In watching the women's NCAA Selection Show and listening to the commentary being offered by the panel of experts, I couldn't help but run through my own belief as to who would sail through the tournament. Would UCONN go all the way unscathed? Who will wear Cinderella's slipper?
At first glance it appears that the committee did a good job of seeding teams. You can't make everyone happy and ultimately someone is going to have to travel well away from their fan base. The number one seeds seem to be what was expected. Even the ESPN commentators agreed these were the top four seeds in the tournament.
The Dayton regional pits the overall number one seed UCONN here. One of the most repeated questions nowadays as we enter March Madness is,..."can anybody upset UCONN?" An intriguing match-up, if it gets that far, is UCONN vs. Ohio State. If you have seen Ohio State play, you've got to like their post play (Jantel Lavender) and point guard (Samantha Prahalis). This is an exciting team to watch and a team with a lot of heart. Part of the madness of March is the idea that on any given night, David can slay Goliath. It's why we play the games! I still think UCONN is destined to be one of the final four.
The Memphis regional has for it's number one seed, Tennessee. With the likes of Baylor, Texas, LSU and Duke as well as some newcomers, West Virginia and Georgetown, I anticipate some exciting games to take place in this region. I pick Duke and Tennessee in the Elite Eight with Tennessee not letting Duke spoil their bid for a final four spot.
The Sacramento regional puts Stanford in as the number one seed. I don't want to belittle a team, but of the four regions, I feel Stanford has the easiest route. Texas A&M has peaked at just the right time, but I just don't think it's enough to get them a final four spot. Stanford assumes the position of Sacramento regional winner.
Finally, the Kansas City regional has Nebraska as the number one seed. My Cinderella team is here, with the number six seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets who I have upsetting Oklahoma, but going no further. I also like Harper and the N.C. State Wolfpack beating UCLA. Still Nebraska gets through this region to join the other number one seeds for the final four.
I pick Stanford and UCONN in the title game with a totally different game being played out. Although I think the game will be tighter this time around, I still feel it will be the same outcome.
The women's tourney starts Saturday so you have only a few days to get your bracket printed and filled out. Need a bracket, click here. Think you're pretty good, ESPN is offering it's bracket challenge again. You can compete for prizes, click here for the tournament challenge. March Madness is one of those unique moments, two and a half weeks of ball, ball and more ball! Players playing off emotion, fans enthusiastic about the unknown and the occasional upset that sparks a fire. It's a time to play the games and truly leave it all on the court. Win or go home! Get your bracket and get ready, countdown is on,....tip off starts in four days!
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