Women’s Hoops Deja Vu: The Usual Suspects, The
If you looked at the current projected No. 1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament and thought, "Wait, did I accidentally click on a highlight reel from last April?", don't worry. Your brain isn’t broken.
The basketball gods have hit copy-paste. The current top seeds are UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina. Yes, the exact same four squads from last year’s Final Four.
It’s like a reunion episode of your favorite sitcom, except everyone is taller and infinitely more athletic.
The Battle for Queen of the Hill
UConn is sitting pretty at the No. 1 overall spot. They are unbeaten, they are the defending champs, and they have the highest NET ranking in the country. Sure, the Big East is about as intimidating as a basket of kittens right now, but Geno Auriemma was smart enough to schedule a non-conference slate that looked like a "Who’s Who" of pain: Louisville, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Iowa. They beat them all.
But watch out for UCLA. The Bruins are currently projected as the second No. 1 seed, but they play in the Big Ten, which currently has twelve teams in the bracket. If UCLA survives that gauntlet without looking like they went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson, they might just steal that top overall seed.
Texas and South Carolina are fighting for the scraps. Texas has the edge because they actually beat the Gamecocks back in November. Head-to-head matters, folks.
The "Where Did You Come From?" Award: Texas Tech
Meanwhile, down in Lubbock, something weird is happening. Texas Tech is 17-0.
This is a program that hasn’t been to the tournament since 2013. Last year, they were 17-17. Now? They are undefeated and looking to host tournament games.
How? Experience. This team is older than some of the buildings on campus. Almost everyone in the rotation is a senior. They just survived a scare from West Virginia and upset Baylor thanks to Bailey Maupin having ice water in her veins at the free-throw line. The Red Raiders are officially the "Get Off My Lawn" team of the year, and I love it.
Duke: The Zombies of the ACC
A month ago, I was ready to write Duke’s obituary. They started the season getting smacked around by Baylor, South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU. It was ugly.
But apparently, Coach Kara Lawson was playing 4D chess. That brutal schedule toughened them up. Duke has won seven straight, they are 5-0 in the ACC, and their defense is strangling opponents. They just erased a deficit to beat Cal by scoring 24 points off turnovers. Duke is back from the dead, and they are hungry for brains (and basketballs).
LSU: The Paper Tigers?
And then we have LSU.
The Tigers are clinging to a high seed thanks to a No. 5 NET ranking, mostly because they beat up on teams you’ve never heard of by 50 points. Their non-conference strength of schedule ranks 339th. That is... not great. That is "cupcake city" territory.
They haven’t really played anyone except Duke (a good win, to be fair). But they opened SEC play by losing to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. If LSU wants to host tournament games, they need to beat Texas or Oklahoma in the next week. If not, that sparkly NET ranking is going to pop like a cheap balloon.
The season is heating up, folks. The rich get richer, Lubbock is loud, and LSU needs to find a quality win in a hurry. Buckle up.
