Arkansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Michigan.

What do these eight universities have in common?

Well, they're the only in Division I that have a top six seed in both the women's and the men's

NCAA tournaments.

For the women, this is the highest seed in program history.

For the men, it's the first one seed

since the head coach was a player. It's been special to see how these two programs feed

off one another. At the head coach position, you've got Joanne Howard and Kim Barnes-Riko. They've

used each other as confidants, as sounding boards, as advisors, as friends during this never-before-seen type of a season

and think about it. Who else could so seamlessly understand and relate to their individual

challenges than the other? They are the two head basketball coaches at the University of Michigan.

And the players are close. You can tell there's a respect and admiration and some playful competition among them,

all even in this season of Zooms and masks and social distancing and when they can't go

to the other team's games.

Some of those praising Nas's 50-point performance most passionately are in that men's locker room.

And some of those most disheartened about the Isaiah Liver's injury are in the women's locker room here in Ann Arbor.

I'm sure there are similar stories across college basketball.

I'm not naive in thinking that this only exists at Michigan.

But I do believe that the elevation of the two programs together is something that does not happen everywhere.

It doesn't happen very much at all.

Case and point, that's that I gave off the top.

Only seven other programs have accomplished what Michigan's two basketball programs have accomplished,

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