Vanderbilt's Gold Squad Fuels NCAA Tournament Run

0:00On March 22nd, Vanderbilt Women's basketball is riding high this season thanks in large part to their gold squad of practice players. These are unpaid Vanderbilt students, mostly men, who form a full scout team to mimic opponents in workouts. The move has fueled the Commodore's best year and over a decade, lending them a number two seed in the NCAA tournament, with a 28 and four. Record. Online past years, with just a few helpers or coaches filling in on the court, this dedicated group bless the team practice fully against tough. Competition. It keeps coaches safe from injuries, like one assistance torn Achilles before last year's madness. Now, the women head into their second round matchup against number seven seed Illinois, on March 23rd at 6 p.m. Central time, sent on ESPN 2. Right at home in Memorial Gymnasium, players and coaches rave about the impact. The gold squad brings serious physicality, sharpening rebounding and speed that showed a big in the first round blowout win, out rebounding high.

1:020.56-26 Vanderbilt Guard Michaela Blakes noted how they got humbled early, but improved fast from the daily battles. These guys commit fully, even joining film sessions to better scout foes and designing custom sneakers for the team. It's all part of Vanderbilt's family vibe, where practice players join team dinners and get treated like everyone else. Coach Shay Rauf pushed for this higher talent level after years of pushing her staff. As the tournament heats up, this behind-the-scenes crew could be the edge that carries Vanderbilt deep into March.