Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
The women's NCAA tournament will undergo significant change for the second consecutive season. The field expanded to 68 teams last year. This season, the customary four regional sites have been reduced to two.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
SEC - 8
Pac-12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 5
Big East - 4
Summit - 2
Missouri Valley - 2

 

[jack]

jack said:
Thanks for proving my point so sweetly.

BUSTED

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
While South Carolina and Stanford look inevitable as No. 1 seeds, and UConn has defied all its injuries to solidify a spot on the top line, the fight for the final No. 1 will be a season-long affair. Indiana is the latest to stake a claim, pushing out Iowa State following the Cyclones' loss to North Carolina on Sunday. The Hoosiers have never been a No. 1 seed in Bracketology.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
SEC - 7
Pac-12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 5
Big East - 4
American - 2
Summit - 2
Missouri Valley - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
What keeps Bracketologists up at night? It's decisions like the one this week: Which team should be the fourth No. 1 seed? Both UConn and Ohio State make a solid case, and it was the most time-consuming part of this week's bracket. Yes, the Huskies lost last time out to Notre Dame, and the Buckeyes are on a tear, winning their eight games by an average margin of 29.8 points.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
SEC - 6
Big East - 6
Big 12 - 5
American - 2
Ivy League - 2
Conference USA - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Much has been made of LSU's extremely weak nonconference schedule, but it hasn't hurt the Tigers. Six wins against teams outside the NET top-250, zero wins against a top-50 team, an average opponent NET rank of 255 -- and none of it seems to matter. Perhaps because of their sheer dominance against weaker competition

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Big Ten - 7
SEC - 7
Big East - 6
Big 12 - 6
Pac-12 5
American - 2
Ivy League - 2
Conference USA - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
One week into ACC conference play and already there's chaos -- the good, fun kind. With Duke's win over NC State and Florida State upsetting North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the Blue Devils and Seminoles made big jumps in this week's bracket.

Conference Breakdown
Big Ten - 9
ACC - 8
Big 12 - 7
SEC - 7
Pac-12 - 6
Big East - 5

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
The season of parity rages on. Half of last week's top-16 seeds lost games since our last update. No. 1 seeds Stanford and Ohio State both needed to erase second-half deficits to survive upset bids, and South Carolina needed a 40-minute effort to win at Mississippi State.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
SEC - 8
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 7
Pac-12 - 6
Big East - 4
American: - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Florida State, which jumped from a No. 7 seed to a No. 5 following a convincing win over NC State, is the big mover this week. Had the Seminoles, who now have four top-50 NET wins, not stumbled Sunday at Boston College, they would be challenging for a spot in the top 16

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
SEC - 8
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 7
Pac-12 - 6
Big East - 4
Ivy League: - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Availability of talent is one of the 14 criteria that the NCAA selection committee uses to evaluate teams. It is a part of a team's resume and it matters in seeding, not in tournament inclusion.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
SEC - 8
Pac-12: 8
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 5

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Much of the focus on geography and where teams might be sent has been removed as we shift away from the traditional four regions.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
SEC - 8
Pac-12: 8
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 4
Ivy League - 2

 

[C-40]

Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
What exactly is LSU? The answer still isn't clear. It's a rare season when we arrive at the first week of February and an unbeaten team from a major conference remains a mystery. The Tigers are good, of course. The question is just how good. LSU's weak nonconference schedule has been well chronicled.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12: 8
Big Ten - 8
SEC - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 5

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Determining the final No. 1 seed in this projection might have been the most difficult decision in the history of women's Bracketology. Iowa, LSU and Stanford all were in the running. LSU's schedule, among the worst for all major conference teams, remains an anchor for the Tigers. Stanford and Iowa have played top-10 schedules, and the Cardinal are 5-1 against the NET top 25

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12: 8
Big Ten - 8
SEC - 8
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 4

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
The chaos of the ACC race (six teams separated by two games) extends beyond the conference. Seven ACC teams among the top 24 teams on the S-curve -- three on the 3-seed line and three on the 6-seed line -- created myriad bracketing complications.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12: 8
SEC - 8
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 4
Ivy - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
Oregon is out of the field. Seven consecutive losses dropped the Ducks to 14-13, yet they continue to carry a No. 24 NET ranking. It's the most contradictory profile we've seen in the Bracketology era -- essentially a .500 record with a key metric in the 20s.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
Pac-12: 7
SEC - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 4
Ivy - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
The top 16 seeds (and the right to host first- and second-round NCAA tournament games) will largely take shape this weekend.

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 9
Pac-12: 7
SEC - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 5
Ivy - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
The Pac-12 has become the pivot point for No. 1 seeds and the top 16. Friday, Stanford became the second 1-seed from the Pac-12 in as many days to lose. But unlike Utah, the Cardinal hang onto their top seed. Stanford's credentials for a No. 1 seed are still there: a nation-best 15 top-50 NET wins,

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12: 8
SEC - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 5
Ivy - 2

 

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Women's Bracketology: 2023 NCAA Tournament
LSU's second-half collapse and loss to Tennessee in the SEC semifinals could mean a huge swing in the Tigers' seed. LSU had put itself back in position to make a run at a No. 1 seed. With an impressive win over the Lady Vols and an upset of -- or perhaps just a good, competitive performance against -- South Carolina,

Conference Breakdown
ACC - 8
Pac-12: 7
SEC - 7
Big Ten - 7
Big 12 - 7
Big East - 5
Ivy - 2