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NCAA Bracket breakdown: Chicago Region

By Howard Megdal

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 08: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffett McGraw looks over her offense during the ACC Women's basketball tournament between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the North Carolina Tar Heels on March 8, 2019, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 08: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffett McGraw looks over her offense during the ACC Women's basketball tournament between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the North Carolina Tar Heels on March 8, 2019, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The defending champs face a talented bracket.

Few thought the Notre Dame women’s basketball team would struggle to return to the Final Four after winning the 2018 national title and adding Brianna Turner, and a cursory look at the Chicago Region bracket doesn’t lead to any other conclusion, at least until the Elite Eight.

But that isn’t to say there won’t be some suspense along the way. No team has a better understanding of who it is than the two seed in this region, Stanford, while Iowa State features multi-talented Bridget Carleton at the three seed, and we saw last year that four seed Texas A&M can win games purely because Chennedy Carter decides not to let them lose.

Best first-round matchup: Central Michigan vs. Michigan State

This is intriguing for more than just geographical reasons, or a Big Ten vs. a Mid-major, though those are both amazing aspects of this one. I love the idea that Suzy Merchant and Sue Guevara, more than 700 wins between them, will be adjusting to one another all game long. Both teams are top 40 in points per possession, with Central Michigan sixth in the country. Reyna Frost is a problem matchup, but Jenna Allen does things that will disrupt the Chippewas. This is a true coin-flip game, and I probably won’t fill it out on my bracket until pretty close to tip.

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Non-one seed positioned to make a run

So Stanford looks to me like it is too strong for Iowa State, while this DePaul team, as a six seed, is talented but, I believe, a year away from serious contention with Doug Bruno. However, while the Cardinal should have a clear path to the Elite Eight and a showdown with Notre Dame, don’t sleep on Rice winning a couple of games. The Owls are playing extraordinarily well right now, they defend extremely well (especially on threes), and it is quite possible they can take down Marquette and Texas A&M, doing what Central Michigan did last year and reach the second weekend.

Predicted winner

Stanford might be the toughest matchup Notre Dame will face in this tournament. Alanna Smith defending Jessica Shepard is a battle of future WNBA fours. Kiana Williams and Arike Ogunbowale can take turns making plays at each end. And I want to see Dijonai Carrington and Jackie Young face off as well. I think Notre Dame wins this one, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Stanford prevailed. And anytime Tara VanDerveer and Muffet McGraw face off, it’ll be a game for the ages.

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