My women’s final four: Purdue, Tennessee, Duke, and my longshot, Ohio State Stanford. Duke wins it all, led by my hero, Allison Bales.
Updated super long shot for the women: UC Riverside.
My men’s final four: UCLA, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and, my sentimental longshot, Virginia. North Carolina wins it all again.
Updated super long shot for the lads: Stanford. It pains me to say it.
And I note that in a sport I follow with great interest, women’s softball, the rankings are very topsy-turvy. Tennessee #1? UCLA way down at #12? Cal barely in the top 25? Things are not as they were.
Lauren and I thank you for the Purdue Final Four prediction! Go Boilers!!!!
Yeah, Blue Devils!
Alison Bales kind of gave me a complex while I was at Duke; as an almost 6’1″ woman, it’s unusual to run into another woman on campus (or anywhere) who’s 6 inches taller than you! It always made me do a bit of a double-take. I’m a big fan though, and I hope she and the team win it all this year.
I just have a feeling, Billie, that after the Big Ten win over Ohio State, the Boilermakers are ready. And Katie Gearlds is an amazing player, maybe the best I’ve seen this year at hitting the clutch shot.
Emma, I adore Bales, but I really want this for Gail Goestenkors. It’s her turn.
I think you’re way off with UNC. They have a tough bracket with possible Texas/USC in the Sweet Sixteen, let alone then Georgetown. Georgetown has the easier road in that bracket (I’m picking Oral Roberts to upset WSU).
Virginia has on paper on easy path to the Sweet 16, put even if good guard play can neutralize Oden and *the* OSU, I don’t see UVA getting by either A&M or Memphis. The ACC was weaker than usual this year.
Duke women are in NC until the Final Four so that’s a good bet. Are you sure you read your brackets right? Maybe my bracket is wrong, but aren’t Tennessee and *the* OSU in the same region? I think Maryland is the team in that region anyway. The committee probably put old Geno out in the West to reduce UCONN’s chances of getting to the final four (Stanford is the better bet — just like UCLA men — in California for the first four games).
I’m hoping for an 11 seed or higher to win a game or two in the women’s bracket..the women’s tournament needs the equivalent of last year’s George Mason on the men’s side..
You’re dead on right, Colonel, I did read the seeds wrong. I had the men’s bracket and the women’s bracket open at the same time and got confused.
So yeah, Tennessee, Purdue, Duke and Stanford are my final four. After all they’ve been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if LSU pulls it out in the UCONN/Stanford region. Win one for Pokey and all that. And I’m in the “anybody but Geno” camp, and have been for a long time.
If the women do get a wild upset from #11 or lower, let me go with UC Riverside. They’re on a hot streak, I’ve seen them play, and I definitely think they’ll take ASU in the first round.
The Marist men did well beating Ok St in the NIT, but the Marist women outdid them by beating *the* OSU! But for a missed FT and that last second 3 pointer on the OSU men’s side, it would have been a bleak day in Columbus.
I saw part of the women’s game; very impressive. These sorts of upsets always help establish depth in women’s hoops.
I’m grieving Cal’s loss to Notre Dame at the moment.
I can’t believe Rutgers almost gave Duke the game back in the last five seconds. Didn’t they have a timeout to spare that they could have used, instead of throwing that 3/4-courtlong pass just begging to be intercepted? The Blue Devils had to commit three fouls in five seconds and change to get the Scarlet Knights just to the line.
I had to miss the game, and I am beside myself that I did. I’m reading the reports on-line, and am blown away. I feel very bad for poor Lindsey Harding, and for Coach Goestenkors…
I’ll be rooting for Rutgers from here on… Vivian Stringer is one of my great coaching heroes too.
Yeah, it would be nice for CVS to win one before she retires — not that I think that’s going to happen anytime soon.
Well, this could be her year, lord knows she’s come close many times before, going all the way back to when she coached Cheyney State.
I watched some highlights of the game — Rutgers has some gals who can flat out play; Ajavon, Prince, and Zurich all looked really, really good.
Now, if Coach Yow and NC State can beat UConn and the prince of darkness himself, I’ll be over the moon.