Austin:
2. Texas (Big 12)
15. Central Arkansas (Southland)
7. DePaul
10. Western Kentucky (CUSA)
Karen Aston deserves all the credit in the world for helping Texas go from a solid women’s basketball program to one of the nation’s elite. While the Longhorns wouldn’t be the favorite in this region, would it surprise anyone if they reached the Final Four? Texas boasts four double-digit scorers and out-rebounds its opponents by 14 per game. That’s tough to beat. Speaking of which, if you don’t expect Doug Bruno to give you a fight, you’re in for a rude awakening. DePaul has had a bit of a rocky year so far, but wins over Oklahoma and St. John’s help a lot.
Los Angeles:
3. UCLA
14. IUPUI
6. Duke
11. Northern Colorado (Big Sky)
UCLA has played a tough schedule but has wins over Baylor and Cal to its name. To stay on the 3 line, it will have to navigate a tough Pac-12. Its first-round opponent, IUPUI, is part of a January bracket oddity that should sort itself out over the next couple weeks. The Jaguars are undefeated in the Horizon, so they get the autobid for now, despite Green Bay likely being a much better team. As for Duke, it missed a big opportunity with a loss at Louisville but rebounded to beat a solid NC State team over the weekend. They can move up by taking care of business these next couple weeks before having to deal with Notre Dame on Feb. 4.