraw's accolades are off the charts. She owns an 819-230 record with Notre Dame (1987-present), two NCAA Tournament titles, eight Final Four appearances, four ACC Tournament championships, five ACC regular season crowns, and she's a three-time Naismith Coach of the Year.
Guevara has been at CMU since 2007, and she's set to make her third NCAA Tournament appearance with the Chippewas at 1 p.m. Saturday against MSU.
"They are in a conference that nobody can look past," McGraw said. "It's going to be a great game tomorrow between them and Michigan State."
Senior guard Presley Hudson, senior forward Reyna Frost and Guevara want respect from schools like Notre Dame, Stanford, UConn, Mississippi State, Iowa, Baylor and others.
As a Mid-Major team from Mount Pleasant, CMU has proved over the years it can battle against the best.
No longer are highly ranked opponents like a David vs. Goliath situation for Guevara's team. It's Goliath vs. Goliath.
"You can take out the Mid-Major and Power 5 because it's March Madness, baby," Guevara said on March 20. "That's what it is. Doesn't matter the seed or if you have a direction in front of your name."
The madness was exemplified a season ago when the Chippewas won the Mid-American Conference Tournament and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, beating No. 6 LSU and No. 2 Ohio State before falling in the Sweet 16 to No. 3 Oregon.
"Experience is huge because you know what it's like to play in front of all those people like we did against Ohio State," Hudson said.
Guevara's dangerous team also showed why respect is deserved through a tightly contested game against Louisville on Dec. 20. CMU outplayed the No. 5 Cardinals for a majority of the event but eventually lost by four, 72-68.
The Chippewas also beat Buffalo twice during the regular season. The Bulls won the MAC Tournament and are a No. 10 seed in the Big Dance. Even though CMU didn't get the automatic bid, it still ranks as the highest-seed from the MAC.
"I think their conference is one of the strongest, maybe seventh-best behind the Power 5 and Big East," McGraw said.
Along with proving themselves to McGraw over the past few years, the Chippewas boast Frost – one of the best players in the country.
Frost was recently named one of five finalists for the Katrina McClain Award, which is given to the top power forward in women's college basketball. The other four finalists are Baylor's Lauren Cox, UConn's Napheesa Collier, Oregon's Ruthy Hebard and Stanford's Alanna Smith.
One name left off the list was Notre Dame's Jessica Shepard, a 6-foot-4 senior forward. She averages 16.5 points per game and 9.9 rebounds. Against Louisville on March 10, Shepard threw in a season-high 30 points.
Frost, on the other hand, averages 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. She was the MAC Player of the Year, owns 29 double-doubles in 2018-19 and poured in a season-high 39 points on Feb. 23. Frost also had two 21-rebound performances.
McGraw has taken notice of the 6-foot forward from small-town Reese, just east of Saginaw.
"I think Frost is one of the best players in the country," McGraw said. "She beat Jess for top five at their position, so she's somebody that has a lot of respect across the nation."
Throughout her all-time coaching career with Michigan and CMU, Guevara is 6-5 against Michigan State and 1-4 against Notre Dame.
In order to get to McGraw and the Fighting Irish, the Chippewas have to take down No. 9 Michigan State. The Spartans, coached by former CMU player Suzy Merchant, enter the tournament 20-11 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten Conference.
