NCAA women's basketball bracketology: Give us UConn vs. Tennessee

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COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 16: Jaelynn Penn #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers handles the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on January 16, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /

Eugene:

1. Oregon (Pac-12)
16. New Mexico State (WAC)

8. Texas
9. Missouri

Des Moines:

5. Indiana
12. Dayton (A-10)

4. Drake (MVC)
13. Bucknell (Patriot)

Indiana’s an interesting case because it was been perfect this season in every way EXCEPT for an ugly loss to Grambling. Losses have to matter. Good wins have to matter. RPI (for now, anyway) and Strength of Schedule have to matter. So how do you reconcile that loss with everything else? The Hoosiers’ signature win against South Dakota came the day after that loss, and they have solid Ws over Butler and UCLA to back it up. Their 2-0 start to Big Ten play is against mediocre competition, so let’s hold on Indiana right now as a host until it plays Michigan State this weekend.

Syracuse:

6. Michigan State
11. Green Bay (Horizon)

3. Syracuse
14. Harvard (Ivy)

Starkville:

7. UCF
10. Colorado

2. Mississippi State (SEC)
15. Radford (Big South)

UCF is going to be an interesting subject assuming it does what it’s supposed to in the American. One thing the committee stressed when I went to their mock selection over the summer was that, while the ultimate outcome of games matter most, how a team looks in its wins and losses also plays a role. UCF has lost to two of the three best teams it has played: Syracuse and Central Michigan. But it lost those games by a combined 12 points. It’s also been underwhelming in some of its wins, namely against Liberty and Pacific.

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NCAA women’s basketball bracketology: Just give us UConn vs. Tennessee in the Sweet 16

By Russell Steinberg | Jan 2, 2019