Thibault-DuDonis Named To WBCA Top Thirty Under 30
March 15, 2018 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – One of the top up-and-coming assistant coaches in the country, Mississippi State's Carly Thibault-DuDonis has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Top Thirty Under 30.
"I am really thankful and blessed to work for such a great boss in Coach (Vic) Schaefer," Thibault-DuDonis said. "An opportunity like this doesn't come along unless you work for great people and have a great team. I am thankful for all the opportunities I have had prior to coming to Mississippi State. They put me in the position to be here. It is not something I could have done alone."
In her second season with Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs, Thibault-DuDonis has helped Mississippi State's guards develop into some of the most efficient shooters in the country. Under her guidance this season, Victoria Vivians is enjoying the best season of her career, averaging 19.6 ppg and shooting personal highs with 48.5 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from 3-point range and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Vivians earned First Team All-SEC honors and was named a First Team All-American by USA Today and a Third Team All-American by ESPNW after scoring double figures in 32 of MSU's 33 games, including 15 games with 20 points and a pair of 30-point efforts.
She also mentored two of the top 3-point shooters in the nation in seniors Blair Schaefer and Roshunda Johnson.
Schaefer has enjoyed a breakout senior campaign, averaging 9.5 ppg while rating second in the SEC in 3-point field goals made (2.7) and fifth in percentage (41.7 percent).
Johnson has been equally as impressive from the arc, knocking down 2.1 3-pointers per game and making the triple at a 42.9-percent clip that is 16th in the nation and third in the SEC.
Thibault-DuDonis also coaches the Bulldogs at the free-throw line. This year's squad has once again been outstanding at the charity stripe, knocking down an SEC third-best 73.8 percent. That tally would set the school record and better the previous record set in her first season on campus.
In addition to her on-court duties, Thibault-DuDonis also coordinates the recruiting efforts for the Bulldogs, and in her first two seasons State has inked the Top 2 classes in program history. This season State inked a Top 10 class a year after notching one of the Top 20 classes in America.
Thibault-DuDonis' first two years in Starkville have been two of the best in school history. Last season MSU won a school-record 34 games and earned National Finalist honors in the program's first trip to the Final Four.
"We are so proud of Carly as she is very deserving of this award," Vic Schaefer said. "Her work ethic, knowledge of the game and communication skills allow her to be an outstanding coach at such a young age. I am really blessed and fortunate to have the staff I have with Carly, Dionnah (Jackson-Durrett) and Johnnie (Harris).
"Carly has done a great job with our recruiting. She gets us organized and keeps us organized in addition to her knowledge of the game. She has done an incredible job with the development of our guards. She deserves a lot of credit there as well".
This season's Bulldogs claimed the first undefeated regular season by an SEC school since 1997-98 en route to winning the program's first SEC championship. State also notched the second-best win streak in conference annals as it reeled off 32-straight victories.
This year's State squad also claimed the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"I am really thankful and blessed to work for such a great boss in Coach (Vic) Schaefer," Thibault-DuDonis said. "An opportunity like this doesn't come along unless you work for great people and have a great team. I am thankful for all the opportunities I have had prior to coming to Mississippi State. They put me in the position to be here. It is not something I could have done alone."
In her second season with Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs, Thibault-DuDonis has helped Mississippi State's guards develop into some of the most efficient shooters in the country. Under her guidance this season, Victoria Vivians is enjoying the best season of her career, averaging 19.6 ppg and shooting personal highs with 48.5 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from 3-point range and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Vivians earned First Team All-SEC honors and was named a First Team All-American by USA Today and a Third Team All-American by ESPNW after scoring double figures in 32 of MSU's 33 games, including 15 games with 20 points and a pair of 30-point efforts.
She also mentored two of the top 3-point shooters in the nation in seniors Blair Schaefer and Roshunda Johnson.
Schaefer has enjoyed a breakout senior campaign, averaging 9.5 ppg while rating second in the SEC in 3-point field goals made (2.7) and fifth in percentage (41.7 percent).
Johnson has been equally as impressive from the arc, knocking down 2.1 3-pointers per game and making the triple at a 42.9-percent clip that is 16th in the nation and third in the SEC.
Thibault-DuDonis also coaches the Bulldogs at the free-throw line. This year's squad has once again been outstanding at the charity stripe, knocking down an SEC third-best 73.8 percent. That tally would set the school record and better the previous record set in her first season on campus.
In addition to her on-court duties, Thibault-DuDonis also coordinates the recruiting efforts for the Bulldogs, and in her first two seasons State has inked the Top 2 classes in program history. This season State inked a Top 10 class a year after notching one of the Top 20 classes in America.
Thibault-DuDonis' first two years in Starkville have been two of the best in school history. Last season MSU won a school-record 34 games and earned National Finalist honors in the program's first trip to the Final Four.
"We are so proud of Carly as she is very deserving of this award," Vic Schaefer said. "Her work ethic, knowledge of the game and communication skills allow her to be an outstanding coach at such a young age. I am really blessed and fortunate to have the staff I have with Carly, Dionnah (Jackson-Durrett) and Johnnie (Harris).
"Carly has done a great job with our recruiting. She gets us organized and keeps us organized in addition to her knowledge of the game. She has done an incredible job with the development of our guards. She deserves a lot of credit there as well".
This season's Bulldogs claimed the first undefeated regular season by an SEC school since 1997-98 en route to winning the program's first SEC championship. State also notched the second-best win streak in conference annals as it reeled off 32-straight victories.
This year's State squad also claimed the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Players Mentioned
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