UCLA and USC take into the post -season as national championship candidates. After that, the outlook for the western third of the country becomes just a little dark.
If 11 teams from the mountain and Pacific time zones participate within the NCAA tournament when the sector is announced on Sunday, it is feasible that Nine could lose in the primary round. None of them – aside from the Bruins and Trojans, in fact – can be preferred to achieve the sweet 16.
It is due to this fact a matter of championship efforts or wishful considering for the region in an event that provides financial rewards for the primary time, based on selection and progress.
Stanford won the NCAA title in 2021 with Arizona as a second place when each were within the PAC-12. Now there are former PAC-12 teams who bear the expectations for the large ten and the West.
The high -ranking UCLA and No. 4 USC will probably be projected by ESPN along with the defending champion South Carolina and Texas on Sunday.
Both LA teams will organize super-regional (March 21 to 24), that are transferred to the spocan regional (March twenty eighth to thirty first) and maybe a fourth head-to-head meeting within the last 4 (4th to sixth April in Tampa).
UCLA clamped defensively on USC In the Big Ten tournament game on March 9, 72-67. The Bruins (30-2) saved their only losses of the season. On February 13 and 80-67, the Trojans took the series of the regular season on March 1 with 71-60.
USC (28-3) lost in November and Iowa on the Jersey Retirement Day by Caitlin Clark in February against Notre Dame in Iowa.
Both schools were also subregional last spring. The Trojans reached the elite of eight before they lost against Connecticut, while the UCLA released the LSU within the sweet 16.
USC won in successive NCAA championships in 1983-84 in the course of the Cheryl Miller era. The UCLA made it into the elite in 1999 and 2018.
ESPN projects Cal (25-8) and Utah (22-8) as No. 8 seeds, the very best positions for a team from the region as UCLA and USC. When that becomes reality, the bears and utes open the tournament in TOS-up games against No. 9 seeds after which face a seed No. 1 on the house floor with a win within the second round.
In addition, it’s going to require a sowing in order that a western team produces the second round.
Oregon (19-11) and Washington (19-13) are projected as No. 10 and 11 Seeds, followed by Automatic qualifiers Grand Canyon (No. 12), San Diego State (No. 13), Montana State (No. 13), Oregon State (No. 14) and Hawaii (No. 16).
Oregon State (19-15) patted the Co-Champions Gonzaga and Portland ahead of West Coast Conference to win the conference tournament as a member member in his first season. The beavers made the elite eight in 2024 as members of the PAC-12 before lost to South Carolina. After the season they lost three starters on the transfer portal.
Nevertheless, coach Scott Rueck showed his skills to remodel a team that went 4: 7 in successive victories over 20-victory teams within the non-conference game.
San Diego State (25-9) annoyed Mountain West's regular season champion within the tournament semi-final and left Wyoming 72-68 in Triple Overtime on Wednesday to get an automatic NCAA offer.
In the ultimate of the Big Sky tournament, the regular Montana State (30-3) season champion defeated the rival Montana 58-57 on a Summer Theater.
According to ESPN, UNLV, Arizona and Colorado are within the NCAA bubble. Stanford (16-14) lost in the primary round of the ACC tournament and can miss the NCAas for the primary time since 1987, Tara Vanderve's second season as a coach.
This ends a 36-year-old series of participation, which is the second longest within the nation behind Tennessee. Cardinal Coach Kate Paye's first season was a disappointment.
Gonzaga (22-10) may also miss the NCAAs, albeit for the primary time in just nine years.
When Grand Canyon (30-2) adds the title of the Western Athletic Conference tournament to his crown of the regular season, the Lopes will give their March madness debut. (The WAC tournament ends in Las Vegas on Saturday.)
The Big West tournament ends with Hawaii (22-8) to a lightweight favorite on Saturday.
The WBIT tournament will contain a field with 32 teams with the expenses paid by the NCAA. Another 48 teams are chosen for the WNIT. Therefore, additional schools from the West get a possibility for experience after the season.
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