Postseason picture: women’s basketball
With less than two months until the 2023 NCAA women’s March Madness tournament begins, the race for the 68 available spots is heating up.
The defending champions, South Carolina Gamecocks, remain unbeaten and are the heavy favorite to win heading into the latter half of the season. However, the rest of the teams continue to battle it out for the remaining 67 allocations, including a sleuth of Pac-12 teams.
In ESPN’s most recent Bracketology breakdown, they predict eight Pac-12 teams to make the tournament, tied with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten for the most teams. Stanford, Utah, UCLA, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, Arizona and USC are the eight projected qualifiers. 11 out of the 12 teams in the conference boast a winning record. This makes the Pac-12 an extremely competitive conference, resulting in many teams eyeing a chance to compete in March.
As of Jan. 31, the Trojans are expected to be a nine seed, in which they would theoretically open up against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Bloomington, Indiana.
So what are the prospects for the Pac-12 contenders, and who has a realistic chance of not only making the tournament but potentially making a deep run?
USC Trojans
After a disappointing 12-16 season last year, USC hopes to return to March Madness under Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb, a former assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Trojans began the new season with a dominant 10-0 start to the season, but have since cooled off, currently sitting at a 16-5 record. USC’s signature win came on Jan. 15, when the Trojans stunned the then No. 2 ranked Stanford Cardinal 55-46. Despite the impressive victory and USC’s most recent win against the then No. 25 ranked Colorado Buffaloes, these have been the only two ranked wins for the Trojans this season. They also have ranked losses to Oregon, Utah and have been beaten twice against crosstown rival UCLA.
USC’s remaining schedule consists of only Pac-12 teams, giving the team plenty of competition to fix lingering issues and prepare for the tournament in March. Barring a collapse, the Trojans appear to be positioned for March Madness. USC will likely rely on their defensive prowess, which leads the Pac-12 in points allowed, giving up only 53 points per game, and is second in blocks per game (BPG), averaging 5.5 BGP, to pull off a potential first-round upset. However, USC’s inconsistencies against ranked opponents put the ability of the Trojans to make a deep run in the tournament into question.
Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal continue to impress. Stanford has only lost to the undefeated Gamecocks and USC, putting it at a strong 21-2 record, and is ranked third in the country. Led by junior forward Cameron Brink who leads the country in blocks per game, Stanford has amassed a series of impressive wins against ranked Pac-12 opponents and non-conference matchups like Creighton and Tennessee. Stanford’s remaining schedule is grueling, with a four-game road trip followed by matchups against three ranked teams in UCLA, Colorado and Utah.
Stanford is poised to lock in a number one seed according to ESPN’s Bracketology. It is evident that Stanford’s impressive regular season so far makes them a championship contender and they will prove a fierce competitor against the reigning champions.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA have lost their last two games to Pac-12 opponents, Colorado and Utah, putting them at 17-5 on the season. Both losses however were extremely close and the No. 14 ranked Bruins are a projected four seed in this year’s tournament. UCLA only has two more games against currently ranked opponents in Arizona and Stanford, giving them an opportunity to coast into the postseason with some confidence.
Efficiency remains an issue for the Bruins. They rank second to last in the Pac-12 in shooting percentage, a disappointing 40.1% from the field. If UCLA wishes to cap off its season with a couple of wins in March, its offensive efficiency will require a significant boost.
Utah Utes
If one wants to talk about dominant starts to the season, then look no further than the Utes. Utah began the season 14-0, which included impressive displays of offense, epitomized by their 124-point romp over then No. 16 ranked Oklahoma. The No. 7 ranked Utes now sits with a 18-2 record and are projected to be a two seed in the tournament.
Utah’s play style is certainly a unique one. They lead the conference in points, field goal percentage and point differential. On the other hand, they are in the bottom half of the conference in points allowed, rebounds and blocks. Utah has proved to be an offensive juggernaut, but whether or not they can limit their opponents’ ability to keep up will determine their success come March.
Arizona Wildcats
The No. 22 ranked Wildcats have been relatively consistent all year long, but have yet to distinguish themselves from the elite teams in the Pac-12. They have cleaned up against non-conference opponents and had two quality wins against Baylor and Oregon, both of whom are no longer ranked. However, a string of recent losses to strong Pac-12 teams raises the question of how the Wildcats will compete against a strong opponent in the tournament. They also seem to possess a similar flaw as the Utes: a strong ability to score the ball, but difficulties on the defensive end.
Despite all this, Arizona is predicted to land a six seed in this year’s March Madness and could be a multiple-round team if they continue to play consistent basketball.
Some other teams to look out for include the Oregon Ducks, the Washington State Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes, all of whom made the most recent Bracketology cut.
It is clear that the Pac-12 will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Ranging from powerhouses to sleepers, March Madness could very well see one of the West’s finest hold the championship hardware.