The majority of teams fighting for at-large bids have had their seasons conclude and resumes finalized. With the major conference tournaments wrapped up, ESPN has updated its bracketology, projecting the field for the Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament.
Lady Vols basketball clock in as an 8-seed in the projected bracket. This would mean Tennessee opens up against 9-seed Syracuse. That would be against Lady Vols forward Alyssa Latham’s former program.
This game would be across the country for both teams. It would be played on UCLA’s home floor, with the Bruins as the 1-seed the winner would play. If Tennessee managed an upset and made its way back to the Sweet 16, it’d then head to Sacramento. Likely opponents in that round would be 4-seed West Virginia and 5-seed Kentucky.
However, UCLA already beat the Lady Vols by 22 points in LA earlier this season. Tennessee is also coming off a seven-game losing skid to round out the season.
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The committee tries not to match up teams with an opponent they’ve already played in the first two rounds. However, the Lady Vols have already played every projected 1-seed. With South Carolina and Texas in the SEC, it leaves UCLA and UConn as the potential options, assuming UT is slotted as an 8 or 9-seed.
Tennessee is one of 10 SEC teams projected to make the field. This is the second most of any conference, only trailing the Big Ten’s 12 teams. The next best mark is the ACC at nine, then the Big 12 at 8. The Big East and Atlantic 10 are also projected to get a pair of teams in.
Selection Sunday is scheduled for March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The first round is slated to be held on March 20-21.
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