UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, and USC declare prime seeds in girls’s NCAA Match
When the primary spherical of the NCAA girls’s basketball event begins Friday, the UCLA Bruins might be its prime general seed.
It’s the highest seed within the historical past of UCLA’s program however whether or not it may stay on prime of the 68-team subject might be decided over the following three weeks resulting in the nationwide semifinals on April 4, and the championship recreation on April 6 at Amalie Area in Tampa, Fla.
The highest challengers for UCLA (30-2) embody fellow No. 1 seeds South Carolina (30-3), Texas (31-3), and USC (28-3). Behind JuJu Watkins, the Massive 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.
South Carolina noticed its streak of 4 consecutive tournaments as the highest general seed 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 one issue within the Bruins incomes the highest seed.
The opposite issue, Dawkins stated, “was one in all our standards which was aggressive in losses and South Carolina suffered a 29-point loss to UConn.”
Matchups within the First 4, which can 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 Elite Eight operating from March 28-31.
Connecticut, the nation’s best-shooting group at 50.8 % this season, is a standard powerhouse however is in search of its first nationwide title since 2016. The Huskies are the No. 2 seed in USC’s area, and are led by Paige Bueckers, who’s projected as a possible No. 1 choose in subsequent month’s WNBA draft.
TCU is an intriguing No. 2 seed — enjoying in a area headlined by in-state rival Texas — after making this system’s 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.
Grand Canyon, Arkansas State, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Mason and William & Mary are first-time event entrants.
