NCAA Bracket breakdown: Greensboro Region
Kalani Brown, Megan Gustafson, Kristine Anigwe and Bella Alarie in one region.
The NCAA women’s bracket is out, and Baylor took home a number one seed in Greensboro. But if size is the X factor that makes the Baylor Lady Bears such a difficult matchup, there’s no shortage of others bigs on hand to try and deny them a trip to Tampa. Let’s break down what the entire region holds in store for basketball fans this weekend.
Best first-round matchup: Kentucky vs. Princeton
This is a hard one. Paris Kea and North Carolina facing Cal and Kristine Anigwe is a fascinating 8/9. Drake is a legit favorite in the 7/10 game, but you can be sure Sophie Cunningham, playing for her career, will bring everything to that one. And Bucknell, I believe, has a chance to beat Florida State in the 5/12 game.
More from NCAA
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, April 6: Stanford defeats Arizona in a tightly contested matchup to win the national title
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 30: UConn and Baylor deliver a classic battle of storied programs
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 26: Louisville and Texas A&M survive and advance
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 23: Highlights from the first round of the NCAA Tournament
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 16: Tournament bracket released
But I’m most excited to see Bella Alarie and Princeton face Rhyne Howard, probably the best freshman in the country, for Kentucky. I’m not sure either team has an easy answer for their mismatched size at their respective positions, and the matchup also guarantees we’ll get at least one of them for two games.
Non-one seed positioned to make a run
It’s got to be Iowa, right? They just ran through the Big Ten tournament. Rutgers, playing as well as anyone defensively, and uber-talented Maryland simply couldn’t stop Megan Gustafson, while Iowa’s underrated supporting cast continues to punish teams for over-committing to trying. So who is slowing them down before the Elite Eight? N.C. State? South Carolina? Cal maybe, if they find a way to upset Baylor, since they have Anigwe? Even that wouldn’t come until the Elite Eight. The region is pretty set up for a 1-2 between Baylor and Iowa, at least from this view.
Predicted winner
Baylor just has too much, I believe, even for Iowa. Gustfason and Brown do battle, sure, but can Iowa stop Lauren Cox? This has felt like it may be Baylor’s year since they took down UConn earlier this season, and it certainly doesn’t seem like the Lady Bears will fall short in the Elite Eight once again.
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