Kristin Haynie had a goal last season of doubling Central Michigan women’s basketball’s win total from her first year as head coach, and getting to the Mid-American Conference tournament in Cleveland. She accomplished both of those goals. This season, she’s looking to take the next step ― and that goes beyond just getting to Cleveland.

Her peers in the MAC seem to believe it’s possible. Central Michigan is the highest-ranked state team in the preseason conference poll, at fifth. Western Michigan is ranked ninth and Eastern Michigan is ranked 12th.

“Last year, we were young, so it’s been really good to see that experience come back,” Haynie, a former Michigan State star, said at CMU’s media day last month. “We kept our core group together, for the most part.

“The goals, the expectations

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