2016-17 Mississippi State Women's Basketball Media Guide

Page 38

MARYANN BAKER/SKYLAR COLLINS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

FIFTH SEASON AT MSU TEXAS A&M (2011)

Maryann Baker brings valuable experience both on the court

careers in College Station as the winningest duo in Aggie

and off to the Mississippi State coaching staff in her fifth sea-

basketball history, compiling a career record of 115-29 (.799).

son as the Bulldogs’ Director of Operations.

During that illustrious career, Baker went to the Elite Eight, Sweet 16 and NCAA Second Round during her first three seasons, but in her final campaign, she was able to reach the pin-

first full-time sideline job, she is no stranger to sharing the

nacle that all athletes strive to achieve when she helped guide

bench with Vic Schaefer as a player and graduate assistant

Texas A&M to the national title in the program’s first trip to the

coach.

Women’s Final Four. Baker also helped guide the Aggies to

ing logistics, travel and summer camps. Although she is in her

coaching staff following a stellar playing career that saw her

One reason Schaefer looked to Baker to join his staff was

help Texas A&M to four NCAA Tournament berths, including

her understanding of what it takes to excel both on and off the

the 2011 national title and a pair of Big 12 Tournament titles.

court. On the court, Baker scored 266 points in 116 career

Prior to coming to Starkville, she spent a season on the

During her first season on the sideline, the Aggies advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished the year 24-11 and No. 12 in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.

Big 12 Tournament championships in 2008 and 2010.

games, but she was also stellar in the classroom, garnering back-to-back Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors. Coming out of Bishop Lynch Catholic High School, Baker

The Dallas, Texas, native capped a stellar playing career

was rated the 25th-best shooting guard in the country by the

with the Aggies by winning the 2011 Big 12 Sixth Man Award

All-Star Girls Basketball Report. A McDonald’s All-American

before going on to help the program to a school-record 33

nominee, Baker was a three-time all-state and all-district hon-

wins and the 2011 national championship.

oree. In 2013 she was inducted into the school’s athletic hall

Baker and classmate Sydney Colson ended their four-year

of fame.

skylarCOLLINS

AWARDS/ HISTORY

THE HUMP/ FACILITIES

COACHES/ SUPPORT STAFF

Baker coordinates all of the team’s daily operations, includ-

2015-16 REVIEW

2016-17 TEAM

GENERAL

maryannBAKER

OPPONENTS

MEDIA INFO

MISSISSIPPI STATE

RECORDS

DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING/VIDEO COORDINATOR

FOURTH SEASON AT MSU TEXAS A&M (2012)

Mississippi State’s staff garnered another national cham-

range.

pionship-winning talent prior to the 2013-14 season with the

She saved the best for last, though, as she tallied a 48-per-

addition of former Texas A&M standout Skylar Collins as the

cent clip from the floor and a team-best 50-percent rate be-

program’s video coordinator.

yond the arc her senior year.

Collins, who added director of scouting to her title in 2014, is

Collins capped her career by going 4-for-4 from the field and

responsible for breaking down game and practice film, as well

2-for-2 from the free-throw line to tally 10 points and a pair of

as video exchange for Vic Schaefer’s squad.

steals against No. 5 Maryland in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Collins’ joining the Hail State Hoops staff signifies a return

That impressive showing in the “Big Dance” came after she

to the collegiate ranks for the Cedar Hills, Texas, native fol-

scored a career-best 15 points against Oklahoma in the Big 12

lowing a stint playing professional basketball for Sport Clube

Championship Semifinals.

do Recife in Brazil. The jump to the professional level came a year after Col-

The outstanding swan song helped Collins earn the team’s 6th Man Award and a second-straight Miss Hustle Award.

lins capped a stellar collegiate career that saw her help Texas

In addition to excelling on the court, she was also a standout

A&M to the NCAA Tournament all four years, including a pair

in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big 12 Second Team

of Sweet Sixteen appearances and the national title in 2011.

accolades.

During her career, Collins possessed the ability to stretch

Collins was rated the No. 44 overall prospect and sixth-best

defenses with her dangerous outside shooting touch. Over her

shooting guard in the Class of 2008 by All-Star Girls Basket-

four years with the Aggies, Collins was a 43.5-percent shooter

ball Report.

from the field, including a sizzling 44.2-percent from 3-point

36

2016-17 MISSISSIPPI STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FACT BOOK π 2016 NCAA SWEET 16


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