Women’s basketball bracketology: The problem with sending Notre Dame to Chicago

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ANN ARBOR, MI – FEBRUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines center Hallie Thome (30) and Michigan Wolverines guard Nicole Munger (10) wait for a rebound during a regular season Big 10 Conference basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines on February 8, 2018 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.(Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI – FEBRUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines center Hallie Thome (30) and Michigan Wolverines guard Nicole Munger (10) wait for a rebound during a regular season Big 10 Conference basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines on February 8, 2018 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.(Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Louisville:

1. Louisville
16. North Carolina A&T (MEAC)

8. Missouri
9. Michigan

Corvallis:

5. Drake (Missouri Valley)
12. Boise State (Mountain West)

4. Oregon State
13. Little Rock

Michigan has yet to lose in February, and thanks to a procedural bump, the Wolverines get the blessing and the curse of a 9 seed. The blessing: a coin-flip first-round game and a little more security from the bubble. The curse: Even in the best-realistic-case scenario, Michigan would have to face Louisville in the second round. Some reward for a team that has won six straight.

Milwaukee:

6. Rutgers
11. Miami OH (MAC)

3. Marquette (Big East)
14. UC Davis (Big West)

Starkville:

7. South Dakota
10. Clemson

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

Marquette’s 12-game winning streak finally snapped this week, but the ramifications were not too severe. The Golden Eagles stay on the 3 line and still have a top-10 RPI. This does, however, make their already tough road to a 2 seed even more difficult. NC State is the most vulnerable 2 right now, but the Wolfpack play in a much better conference and will have the chance to pick up more valuable wins. Iowa and Maryland are also in the mix, and in the Big Ten, are in the same boat as NC State.