Army coach gets an assist from big brother
The decision was not an easy one at first for Maggie Dixon.
The top assistant and recruiting coordinator for Doug Bruno at DePaul, the 28-year-old Dixon had a chance to lead her own program when West Point came calling in October.
But the military?
"When I got the first phone call, I thought the military life is not for me," she said.
Not only did she have to sell Army basketball to recruits, but she had to sell them on the idea of military service after basketball. She turned to her sounding board and idol -- big brother Jamie Dixon, coach of the No. 22 Pittsburgh men.
"It was a completely unique situation," Jamie Dixon said. "We talked about that she's got to find out what your niche is and what your strengths are. You've got to sell that."
Twelve years her senior, Jamie Dixon knew his sister would find her niche. She always has.
"She's able to fit in any situation. She has a very outgoing personality," he said.
He recalled the time after she graduated from the University of San Diego in 1999 and tried out for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, but was cut. It was a low moment that upset both brother and sister. They talked about it that night, but by morning Maggie told her brother she was fine and it was time to move on -- literally.
That very day she drove to Chicago with friends and settled into an apartment just down the street from DePaul.
"She was there a couple days. She walked into Doug Bruno's office and was working a camp later that day," Jamie said. "By the end of the summer she had a job, and has moved up each year."
She said she wants to impress upon potential recruits at West Point the opportunities available to them. By the time they finish their military obligation at the relatively young age of 27 or 28, they will have been leaders, making decisions on the fly and dealing with a variety of personalities.
The Black Knights (6-7) are in their 16th year in the Patriot League. Three months into her new job, Maggie Dixon has no regrets.
"A lot of people thought I was crazy for taking this job, but then I met the kids and met the administration and all the people at West Point," she said. "I knew it was going to be tough, but it's probably the best decision I've ever made in my life."
She credits her brother for getting her into basketball and keeping her there. She said she was about 13 when she started to play at a competitive level.
"Jamie's been an amazing role model for me," she said. "When I watched him as a coach I saw the life he was living and it was hard, you give up a lot, but at the end of the day it's an amazing job -- to be able to teach kids and be around basketball."
West Point made it a family affair this past fall when Dixon was introduced as the seventh coach in program history. Officials flew her parents, Jim and Marge, who are New York natives, in from California. She also was joined by her sister, Julie Silva, an attorney with Los Angeles County, a family friend and, of course, her big brother.
"I get goose bumps just thinking about that day," she said.
As for Jamie, the feeling was mutual.
"It was one of the best days of my life," he said.
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JUDGING NO. 1s: @ Old Dominion opened the season against No. 1 Duke and finished its non-conference schedule this week at current No. 1 Tennessee. The Lady Monarchs lost to both.
In between, Old Dominion also dropped games to three other ranked teams: Vanderbilt, Rutgers and North Carolina. The slate has earned the Lady Monarchs the toughest schedule in the nation, according to the latest RPI rankings.
"Every single team that we played, bar one or two, had some exceptional talent on their team," Old Dominion coach Wendy Larry said.
Duke was the No. 1 team until Dec. 5, when Tennessee took over the top spot after beating Texas and Stanford. The Blue Devils also beat Texas, but not by as much.
Duke won at Old Dominion 93-56 on Nov. 20 against a Lady Monarchs squad missing two projected starters injured in the preseason. "Duke now has speed and is as gifted athletically as they've ever been. They have a tremendous amount of depth," Larry said.
The Lady Vols beat Old Dominion 83-67 on Monday in Knoxville, Tenn.
"Across the board, Tennessee's size is significant. Now, if their bench continues to get more and more effective and help consistently, I can't imagine what it would be like down the road," Larry said.
As for the Lady Monarch players, who pushed No. 5 North Carolina to overtime before losing, they could not pick which opponent had been the most difficult.
"All the teams that we've played have a lot of different styles," guard T.J. Jordan said. "I wouldn't say any of them are the toughest."
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DISCOVERING COLUMBUS:@ The Ashlee Tribilcock sweepstakes is over, and Ohio State finished on top.
The highly sought transfer from UCLA signed with the No. 10 Buckeyes this week over Connecticut and Oklahoma. The 5-foot-9 freshman guard from Newhale, Calif., played in just four games for the Bruins this season. She is the all-time leading scorer at Hart High School with 2,383 career points, and led the school to four straight league titles.
Dozens of scholarship offers poured in when she opted to transfer. She can practice with the Buckeyes for the remainder of the season and will be eligible for games in mid-December of the 2006-07 season.
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BUZZER BEATER:@ Delaware's Melissa Czorniewy had the big shot of the week in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The sophomore guard hit a basket at the buzzer to lift the Blue Hens to a 49-48 win over host St. Joseph's in the title game of the Hawk Classic. She also led the Blue Hens to a 48-44 victory over previously unbeaten Bowling Green in the opening round. Czorniewy averaged 13.5 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had five steals in the two games and earned CAA Player of the Week honors, her first of the season.
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AP Sports Writer Elizabeth A. Davis in Knoxville, Tenn., contributed to this report.
