Say this time last season, someone's asked outside of Ann Arbor or outside the state of Michigan,

hey, can you describe the Wolverines women's basketball team? Unquestionably, the conversation would

have started with Nas Hillman. And for many, that's where the conversation would have ended,

probably. Nas was the star of a program still trying to take that next step to break through into that upper

echelon nationally. Fast forward a year. And no doubt, Nas is still the star of this program,

but she is far from alone. This clip from last week's conversation with Kim Barnes-Riko stuck with me.

People in the community. I mean, people all around the world. I mean, our kids go places

now and people recognize them. And they tell me, coach, this is the first time ever. Like,

you know, we can't go out and people like, oh, Nas. And not only Nas, but, you know, Danielle

Rouse is like, wow, everybody knows who I am. There are a number of reasons for that, beating

Tennessee to reach your first ever Sweet 16,

taking a Baylor team to the wire in that round.

The Lady Bears then took Yukon to the wire in the elite eight.

But I think Nas deserves credit for it in an interesting way.

Nas is still this team's best player.

She stuffs the box score.

She is the 1A focal point on the opponent's scouting report.

Yet, she plays unselfishly, she wants to see her teammates succeed, she elevates them when being

asked about her own excellence. And you sense that mutual respect, that mutual love that her teammates

feel for her and the appreciation they

have for her efforts. I don't care what field you're in. To advance, you need to be good,

but you also need some help. You need someone, many people oftentimes, to invest in you,

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