Hailey Van Lith gets nickname from TCU coach after making March Madness history

TCU head coach Mark Campbell believes that Hailey Van Lith has earned the nickname 'Miss March' after she became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to lead three different teams to the Elite Eight.

Van Lith scored 26 points in a 71-62 win over No.

3 Notre Dame on Saturday to create history, and Campbell started the post-game press conference by honoring the star guard .

By beating the Fighting Irish, No.

2 TCU extended its unprecedented season and enters uncharted territory, which won't surprise Campbell due to his glowing assessment of Van Lith since she joined the program.

After entering the transfer portal at the end of last season and leaving LSU , Van Lith has become a Horned Frogs legend.

Campbell was asked by a reporter whether Van Lith should be called 'Miss March' moving forward, and the TCU head coach was keen on the idea.

"The 'Miss March' is deserved and earned," Campbell said.

"In this era of the portal and the modern-day college athlete, and there are a lot of bad stories in the portal, but Hailey Van Lith leading three schools five times to the Elite Eight, 'Miss March,' yes, she gets that title and she can own it.

"And it's funny, you guys, one of the narratives with Hailey coming into the year at the highest level is can she defend? I mean, gosh dang, she is an elite defender.

I don't know where that came from, but with us she laces them up and she wants to guard the other team's best player and she does it.

"It's not like you're trying to hide Hailey.

The competitive spirit that she has to be our playmaker, it generates offensive opportunities that we have.

And on the other end always being willing to square up against the other team's best guard, she is elite, man.

The kid's competitive spirit, DNA and the heart that's inside her chest is unmatched." The introduction of the transfer portal continues to be debated, but Campbell and the Horned Frogs have taken full advantage of it.

All five starters on Saturday were not initially recruited by TCU, but were acquired later through the transfer portal.

Van Lith has also been very active, starting off at Louisville before a brief stop at LSU before committing to the Horned Frogs for her final year.

Van Lith's decision to join the Tigers for the 2023-24 season didn't work out as expected, but Campbell is proud that the Horned Frogs have got things right after being asked about what makes TCU different.

"Great question.

It really is.

Part of it was necessity," Campbell said.

"Like when we took over the 1-17 team, the portal allows you to get old really quickly.

It allows you to get talent really quickly, but a lot of people try it and it doesn't work.

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"I want to give a lot of credit to my staff.

We value our culture.

We value getting the right personalities, egos, alphas.

As you put together a team, you have your basketball piece and your style of play -- you've got to get that piece right, and I think that's what most people spend their time on.

"But you've got to get the locker room right.

You've got to get the people part right.

So we have worked incredibly hard to vet and try to get the right pieces.

"We have passed on really talented players that don't quite fit.

And you need a little luck in there, too, to get things right.

And we have.

We did six portal kids last year, six this year and we've signed 12 portal kids to go from 1-17 to an Elite Eight team." TCU will continue its dream season on Monday when facing No.

1 Texas, and Van Lith has already seen what awaits her.

The Horned Frogs roster sat in the crowd after their win over Notre Dame, as No.

5 Tennessee bowed out with a 67-59 defeat..

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