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Women’s Selection Sunday thread (Iowa Earns 1-Seed in Albany Region)

Btw, feel for Penn State a little bit.

They had a NET of 27. Highest rated team to be left our of the field.

Also glossing over the NET and comparing the seeds of these teams, the committee really gave zero f***s about the NET.

In fact, I don't think the men's committee cared all that much either, except when it was convenient for them.
 
everyone except @Steamboat529529 thinks we are in the toughest bracket in the tourney

heck, the potential Sweet 16 match up should worry Hawk fans; we lost by 7 to K-State at home and then won by 7 on a neutral site.
Look at it this way from the first game vs KSU...Marshall/Stuelke/Martin/Affolter, combined, scored 16 points.
In the second game, those four scored 15 points...and Hannah didn't play.
This isn't the same Iowa team.
 
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good catch i assumed since both were in albany they'd be playing each other.
We won't have to worry about Staley and Co until the Natty in Cleveland. Top 1 seed v 4th 1 seed, and 2nd 1 seed v 3rd 1 seed (provided they all make it) so we'd get to face back to back SC teams in that SCenario lol
 
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Not a bad draw? It's the hardest bracket in the tournament.
Yea. It sucks for UCLA and LSU. Iowa is going to have to play one of them to get to a final four. K State is tough as a four seed for sure. But if you said before the selection show you have to beat K State and UCLA to get to a final four based on seeding, I’d say there are seven teams (South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, USC, UConn, technically LSU though we might play, Ohio State) I’m more happy to avoid than UCLA.
 
everyone except @Steamboat529529 thinks we are in the toughest bracket in the tourney

heck, the potential Sweet 16 match up should worry Hawk fans; we lost by 7 to K-State at home and then won by 7 on a neutral site.
Who cares. Every other team can be upset on any given night. Hell, Iowa had to complete a furious rally to avoid losing a second time to Nebraska this year. Just take care of business against whichever team advances, no matter their seed ……which isn’t going to matter one bit anyway after tip-off.

The gnashing of teeth against prospective opponents 3 or 4 games into the tourney is silly.
 
Yea. It sucks for UCLA and LSU. Iowa is going to have to play one of them to get to a final four. K State is tough as a four seed for sure. But if you said before the selection show you have to beat K State and UCLA to get to a final four based on seeding, I’d say there are seven teams (South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, USC, UConn, technically LSU though we might play, Ohio State) I’m more happy to avoid than UCLA.
It's the rest of the field that pisses us off.

We've been wanting UCLA as the best of the worst options for a month now.
 
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Just so we are clear you think the easier path to the final four is beating UConn and then Southern California rather than beating K State and UCLA/LSU?

we all think that...except you.

in this video, the people at ESPN who cover women's college basketball discuss why the Albany 2 Region is the toughest

Hit the PLAY button:

 
Two things,

1. Iowa has the hardest road to the Final 4 out of all the 1 seeds but it doesn't mean they have the hardest road in the entire tournament.

2. If you would rather trade seeds and potential matchups with Ohio St you are out of your mind.
I agree. But Franisdaman wants UConn and USC!
 
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This almost feels like ratings bait. Iowa and LSU in the same bracket? LSU playing Louisville in the second round, HVL's old school? An early matchup between Iowa and UCLA?

Regardless, I still think South Carolina will take it all this year. And I can only pray we don't play LSU. The amount of vitriol and controversy it will spawn will be disgusting.
 
Yea. It sucks for UCLA and LSU. Iowa is going to have to play one of them to get to a final four. K State is tough as a four seed for sure. But if you said before the selection show you have to beat K State and UCLA to get to a final four based on seeding, I’d say there are seven teams (South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, USC, UConn, technically LSU though we might play, Ohio State) I’m more happy to avoid than UCLA.
Iowa has lost 2 of 3 to KSU these last two seasons.
 
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LSU is a tough matchup for Iowa simply because of the added media pressure and narrative. Nevermind the emotional weight of the championship loss last year. On the other hand, a chance to sleigh that dragon! Beating them would go a long way to closing that narrative for good.

*I've seen nearly all the Pac12 teams play great and play terrible. Not sure which team would show up on any given night.

*This tourney all balances on Clark playing like she did last year. An off night anywhere will make it tough to advance, but they can do it.
 
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I honestly thought it would be LSU 2, UConn 3, KSU 4. With ISU as the 9 in Iowa City. Because why not.
 
I agree. But Franisdaman wants UConn and USC!

Again, you are the only who would prefer Kansas State in the Sweet 16 and the winner of LSU/UCLA in the Elite 8.

In the video I posted above, they called Iowa's region as "murderer's row."

Here's that video again. Hit the PLAY button:


 
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Again, you are the only who would prefer Kansas State in the Sweet 16 and the winner of LSU/UCLA in the Elite 8.

In the video I posted above, they called Iowa's region as "murderer's row."

Here's that vidoe again. Hit the PLAY button:


Again, most knowledgeable fans would take K State and LSU/UCLA, than having to beat UConn and USC.
As Wdsmhawk said above, if you think otherwise, you are out of your mind. 🤷‍♂️
 
Again, most knowledgeable fans would take K State and LSU/UCLA, than having to beat UConn and USC. As Wdsmhawk said above, if you think otherwise, you are out of your mind. 🤷‍♂️


This story from ESPN says, and I quote, "Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the 2nd-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest."

But hey, you and your buddy @WDSMHAWK keep dying on that hill and strangely arguing otherwise.

Here is that story from that ESPN reporter, who knows more about women's college basketball than any of us:

Women's March Madness bracket Winners, Losers


i

Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
Mar 17, 2024, 11:34 PM ET

Who are the winners and losers of the women's NCAA tournament bracket? We start on the losers' side, and it begins with the last two teams standing in 2023. Both aren't going to make it to Cleveland. In fact, neither one might be there.

The Albany 2 Regional has three teams that many might have picked to make the Final Four before the bracket was revealed: defending national champion LSU, national runner-up Iowa and UCLA.

Who thought this was a good idea?
Apparently the NCAA selection committee, which decided to jam-pack that trio together, along with No. 4 seed Kansas State.

Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the second-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest.

The Big Ten tournament champion Hawkeyes, SEC tournament runner-up LSU and Pac-12 semifinalist UCLA were all in the top four in the preseason Associated Press poll and are in the top eight now. Of course, poll rankings are one thing and NCAA tournament placement another. Still, it's a surprise to see them all together.

"Initially, I just thought, 'Oooh, this is a tough, tough region,'" LSU coach Kim Mulkey said of her first reaction to the bracket.

Let's further break down the women's bracket winners and losers, and what the path ahead looks like for unbeaten South Carolina and Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

Losers​

i

Iowa Hawkeyes

Last season, Stanford -- the No. 1 seed in Iowa's regional -- was eliminated in the second round by Ole Miss. The Rebels were subsequently defeated by Louisville, which then fell to Iowa in the Elite Eight.

It wasn't an easy path to the Final Four for the Hawkeyes in 2023, but it seems easier in retrospect to what they could face this season in Albany 2.

The potential difficulty starts in the second round. The Hawkeyes, who shouldn't have trouble in their opener against the Holy Cross-UT Martin winner, would face the 8-9 West Virginia-Princeton winner next.

Last year, Georgia's ability to defend Iowa made for a nerve-wracking second-round win for the Hawkeyes. It could be similar if they face West Virginia, which leads the Big 12 in steals. Against Princeton, Iowa would face a program that upset Kentucky two years ago.

Should seeds hold, Iowa will have a third meeting this season vs. Kansas State; the teams played twice in November, with the Wildcats winning the first and the Hawkeyes the second. Center Ayoka Lee provides the muscle inside for a K-State team that pushed Texas in the Big 12 semifinals.

If Iowa makes the Elite Eight against either No. 2 UCLA or No. 3 LSU, one of the biggest issues will be how the Hawkeyes combat the size inside for both teams.

 
Ifn
This story from ESPN says, and I quote, "Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the 2nd-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest."

But hey, you and your buddy @WDSMHAWK keep dying on that hill and strangely arguing otherwise.

Here is that story from that ESPN reporter, who knows more about women's college basketball than any of us:

Women's March Madness bracket Winners, Losers


i

Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
Mar 17, 2024, 11:34 PM ET

Who are the winners and losers of the women's NCAA tournament bracket? We start on the losers' side, and it begins with the last two teams standing in 2023. Both aren't going to make it to Cleveland. In fact, neither one might be there.

The Albany 2 Regional has three teams that many might have picked to make the Final Four before the bracket was revealed: defending national champion LSU, national runner-up Iowa and UCLA.

Who thought this was a good idea?
Apparently the NCAA selection committee, which decided to jam-pack that trio together, along with No. 4 seed Kansas State.

Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the second-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest.

The Big Ten tournament champion Hawkeyes, SEC tournament runner-up LSU and Pac-12 semifinalist UCLA were all in the top four in the preseason Associated Press poll and are in the top eight now. Of course, poll rankings are one thing and NCAA tournament placement another. Still, it's a surprise to see them all together.

"Initially, I just thought, 'Oooh, this is a tough, tough region,'" LSU coach Kim Mulkey said of her first reaction to the bracket.

Let's further break down the women's bracket winners and losers, and what the path ahead looks like for unbeaten South Carolina and Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

Losers​

i

Iowa Hawkeyes

Last season, Stanford -- the No. 1 seed in Iowa's regional -- was eliminated in the second round by Ole Miss. The Rebels were subsequently defeated by Louisville, which then fell to Iowa in the Elite Eight.

It wasn't an easy path to the Final Four for the Hawkeyes in 2023, but it seems easier in retrospect to what they could face this season in Albany 2.

The potential difficulty starts in the second round. The Hawkeyes, who shouldn't have trouble in their opener against the Holy Cross-UT Martin winner, would face the 8-9 West Virginia-Princeton winner next.

Last year, Georgia's ability to defend Iowa made for a nerve-wracking second-round win for the Hawkeyes. It could be similar if they face West Virginia, which leads the Big 12 in steals. Against Princeton, Iowa would face a program that upset Kentucky two years ago.

Should seeds hold, Iowa will have a third meeting this season vs. Kansas State; the teams played twice in November, with the Wildcats winning the first and the Hawkeyes the second. Center Ayoka Lee provides the muscle inside for a K-State team that pushed Texas in the Big 12 semifinals.

If Iowa makes the Elite Eight against either No. 2 UCLA or No. 3 LSU, one of the biggest issues will be how the Hawkeyes combat the size inside for both teams.

The point you are continually missing is that Iowa won’t play UCLA and LSU. It’s not that hard. K State is a hard matchup.
 
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This story from ESPN says, and I quote, "Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the 2nd-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest."

But hey, you and your buddy @WDSMHAWK keep dying on that hill and strangely arguing otherwise.

Here is that story from that ESPN reporter, who knows more about women's college basketball than any of us:

Women's March Madness bracket Winners, Losers


i

Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
Mar 17, 2024, 11:34 PM ET

Who are the winners and losers of the women's NCAA tournament bracket? We start on the losers' side, and it begins with the last two teams standing in 2023. Both aren't going to make it to Cleveland. In fact, neither one might be there.

The Albany 2 Regional has three teams that many might have picked to make the Final Four before the bracket was revealed: defending national champion LSU, national runner-up Iowa and UCLA.

Who thought this was a good idea?
Apparently the NCAA selection committee, which decided to jam-pack that trio together, along with No. 4 seed Kansas State.

Iowa -- a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1992 -- should have earned the second-easiest corner of the bracket, but instead got the hardest.

The Big Ten tournament champion Hawkeyes, SEC tournament runner-up LSU and Pac-12 semifinalist UCLA were all in the top four in the preseason Associated Press poll and are in the top eight now. Of course, poll rankings are one thing and NCAA tournament placement another. Still, it's a surprise to see them all together.

"Initially, I just thought, 'Oooh, this is a tough, tough region,'" LSU coach Kim Mulkey said of her first reaction to the bracket.

Let's further break down the women's bracket winners and losers, and what the path ahead looks like for unbeaten South Carolina and Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

Losers​

i

Iowa Hawkeyes

Last season, Stanford -- the No. 1 seed in Iowa's regional -- was eliminated in the second round by Ole Miss. The Rebels were subsequently defeated by Louisville, which then fell to Iowa in the Elite Eight.

It wasn't an easy path to the Final Four for the Hawkeyes in 2023, but it seems easier in retrospect to what they could face this season in Albany 2.

The potential difficulty starts in the second round. The Hawkeyes, who shouldn't have trouble in their opener against the Holy Cross-UT Martin winner, would face the 8-9 West Virginia-Princeton winner next.

Last year, Georgia's ability to defend Iowa made for a nerve-wracking second-round win for the Hawkeyes. It could be similar if they face West Virginia, which leads the Big 12 in steals. Against Princeton, Iowa would face a program that upset Kentucky two years ago.

Should seeds hold, Iowa will have a third meeting this season vs. Kansas State; the teams played twice in November, with the Wildcats winning the first and the Hawkeyes the second. Center Ayoka Lee provides the muscle inside for a K-State team that pushed Texas in the Big 12 semifinals.

If Iowa makes the Elite Eight against either No. 2 UCLA or No. 3 LSU, one of the biggest issues will be how the Hawkeyes combat the size inside for both teams.


I said Iowa has the hardest road for all the one seeds not that they have the hardest road in the entire tournament (which is true).

Do you really think the article you linked disproves what I said?
 
Ifn

The point you are continually missing is that Iowa won’t play UCLA and LSU. It’s not that hard. K State is a hard matchup.

The point you are continually missing is I CLEARLY never said Iowa would play BOTH LSU and UCLA

Why is this so hard for you?

Don't answer because I tried to fix stupid and one simply can't
 
You stated Ohio State had an easier path than Iowa. Just making sure you still believe that.

Wrong. Do you get anything right?

The truth?

This is what I actually said:


I said that I would rather be the #2 seed in Ohio State's region than the #1 seed in our current region. Kansas State in the Sweet 16? BAD matchup for Iowa. LSU or UCLA will be in the Elite 8. LSU is loaded with size and talent; if they just get their shit together....

I would rather be in #2 Ohio State's shoes with #1 USC, #3 Uconn & #4 Virginia Tech (their star player is injured)

Iowa got screwed
 
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Not a bad draw for Iowa. I’ll take it. K State at the four will be a little harder than some other four seeds.

It's a terrible draw for Iowa.


Not a bad draw? It's the hardest bracket in the tournament.


83 & Herkhatecy, you are 100% correct. As the #2 overall seed, Iowa should have received the 2nd easiest bracket (after South Carolina). Instead, as the experts who cover women's college basketball have stated, Iowa got the hardest bracket.

But Steamboat is gonna die on that hill arguing otherwise....
 
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83, you are 100% correct. As the #2 overall seed, Iowa should have received the 2nd easiest bracket (after South Carolina). Instead, as the experts who cover women's college basketball have stated, Iowa got the hardest bracket.

But Steamboat is gonna die on that hill arguing otherwise....
But are we wearing Ohio State’s Nike’s??
 
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