LSU Is Top Seed In Women’s Bracket
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Southeastern Conference powers LSU and Tennessee received no. 1 seeds in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Sunday, joined by ACC tournament champ North Carolina and a team that reached that level for the first time in program history: Michigan State.
The Big Ten tournament champions edged Stanford – which just last week climbed atop the Associated Press poll for the first time this year – to take the no. 1 spot in a bracket that’s sure to be tough.
That’s because the Kansas City Regional includes the top-ranked Cardinal as the no. 2 seed; Connecticut, winner of the last three national championships, gets the no. 3 spot; and Kansas State, runner-up in the Big 12 tournament, was no. 4.
LSU (29-2) landed in the Chattanooga Regional, the closest site to its campus. Tennessee was no.1 in Philadelphia and North Carolina topped the Tempe bracket. The women’s tournament scrapped the East, Mideast, Midwest, and West designations for regionals this year and replaced them with the name of the city hosting the regional semifinals and finals.
The other no. 2 seeds were ACC co-champion Duke (Chattanooga), Big 12 champion Baylor (Tempe), and Big Ten co-champion Ohio State (Philadelphia).
LSU, which was ranked no. 1 much of the season, won the SEC regular-season championship, then dropped a two point game to Tennessee in the finals of the conference tournament. Tennessee (26-4) was the regular-season runnerup, losing only to LSU in league play.
It’s the 17th time in the 24 years of the NCAA women’s tournament that Tennessee has been a no. 1 seed. The Lady Vols have won six national championships, more than any other program, and have been in the NCAA tournament every year.
In the first round beginning Saturday, Tennessee takes on Western Carolina; LSU plays Stetson; North Carolina hosts Coppin State, and Michigan State faces Alcorn State.
As for Connecticut, the three-time defending champs will take on Ivy League champ Dartmouth in the first round next weekend. Fresh off their Big East tournament championship win, the Huskies (23-7) are making their 17th straight appearance in the tournament.
Rutgers, the third seed in the Philadelphia regional will take on Hartford, the 14th-seeded team coached by former U-Conn star Jennifer Rizzotti in Storrs this weekend.
