The NCAA Division I Girls’s Basketball Committee chosen South Carolina (29-2), Stanford (28-3), NC State (29-3), and Louisville (25-4) because the No. 1 seeds throughout 4 areas for this season’s nationwide championship event.
“We’ve obtained 12 superior committee members which have actually labored arduous all day and all evening since Wednesday, and we’re actually happy with the bracket that we put out at present,” mentioned Nina King, the NCAA Division I Girls’s Basketball Committee chair.
This yr marks the primary time the sphere consists of 68 groups, a rise of 4 from earlier seasons. Thirty-two conferences earned automated bids, and the remaining 36 groups have been chosen at massive.
When requested concerning the committee’s selections on easy methods to preserve a aggressive steadiness particularly on condition that UConn, a No. 2 seed that completed 25-5, was positioned near their dwelling within the Bridgeport area, King cited a number of elements.
“Before everything, we begin with the S-curve, after which we’ve obtained bracketing rules that we observe, so ensure that any conflicts are prevented, identical convention match-ups, for instance, within the first or second rounds, or video games which have already occurred between groups this yr. Quite a lot of conflicts we’re making an attempt to keep away from.”
“Then we take note of fan expertise, scholar athlete welfare, modes of transportation, whether or not it’s a drive or a fly,” she continued. “There’s a wide range of issues that we definitely take note of and have numerous dialogue round, and definitely UConn and Bridgeport was a kind of that we spent numerous time on insuring that we obtained it proper.”
The primary 4 video games of the event shall be performed Wednesday, March 16, and Thursday, March 17, at 4 of the highest 16 host websites.
Matchups for the First 4
- Dayton vs. DePaul
- Missouri State vs. Florida State
- Howard vs. UIW
- Longwood vs. Mount St. Mary’s
“I’ll say that the final 4 in and the primary 4 out was in all probability the place we spent probably the most period of time debating groups into the event,” mentioned King concerning the groups that may play Wednesday and Thursday.
Her ideas on a few of these groups:
“Dayton completed actually robust of their convention within the common season. Clearly, sadly, misplaced within the 8-10 remaining, however they have been 8-2 of their final ten video games and had some actually good high quality wins in a aggressive convention. Florida State within the ACC, a very robust convention, and what they’d completed and trending up. 7-3 of their final ten video games and what they’d completed within the ACC event, simply one thing that we had targeted on for them.”
“Missouri State, one other one from a mid-major. Excited to place them into the event although they didn’t win their convention event. Their full physique of labor actually earned them a spot in. 24-7. They’d a internet of 44 and a reasonably good energy of schedule. Good wins. Important 3-1 within the prime 50.”
The primary- and second-round video games shall be performed Friday, March 18, by Monday, March 21, on the prime 16 seeds.
Regional video games are set for March 25-28 on the following areas:
- March 25 and 27
Greensboro, North Carolina (Greensboro Coliseum)
Spokane, Washington (Spokane Veterans Memorial Enviornment) - March 26 and 28
Bridgeport, Connecticut (Webster Financial institution Enviornment)
Wichita, Kansas (Intrust Financial institution Enviornment)
The Goal Heart in Minneapolis is the location of the 2022 Girls’s Remaining 4, April 1 and three.
