When the primary spherical of the NCAA girls’s basketball event begins Friday, the UCLA Bruins can be its high general seed.
It’s the highest seed within the UCLA’s historical past, however whether or not it may possibly stay on high of the 68-team subject can be decided over the following three weeks resulting in the nationwide semifinals on April 4 and the championship recreation on April 6 at Amalie Enviornment in Tampa, Florida.
The highest challengers for UCLA (30-2) embrace fellow No. 1 seeds South Carolina (30-3), Texas (31-3), and USC (28-3). Behind JuJu Watkins, the Huge Ten Participant of the 12 months and the nation’s second-leading scorer at 24.6 factors per recreation, the Trojans handed UCLA its solely two losses. However UCLA earned revenge this week, beating its crosstown rival within the Huge Ten event championship recreation by overcoming a 13-point deficit.
South Carolina’s streak of 4 consecutive tournaments as the highest general seed was snapped. Derita Dawkins, the chair of the event’s choice committee, informed ESPN on Sunday that UCLA’s head-to-head win over South Carolina by 15 factors on Nov. 24 was an element within the Bruins’ incomes the highest seed.
The opposite issue, Dawkins mentioned, “was one in all our standards which was aggressive in losses, and South Carolina suffered a 29-point loss to UConn.”
Connecticut, the nation’s best-shooting staff at 50.8% this season, is a conventional powerhouse that has superior to 3 consecutive Last Fours, however it’s searching for its first nationwide title since 2016. The Huskies, the No. 2 seed in USC’s area, are led by Paige Bueckers, who’s projected as a possible No. 1 decide in subsequent month’s WNBA draft.
The opposite No. 2 seeds are Duke, North Carolina State and TCU. TCU is an intriguing entrant — taking part in in a area headlined by in-state rival Texas — after it made its first event since 2010. Simply 8-23 two seasons in the past, the Horned Frogs are 31-3 in coach Mark Campbell’s second season.
Texas tied South Carolina atop the SEC standings within the common season and is paced by SEC Participant of the 12 months Madison Booker.
Fifth-seeded Tennessee prolonged its streak of showing in all 43 girls’s basketball tournaments because the NCAA hosted its first version in 1982.
Matchups within the First 4, which is able to decide the 4 opponents who will draw UCLA, USC, South Carolina and Texas, will happen Wednesday and Thursday. The rounds of 64 and 32 will happen Friday-Monday, with the Candy 16 and the Elite Eight operating March 28-31.
The Ivy League produced three event berths, for Harvard, Columbia and Princeton.
Grand Canyon, Arkansas State, Fairleigh Dickinson, UC San Diego, George Mason and William & Mary are first-time event entrants.
Andrew Greif
Andrew Greif is a contract sports activities journalist.