DURHAM, N.C. - In this day and age when college athletes change schools about as often as they switch their shoes - College of Charleston's Taylor and Taryn Barbot didn't chase the money or the brand name programs.
The twins were adamant on staying loyal to the school that gave them their first opportunity at the collegiate level.
Had the Barbot sisters decided to enter the NCAA's transfer portal last spring after leading the Cougars to a 25-win season, there would have been plenty of interested parties.
Taryn Barbot had been named the Coastal Athletic Association's player of the year, while Taylor had been one of the top point guards in the CAA.
According to College of Charleston coach Robin Harmony, as many as 80 different coaches reached out to the Barbot family trying to gauge their interest in leaving the Lowcountry for another program.
In the end, Taryn and Taylor Barbot remained at the downtown school for moments like the one the Cougars will experience Friday morning when they face Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in March Madness.
The No. 14 seeded Cougars (27-5) will take on ACC Tournament champion Duke (24-8) in the first game of the women's NCAA Tournament beginning at 11:30 a.m. on March 20.
The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Getting the Cougars program to the NCAA Tournament was a goal that both Taryn and Taylor set for themselves and the program when they signed with CofC back in 2023. Winning 25 games and getting within two wins of going to March Madness a year ago only fueled their fire to return and finish the job.
"There were some coaches that reached out to us, but, honestly, we never really thought about leaving," said Taylor Barbot, who led the CAA in assists per game, total assists and assist/turnover ratio during the 2025-26 season. "We wanted to get to the NCAA Tournament, and we probably should have done it last year. We wanted to be here when it happened."
A sentiment shared by her sister.
"Our goal was to win the CAA championship and go to March Madness," said Taryn, who was named CAA player of the year for a second straight season last week. "Sticking around wasn't that hard of a decision. This is a great school with great coaches and great teammates. I was definitely going to stick it out here."
Harmony knew the Barbot sisters would be a hot commodity had they entered the transfer portal, but the bond between the program and the family proved to be too much for any potential suitors.
"I'm not telling you we didn't hold our breath a little bit," Harmony said. "We have a good relationship with their family, their father. We talk to them every couple of weeks. The family is very loyal. They never went in the transfer portal.
"They still had people calling the family. I think it could have been something like 80 different coaches called them, offered them to try to steal them, and they said no. They turned down those types of offers, and we got to keep them."
The fact that the Barbots decided to stay in the Lowcountry surprised many who follow the sport, especially when there's a promise of a big pay day for the athletes and their agents.
"I think that nationally, our conference, everybody thought that they would probably jump because that's what happens nowadays," Harmony said. "They chase the green. They chase the money. If somebody offers them a big amount, it probably would be hard to turn down, but they did."
Even as seniors in high school and on the AAU circuit, Harmony knew what kind of impact the Barbot sisters could have on the Cougars program. She was convinced that they could be cornerstones to build a team around that would eventually make it to the Big Dance.
"Absolutely, that's what we thought when we recruited them," Harmony said. "We knew that both of them would be able to play, come in, be difference-makers. They're strong. They have that body. Really, it's their basketball IQ. They love the game. We learned early in the recruitment that they wanted to play together, and they do complement each other."