USC and UCLA Secure Top Seeds in Latest NCAA Tournament Projections
The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is heating up, and the latest projections from the NCAA selection committee have kicked off some intense discussion. According to the committee’s second reveal, which occurred on Thursday, the University of Southern California (USC) has secured a No. 1 seed, joining UCLA, Texas, and Notre Dame in the top tier. The committee, led by chair Derita Dawkins, was particularly impressed with USC’s win over UCLA, which remains the Bruins’ only loss of the season. This win, along with the Trojans’ consistent performance since then, has solidified their position at the top.
Intense Competition and Shifting Seeds
The competition for the top spots has been fierce, with significant movement among the top 16 seeds. Dawkins noted that the committee spent a considerable amount of time deliberating over the teams in the third to sixth positions, where the rankings have been particularly fluid. One of the major upsets that influenced these rankings was South Carolina’s 29-point home loss to UConn, which dropped the defending national champions to a No. 2 seed. Despite this, Dawkins emphasized that a lot of basketball remains to be played, with the Power 4 conferences concluding their regular seasons this weekend and their conference tournaments set for the following week.
Top 16 Seeds and Regional Play
The top 16 seeds in the 68-team field will host the first and second rounds of the tournament, while the regional rounds will be played at neutral sites for the third consecutive year. Spokane, Washington, and Birmingham, Alabama, will host the Sweet 16 teams, with Spokane taking half and Birmingham the other half. UCLA, the overall No. 1 seed, and USC, the No. 1 seed in the Spokane Regional, will have the potential to face off in the regional finals. This setup could also lead to a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight game between USC and UConn, featuring stars JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers.
Regional Breakdown and Key Matchups
The brackets for the top seeds are shaping up with some exciting matchups on the horizon. UCLA, the overall No. 1 seed, is joined by No. 2 seed LSU, No. 3 seed North Carolina, and No. 4 seed Kansas State in the Spokane Regional. USC, the No. 1 seed in the same region, will face No. 2 seed UConn, No. 3 seed Duke, and No. 4 seed Kentucky. In the Birmingham Regional, Texas, the No. 1 seed, will be joined by No. 2 seed North Carolina State, No. 3 seed TCU, and No. 4 seed Ohio State. Notre Dame, the other No. 1 seed, will face No. 2 seed South Carolina, No. 3 seed Tennessee, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma.
Balancing the Top 16 and Conference Representation
The selection committee faced the challenge of balancing the top 16 seeds while adhering to their goal of keeping the top four teams in a conference in different regions. With six SEC schools in the top 16, the committee had to make strategic moves to ensure fair distribution. LSU, for instance, was moved to a different spot, along with a few other teams, to achieve this balance. The committee’s focus on getting the top 16 teams right meant that there was less discussion about teams just outside the mix, as the 16 teams in this reveal were the same as those in the first reveal, just in a different order.
Looking Ahead to the Final Four and Championship
The Final Four will be held in Tampa, Florida, on April 4, followed by the championship game two days later. The NCAA has been conducting in-season reveals for the women’s tournament since 2015 to provide teams with an early indication of their standings. Thursday’s reveal came just before a series of important matchups that could influence the final seedings, including Duke hosting North Carolina. As the regular season winds down and the conference tournaments begin, the race for the top spots is only intensifying, making for an exciting conclusion to the college basketball season.
