Ladies’s Candy 16 Options New Format and Historic Subject

The Sweet 16 contains a new format and a little bit of historical past when it begins later this week.

The NCAA modified its setup for the ladies’s match this season, trimming the normal four regional sites to two. Seattle and Greenville — a metropolis of 71,000 in South Carolina about midway between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina — will every host eight groups earlier than sending the winners on to Dallas for the Ultimate 4.

It is usually simply the second time for the reason that match expanded to 64 groups in 1994 that two of the No. 1 seeds did not attain the regional semifinals after Mississippi and Miami knocked out Stanford and Indiana, respectively. It additionally occurred in 1998.

The opposite prime seeds — South Carolina and Virginia Tech — superior. The Gamecocks, led by star Aliyah Boston, are 4 wins from finishing their very own historic journey and back-to-back nationwide championships. They’re in search of simply the tenth undefeated season ever in ladies’s basketball, and the subsequent steps for coach Daybreak Staley’s group are only a 90-minute journey from campus.

There are loads of groups which have ended lengthy Candy 16 droughts, just like the Hokies, Hurricanes, Colorado and Villanova. UConn, then again, might be taking part in in its 29th consecutive regional semifinal.

Regardless of the parity that took place during the regular season and the exit of these two No. 1 seeds, it’s the second time prior to now six years that no double-digit seed reached the spherical of 16. It is also the primary time for the reason that Large 12 was shaped in 1996 that no groups from the convention reached the second weekend.

There’s loads of star energy throughout the sector with Angel Reese, Maddy Siegrist, Caitlin Clark and Elizabeth Kitley becoming a member of Boston within the regional semifinals.

The Gamecocks are the heavy favourite to return out of this area and, for that matter, to win one other title. The regional semifinal opponent is No. 4 seed UCLA. The Bruins gave the Gamecocks a aggressive recreation again in November, main at halftime by 4 before losing by nine.

No. 2 seed Maryland will play No. 3 seed Notre Dame within the different semifinal. The Terrapins, led by Diamond Miller, used a robust second half to get by Arizona within the second spherical. The Preventing Irish overcame season-ending accidents to Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey to get to the Candy 16. Notre Dame acquired a robust effort from publish Lauren Ebo, who set a college NCAA tourney document with 18 rebounds in a win over Mississippi State.

With Indiana dropping, the bracket is extra open, with Villanova and Siegrist taking part in the Hurricanes in one of many semifinals. Siegrist, who leads the nation in scoring, has the Wildcats back in the Sweet 16 for the primary time since 2003. Miami’s drought was even longer, not making it this far since 1992.

The opposite semifinal within the area pits two of essentially the most proficient forwards within the nation in opposition to one another: LSU’s Angel Reese and Utah’s Alissa Pili. Reese helped the Tigers attain the Candy 16 for the primary time since 2014. The “Bayou Barbie” had 25 factors, an eye-popping 24 rebounds and 6 blocks within the third-seeded Tigers’ rout of Michigan. Second-seeded Utah is again within the Candy 16 for the primary time since 2006 after edging Princeton within the second spherical.

Second-seeded UConn, which has handled accidents all season, will face third-seeded Ohio State in a single semifinal. The Buckeyes needed a shot in the final few seconds by Jacy Sheldon to advance this far for the fourth straight season.

High seed Virginia Tech is the newcomer right here, making its first look within the Candy 16 since 1999 after two spectacular residence wins within the first two rounds. Kitley and Co. head throughout the nation for a rematch in opposition to Tennessee. The 2 groups performed Dec. 4 and the Hokies got here away with a three-point win. The Girl Vols have been lacking Rickea Jackson for that recreation and it was the ultimate one which Tamari Key performed in earlier than being sidelined for the season with blood clots.

Tennessee has run through the first two rounds, turning into simply the fourth group to win every of its first two video games by 45 factors or extra. UConn did it the opposite thrice, in keeping with ESPN.

Ole Miss crashed the occasion with its upset of Stanford and is again within the Candy 16 for the primary time since 2007. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s defensive-minded squad will face a Louisville group that routed Texas on the Longhorns’ residence courtroom. Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith grew up in Central Washington, a couple of hours from Seattle.

The opposite matchup will characteristic Clark and her logo-range capturing for Iowa in opposition to Colorado. Iowa edged Georgia within the second spherical, erasing the reminiscence of final season’s spherical of 32 defeat to Creighton. The Hawkeyes will face a Colorado group within the Candy 16 for the primary time since 2003.

AP March Insanity protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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