Editor’s note: This article is part of a Bracket Central series that provides an in-depth look at preparations for the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments, as well as analysis and picks during the tournament.
As always, Thursday is a big day for women’s college basketball. Several games had a significant impact on seeding, including Vanderbilt’s win over Texas and TCU’s win over Baylor.
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But it’s not just the top teams vying for a spot in March Madness. There’s action for bubble teams, too, with Virginia taking on California and Virginia Tech taking on Stanford — all four bubble teams.
Let’s get into the brackets:
top four
Los Angeles
16
Howard
16
Alabama A&M University
Storrs
16
chattanooga
16
fairlie dickinson
norman
11
Carl
11
Arizona
fort worth
11
Utah
11
colorado
fort worth 1
Los Angeles
1
UCLA
16
Maryland Eastern Shore
Alabama A&M University
Los Angeles
8
Princeton University
9
rhode island
east lansing
5
baylor
12
idaho
east lansing
4
michigan state university
13
green bay
norman
6
tennessee
11
Carl
Arizona
norman
3
Oklahoma
14
western illinois
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Baton Rouge
7
oregon
10
Syracuse
Baton Rouge
2
Louisiana State University
15
high point
fort worth 2
Colombia
1
south carolina
16
University of California, San Diego
Colombia
8
University of Southern California
9
mississippi
college park
5
west virginia
12
Arkansas
college park
4
Maryland
13
Quinnipiac
Durham
6
North Carolina
11
north dakota
Durham
3
Duke
14
murray state
ann arbor
7
alabama
10
Iowa
ann arbor
2
michigan
15
navy
sacramento 4
Storrs
1
University of Connecticut
16
chattanooga
fairlie dickinson
Storrs
8
Notre Dame de Paris
9
Oklahoma
Oxford
5
Texas Tech University
12
San Diego State
Oxford
4
Ole Miss
13
Miami (Ohio)
fort worth
6
minnesota
11
Utah
colorado
fort worth
3
TCCU
14
charleston
Louisville
7
Georgia
10
richmond
Louisville
2
Louisville
15
california baptist
sacramento 3
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nasville
1
Vanderbilt
16
binghamton
nashville
8
nebraska
9
illinois
columbus
5
kentucky
12
rice
columbus
4
Ohio State University
13
Louisiana Tech
iowa city
6
North Carolina
11
gonzaga
iowa city
3
Iowa
14
McNeese
austin
7
washington
10
Villanova
austin
2
Texas
15
eastern kentucky
UCLA surpasses UConn to become No. 1 overall seed
UCLA is having a great season in the Big Ten Conference. The Bruins are 14-0 in a tight contest with wins over Ohio State, USC, Nebraska, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and most recently Michigan State. All of these opponents will play in March. The Bruins also have an incredible 14 wins in four games and only lost once this season – a 76-65 loss to Texas State.
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So how can UCLA surpass undefeated UConn for the No. 1 seed? It depends on the strength of the Big Ten. UConn’s inability to rack up quality wins in the Big East means that, despite a challenging non-conference schedule, the Huskies’ resume remains largely the same week after week, while UCLA can get away with wins over other top teams. The Bruins have the toughest schedule in the country, leading UConn 14-6 in the quarterfinals.
Vandy returns to No. 1 seed
Vanderbilt defeated eventual No. 1 seed Texas 86-70 to clinch first place in its group. The Commodores were previously a No. 1 seed after wins over LSU and Michigan, but back-to-back losses to South Carolina and Mississippi dropped them back to the second tier. Three consecutive wins over Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas were enough for Vandy to leapfrog the Longhorns.
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When two teams have similar resumes, head-to-head games can influence seeding decisions. In this case, their NET rankings are close, with Texas at No. 4 and Vandy at No. 7. Texas has 8-1 and Vandy has 6, but the Commodores won the game in such dramatic fashion that the head-to-head matchup carries more weight.
Duke vs. LSU for No. 2 seed
After Duke started the year with a 3-6 record, it was hard to imagine it playing as a host in March Madness. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine what the Blue Devils will look like in the game. But coach Kara Lawson proves there’s method to her madness. They have a tight early schedule against Baylor, West Virginia, South Carolina, UCLA and LSU.
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LSU, meanwhile, went in the opposite direction, easing into the season with an easy non-conference schedule before heading into SEC play. Both teams have four Final Four wins and similar net rankings, so like Vandy and Texas, this head-to-head matchup comes into play. When they met in early December, LSU won 93-77.
However, Duke still has a chance to overtake the Tigers. Remember, recency matters to the selection committee. So if Duke can go undefeated in ACC play — meaning two wins over NC State, Clemson, Florida State and UNC — that might be enough to erase the previous record. Especially if LSU gives up one of its five remaining games. The Tigers will face SEC-leading South Carolina on Saturday.
The Bracket Central series is sponsored by Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade. Competitor Maintain complete editorial independence. Sponsors have no control or involvement in the reporting or editorial process and do not review stories prior to publication.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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