Maggie Doogan is exactly the kind of kid who grew up dreaming of March Madness. She was tall for her age, grew up 30-minutes outside of basketball-obsessed Philadelphia and had a coach for a mom. Britt Prince was the same way. Her mom coached her throughout high school, and Prince, an Omaha native, grew up attending Nebraska basketball camps, dreaming of the day she would be a Cornhusker.
The two basketball-loving coaches kids met in a First Four matchup in Durham on Wednesday, with Prince’s Huskers winning 75-56.
It wasn’t the way someone like Doogan deserved to go out, but as I’ve often said, basketball mirrors life. And life isn’t always fair. Doogan’s commitment to the Spiders should be celebrated. A deep tournament run would have been the perfect way to do that, but instead, college basketball says goodbye to Maggie Doogan in anticlimactic fashion.
But one moment doesn’t define Doogan. Instead, her college career is defined by excellence and loyalty. She’s been one of the country’s top mid-major players since her freshman season as a Spider. And last season, Doogan made waves in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, she led Richmond past Georgia Tech with 30 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists for the program’s first March Madness victory in history. Then, against No. 1 seed UCLA, Doogan was one of the best players on the court, despite her team’s loss. She had 27 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
It was the kind of performance that would have had Power 4 coaches salivating. If Doogan had entered the portal, as is in fashion, she would have been courted by teams across the country. If she had left, Doogan wouldn’t be going home after scoring 24 points in a lopsided loss as the only Spider to hit double-digits. She would probably be on a contending team, poised to make a deep tournament run. Instead, Doogan picked the school that picked her first. She stayed where she was happy and didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. Doogan didn’t go out on top, but she did go out on her own terms, and that’s powerful in itself.
Meanwhile, the other coach’s kid is just getting started. Prince has all the makings of a tournament darling. She grew up loving Nebraska. She plays with her hair down, flowing behind her. And she’s damn good at basketball. Prince has been her team’s leader in points (17.4), assists (4.5) and steals (1.5) all season, and on Wednesday, she showcased her skills on a national stage, finishing with 22 points, 5 assists and 2 blocks.
Like Doogan, Prince is taking her own path. She could have gone to Louisville, Iowa, Michigan, Oregon or UCLA, but she chose the Huskers, a team that has never made it past the Sweet Sixteen. Why? Because she dreamed of going there. Because it felt right. Because it was home.
On Wednesday the two met in March. Prince and her Huskers won and Doogan and her Spiders went home. Doogan’s college career is over and Prince’s is just getting started. We said goodbye to one superstar and hello to another.
Both are carving out their own legacies, and thanks to March Madness, we get to be a part of the journey.