Wide World of Women

Yeah, yeah. I know we are a month away.

But it’s going to be one heckuva tournament.

The whole NCAA basketball season has been punctuated by UPSETS. Ranked teams get beaten lower-ranked or even unranked teams on a regular basis.

Tournament winners from 32 conferences get automatic bids to the tournament. The Selection Committee picks 36 additional teams for a total of 68. The following conference tournament winners get automatic bids:

AMERICA EAST VERMONT (26-6, 15-1)

AMERICAN ATHLETIC UAB (20-11, 12-6)

ATLANTIC 10 DUQUESNE (20-11, 10-8)

ACC NC STATE (17-14, 9-11)

ATLANTIC SUN STETSON U. (22-12, 11-5)

BIG 12 IOWA STATE (24-7, 13-5)

BIG EAST CONNECTICUT (28-3, 18-2)

BIG SKY MONTANA STATE (14-17, 9-9)

BIG SOUTH LONGWOOD (21-13, 6-10)

BIG TEN ILLINOIS (23-8, 14-6)

BIG WEST LONG BEACH STATE (18-14, 10-10)

COASTAL ATHLETIC CHARLESTON (25-7, 15-3)

CONFERENCE USA WESTERN KENTUCKY (19-11, 8-8)

HORIZON LEAGUE OAKLAND (21-11, 15-5)

IVY LEAGUE YALE (20-9, 11-3)

METRO ATLANTIC SAINT PETER’S (16-13, 12-8)

MID-AMERICAN AC AKRON (21-10, 13-5)

MID-EASTERN AC HOWARD (15-16, 9-5)

MISSOURI VALLEY DRAKE U. (28-6, 16-4)

MOUNTAIN WEST NEW MEXICO (22-9, 10-8)

NORTHEAST WAGNER (15-15, 7-9)

OHIO VALLEY MOREHEAD STATE (26-8, 14-4)

PAC 12 OREGON (20-11, 12-8)

PATRIOT LEAGUE COLGATE (24-9, 16-3)

SEC AUBURN (24-7, 13-5)

SOUTHERN SAMFORD (28-5, 15-3)

SOUTHLAND MCNEESE STATE (28-3, 17-1)

SWAC GRAMBLING STATE (17-14, 14-4)

SUMMIT LEAGUE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (20-12, 12-4)

SUN BELT JAMES MADISON (31-3, 15-3)

WEST COAST SAINT MARY’S (CA) (24-7, 15-1)

WAC GRAND CANYON (27-4, 17-3)

FIRST FOUR GAMES MARCH 19-20

SOUTH BRACKET

Boise State (10) 53 COLORADO (10) 60

MIDWEST BRACKET

Virginia (10) 42 COLORADO STATE (10) 67

Montana State (16) 81 GRAMBLING STATE (16) 88 (OT)

WEST BRACKET

Howard (16) 68 WAGNER (16) 71

EAST BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

CONNECTICUT (1) 91 Stetson (16) 52

Florida Atlantic (8) 65 NORTHWESTERN (9) 77

SAN DIEGO STATE (5) 69 UAB (12) 65

Auburn (4) 76 YALE (13) 78

BYU (6) 67 DUQUESNE (11) 71

ILLINOIS (3) 85 Morehead State (14) 69

WASHINGTON STATE (7) 66 Drake (10) 61

IOWA STATE (2) 82 South Dakota State (15) 65


SECOND ROUND

Connecticut (1) vs Northwestern (9)

San Diego State (5) vs Yale (13)

Duquesne (11) 63 ILLINOIS (3) 89

Washington State (7) 56 IOWA STATE (2) 67

SOUTH BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

HOUSTON (1) 86 Longwood (16) 46

Nebraska (8) 83 TEXAS A&M (9) 98

Wisconsin (5) 61 JAMES MADISON (12) 72

DUKE (4) 64 Vermont (13) 47

Texas Tech (6) 67 NC STATE (11) 80

Kentucky (3) 76 OAKLAND (14) 80

Florida (7) 100 COLORADO (10) 102

MARQUETTE (2) 87 Western Kentucky (15) 69


SECOND ROUND

Houston (1) vs Texas A&M (9)

James Madison (12) 55 DUKE (4) 93

NC STATE (11) 79 Oakland (14) 73 (OT)

Colorado (10) 77 MARQUETTE (2) 81

MIDWEST BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

PURDUE (1) 78 Grambling State (16) 50

UTAH STATE (8) 88 TCU (9) 72

GONZAGA (5) 86 McNeese State (12) 65

KANSAS (4) 93 Samford (13) 89

South Carolina (6) 73 OREGON (11) 87

CREIGHTON (3) 77 Akron (14) 60

TEXAS (7) 56 Colorado State (10) 44

TENNESSEE (2) 83 St. Peter’s (15) 49


SECOND ROUND

PURDUE (1) 106 Utah State (8) 67

GONZAGA (5) 89 Kansas (4) 68

Oregon (11) 73 CREIGHTON (3) 86 (2 OT)

Texas (7) 58 TENNESSEE (2) 62

WEST BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

NORTH CAROLINA (1) 90 Wagner (16) 62

Mississippi State (8) 51 MICHIGAN STATE (9) 69

Saint Mary’s (5) 66 GRAND CANYON (12) 75

ALABAMA (4) 109 Charleston (13) 96

CLEMSON (6) 77 New Mexico (11) 56

BAYLOR (3) 92 Colgate (14) 67

DAYTON (7) 63 Nevada (10) 60

ARIZONA (2) 85 Long Beach State (15) 65


SECOND ROUND

NORTH CAROLINA (1) 85 Michigan State (9) 69

Grand Canyon (12) vs Alabama (4)

CLEMSON (6) 72 Baylor (3) 64

ARIZONA (2) 78 Dayton (7) 68

PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

2023 U Conn.
2022 Kansas
2021 Baylor
2020 ———
2019 Virginia
2018 Villanova
2017 North Carolina
2016 Villanova
2015 Duke
2014 U Conn.
2013 Louisville (vacated)
2012 Kentucky
2011 U Conn.
2010 Duke
2009 North Carolina
2008 Kansas
2007 Florida
2006 Florida
2005 North Carolina
2004 U Conn.

SWEET 16

EAST BRACKET

CONNECTICUT (1) 82 San Diego State (5) 52

ILLINOIS (3) 72 Iowa State (2) 69

SOUTH BRACKET

Houston (1) 51 DUKE (4) 54

NC STATE (11) 67 Marquette (2) 58

MIDWEST BRACKET

PURDUE (1) 80 Gonzaga (5) 68

Creighton (3) 75 TENNESSEE (2) 82

WEST BRACKET

North Carolina (1) 87 ALABAMA (4) 89

CLEMSON (6) 77 Arizona (2) 72

ELITE 8

EAST BRACKET March 30,2024

Illinois (3) 52 CONNECTICUT (1) 77


WEST BRACKET March 30,2024

Clemson (6) 82 ALABAMA (4) 89


MIDWEST BRACKET March 31, 2024

Tennessee (2) 66 PURDUE (1) 72


SOUTH BRACKET March 31,2024

NC STATE (11) 76 Duke (4) 64

FINAL FOUR

APRIL 6, 2024

NC State (11) 50 PURDUE (1) 63

Alabama (4) 72 CONNECTICUT (1) 86

CHAMPIONSHIP

Purdue (1) 60 CONNECTICUT (1) 75


U Conn looking to be first repeat winner of the NCAA Tournament since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Purdue is playing in its first championship game since 1969 when they lost to UCLA.

The last 1 seed vs 1 seed was in 2021 when Baylor defeated Gonzaga.

CONGRATS TO THE U.CONN HUSKIES