This 12 months, “area of dying” is an Albany expression. For those who had proposed to me final week a Ultimate 4 that included Iowa, LSU, and UCLA, I might have stated, Certain, why not? These groups have all been within the prime three of the AP ballot in some unspecified time in the future this season. Every could rankle the skeptic—UCLA bungled shut video games, LSU has one ranked win, Iowa struggles with measurement—however at their finest, they’re all able to a deep event run.
Now we all know higher. Final evening, the ladies’s choice committee gave Iowa the No. 1 seed within the Albany 2 area. In idea, theirs is the second-easiest path to the Ultimate 4 (after No. 1 South Carolina’s); in actuality, it’s going to be all-out struggle. Becoming a member of Iowa in Albany 2 is two-seeded UCLA, three-seeded LSU, four-seeded Kansas State (whose star large Ayoka Lee nonetheless holds the D-I girls’s single-game scoring file), and a five-seeded Colorado workforce that ran LSU out of the health club again in November. The reigning champions and a workforce that beat them and the participant of the 12 months and the nation’s most gifted roster and one of the best scoring heart? Presently of 12 months? On this a part of the bracket? Localized solely inside one quadrant? Could I see it?
For the Hawkeyes or Tigers to make a repeat look within the Ultimate 4, they will need to cope with outdated demons and historical basketball lore. I like this area for its star energy, but in addition for its beef litigation alternatives. A number of of them:
- A nationwide championship recreation rematch. Presumably you keep in mind final 12 months’s nationwide championship recreation, which turned everybody insane for weeks? Is that this ringing a bell? Will the phrase “‘you possibly can’t see me’ gesture” make an look in an Elite Eight gamer on Defector.com this 12 months? Keep tuned.
- UCLA vs. flyover nation media elites. Wait only a second right here! Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne take offense to all this lust for a championship rematch. In spite of everything, LSU might want to undergo the Bruins to arrange Reese vs. Clark Half II, and although UCLA revealed themselves to be risky down the stretch in convention play, they boast a uncommon mix of high-end expertise and depth. Each groups made high-profile switch portal additions: Betts, a sophomore Stanford switch, gave UCLA the No. 1 and No. 2 gamers within the 2022 recruiting class. A 6-foot-7 heart, she cleans up UCLA’s messes properly as a dominant shot blocker and submit scorer. The committee has it proper: If Betts merely received this recreation herself towards the defending nationwide champs, it could hardly be an upset.
- Iowa vs. a workforce that already beat them. Iowa’s path to the Elite Eight appears simple sufficient, even when its path out will not be, however one can not help however discover Caitlin Clark’s 1-2 profession file towards Kansas State. Iowa suffered its first lack of the season in Manhattan, the place Clark performed possibly her worst recreation ever, going 9-of-32 from the sphere and 2-of-16 from three. Lee, for her half, put up 22 factors and 12 rebounds within the win. (Although the Wildcats really beat Iowa with out Lee in 2022.) Accidents have slowed her this season, however she’s nearly as good a submit technician as they arrive. Clark received her revenge a number of weeks later, when these groups confronted one another once more in a type of neutral-site Thanksgiving tournaments. This time, she went 7-of-16 from three in a bizarre playing-with-their-food Iowa win.
- A mutual revenge recreation. At their PMAC watch social gathering on Sunday evening, Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey, and Hailey Van Lith all squealed after they discovered that Van Lith’s former workforce, six-seeded Louisville, is heading to Baton Rouge for the primary and second rounds. Chalk dictates a Louisville-LSU second-round matchup, however Van Lith herself does not assume a lot of the Cardinals’ probabilities towards their first-round opponent, 11-seed Center Tennessee.
- LSU vs. a workforce that already beat them. After wins over Stanford and USC in January, Colorado may by no means fairly solidify itself on the prime of a aggressive Pac-12. These turned out to be their final ranked wins of the 12 months, regardless of 5 extra alternatives. A loss to Oregon St. within the second spherical of the Pac-12 event just about killed the Buffs’ probability to host first- and second- spherical NCAA event video games. However although each groups have advanced since November, a season-opening beatdown of LSU provides some additional shine to their résumé. A transitive property championship! LSU-Colorado can be an unlikely Elite Eight matchup in Albany, however a rematch of final 12 months’s Candy Sixteen recreation between Colorado and Iowa appears extra believable.
Mulkey identified the variety of repeat opponents when requested for her first impression of LSU’s area. “I assume with so many groups, you possibly can’t keep away from it.” She shared an extra concern in her press convention: “Will anyone, earlier than the day’s over, let me know if it’s Al-bany or All-bany?”
