All of the universities with a powerhouse NCAA women’s b-ball program recruit a “pick-up” men’s team from the student body for their varsity women’s team to practice against. These typically are young men who weren’t good enough to get a sports scholarship at any uni where they wanted to go. Yet these “scrub” men perpetually give the women’s team a drubbing.
Which is the whole point. The women aren’t likely to improve as much playing against their own second string as they do playing against a bunch of boys they can’t beat.
And when the women win titles, the practice men get rings. Michigan MBB head coach Mike Boynton started as Susan Walvius’ assistant at South Carolina’s women’s programme after his playing career ended.
I once upon a time regularly watched Maria Sharapova practice at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida in 2004 during the afternoon heat. She always practiced against men who were former professional or NCAA champion level players. She was a monster worker and easy on the eyes…