Daybreak Staley and South Carolina may see some acquainted faces on their path to making an attempt to complete off an undefeated season.
The Gamecocks, who’re the No. 1 total seed within the girls’s NCAA Event, need to change into the tenth girls’s basketball staff to go unbeaten for a whole season.
They’d an opportunity final season earlier than falling simply quick in opposition to Caitlin Clark and Iowa within the Ultimate 4. The Hawkeyes obtained the opposite No. 1 seed within the Albany Regional. The 2 groups wouldn’t probably face off till the nationwide championship sport this time. Iowa is a one-seed for the primary time since 1992.
USC and star freshman JuJu Watkins earned the Trojans’ first No. 1 seed since 1986 because the best choice in a Portland Regional. Texas earned the fourth No. 1 seed, its first since 2004, and can play Drexel within the different Portland Regional opener. There was debate whether or not Texas or Stanford would get the fourth No. 1 seed.
“To say we talked about it greater than as soon as was an understatement,” mentioned NCAA choice committee Chair Lisa Peterson. “What it got here right down to was Texas needed to play three match groups to get to the (Massive 12) championship.”
South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley’s squad has been challenged just a few occasions this yr, together with needing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kamilla Cardoso to win the semifinals of the SEC Event over Tennessee, however has all the time pulled by. The Gamecocks, who’re a No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive yr, will play the winner of Sacred Coronary heart and Presbyterian within the first spherical of the match.
“I all the time really feel good to be the No. 1 total seed and to be undefeated,” Staley mentioned. “I’m excited as a result of we get an opportunity to know what our path is to win the nationwide championship and, all nice groups, loads of acquainted faces which can be in our area. However we have now to take it one sport at a time and that’s what we’ll do on Friday.”
Cardoso will miss the opening sport after getting ejected for combating within the SEC title sport. The Gamecocks would have her again for a possible second-round matchup in opposition to both North Carolina or Michigan State. South Carolina beat the Tar Heels earlier within the season.
“Thankfully for us, it’s somebody we performed with out for 4 video games this season,” Staley mentioned. “We all know we’re a greater basketball staff when Kamilla Cardoso is within the lineup.”
Becoming a member of the Gamecocks within the Albany Area are No. 2 seed Notre Dame, third-seeded Oregon State and fourth-seeded Indiana. South Carolina opened up its season in opposition to the Irish, routing them in Paris.
Clark, who grew to become the NCAA’s all-time main scorer this yr, is making an attempt to win her first title. The Hawkeyes open up in opposition to the winner of Holy Cross and UT Martin. Becoming a member of the Hawkeyes of their area are No. 2 UCLA, defending champion and third-seeded LSU and fourth-seeded Kansas State. The Tigers beat the Hawkeyes for the nationwide championship final yr.
The opposite prime groups in USC’s bracket are Ohio State, UConn and Virginia Tech. The Huskies have been the final staff to go undefeated in a season, working by the 2015-16 season.
Texas may need to take care of No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 North Carolina State and fourth-seeded Gonzaga.
The NCAA modified its format final season and is having two regional websites for the Candy 16 and Elite Eight rounds. Albany, New York, hosts one and Portland, Oregon, the opposite. As soon as once more the highest 4 groups in every area will host the opening two rounds.
The match begins Wednesday with two First 4 video games. The total insanity begins with 16 video games Friday and 16 extra the subsequent day. The Ultimate 4 can be performed in Cleveland this yr for the primary time since 2007. The nationwide semifinals are on April 5, with the championship sport two days later.
Tennessee continued its streak of showing in all 42 NCAA Tournaments. On the opposite finish, Presbyterian, California Baptist, Columbia and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are all making their first look.
The Lions have been one of many final 4 groups within the discipline. Simply outdoors the sector of 68 have been Penn State, Washington State, Miami and Villanova.
“There have been seven or eight colleges we talked about,” Peterson mentioned of the ultimate few spots. “That dialog lasted over two days.”
The Atlantic Coast Convention and Southeastern Convention each have eight groups within the discipline. The Massive Ten, Pac-12 and Massive 12 every have seven. The Massive East has three groups. The West Coast Convention and Ivy League every have two. It’s the second time that the Ivy League has gotten an at-large bid.
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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness