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John Woods, Masterly Translator of Thomas Mann, Dies at 80

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John Woods, Masterly Translator of Thomas Mann, Dies at 80

John E. Woods, an award-winning translator of the works of Thomas Mann, considered one of Germany’s best novelists, and of the lesser-known Arno Schmidt, whose complicated fiction has been in comparison with James Joyce’s, died on Feb. 15 in Berlin, the place he had lived since 2005. He was 80.

Francesco Campitelli, his husband and solely speedy survivor, stated that the trigger was a lung ailment and that Mr. Woods additionally had pores and skin most cancers.

“The nirvana of what I can do is to seize for an English-speaking reader, let’s hope, most of the aesthetic and mental attraction, delight and great thing about the unique,” Mr. Woods informed The New Yorker in 2016 about translating Mr. Schmidt’s “Zettel’s Traum” (1970), generally known as “Backside’s Dream” in English. A virtually 1,500-page doorbuster, the novel is loosely a few couple looking for assist to translate Edgar Allan Poe into German. The duty took Mr. Woods a decade. “Extra,” he added, “I can’t do.”

Mr. Woods translated among the best-known novels written by Mr. Mann, a Nobel Prize winner: “Physician Faustus,” “Buddenbrooks,” “Joseph and His Brothers” and “The Magic Mountain.”

In his assessment of Mr. Woods’s 1995 translation of “The Magic Mountain,” the story of a younger engineer’s go to to see a sick cousin at a tuberculosis sanitorium, Mark Harman, a translator of Kafka, wrote in The Washington Put up that Mr. Woods had rendered Mr. Mann in English much better than had Helen Lowe-Porter, who translated the books whereas Mr. Mann, who died in 1955, was nonetheless alive. The publishing home Knopf employed each translators, many years aside.

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“Mann would undoubtedly be far happier along with his new translator, John E. Woods, who succeeds in capturing the gorgeous cadence of his sarcastically elegant prose,” Mr. Harman wrote. “Woods’s English sentences are additionally splendidly lucid — an necessary criterion in assessing translations of Mann, who, for all his piling on of circumstantial particulars, writes luminously clear German.”

He added that “the aesthetic impact of Woods’s translation is similar to that created by the unique.”

Breon Mitchell, professor emeritus of Germanic research and comparative literature at Indiana College, stated in a telephone interview that Mr. Woods was “one of the vital necessary German translators of his technology.” The Lilly Library at Indiana College homes Mr. Woods’s archives and people of different translators.

Mr. Woods knew that it was inconceivable to translate a ebook completely from one language to a different, and that data, he stated, allowed him to use his literary abilities, his humorousness and his ardour for etymology to the fiction of Mr. Mann and Mr. Schmidt. He did the identical to books by authors like Günter Grass, Ingo Schulze,  Christoph Ransmayr and Patrick Süskind.

“He discovered the humorous facet of Thomas Mann and the humorous facet of Arno Schmidt,” Susan Bernofsky, the director of literary translation on the Columbia College Faculty of the Arts, stated in an interview. “He had unbelievable linguistic flexibility and made his translations shine.”

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For Mr. Woods, translating was lonely work.

“You sit there with a textual content, with two languages combating one another in your head,” he stated in 2008, when he accepted the Goethe Medal for his work in translation.

John Edwin Woods was born on Aug. 16, 1942, in Indianapolis and spent the primary seven years of his life with a foster household in Fort Wayne, Ind.; over the last two of these years, his beginning mom lived with him and his foster household. He later lived with each beginning mother and father.

After graduating from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, with a bachelor’s diploma within the mid-Nineteen Sixties, Mr. Woods studied English literature at Cornell earlier than attending the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa. Within the Seventies, he continued his theological research in West Germany, the place he additionally discovered German in a language immersion class on the Goethe Institute. He married his instructor, Ulrike Dorda. (They’d later divorce, and he would come out as homosexual.)

In 1976, when he accompanied his spouse to Amherst, Mass., the place she was in an trade program with the College of Massachusetts, they introduced alongside a duplicate of Mr. Schmidt’s “Night Edged in Gold.” Mr. Woods determined to desert his irritating try to jot down a novel and to attempt translating the Schmidt ebook as a substitute.

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“I hit author’s block and checked out a wall and stated, ‘I’ve received to do one thing,’” he informed The San Diego Reader in 1997.

The primary topic of Mr. Schmidt’s ebook is the confrontation between a family and a band of hippies, though Kirkus Evaluate stated taht this was “solely the barest framework for a free-associative, nonassociative barrage of wordplay.” Using language turns into a narrative, because it does in Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake.”

“And everybody stated it was untranslatable,” Mr. Woods stated. “Then, simply to have one thing to do to justify my existence as a author, I sat down and began to translate ‘Night Edged in Gold’ and located, a lot to my shock, that I might do that.”

He confirmed a few of his work in progress to Helen Wolff, whose imprint at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich printed translations of European authors. She was impressed and determined to publish it — even after Günter Grass had warned her that it couldn’t be completed.

Mr. Woods gained translation prizes from each PEN America and the Nationwide Guide Awards in 1981 for “Night Edged in Gold.” Six years later, he obtained a second PEN America prize for translating Mr. Süskind’s “Fragrance: The Story of a Assassin.”

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In 2014, Mr. Woods mirrored on the issue of translating Mr. Schmidt’s books, telling the Dalkey Archive Press, which printed “Backside’s Dream,” that “the density of his prose is sui generis, even in German, which might be intimidatingly dense.”

“Then,” he added, “there’s the wordplay, the dance of literary references, the Rabelaisian humor, all packed into what I like to think about as ‘fairy tales for adults.’ So, what does a translator do? He places on his idiot’s cap and performs and dances and hopes he amuses.”

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Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch

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Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch

There’s always a sign.

Last spring, I first noticed something special was happening when I couldn’t walk half a block in Dallas without running into large packs of Iowa or South Carolina fans. There were also my guy friends back home who, for the first time, were planning their weekend around the women’s NCAA Tournament games instead of the men’s. And all the sports talk radio channels were discussing Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. My spidey senses were tingling.

I could feel it in my bones that the sport was primed for a breakthrough moment, though I couldn’t have imagined that nearly 10 million people would tune in for the Iowa-LSU national title game, shattering the previous record for viewership of a women’s basketball game. But I could tell that the barrier of apathy had been broken; these women, that late-game taunting, the sport itself — it’d all be talked about for days and weeks and months to come.

I have the same feeling right now.

Another giant leap is coming for a sport that ought to be growing accustomed to these gains. As we head into March Madness, it is the women’s side of the tournament that is taking center stage. It is the women’s stars who shine the brightest. It is the women’s game with the most intriguing storylines.

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And … that’s not even debatable!

“We’ve been on a steady incline,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said during my SiriusXM show Sunday night. “You combine the star power in our game, the fact that you have some of these established stars that fans have really built a relationship with like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink — and then you add in this incredibly dynamic freshman class.

“What we’re seeing is that women’s basketball is a really marketable entity. People love it. We’re in a space where there’s an incredible amount of excitement around it. … It’s something that’s, really, a movement.”

We’ve seen those insanely long lines of fans waiting to get into arenas — any arena — to see Clark play. More than 3 million people watched Clark’s Hawkeyes beat Nebraska in overtime in the Big Ten championship game on CBS, with the audience peaking at 4.45 million (!) in overtime. Clark is so ubiquitous that she was discussed multiple times during this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend’s broadcast … while her State Farm commercials aired during its breaks.

GO DEEPER

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Like Steph and Jimmer before her, Caitlin Clark is a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience

ESPN recently announced that this was its most-watched women’s college basketball regular season in more than 15 years, its viewership up 37 percent on ESPN platforms from last season. Its SEC championship last Sunday between LSU and South Carolina drew almost 2 million viewers, and the Pac-12 title match on the same day between USC and Stanford — the Trojans a No. 1 seed and the Cardinal a No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament — drew more 1.4 million viewers, up 461 percent from last season’s championship. Those three title games out-rated three NBA weekend games.

With more eyeballs comes increased familiarity for fans, both new and old. Now, they know the stars by first name only. Caitlin. Angel. Paige. JuJu. Cam. Hannah.

Quick! Walk into your neighborhood sports bar and ask someone to name five men’s basketball players playing this week. Can they do it? I’m not sure I’d bet a beer on that.

Recently on his podcast, KG Certified, Kevin Garnett made the same point. “This is the first time watching college basketball where I know more girls than guys,” he said.”This is the first time we’ve got women’s basketball ahead of men’s basketball. Women’s college basketball is … electric. It is blowing the guy’s game out of the water.” 

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Of course, that won’t matter much when we sit on our couches or bar stools for 14 straight hours on Thursday and 14 straight hours on Friday. We’ll watch the men’s games just the same, falling in love with Cinderellas even though they bust our brackets. We’ll agonize over a coach’s horrendous late-game clock management. And we’ll keep watching the men because theirs has long been the best postseason in sports.

But parity on the women’s side has changed the calculus a bit. So has the transient nature of men’s college basketball; one-and-dones coupled with the transfer portal has made it harder than ever for players to become household names across the sport nationally. And so many of the men’s biggest stars — its Hall of Fame coaches — have retired and left the sport without its weightiness.

And that has opened a door for the women’s game to run through. This is the sport with players who stay three or four years and grow in front of our eyes. This is the sport with its Hall of Fame coaches still leading the way — many themselves recognized on a first-name basis: Dawn, Geno, Tara, Kim — even as parity increases and college athletics evolves under their feet.

So, this week, I’ll be most interested in Clark’s last tournament run and whether she can will the Hawkeyes to another Final Four. I’ll want to see JuJu Watkins, the freshman phenom who has revitalized USC’s women’s program, on the big stage for the first time. I’ll want to pretend I have half of the energy in my daily life that Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo does on defense in just one game. I’ll be on pins and needles waiting to see if South Carolina can complete a perfect season after falling just short a year ago.

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There will undoubtedly be the usual Neanderthal takes, men who still try to claim that “nobody” watches women’s basketball despite all of the evidence to the contrary. Those opinions now get shouted down by the dads who bond with their daughters by taking them to games and the moms of little boys who wear Clark jerseys and don’t think there’s anything strange about idolizing a female athlete. Those men can cling to their silly little outdated punchlines that make no sense anymore, while we watch compelling basketball and join this rocket ship as it rises.

“Eyes were opened last year, and we just fed off of that momentum, and it didn’t ever stop,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey told me Sunday. “Great teams, great players — the women’s game is just hot.”

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos of Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Hannah Hidalgo: Eakin Howard / Adam Bettcher / Icon Sportswire, Joseph Weiser / Icon Sportswire)

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Women's March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more

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Women's March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more

After five months of regular-season and conference tournament action, we have finally reached the best stretch of the year.

It’s March Madness, and it’s setting up to be yet another eventful NCAA Tournament.

At 32-0, South Carolina seems like the easy pick to make it to the championship game, but we thought that last year, too. Fellow No. 1 seeds — Iowa, USC, and Texas — will look to make deep runs to challenge the Gamecocks.

Like every year, injuries will play a major role in the NCAA Tournament, and none may have a bigger impact on a team than three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley’s knee. Kitley injured her knee in the regular-season finale, and if she’s not at 100 percent, the Hokies could be on upset alert early in the tournament — even with the hot play of Georgia Amoore.

All eyes – well, most eyes – will be on Caitlin Clark as she plays in her final tournament before departing for the WNBA. The same can be said for Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink, and possibly Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso,  among others. But the spotlight will also be on the next generation of stars, including USC’s JuJu Watkins, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, Texas’ Madison Booker, Nebraska’s Natalie Potts, LSU’s Mikaylah Williams and more.

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Fill out your bracket. Set up your casting devices. Block off time on your calendar.

It’s time for March Madness.

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Strengths: Where do we start? From top to bottom, South Carolina is loaded with talent from Te-Hina Paopao — who announced she will return for her final season — to Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Kamilla Cardoso, Ashley Watkins, Chloe Kitts and freshman standout MiLaysia Fulwiley. There’s no solution to stopping the Gamecocks, who are particularly impressive considering this was going to be a “step-back year” for them. That’s funny, in hindsight.

Weaknesses: There is no weakness. Dawn Staley has her team ready to play every single game. The Gamecocks had only four games that they won by single digits. The smallest margin of victory came at LSU. South Carolina will be without Kamilla Cardoso in its opening game after being ejected in the SEC championship for fighting, but in two games without Cardoso this season, the Gamecocks defeated Missouri 83-45 and UConn 83-65. The Gamecocks will be just fine.

Outlook: It’s South Carolina vs. the world. Remember when people would bet on Tiger Woods or the field? That’s what you’re doing here with South Carolina. Last season, it was knocked off by Iowa. The Gamecocks remember that well. This season, there’s no stopping them from getting to the title game.

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Strengths: Where do we start? From top to bottom, South Carolina is loaded with talent from Te-Hina Paopao — who announced she will return for her final season — to Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Kamilla Cardoso, Ashley Watkins, Chloe Kitts and freshman standout MiLaysia Fulwiley. There’s no solution to stopping the Gamecocks, who are particularly impressive considering this was going to be a “step-back year” for them. That’s funny, in hindsight.

Weaknesses: There is no weakness. Dawn Staley has her team ready to play every single game. The Gamecocks had only four games that they won by single digits. The smallest margin of victory came at LSU. South Carolina will be without Kamilla Cardoso in its opening game after being ejected in the SEC championship for fighting, but in two games without Cardoso this season, the Gamecocks defeated Missouri 83-45 and UConn 83-65. The Gamecocks will be just fine.

Outlook: It’s South Carolina vs. the world. Remember when people would bet on Tiger Woods or the field? That’s what you’re doing here with South Carolina. Last season, it was knocked off by Iowa. The Gamecocks remember that well. This season, there’s no stopping them from getting to the title game.

Strengths: Where do we start? From top to bottom, South Carolina is loaded with talent from Te-Hina Paopao — who announced she will return for her final season — to Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Kamilla Cardoso, Ashley Watkins, Chloe Kitts and freshman standout MiLaysia Fulwiley. There’s no solution to stopping the Gamecocks, who are particularly impressive considering this was going to be a “step-back year” for them. That’s funny, in hindsight.

Weaknesses: There is no weakness. Dawn Staley has her team ready to play every single game. The Gamecocks had only four games that they won by single digits. The smallest margin of victory came at LSU. South Carolina will be without Kamilla Cardoso in its opening game after being ejected in the SEC championship for fighting, but in two games without Cardoso this season, the Gamecocks defeated Missouri 83-45 and UConn 83-65. The Gamecocks will be just fine.

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Outlook: It’s South Carolina vs. the world. Remember when people would bet on Tiger Woods or the field? That’s what you’re doing here with South Carolina. Last season, it was knocked off by Iowa. The Gamecocks remember that well. This season, there’s no stopping them from getting to the title game.

Team in 16 words: South Carolina has one loss since March 18, 2022. What else is there to say? Sheer dominance.

Record: 32-0 (14-2 SEC)

Coach: Dawn Staley; 5 FInal Fours, 2 titles

Player to watch: MiLaysia Fulwiley

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Strengths: When you have the all-time leading scorer on your team, it’s an obvious plus. What’s more, Molly Davis, who leads all Iowa starters in field-goal percentage, avoided a major injury in the season finale win against Ohio State. Iowa has the nation’s best offense, averaging 92.7 points per game on the shoulders of Clark’s 32.3 average. Even if opponents can contain Clark — or attempt to — Davis, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall have all shown the ability to consistently hit the outside shot.

Weaknesses: Clark is the star, and while Martin and Hannah Stuelke can chip in, the team goes as far as Clark will take it – which was to the title game last season. But because of the pace that the Hawkeyes play, they are susceptible on defense, especially in transition. Opponents are averaging 71.8 points per game against the Hawkeyes — 20.9 fewer than Iowa averages, of course – which ranks in the bottom 12th percentile. Iowa will win a shootout, but the opportunity is there to attempt to go toe-to-toe with it.

Outlook: College basketball has always had stars. Skylar Diggins, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, Brittney Griner and so on. Caitlin Clark is the latest phenom to come along to bring new eyes on the product, and rightfully so. Iowa will be a bigger talking point nationally than South Carolina — who, you know, hasn’t lost a game all season — with the expectations that it’ll play in the championship again. Aside from scoring only 58 points in a loss to Kansas State, Iowa typically pours in buckets even in losses. It’s hard to see anyone slowing down the Hawkeyes, making them a great final weekend pick.

Strengths: When you have the all-time leading scorer on your team, it’s an obvious plus. What’s more, Molly Davis, who leads all Iowa starters in field-goal percentage, avoided a major injury in the season finale win against Ohio State. Iowa has the nation’s best offense, averaging 92.7 points per game on the shoulders of Clark’s 32.3 average. Even if opponents can contain Clark — or attempt to — Davis, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall have all shown the ability to consistently hit the outside shot.

Weaknesses: Clark is the star, and while Martin and Hannah Stuelke can chip in, the team goes as far as Clark will take it – which was to the title game last season. But because of the pace that the Hawkeyes play, they are susceptible on defense, especially in transition. Opponents are averaging 71.8 points per game against the Hawkeyes — 20.9 fewer than Iowa averages, of course – which ranks in the bottom 12th percentile. Iowa will win a shootout, but the opportunity is there to attempt to go toe-to-toe with it.

Outlook: College basketball has always had stars. Skylar Diggins, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, Brittney Griner and so on. Caitlin Clark is the latest phenom to come along to bring new eyes on the product, and rightfully so. Iowa will be a bigger talking point nationally than South Carolina — who, you know, hasn’t lost a game all season — with the expectations that it’ll play in the championship again. Aside from scoring only 58 points in a loss to Kansas State, Iowa typically pours in buckets even in losses. It’s hard to see anyone slowing down the Hawkeyes, making them a great final weekend pick.

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Strengths: When you have the all-time leading scorer on your team, it’s an obvious plus. What’s more, Molly Davis, who leads all Iowa starters in field-goal percentage, avoided a major injury in the season finale win against Ohio State. Iowa has the nation’s best offense, averaging 92.7 points per game on the shoulders of Clark’s 32.3 average. Even if opponents can contain Clark — or attempt to — Davis, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall have all shown the ability to consistently hit the outside shot.

Weaknesses: Clark is the star, and while Martin and Hannah Stuelke can chip in, the team goes as far as Clark will take it – which was to the title game last season. But because of the pace that the Hawkeyes play, they are susceptible on defense, especially in transition. Opponents are averaging 71.8 points per game against the Hawkeyes — 20.9 fewer than Iowa averages, of course – which ranks in the bottom 12th percentile. Iowa will win a shootout, but the opportunity is there to attempt to go toe-to-toe with it.

Outlook: College basketball has always had stars. Skylar Diggins, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, Brittney Griner and so on. Caitlin Clark is the latest phenom to come along to bring new eyes on the product, and rightfully so. Iowa will be a bigger talking point nationally than South Carolina — who, you know, hasn’t lost a game all season — with the expectations that it’ll play in the championship again. Aside from scoring only 58 points in a loss to Kansas State, Iowa typically pours in buckets even in losses. It’s hard to see anyone slowing down the Hawkeyes, making them a great final weekend pick.

Team in 16 words: After losing in the title game last year, can Caitlin Clark and Co. finish her story?

Record: 29-4

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Coach: Lisa Bluder, two Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight, one runner-up

Player to watch: Caitlin Clark

Strengths: In high school, JuJu Watkins had celebrities like The Game and 2-Chainz attending her games. Now, the phenom will have the world watching as she makes her NCAA Tournament debut. Watkins trails only Caitlin Clark as the nation’s scoring leader, as she’s averaging 27.8 points per game. Is efficiency a concern? Yeah, but when you’re a walking bucket, averaging the most shot attempts per game, you can live with missing 49.4 percent of them. USC goes as Watkins goes, but don’t overlook contributions from junior Rayah Marshall and All-Pac-12 senior McKenzie Forbes — both strong complementary players.

Weaknesses: The fouls. It’s always the fouls. We saw that when Watkins fouled out against Arizona, and USC nearly lost the game. If the Trojans can stay disciplined and avoid getting in foul trouble, then they shouldn’t have a problem in the tournament. Watkins is used to the bright lights, so don’t expect any primetime struggles there.

Outlook: USC won eight of its last nine games of this eason, with its lone loss coming against Utah in late February. But it enters the tournament on a hot streak, and it survived a double-overtime challenge from Arizona in the aforementioned game that Watkins fouled out. Utah was the only team to have USC’s number — the Trojans lost twice by a combined 26 points — but in their other three losses, the average margin of defeat was just 4.6 points. Elite Eight — at least — here it comes.

Strengths: In high school, JuJu Watkins had celebrities like The Game and 2-Chainz attending her games. Now, the phenom will have the world watching as she makes her NCAA Tournament debut. Watkins trails only Caitlin Clark as the nation’s scoring leader, as she’s averaging 27.8 points per game. Is efficiency a concern? Yeah, but when you’re a walking bucket, averaging the most shot attempts per game, you can live with missing 49.4 percent of them. USC goes as Watkins goes, but don’t overlook contributions from junior Rayah Marshall and All-Pac-12 senior McKenzie Forbes — both strong complementary players.

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Weaknesses: The fouls. It’s always the fouls. We saw that when Watkins fouled out against Arizona, and USC nearly lost the game. If the Trojans can stay disciplined and avoid getting in foul trouble, then they shouldn’t have a problem in the tournament. Watkins is used to the bright lights, so don’t expect any primetime struggles there.

Outlook: USC won eight of its last nine games of this eason, with its lone loss coming against Utah in late February. But it enters the tournament on a hot streak, and it survived a double-overtime challenge from Arizona in the aforementioned game that Watkins fouled out. Utah was the only team to have USC’s number — the Trojans lost twice by a combined 26 points — but in their other three losses, the average margin of defeat was just 4.6 points. Elite Eight — at least — here it comes.

Strengths: In high school, JuJu Watkins had celebrities like The Game and 2-Chainz attending her games. Now, the phenom will have the world watching as she makes her NCAA Tournament debut. Watkins trails only Caitlin Clark as the nation’s scoring leader, as she’s averaging 27.8 points per game. Is efficiency a concern? Yeah, but when you’re a walking bucket, averaging the most shot attempts per game, you can live with missing 49.4 percent of them. USC goes as Watkins goes, but don’t overlook contributions from junior Rayah Marshall and All-Pac-12 senior McKenzie Forbes — both strong complementary players.

Weaknesses: The fouls. It’s always the fouls. We saw that when Watkins fouled out against Arizona, and USC nearly lost the game. If the Trojans can stay disciplined and avoid getting in foul trouble, then they shouldn’t have a problem in the tournament. Watkins is used to the bright lights, so don’t expect any primetime struggles there.

Outlook: USC won eight of its last nine games of this eason, with its lone loss coming against Utah in late February. But it enters the tournament on a hot streak, and it survived a double-overtime challenge from Arizona in the aforementioned game that Watkins fouled out. Utah was the only team to have USC’s number — the Trojans lost twice by a combined 26 points — but in their other three losses, the average margin of defeat was just 4.6 points. Elite Eight — at least — here it comes.

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Team in 16 words: USC lost just one game in February (vs. Utah). Efficiency and defensive fouls remain a concern.

Record: 26-5

Coach: Lindsay Gottlieb, one Final Four

Player to watch: JuJu Watkins

Strengths: When Texas wins, it wins. Its margin of victory per game is 24.2 points, which ranks third. Its dominant offense averages 112.8 points per 100 possessions, led by freshman sensation Madison Booker. Among freshmen, Booker’s 28 PER was ninth-best in the country. While Booker paces the Texas’ scoring, Amina Muhammad and Taylor Jones each pull in 2.3 offensive boards per game. It’s a big advantage for Texas, as its 41.8 percent offensive rebound rate lends to the 57.4 overall rebound rate, which ranks fifth nationally.

Weaknesses: The margin of victory is so big for Texas, but its lossescame by a total of 14 points – including the last-second shot by Lexy Keys that gave Oklahoma a one-point win on Feb. 28. Texas’ smallest margin of victory was a five-point win over Texas Tech. How will the Longhorns respond when they’re in a March Madness slugfest?

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Outlook: Texas is a No. 1 seed that should face little resistance in making it to the second weekend. But once it gets to the Sweet 16, will it be able to pull out ahead in these closely contested games and shoot more 3s than usual? The talent is there to make a deep run.

Strengths: When Texas wins, it wins. Its margin of victory per game is 24.2 points, which ranks third. Its dominant offense averages 112.8 points per 100 possessions, led by freshman sensation Madison Booker. Among freshmen, Booker’s 28 PER was ninth-best in the country. While Booker paces the Texas’ scoring, Amina Muhammad and Taylor Jones each pull in 2.3 offensive boards per game. It’s a big advantage for Texas, as its 41.8 percent offensive rebound rate lends to the 57.4 overall rebound rate, which ranks fifth nationally.

Weaknesses: The margin of victory is so big for Texas, but its lossescame by a total of 14 points – including the last-second shot by Lexy Keys that gave Oklahoma a one-point win on Feb. 28. Texas’ smallest margin of victory was a five-point win over Texas Tech. How will the Longhorns respond when they’re in a March Madness slugfest?

Outlook: Texas is a No. 1 seed that should face little resistance in making it to the second weekend. But once it gets to the Sweet 16, will it be able to pull out ahead in these closely contested games and shoot more 3s than usual? The talent is there to make a deep run.

Strengths: When Texas wins, it wins. Its margin of victory per game is 24.2 points, which ranks third. Its dominant offense averages 112.8 points per 100 possessions, led by freshman sensation Madison Booker. Among freshmen, Booker’s 28 PER was ninth-best in the country. While Booker paces the Texas’ scoring, Amina Muhammad and Taylor Jones each pull in 2.3 offensive boards per game. It’s a big advantage for Texas, as its 41.8 percent offensive rebound rate lends to the 57.4 overall rebound rate, which ranks fifth nationally.

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Weaknesses: The margin of victory is so big for Texas, but its lossescame by a total of 14 points – including the last-second shot by Lexy Keys that gave Oklahoma a one-point win on Feb. 28. Texas’ smallest margin of victory was a five-point win over Texas Tech. How will the Longhorns respond when they’re in a March Madness slugfest?

Outlook: Texas is a No. 1 seed that should face little resistance in making it to the second weekend. But once it gets to the Sweet 16, will it be able to pull out ahead in these closely contested games and shoot more 3s than usual? The talent is there to make a deep run.

Team in 16 words: Texas is an elite team who too often struggles to close games. Owns the offensive glass.

Record: 30-4

Coach: Vic Schaefer, four Sweet 16 appearances, three Elite 8 appearances, 2 Final Fours, and 2 National Runner-up finishes.

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Player to watch: Madison Booker

Strengths: Notre Dame is more than just Hannah Hidalgo, of course, but it’ll go as far as she takes it. She has great complementary players on offense in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld, who create a lot of movement within the Irish offense to free up the open shooter. It’s easy to forget that Notre Dame opened its season against South Carolina and lost by 29 points. It’s a different team now, and three of its other five losses came by an average of 5.3 points – with NC State and Syracuse being the other two big losses. But that’s overlooking Notre Dame’s huge victories, including wins by 78, 58, 47, 54, 50 and 47 points. Notre Dame is running hot entering the tournament, winning its last five games by an average of 17.6 points, holding its last four regular-season opponents to fewer than 60 points apiece. The Irish look to suffocate on defense – top 97 percentile in STOCKs – and run opponents off the court while still holding them in check defensively.

Weaknesses: Two big concerns. The first is the Irish’s ability — or lack thereof — to hit 3-pointers when needed. They shot 33.5 percent from 3 on the season, which is fine, but just 20.6 percent of their points came from 3. Only 51 teams had fewer of their points come from 3-pointers. The second is the stage for Hidalgo. We’ve seen her dominate throughout the season, but how will she handle the bright lights of March?

Outlook: The Irish are going to be a tough out, and when you have Hidalgo, you have a shot in every single game. The Irish like to play fast and incorporate a lot of movements within their half-court sets. If they can play at their pace and get opponents to play into their hands by forcing turnovers and collecting those STOCKs, the Irish could make a trip to the Elite Eight.

Strengths: Notre Dame is more than just Hannah Hidalgo, of course, but it’ll go as far as she takes it. She has great complementary players on offense in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld, who create a lot of movement within the Irish offense to free up the open shooter. It’s easy to forget that Notre Dame opened its season against South Carolina and lost by 29 points. It’s a different team now, and three of its other five losses came by an average of 5.3 points – with NC State and Syracuse being the other two big losses. But that’s overlooking Notre Dame’s huge victories, including wins by 78, 58, 47, 54, 50 and 47 points. Notre Dame is running hot entering the tournament, winning its last five games by an average of 17.6 points, holding its last four regular-season opponents to fewer than 60 points apiece. The Irish look to suffocate on defense – top 97 percentile in STOCKs – and run opponents off the court while still holding them in check defensively.

Weaknesses: Two big concerns. The first is the Irish’s ability — or lack thereof — to hit 3-pointers when needed. They shot 33.5 percent from 3 on the season, which is fine, but just 20.6 percent of their points came from 3. Only 51 teams had fewer of their points come from 3-pointers. The second is the stage for Hidalgo. We’ve seen her dominate throughout the season, but how will she handle the bright lights of March?

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Outlook: The Irish are going to be a tough out, and when you have Hidalgo, you have a shot in every single game. The Irish like to play fast and incorporate a lot of movements within their half-court sets. If they can play at their pace and get opponents to play into their hands by forcing turnovers and collecting those STOCKs, the Irish could make a trip to the Elite Eight.

Strengths: Notre Dame is more than just Hannah Hidalgo, of course, but it’ll go as far as she takes it. She has great complementary players on offense in Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld, who create a lot of movement within the Irish offense to free up the open shooter. It’s easy to forget that Notre Dame opened its season against South Carolina and lost by 29 points. It’s a different team now, and three of its other five losses came by an average of 5.3 points – with NC State and Syracuse being the other two big losses. But that’s overlooking Notre Dame’s huge victories, including wins by 78, 58, 47, 54, 50 and 47 points. Notre Dame is running hot entering the tournament, winning its last five games by an average of 17.6 points, holding its last four regular-season opponents to fewer than 60 points apiece. The Irish look to suffocate on defense – top 97 percentile in STOCKs – and run opponents off the court while still holding them in check defensively.

Weaknesses: Two big concerns. The first is the Irish’s ability — or lack thereof — to hit 3-pointers when needed. They shot 33.5 percent from 3 on the season, which is fine, but just 20.6 percent of their points came from 3. Only 51 teams had fewer of their points come from 3-pointers. The second is the stage for Hidalgo. We’ve seen her dominate throughout the season, but how will she handle the bright lights of March?

Outlook: The Irish are going to be a tough out, and when you have Hidalgo, you have a shot in every single game. The Irish like to play fast and incorporate a lot of movements within their half-court sets. If they can play at their pace and get opponents to play into their hands by forcing turnovers and collecting those STOCKs, the Irish could make a trip to the Elite Eight.

Team in 16 words: Great offensively, elite defensively. Notre Dame has a nonstop defensive motor led by freshman Hannah Hidalgo.

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Record: 26-6

Coach: Niele Ivey, two Sweet 16s

Player to watch: Hannah Hidalgo

Strengths: Annoying. That’s the first word that comes to mind about the 79-77 loss to Oregon State off of a game-winning 3. If not for that, UCLA would have closed its season on an eight-game winning streak. Still, it’s one of the deepers teams in the country, and one of the youngest, which is scary for future opponents. Senior Charisma Osborne is the Bruins’ motor, but the sophomore trio of Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Lauren Betts will determine how far UCLA goes in the tournament. Rice, in particular, has been in her bag of late, scoring 41 combined points in the Bruins’ last three regular-season games.

Weaknesses: Will inexperience hurt UCLA? Its last Elite Eight appearance was in 2018. Outside of Osborne, Camryn Brown is the only other senior on the roster. If you have no concerns about the Bruins’ youth factor, you shouldn’t have concerns about them at all.

Outlook: UCLA doesn’t just score, it plays hard on the glass, too. It has the country’s top rebound rate and averages the 11th-most rebounds per game (43.2). Other teams may have more elite pairings than UCLA, but few are deeper and more in unison. Betts’ dominant interior play opens up the shots for Jones and Osborne from deep and for Rice to drive to the lane as we’ve become accustomed to. UCLA is a Final Four favorite.

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Strengths: Annoying. That’s the first word that comes to mind about the 79-77 loss to Oregon State off of a game-winning 3. If not for that, UCLA would have closed its season on an eight-game winning streak. Still, it’s one of the deepers teams in the country, and one of the youngest, which is scary for future opponents. Senior Charisma Osborne is the Bruins’ motor, but the sophomore trio of Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Lauren Betts will determine how far UCLA goes in the tournament. Rice, in particular, has been in her bag of late, scoring 41 combined points in the Bruins’ last three regular-season games.

Weaknesses: Will inexperience hurt UCLA? Its last Elite Eight appearance was in 2018. Outside of Osborne, Camryn Brown is the only other senior on the roster. If you have no concerns about the Bruins’ youth factor, you shouldn’t have concerns about them at all.

Outlook: UCLA doesn’t just score, it plays hard on the glass, too. It has the country’s top rebound rate and averages the 11th-most rebounds per game (43.2). Other teams may have more elite pairings than UCLA, but few are deeper and more in unison. Betts’ dominant interior play opens up the shots for Jones and Osborne from deep and for Rice to drive to the lane as we’ve become accustomed to. UCLA is a Final Four favorite.

Strengths: Annoying. That’s the first word that comes to mind about the 79-77 loss to Oregon State off of a game-winning 3. If not for that, UCLA would have closed its season on an eight-game winning streak. Still, it’s one of the deepers teams in the country, and one of the youngest, which is scary for future opponents. Senior Charisma Osborne is the Bruins’ motor, but the sophomore trio of Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Lauren Betts will determine how far UCLA goes in the tournament. Rice, in particular, has been in her bag of late, scoring 41 combined points in the Bruins’ last three regular-season games.

Weaknesses: Will inexperience hurt UCLA? Its last Elite Eight appearance was in 2018. Outside of Osborne, Camryn Brown is the only other senior on the roster. If you have no concerns about the Bruins’ youth factor, you shouldn’t have concerns about them at all.

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Outlook: UCLA doesn’t just score, it plays hard on the glass, too. It has the country’s top rebound rate and averages the 11th-most rebounds per game (43.2). Other teams may have more elite pairings than UCLA, but few are deeper and more in unison. Betts’ dominant interior play opens up the shots for Jones and Osborne from deep and for Rice to drive to the lane as we’ve become accustomed to. UCLA is a Final Four favorite.

Team in 16 words: Bruins won their last five games of the season by an average margin of 21.2 points.

Record: 25-6

Coach: Cori Close, four Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight

Player to watch: Lauren Betts

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Strengths: Ohio State bookended its season with losses to USC and Iowa, but the Buckeyes went 22-2 between those losses. Nancy Lieberman Award finalist Jacy Sheldon leads the Buckeyes’ charge, but she’s far from alone. Ohio State rolled out the same starting five in 27 of 28 games, and the unit isn’t just effective from all over the court but also efficient. Even in its season-finale loss to Iowa, Ohio State made 14 3s.

Weaknesses: Ohio State ranking in the bottom quarter of the nation in offensive rebounding. Though they limit offense boards, they fail to capitalize on potential second-chance points. It’s a very minor blip from a standout team.

Outlook: South Carolina is the clear favorite in the tournament — and rightfully so — but if it were upset, it’s hard not to pick Ohio State as a potential champion. Even in its four losses, the biggest deficit was 10 points — not counting its loss to Maryland in the Big Ten tournament – as it played all of its high-level opponents close throughout the season in wins and losses. Ohio State is a Final Four team. Full stop.

Strengths: Ohio State bookended its season with losses to USC and Iowa, but the Buckeyes went 22-2 between those losses. Nancy Lieberman Award finalist Jacy Sheldon leads the Buckeyes’ charge, but she’s far from alone. Ohio State rolled out the same starting five in 27 of 28 games, and the unit isn’t just effective from all over the court but also efficient. Even in its season-finale loss to Iowa, Ohio State made 14 3s.

Weaknesses: Ohio State ranking in the bottom quarter of the nation in offensive rebounding. Though they limit offense boards, they fail to capitalize on potential second-chance points. It’s a very minor blip from a standout team.

Outlook: South Carolina is the clear favorite in the tournament — and rightfully so — but if it were upset, it’s hard not to pick Ohio State as a potential champion. Even in its four losses, the biggest deficit was 10 points — not counting its loss to Maryland in the Big Ten tournament – as it played all of its high-level opponents close throughout the season in wins and losses. Ohio State is a Final Four team. Full stop.

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Strengths: Ohio State bookended its season with losses to USC and Iowa, but the Buckeyes went 22-2 between those losses. Nancy Lieberman Award finalist Jacy Sheldon leads the Buckeyes’ charge, but she’s far from alone. Ohio State rolled out the same starting five in 27 of 28 games, and the unit isn’t just effective from all over the court but also efficient. Even in its season-finale loss to Iowa, Ohio State made 14 3s.

Weaknesses: Ohio State ranking in the bottom quarter of the nation in offensive rebounding. Though they limit offense boards, they fail to capitalize on potential second-chance points. It’s a very minor blip from a standout team.

Outlook: South Carolina is the clear favorite in the tournament — and rightfully so — but if it were upset, it’s hard not to pick Ohio State as a potential champion. Even in its four losses, the biggest deficit was 10 points — not counting its loss to Maryland in the Big Ten tournament – as it played all of its high-level opponents close throughout the season in wins and losses. Ohio State is a Final Four team. Full stop.

Team in 16 words: The Buckeyes lost just one regular-season game in 2024, dropping the season finale at Iowa City.

Record: 25-5

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Coach: Kevin McGuff, three Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights

Player to watch: Jacy Sheldon

Strengths: All-American Cameron Brink is a pretty good start, wouldn’t you say? Brink recently announced she’ll enter the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 2 pick. Stanford will be the last Pac-12 champion (pour one out, folx) and will be in a good position to make one final run as the conference champ. Brink and Kiki Iriafen are one of only two pairs of college teammates to average a double-double this season — LSU’s Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow are the others — giving the Cardinal a one-two combo that few can contend with.

Weaknesses: Stanford plays at a pretty slow pace — 68.7 possessions per 40 minutes — that makes me curious how it will react when it needs to play to its opponent’s pace instead. Look, it’s nit-picking, but finding a weakness is hard when it comes to elite teams. And make no mistake about it: Stanford is elite.

Outlook: Brink and Iriafen have tremendous chemistry as a top-five duo in college hoops – and that might be selling them short. Stanford is among a handful of teams outside of South Carolina with a serious shot at winning the title.

Strengths: All-American Cameron Brink is a pretty good start, wouldn’t you say? Brink recently announced she’ll enter the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 2 pick. Stanford will be the last Pac-12 champion (pour one out, folx) and will be in a good position to make one final run as the conference champ. Brink and Kiki Iriafen are one of only two pairs of college teammates to average a double-double this season — LSU’s Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow are the others — giving the Cardinal a one-two combo that few can contend with.

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Weaknesses: Stanford plays at a pretty slow pace — 68.7 possessions per 40 minutes — that makes me curious how it will react when it needs to play to its opponent’s pace instead. Look, it’s nit-picking, but finding a weakness is hard when it comes to elite teams. And make no mistake about it: Stanford is elite.

Outlook: Brink and Iriafen have tremendous chemistry as a top-five duo in college hoops – and that might be selling them short. Stanford is among a handful of teams outside of South Carolina with a serious shot at winning the title.

Strengths: All-American Cameron Brink is a pretty good start, wouldn’t you say? Brink recently announced she’ll enter the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 2 pick. Stanford will be the last Pac-12 champion (pour one out, folx) and will be in a good position to make one final run as the conference champ. Brink and Kiki Iriafen are one of only two pairs of college teammates to average a double-double this season — LSU’s Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow are the others — giving the Cardinal a one-two combo that few can contend with.

Weaknesses: Stanford plays at a pretty slow pace — 68.7 possessions per 40 minutes — that makes me curious how it will react when it needs to play to its opponent’s pace instead. Look, it’s nit-picking, but finding a weakness is hard when it comes to elite teams. And make no mistake about it: Stanford is elite.

Outlook: Brink and Iriafen have tremendous chemistry as a top-five duo in college hoops – and that might be selling them short. Stanford is among a handful of teams outside of South Carolina with a serious shot at winning the title.

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Team in 16 words: Stanford exceeded preseason expectations by winning the Pac-12 regular season behind Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen.

Record: 28-5

Coach: Tara VanDerveer, six Sweet 16s, six Elite Eights, eight Final Fours, two runner-ups, three championships

Player to watch: Cameron Brink

Strengths: The biggest plus is that Raegan Beers is back, and basketball fans everywhere get to rejoice. The Beavers lost three of the four games Beers missed, so her return as Oregon State’s leading scorer and rebounder is much-needed. The sophomore is one of 28 players averaging a double-double, and she’s one of only five sophomores to accomplish that feat.

Weaknesses: Oregon State struggles in a few areas, most notably ranking 355 out of 360 in steals per game (4.6). It also ranks in the 15th percentile in offensive rebounds per game and plays at an extremely slow pace of 67.6.

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Outlook: Outside of those areas, the big concern with Oregon State is lack of experience. It hasn’t made the tournament since 2021, and the last time it advanced to the second weekend was in 2019. The Beavers have five juniors and zero seniors. Oregon State has played everyone tough – its biggest loss was by 11 points to UCLA – so it shouldn’t be an easy opponent, per se, but a Sweet 16 appearance is probably the ceiling this year. And that’s OK as it builds to 2024-2025.

Strengths: The biggest plus is that Raegan Beers is back, and basketball fans everywhere get to rejoice. The Beavers lost three of the four games Beers missed, so her return as Oregon State’s leading scorer and rebounder is much-needed. The sophomore is one of 28 players averaging a double-double, and she’s one of only five sophomores to accomplish that feat.

Weaknesses: Oregon State struggles in a few areas, most notably ranking 355 out of 360 in steals per game (4.6). It also ranks in the 15th percentile in offensive rebounds per game and plays at an extremely slow pace of 67.6.

Outlook: Outside of those areas, the big concern with Oregon State is lack of experience. It hasn’t made the tournament since 2021, and the last time it advanced to the second weekend was in 2019. The Beavers have five juniors and zero seniors. Oregon State has played everyone tough – its biggest loss was by 11 points to UCLA – so it shouldn’t be an easy opponent, per se, but a Sweet 16 appearance is probably the ceiling this year. And that’s OK as it builds to 2024-2025.

Strengths: The biggest plus is that Raegan Beers is back, and basketball fans everywhere get to rejoice. The Beavers lost three of the four games Beers missed, so her return as Oregon State’s leading scorer and rebounder is much-needed. The sophomore is one of 28 players averaging a double-double, and she’s one of only five sophomores to accomplish that feat.

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Weaknesses: Oregon State struggles in a few areas, most notably ranking 355 out of 360 in steals per game (4.6). It also ranks in the 15th percentile in offensive rebounds per game and plays at an extremely slow pace of 67.6.

Outlook: Outside of those areas, the big concern with Oregon State is lack of experience. It hasn’t made the tournament since 2021, and the last time it advanced to the second weekend was in 2019. The Beavers have five juniors and zero seniors. Oregon State has played everyone tough – its biggest loss was by 11 points to UCLA – so it shouldn’t be an easy opponent, per se, but a Sweet 16 appearance is probably the ceiling this year. And that’s OK as it builds to 2024-2025.

Team in 16 words: Deadly from the outside (36.7 percent). Returning Raegan Beers (nose) is huge for the Beavers’ chances.

Record: 24-7

Coach: Scott Rueck, two Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight, one Final Four

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Player to watch: Raegan Beers

Strengths: Between losing its opener to Colorado and the early-season absence of Angel Reese, it looked like it was going to be a championship hangover in Baton Rouge. Instead, the Tigers went on to lose just three more games the rest of the season and showed the same dominance they had in 2022-2023. Reese, the SEC Player of the Year, led the charge with 19.1 points and 13 boards, and Aneesah Morrow also averaged a double-double (16.7 points, 10 rebounds), making them one of two duos in the country to average a double-double. LSU averaged the second-most points per game and plays at an extremely fast pace. It is an absolute menace on the boards — especially offensively — leading the country in offensive rebound rate.

Weaknesses: There aren’t any big weaknesses. It prefers to attack inside out, which makes sense given the Reese’s presence down low. It is middle-of-the-road in 3-point percentage, but it attempted the 315th fewest 3s in the country. LSU’s pace and ability to get to the charity stripe at a higher rate than any other team is the recipe to success, so if opponents can get it out of its zone and into a shootout, that could present a challenge.

Outlook: LSU has the makings to go on a deep run again, especially with its hot close to the season. It was a slow start for the Tigers, and it was an especially slow start for Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith. She has been an important part of LSU’s run since February, as she failed to hit double-digits scoring just twice, and set her two highest-scoring outputs during that stretch. If LSU keeps getting the high-level contributions from Van Lith and and Flau’Jae Johnson to complement Reese and Morrow, LSU could be Final Four bound again.

Strengths: Between losing its opener to Colorado and the early-season absence of Angel Reese, it looked like it was going to be a championship hangover in Baton Rouge. Instead, the Tigers went on to lose just three more games the rest of the season and showed the same dominance they had in 2022-2023. Reese, the SEC Player of the Year, led the charge with 19.1 points and 13 boards, and Aneesah Morrow also averaged a double-double (16.7 points, 10 rebounds), making them one of two duos in the country to average a double-double. LSU averaged the second-most points per game and plays at an extremely fast pace. It is an absolute menace on the boards — especially offensively — leading the country in offensive rebound rate.

Weaknesses: There aren’t any big weaknesses. It prefers to attack inside out, which makes sense given the Reese’s presence down low. It is middle-of-the-road in 3-point percentage, but it attempted the 315th fewest 3s in the country. LSU’s pace and ability to get to the charity stripe at a higher rate than any other team is the recipe to success, so if opponents can get it out of its zone and into a shootout, that could present a challenge.

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Outlook: LSU has the makings to go on a deep run again, especially with its hot close to the season. It was a slow start for the Tigers, and it was an especially slow start for Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith. She has been an important part of LSU’s run since February, as she failed to hit double-digits scoring just twice, and set her two highest-scoring outputs during that stretch. If LSU keeps getting the high-level contributions from Van Lith and and Flau’Jae Johnson to complement Reese and Morrow, LSU could be Final Four bound again.

Strengths: Between losing its opener to Colorado and the early-season absence of Angel Reese, it looked like it was going to be a championship hangover in Baton Rouge. Instead, the Tigers went on to lose just three more games the rest of the season and showed the same dominance they had in 2022-2023. Reese, the SEC Player of the Year, led the charge with 19.1 points and 13 boards, and Aneesah Morrow also averaged a double-double (16.7 points, 10 rebounds), making them one of two duos in the country to average a double-double. LSU averaged the second-most points per game and plays at an extremely fast pace. It is an absolute menace on the boards — especially offensively — leading the country in offensive rebound rate.

Weaknesses: There aren’t any big weaknesses. It prefers to attack inside out, which makes sense given the Reese’s presence down low. It is middle-of-the-road in 3-point percentage, but it attempted the 315th fewest 3s in the country. LSU’s pace and ability to get to the charity stripe at a higher rate than any other team is the recipe to success, so if opponents can get it out of its zone and into a shootout, that could present a challenge.

Outlook: LSU has the makings to go on a deep run again, especially with its hot close to the season. It was a slow start for the Tigers, and it was an especially slow start for Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith. She has been an important part of LSU’s run since February, as she failed to hit double-digits scoring just twice, and set her two highest-scoring outputs during that stretch. If LSU keeps getting the high-level contributions from Van Lith and and Flau’Jae Johnson to complement Reese and Morrow, LSU could be Final Four bound again.

Team in 16 words: Lost its opener, but then did LSU things. Lost other three games by 15 total points.

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Record: 28-5

Coach: Kim Mulkey, five Sweet 16s, six Elite Eights, one Final Four, four championships

Player to watch: Angel Reese

Strengths: When Paige Bueckers did her best Jordan Belfort “I’m not going anywhere” announcement on senior night, saying she’s returning to UConn next year, you understood her mission because UConn is so close to being the UConn of old. Bueckers looks like the version of herself that we saw in 2020-2021, averaging 21 points and 3.7 assists per game. Her 39.7 PER is eighth in the country, but it’s far from a one-person show. Senior Aaliyah Edwards, 34.2 PER, is averaging a near double-double on the year with 17.7 points and 9.4 boards. They make up a dangerous one-two punch will be far from an easy out in the tournament.

Weaknesses: The biggest question I have is the depth beyond Bueckers and Edwards. UConn was bitten by the injury bug again this year, as Azzi Fudd played just two games before her ACL tear, and Aubrey Griffin tore hers just 13 games into the season. What’s more, Caroline Ducharme played only four games for the Huskies, as she wanted to put her full focus on getting healthy from her previous injuries.

Outlook: UConn’s losses have been ugly, dropping five games by an average of 13.4 points. What’s more, those losses came against heavy hitters who it may need to beat to make it to the Final Four. South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA and NC State all handled UConn fairly easily. Though it’s playing differently now — a team that has learned to play without Fudd and Griffin — it’s still a tall task. UConn should get to the Sweet 16 fairly easily, but a trip to the Elite Eight seems out of reach.

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Strengths: When Paige Bueckers did her best Jordan Belfort “I’m not going anywhere” announcement on senior night, saying she’s returning to UConn next year, you understood her mission because UConn is so close to being the UConn of old. Bueckers looks like the version of herself that we saw in 2020-2021, averaging 21 points and 3.7 assists per game. Her 39.7 PER is eighth in the country, but it’s far from a one-person show. Senior Aaliyah Edwards, 34.2 PER, is averaging a near double-double on the year with 17.7 points and 9.4 boards. They make up a dangerous one-two punch will be far from an easy out in the tournament.

Weaknesses: The biggest question I have is the depth beyond Bueckers and Edwards. UConn was bitten by the injury bug again this year, as Azzi Fudd played just two games before her ACL tear, and Aubrey Griffin tore hers just 13 games into the season. What’s more, Caroline Ducharme played only four games for the Huskies, as she wanted to put her full focus on getting healthy from her previous injuries.

Outlook: UConn’s losses have been ugly, dropping five games by an average of 13.4 points. What’s more, those losses came against heavy hitters who it may need to beat to make it to the Final Four. South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA and NC State all handled UConn fairly easily. Though it’s playing differently now — a team that has learned to play without Fudd and Griffin — it’s still a tall task. UConn should get to the Sweet 16 fairly easily, but a trip to the Elite Eight seems out of reach.

Strengths: When Paige Bueckers did her best Jordan Belfort “I’m not going anywhere” announcement on senior night, saying she’s returning to UConn next year, you understood her mission because UConn is so close to being the UConn of old. Bueckers looks like the version of herself that we saw in 2020-2021, averaging 21 points and 3.7 assists per game. Her 39.7 PER is eighth in the country, but it’s far from a one-person show. Senior Aaliyah Edwards, 34.2 PER, is averaging a near double-double on the year with 17.7 points and 9.4 boards. They make up a dangerous one-two punch will be far from an easy out in the tournament.

Weaknesses: The biggest question I have is the depth beyond Bueckers and Edwards. UConn was bitten by the injury bug again this year, as Azzi Fudd played just two games before her ACL tear, and Aubrey Griffin tore hers just 13 games into the season. What’s more, Caroline Ducharme played only four games for the Huskies, as she wanted to put her full focus on getting healthy from her previous injuries.

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Outlook: UConn’s losses have been ugly, dropping five games by an average of 13.4 points. What’s more, those losses came against heavy hitters who it may need to beat to make it to the Final Four. South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA and NC State all handled UConn fairly easily. Though it’s playing differently now — a team that has learned to play without Fudd and Griffin — it’s still a tall task. UConn should get to the Sweet 16 fairly easily, but a trip to the Elite Eight seems out of reach.

Team in 16 words: Injury-riddled team who finished conference play undefeated. Who can slow down Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards?

Record: 29-5

Coach: Geno Auriemma, three Sweet 16, five Elite Eights, 10 Final Fours, one runner-up, 11 championships

Player to watch: Paige Bueckers

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Strengths: If there’s a rebound to be had, NC State is going to get it. The Wolfpack have four players averaging at least 6.4 boards per game. NC State dominates the competition on the glass when it comes to defensive rebounds. It ranks third nationally with 31.5 defensive rebounds per game and 10th in overall boards (43.3 per). NC State lost the rebounding battle just six times this season — Rhode Island, Virginia Tech (twice), Notre Dame, UNC and Syracuse – and three of those ended up being losses.

Weaknesses: We know they’ll win the battle of the boards, but the Wolfpack struggles in two other key areas: steals and assisted shot rate. They don’t turn the ball over, which is great, but they rank in the 31st percentile in both steals per game (6.8) and assisted shot rate (51 percent). NC State has five players who are averaging double figures in points, but outside of Saniya Rivers (4.1) and Zoe Brooks (3.5), they don’t have any handlers who distribute regularly.

Outlook: The Wolfpack are two years removed from an Elite Eight appearance and should make a deep run again this year — at least to the second weekend. The recent losses to UNC and Duke are clouding the judgment a bit, so it’s a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the recency bias around NC State.

Strengths: If there’s a rebound to be had, NC State is going to get it. The Wolfpack have four players averaging at least 6.4 boards per game. NC State dominates the competition on the glass when it comes to defensive rebounds. It ranks third nationally with 31.5 defensive rebounds per game and 10th in overall boards (43.3 per). NC State lost the rebounding battle just six times this season — Rhode Island, Virginia Tech (twice), Notre Dame, UNC and Syracuse – and three of those ended up being losses.

Weaknesses: We know they’ll win the battle of the boards, but the Wolfpack struggles in two other key areas: steals and assisted shot rate. They don’t turn the ball over, which is great, but they rank in the 31st percentile in both steals per game (6.8) and assisted shot rate (51 percent). NC State has five players who are averaging double figures in points, but outside of Saniya Rivers (4.1) and Zoe Brooks (3.5), they don’t have any handlers who distribute regularly.

Outlook: The Wolfpack are two years removed from an Elite Eight appearance and should make a deep run again this year — at least to the second weekend. The recent losses to UNC and Duke are clouding the judgment a bit, so it’s a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the recency bias around NC State.

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Strengths: If there’s a rebound to be had, NC State is going to get it. The Wolfpack have four players averaging at least 6.4 boards per game. NC State dominates the competition on the glass when it comes to defensive rebounds. It ranks third nationally with 31.5 defensive rebounds per game and 10th in overall boards (43.3 per). NC State lost the rebounding battle just six times this season — Rhode Island, Virginia Tech (twice), Notre Dame, UNC and Syracuse – and three of those ended up being losses.

Weaknesses: We know they’ll win the battle of the boards, but the Wolfpack struggles in two other key areas: steals and assisted shot rate. They don’t turn the ball over, which is great, but they rank in the 31st percentile in both steals per game (6.8) and assisted shot rate (51 percent). NC State has five players who are averaging double figures in points, but outside of Saniya Rivers (4.1) and Zoe Brooks (3.5), they don’t have any handlers who distribute regularly.

Outlook: The Wolfpack are two years removed from an Elite Eight appearance and should make a deep run again this year — at least to the second weekend. The recent losses to UNC and Duke are clouding the judgment a bit, so it’s a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the recency bias around NC State.

Team in 16 words:Dominant on the boards and at home, losing just one game at Reynolds Coliseum (Virginia Tech).

Record: 27-6

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Coach: Wes Moore, three Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight

Player to watch: Saniya Rivers

Strengths: The Hoosiers showed out offensively this season, averaging 112.2 points per 100 possessions. They ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (58.8), points per scoring attempt (1.22) and points per play (1.01). That comes in large part to their elite 3-point shooting, which ranked first at 40.5 percent. Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon each shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc during the regular season, and that’s not even discussing the dominance that Mackenzie Holmes showed on the interior — both offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses: Though Holmes averaged 1.5 blocks per game, Indiana struggled breaking up the passing lanes, averaging 6.4 steals per game. That put it 279th in the metric. Indiana also handled business on the defensive boards, but offensively, it was bad. Like, really bad. Like, 350th out of 360 teams bad. If Holmes isn’t fully healthy after injuring her knee in the final regular-season game, Indiana could be in trouble on the glass.

Outlook: Indiana has an elite offense, making it one of the few teams that can keep up with Iowa. Indiana defeated Iowa 86-69 in late February and is unmatched from behind the arc. The Hoosiers are a second-weekend team, but if Holmes’ injury lingers, a dominant rebounding team could send them packing earlier than expected. If Holmes is healthy, this is an Elite Eight team.

Strengths: The Hoosiers showed out offensively this season, averaging 112.2 points per 100 possessions. They ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (58.8), points per scoring attempt (1.22) and points per play (1.01). That comes in large part to their elite 3-point shooting, which ranked first at 40.5 percent. Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon each shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc during the regular season, and that’s not even discussing the dominance that Mackenzie Holmes showed on the interior — both offensively and defensively.

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Weaknesses: Though Holmes averaged 1.5 blocks per game, Indiana struggled breaking up the passing lanes, averaging 6.4 steals per game. That put it 279th in the metric. Indiana also handled business on the defensive boards, but offensively, it was bad. Like, really bad. Like, 350th out of 360 teams bad. If Holmes isn’t fully healthy after injuring her knee in the final regular-season game, Indiana could be in trouble on the glass.

Outlook: Indiana has an elite offense, making it one of the few teams that can keep up with Iowa. Indiana defeated Iowa 86-69 in late February and is unmatched from behind the arc. The Hoosiers are a second-weekend team, but if Holmes’ injury lingers, a dominant rebounding team could send them packing earlier than expected. If Holmes is healthy, this is an Elite Eight team.

Strengths: The Hoosiers showed out offensively this season, averaging 112.2 points per 100 possessions. They ranked second nationally in effective field goal percentage (58.8), points per scoring attempt (1.22) and points per play (1.01). That comes in large part to their elite 3-point shooting, which ranked first at 40.5 percent. Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon each shot 40 percent or better from behind the arc during the regular season, and that’s not even discussing the dominance that Mackenzie Holmes showed on the interior — both offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses: Though Holmes averaged 1.5 blocks per game, Indiana struggled breaking up the passing lanes, averaging 6.4 steals per game. That put it 279th in the metric. Indiana also handled business on the defensive boards, but offensively, it was bad. Like, really bad. Like, 350th out of 360 teams bad. If Holmes isn’t fully healthy after injuring her knee in the final regular-season game, Indiana could be in trouble on the glass.

Outlook: Indiana has an elite offense, making it one of the few teams that can keep up with Iowa. Indiana defeated Iowa 86-69 in late February and is unmatched from behind the arc. The Hoosiers are a second-weekend team, but if Holmes’ injury lingers, a dominant rebounding team could send them packing earlier than expected. If Holmes is healthy, this is an Elite Eight team.

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Team in 16 words:The Indiana Hoosiers finished off with their highest offensive rating (112.6) in the team’s modern era.

Record: 24-5

Coach: Teri Moren, one Sweet 16, one Elite Eight

Player to watch: Mackenzie Holmes

Strengths: Kansas State’s athletic communication’s director posted on X: Among active NCAA Division I women’s basketball players, Ayoka Lee is the only player with 300-plus career blocks and 100-plus career steals. That tracks, as Lee is on the short-list for first-team All-American. Lee isn’t only a defensive menace, but she’s a bucket, too, averaging 19.8 points and 8.3 boards per game. It’s Kansas State’s team defense that stands out, allowing 57 points per game —- 15.7 fewer than it averages offensively.

Weaknesses: The main concern with Kansas State is the draw. Three of its six losses came when Lee was out with an ankle injury. That automatically bumps down the Wildcats’ seeding, giving them a so-so draw leading to the second weekend. Even in those losses, the Wildcats were in every single game. The largest losses (by 7 points each) were against Iowa and Texas. They’re great on the defensive boards, but losing out on potential offensive rebounds could cost them in close matchups.

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Outlook: Lee is healthy, and though she’s yet to say if she’s returning to Kansas State for one more season, you can expect these to be grind-them-out games with its middle-of-the-road pace of play. A Sweet 16 appearance is possible but far from a guarantee.

Strengths: Kansas State’s athletic communication’s director posted on X: Among active NCAA Division I women’s basketball players, Ayoka Lee is the only player with 300-plus career blocks and 100-plus career steals. That tracks, as Lee is on the short-list for first-team All-American. Lee isn’t only a defensive menace, but she’s a bucket, too, averaging 19.8 points and 8.3 boards per game. It’s Kansas State’s team defense that stands out, allowing 57 points per game —- 15.7 fewer than it averages offensively.

Weaknesses: The main concern with Kansas State is the draw. Three of its six losses came when Lee was out with an ankle injury. That automatically bumps down the Wildcats’ seeding, giving them a so-so draw leading to the second weekend. Even in those losses, the Wildcats were in every single game. The largest losses (by 7 points each) were against Iowa and Texas. They’re great on the defensive boards, but losing out on potential offensive rebounds could cost them in close matchups.

Outlook: Lee is healthy, and though she’s yet to say if she’s returning to Kansas State for one more season, you can expect these to be grind-them-out games with its middle-of-the-road pace of play. A Sweet 16 appearance is possible but far from a guarantee.

Strengths: Kansas State’s athletic communication’s director posted on X: Among active NCAA Division I women’s basketball players, Ayoka Lee is the only player with 300-plus career blocks and 100-plus career steals. That tracks, as Lee is on the short-list for first-team All-American. Lee isn’t only a defensive menace, but she’s a bucket, too, averaging 19.8 points and 8.3 boards per game. It’s Kansas State’s team defense that stands out, allowing 57 points per game —- 15.7 fewer than it averages offensively.

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Weaknesses: The main concern with Kansas State is the draw. Three of its six losses came when Lee was out with an ankle injury. That automatically bumps down the Wildcats’ seeding, giving them a so-so draw leading to the second weekend. Even in those losses, the Wildcats were in every single game. The largest losses (by 7 points each) were against Iowa and Texas. They’re great on the defensive boards, but losing out on potential offensive rebounds could cost them in close matchups.

Outlook: Lee is healthy, and though she’s yet to say if she’s returning to Kansas State for one more season, you can expect these to be grind-them-out games with its middle-of-the-road pace of play. A Sweet 16 appearance is possible but far from a guarantee.

Team in 16 words:Elite defensive team whose biggest loss this year was seven points (versus Iowa and against Texas).

Record: 25-7

Coach: Jeff Mittie

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Player to watch: Ayoka Lee

Strengths: Can we give Georgia Amoore her flowers, please? The growth she’s taken in Year 4 is impressive. Amoore has improved in nearly every metric, raising her PER to 26.3 and assists per game to 7.3 – the latter putting her behind only Caitlin Clark and Rori Harmon. The one-two punch of Amoore and three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley was tough for defenses to stop, as it averaged 110.9 points per 100 possessions. The Hokies are an elite assist-to-turnover team, and a force down low.

Weaknesses: It’s not a minus, but just a bummer. That’s the injury that Kitley suffered on the final day of the regular season. As great as Amoore is, Kitley’s injury impacts Virginia Tech in so many ways. She is key down low, averaging 2.1 blocks per game – tied for 13th in the nation. Without Kitley’s interior presence at 100 percent, the Hokies can be had in the paint.

Outlook: Kitley’s health will impact how far the Hokies can go. Coming off last season’s Final Four appearance, a fully healthy squad making another deep run isn’t out of the question.

Strengths: Can we give Georgia Amoore her flowers, please? The growth she’s taken in Year 4 is impressive. Amoore has improved in nearly every metric, raising her PER to 26.3 and assists per game to 7.3 – the latter putting her behind only Caitlin Clark and Rori Harmon. The one-two punch of Amoore and three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley was tough for defenses to stop, as it averaged 110.9 points per 100 possessions. The Hokies are an elite assist-to-turnover team, and a force down low.

Weaknesses: It’s not a minus, but just a bummer. That’s the injury that Kitley suffered on the final day of the regular season. As great as Amoore is, Kitley’s injury impacts Virginia Tech in so many ways. She is key down low, averaging 2.1 blocks per game – tied for 13th in the nation. Without Kitley’s interior presence at 100 percent, the Hokies can be had in the paint.

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Outlook: Kitley’s health will impact how far the Hokies can go. Coming off last season’s Final Four appearance, a fully healthy squad making another deep run isn’t out of the question.

Strengths: Can we give Georgia Amoore her flowers, please? The growth she’s taken in Year 4 is impressive. Amoore has improved in nearly every metric, raising her PER to 26.3 and assists per game to 7.3 – the latter putting her behind only Caitlin Clark and Rori Harmon. The one-two punch of Amoore and three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley was tough for defenses to stop, as it averaged 110.9 points per 100 possessions. The Hokies are an elite assist-to-turnover team, and a force down low.

Weaknesses: It’s not a minus, but just a bummer. That’s the injury that Kitley suffered on the final day of the regular season. As great as Amoore is, Kitley’s injury impacts Virginia Tech in so many ways. She is key down low, averaging 2.1 blocks per game – tied for 13th in the nation. Without Kitley’s interior presence at 100 percent, the Hokies can be had in the paint.

Outlook: Kitley’s health will impact how far the Hokies can go. Coming off last season’s Final Four appearance, a fully healthy squad making another deep run isn’t out of the question.

Team in 16 words: The star-led Hokies won the ACC, but had a rough last week losing to Notre Dame.

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Record: 24-7

Coach: Kenny Brooks, one Final Four

Player to watch: Georgia Amoore

Strengths: Even as an offensive juggernaut, the Bulldogs play at a slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. That doesn’t hurt their efficiency or the effectiveness, though. They rank top four in points per play, points per scoring attempts, effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. All five starters average double figures in scoring, and Yvonne Ejim and Eliza Hollingsworth pull down 8.3 and 7.1 boards per game, respectively, leading Gonzaga, which has the nation’s sixth-best rebound rate.

Weaknesses: So we’ve highlighted Gonzaga’s elite offensive rating, but a lot of it is because of the opponents it faced. Gonzaga last lost on Nov. 27 to Louisville, and its strength of schedule was No. 72. Yes, it defeated Stanford as a marquee victory in early December — by 18 points, at that — but since the calendar turned, the closest game it played in was a 13-point win against Pacific. The adjustment to playing elite teams throughout the tournament may be a challenge.

Outlook: You can only play who’s on the schedule, but seeing Gonzaga make it to the Sweet 16 is a stretch. Yes, it’s elite offensively, but can it maintain the efficiency at the slow pace it wants to play at against heavy hitters? There are doubts, and we saw those come up against Portland in its conference tournament.

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Strengths: Even as an offensive juggernaut, the Bulldogs play at a slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. That doesn’t hurt their efficiency or the effectiveness, though. They rank top four in points per play, points per scoring attempts, effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. All five starters average double figures in scoring, and Yvonne Ejim and Eliza Hollingsworth pull down 8.3 and 7.1 boards per game, respectively, leading Gonzaga, which has the nation’s sixth-best rebound rate.

Weaknesses: So we’ve highlighted Gonzaga’s elite offensive rating, but a lot of it is because of the opponents it faced. Gonzaga last lost on Nov. 27 to Louisville, and its strength of schedule was No. 72. Yes, it defeated Stanford as a marquee victory in early December — by 18 points, at that — but since the calendar turned, the closest game it played in was a 13-point win against Pacific. The adjustment to playing elite teams throughout the tournament may be a challenge.

Outlook: You can only play who’s on the schedule, but seeing Gonzaga make it to the Sweet 16 is a stretch. Yes, it’s elite offensively, but can it maintain the efficiency at the slow pace it wants to play at against heavy hitters? There are doubts, and we saw those come up against Portland in its conference tournament.

Strengths: Even as an offensive juggernaut, the Bulldogs play at a slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. That doesn’t hurt their efficiency or the effectiveness, though. They rank top four in points per play, points per scoring attempts, effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. All five starters average double figures in scoring, and Yvonne Ejim and Eliza Hollingsworth pull down 8.3 and 7.1 boards per game, respectively, leading Gonzaga, which has the nation’s sixth-best rebound rate.

Weaknesses: So we’ve highlighted Gonzaga’s elite offensive rating, but a lot of it is because of the opponents it faced. Gonzaga last lost on Nov. 27 to Louisville, and its strength of schedule was No. 72. Yes, it defeated Stanford as a marquee victory in early December — by 18 points, at that — but since the calendar turned, the closest game it played in was a 13-point win against Pacific. The adjustment to playing elite teams throughout the tournament may be a challenge.

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Outlook: You can only play who’s on the schedule, but seeing Gonzaga make it to the Sweet 16 is a stretch. Yes, it’s elite offensively, but can it maintain the efficiency at the slow pace it wants to play at against heavy hitters? There are doubts, and we saw those come up against Portland in its conference tournament.

Team in 16 words: Undefeated since Nov. 27, but strength of schedule ranked No. 72. No. 1 in offensive rating.

Record: 30-3

Coach: Lisa Fortier, one Sweet 16

Player to watch: Yvonne Ejim

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Strengths: Oklahoma excels on the boards and by distributing the ball. The Sooners rank second in assists per game (20.6) and first in assisted shot rate (71 percent). Payton Verhulst (four) and Nevaeh Tot (4.5) lead Oklahoma in the category. On the boards, Skylar Vann leads the charge, pulling down 7.2 per game to go along with her team-high 15 points per contest. The 43.8 rebounds as a team ranks eighth in basketball.

Weaknesses: Where Oklahoma gets in trouble is turning over the ball and committing fouls. The Sooners averaged 17.9 foul and committed 16.7 turnovers per game. Given the high pace that Oklahoma plays at (77.9), it leads to a ton of opportunities for its opponents, too. The Oklahoma defense ranks in the sixth percentile in field goals attempted and 21st percentile in fouls committed.

Outlook: Lexy Keys hit a shot at the buzzer to take down Texas in thrilling fashion, but Oklahoma was unable to build off that victory, losing to Kansas in the season finale. That’s been a recurring theme for Oklahoma. It earns a huge victory, only to follow it up with a letdown. We saw how Oklahoma struggled earlier in the season, losing five of six games from Thanksgiving to Christmas, but it bounced back nicely in the second half of the year. Given its up-and-down patterns, Oklahoma could be on upset alert in the first round or the Round of 32.

Strengths: Oklahoma excels on the boards and by distributing the ball. The Sooners rank second in assists per game (20.6) and first in assisted shot rate (71 percent). Payton Verhulst (four) and Nevaeh Tot (4.5) lead Oklahoma in the category. On the boards, Skylar Vann leads the charge, pulling down 7.2 per game to go along with her team-high 15 points per contest. The 43.8 rebounds as a team ranks eighth in basketball.

Weaknesses: Where Oklahoma gets in trouble is turning over the ball and committing fouls. The Sooners averaged 17.9 foul and committed 16.7 turnovers per game. Given the high pace that Oklahoma plays at (77.9), it leads to a ton of opportunities for its opponents, too. The Oklahoma defense ranks in the sixth percentile in field goals attempted and 21st percentile in fouls committed.

Outlook: Lexy Keys hit a shot at the buzzer to take down Texas in thrilling fashion, but Oklahoma was unable to build off that victory, losing to Kansas in the season finale. That’s been a recurring theme for Oklahoma. It earns a huge victory, only to follow it up with a letdown. We saw how Oklahoma struggled earlier in the season, losing five of six games from Thanksgiving to Christmas, but it bounced back nicely in the second half of the year. Given its up-and-down patterns, Oklahoma could be on upset alert in the first round or the Round of 32.

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Strengths: Oklahoma excels on the boards and by distributing the ball. The Sooners rank second in assists per game (20.6) and first in assisted shot rate (71 percent). Payton Verhulst (four) and Nevaeh Tot (4.5) lead Oklahoma in the category. On the boards, Skylar Vann leads the charge, pulling down 7.2 per game to go along with her team-high 15 points per contest. The 43.8 rebounds as a team ranks eighth in basketball.

Weaknesses: Where Oklahoma gets in trouble is turning over the ball and committing fouls. The Sooners averaged 17.9 foul and committed 16.7 turnovers per game. Given the high pace that Oklahoma plays at (77.9), it leads to a ton of opportunities for its opponents, too. The Oklahoma defense ranks in the sixth percentile in field goals attempted and 21st percentile in fouls committed.

Outlook: Lexy Keys hit a shot at the buzzer to take down Texas in thrilling fashion, but Oklahoma was unable to build off that victory, losing to Kansas in the season finale. That’s been a recurring theme for Oklahoma. It earns a huge victory, only to follow it up with a letdown. We saw how Oklahoma struggled earlier in the season, losing five of six games from Thanksgiving to Christmas, but it bounced back nicely in the second half of the year. Given its up-and-down patterns, Oklahoma could be on upset alert in the first round or the Round of 32.

Team in 16 words:Big second half of the season with a thrilling win over Texas before falling to Kansas.

Record: 22-9

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Coach: Jennie Baranczyk

Player to watch: Skylar Vann

Strengths: Colorado played a balance game all season, before its defense was picked apart down the stretch. The Buffaloes are an extremely unselfish team. They limit turnovers and have active hands defensively, averaging 10 steals per game. Kindyll Wetta plays a huge role off of the bench, averaging 4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Weaknesses: Colorado’s defense collapsed during the final month of the season. It allows 72, 76, 77 and 87 points in losses to conference rivals. Opponents are averaging 1.01 points per scoring attempt against Colorado, putting it in the lower-third of the country in the metric. If the defense doesn’t show up, forget about a deep run.

Outlook: Though Baylor played some of its best basketball down the stretch, the same can’t be said for Colorado, which lost five of its last six games. It looked poised to make a deep tournament run, but its February play raised major red flags — especially defensively. Based on talent alone, the Buffs should get to the second weekend, but it would hardly be a shock if they’re upset in the Round of 32.

Strengths: Colorado played a balance game all season, before its defense was picked apart down the stretch. The Buffaloes are an extremely unselfish team. They limit turnovers and have active hands defensively, averaging 10 steals per game. Kindyll Wetta plays a huge role off of the bench, averaging 4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

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Weaknesses: Colorado’s defense collapsed during the final month of the season. It allows 72, 76, 77 and 87 points in losses to conference rivals. Opponents are averaging 1.01 points per scoring attempt against Colorado, putting it in the lower-third of the country in the metric. If the defense doesn’t show up, forget about a deep run.

Outlook: Though Baylor played some of its best basketball down the stretch, the same can’t be said for Colorado, which lost five of its last six games. It looked poised to make a deep tournament run, but its February play raised major red flags — especially defensively. Based on talent alone, the Buffs should get to the second weekend, but it would hardly be a shock if they’re upset in the Round of 32.

Strengths: Colorado played a balance game all season, before its defense was picked apart down the stretch. The Buffaloes are an extremely unselfish team. They limit turnovers and have active hands defensively, averaging 10 steals per game. Kindyll Wetta plays a huge role off of the bench, averaging 4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Weaknesses: Colorado’s defense collapsed during the final month of the season. It allows 72, 76, 77 and 87 points in losses to conference rivals. Opponents are averaging 1.01 points per scoring attempt against Colorado, putting it in the lower-third of the country in the metric. If the defense doesn’t show up, forget about a deep run.

Outlook: Though Baylor played some of its best basketball down the stretch, the same can’t be said for Colorado, which lost five of its last six games. It looked poised to make a deep tournament run, but its February play raised major red flags — especially defensively. Based on talent alone, the Buffs should get to the second weekend, but it would hardly be a shock if they’re upset in the Round of 32.

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Team in 16 words:Colorado struggled down the stretch of the regular season, losing five of its last six games.

Record: 22-9

Coach: JR Payne, one Sweet 16

Player to watch: Aaronette Vonleh

Strengths: Baylor is riding hot into the tournament, closing out the regular season on a five-game winning streak. It started the year 14-0, but given the competition, the streak to close the season is much more impressive. It defeated Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State by 29, 21, and 22 points, respectively. Baylor is extremely unselfish offensively, ranking eighth in the nation in assists per game with 19.1. Eight players average at least 15 minutes per game for Baylor, and only three of them average fewer than two assists per game.

Weaknesses: With those assists, though, come turnovers. The Bears average 16.2 turnovers per game, and their 469 turnovers on the season are the 247th most nationally. Their interior defense is a soft spot, too, as Baylor averages 2.5 blocks per game.

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Outlook: Baylor, by design, forces opponents inside, allowing 1,175 2-point attempts this season — ranking in the 22nd percentile. But that’s because its 3-point defense has been so effective. Baylor ranks third nationally in opponent’s 3-point percentage (25.5), and that could be big for it come tournament time. Baylor is riding hot, and if it can keep that momentum going, it could pull off an upset and advance to the second weekend.

Strengths: Baylor is riding hot into the tournament, closing out the regular season on a five-game winning streak. It started the year 14-0, but given the competition, the streak to close the season is much more impressive. It defeated Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State by 29, 21, and 22 points, respectively. Baylor is extremely unselfish offensively, ranking eighth in the nation in assists per game with 19.1. Eight players average at least 15 minutes per game for Baylor, and only three of them average fewer than two assists per game.

Weaknesses: With those assists, though, come turnovers. The Bears average 16.2 turnovers per game, and their 469 turnovers on the season are the 247th most nationally. Their interior defense is a soft spot, too, as Baylor averages 2.5 blocks per game.

Outlook: Baylor, by design, forces opponents inside, allowing 1,175 2-point attempts this season — ranking in the 22nd percentile. But that’s because its 3-point defense has been so effective. Baylor ranks third nationally in opponent’s 3-point percentage (25.5), and that could be big for it come tournament time. Baylor is riding hot, and if it can keep that momentum going, it could pull off an upset and advance to the second weekend.

Strengths: Baylor is riding hot into the tournament, closing out the regular season on a five-game winning streak. It started the year 14-0, but given the competition, the streak to close the season is much more impressive. It defeated Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State by 29, 21, and 22 points, respectively. Baylor is extremely unselfish offensively, ranking eighth in the nation in assists per game with 19.1. Eight players average at least 15 minutes per game for Baylor, and only three of them average fewer than two assists per game.

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Weaknesses: With those assists, though, come turnovers. The Bears average 16.2 turnovers per game, and their 469 turnovers on the season are the 247th most nationally. Their interior defense is a soft spot, too, as Baylor averages 2.5 blocks per game.

Outlook: Baylor, by design, forces opponents inside, allowing 1,175 2-point attempts this season — ranking in the 22nd percentile. But that’s because its 3-point defense has been so effective. Baylor ranks third nationally in opponent’s 3-point percentage (25.5), and that could be big for it come tournament time. Baylor is riding hot, and if it can keep that momentum going, it could pull off an upset and advance to the second weekend.

Team in 16 words:Unselfish team, with a 67.4 percent assisted shot rate. Playing their best ball down the stretch.

Record: 24-7

Coach: Nicki Collen

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Player to watch: Sarah Andrews/p>

Strengths: Wake up. Alyssa Pili and the Utes are playing. Pili is such a joy to watch, as her PER comes in ahead of Paige Bueckers, Rori Harmon and Mackenzie Holmes. She’s integral to Utah’s success, leading it to 110.3 points per possession. Keeping up its success from deep despite losing Gianna Kneepkens to season-ending foot surgery six games into the season has been encouraging. Kneepkens shot 42.3 percent from behind the arc last season, and despite her absence, Utah has made the fourth-most 3-pointers this season, shooting an efficient 36.1 percent.

Weaknesses: Utah had a brutal schedule, which was ranked 20th toughest. The Utes suffered some big losses against big-time opponents. UCLA defeated Utah by 30, while Oregon State and Washington won by 25 and 15, respectively. There were some key wins (against USC twice and UCLA), and Utah also lost to South Carolina by only 9 points.

Outlook: The tough schedule obviously will continue in the tournament, but the Utes are a sneaky team who could make the Sweet 16 as a lower seed. Pili has continued to evolve her game, and the All-Pac-12 star is going to shine. Track them as a sleeper team to make it to the second weekend.

Strengths: Wake up. Alyssa Pili and the Utes are playing. Pili is such a joy to watch, as her PER comes in ahead of Paige Bueckers, Rori Harmon and Mackenzie Holmes. She’s integral to Utah’s success, leading it to 110.3 points per possession. Keeping up its success from deep despite losing Gianna Kneepkens to season-ending foot surgery six games into the season has been encouraging. Kneepkens shot 42.3 percent from behind the arc last season, and despite her absence, Utah has made the fourth-most 3-pointers this season, shooting an efficient 36.1 percent.

Weaknesses: Utah had a brutal schedule, which was ranked 20th toughest. The Utes suffered some big losses against big-time opponents. UCLA defeated Utah by 30, while Oregon State and Washington won by 25 and 15, respectively. There were some key wins (against USC twice and UCLA), and Utah also lost to South Carolina by only 9 points.

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Outlook: The tough schedule obviously will continue in the tournament, but the Utes are a sneaky team who could make the Sweet 16 as a lower seed. Pili has continued to evolve her game, and the All-Pac-12 star is going to shine. Track them as a sleeper team to make it to the second weekend.

Strengths: Wake up. Alyssa Pili and the Utes are playing. Pili is such a joy to watch, as her PER comes in ahead of Paige Bueckers, Rori Harmon and Mackenzie Holmes. She’s integral to Utah’s success, leading it to 110.3 points per possession. Keeping up its success from deep despite losing Gianna Kneepkens to season-ending foot surgery six games into the season has been encouraging. Kneepkens shot 42.3 percent from behind the arc last season, and despite her absence, Utah has made the fourth-most 3-pointers this season, shooting an efficient 36.1 percent.

Weaknesses: Utah had a brutal schedule, which was ranked 20th toughest. The Utes suffered some big losses against big-time opponents. UCLA defeated Utah by 30, while Oregon State and Washington won by 25 and 15, respectively. There were some key wins (against USC twice and UCLA), and Utah also lost to South Carolina by only 9 points.

Outlook: The tough schedule obviously will continue in the tournament, but the Utes are a sneaky team who could make the Sweet 16 as a lower seed. Pili has continued to evolve her game, and the All-Pac-12 star is going to shine. Track them as a sleeper team to make it to the second weekend.

Team in 16 words:Tough schedule for Utah. Five of its nine losses were by double-digits — including a 30-point loss.

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Record: 22-10

Coach: Lynne Roberts, one Sweet 16

Player to watch: Alyssa Pili/p>

Strengths: Where were you when Nebraska knocked off Caitlin Clark and Iowa on ESPN? It was a huge moment for the Huskers — and a bigger moment for Jaz Shelley, who dropped 23 points on then-No. 2 Iowa with her family visiting from Australia.

Weaknesses: But reality set back in, and that has been the case too often for Nebraska. Following the win over Iowa, Ohio State defeated the Cornhuskers by 33 points in the next game. It was a season-long trend for Nebraska, which hoped to find consistency but couldn’t put stretches together. There was a 47-point win over Alcorn, followed by a 5-point loss to Creighton. A 25-point win followed by a 17-point loss. A 12-point victory followed by a 22-point loss. And so on and so on.

Outlook: Nebraska can get the big win, but can it get multiple big wins within the same weekend? That’s the hesitancy in picking it to make it beyond the first weekend. The opposition doesn’t have to worry about forced turnovers, as Nebraska ranks in the 27th percentile in steals per game and the sixth percentile in blocks per game. The Huskers are fun to watch, but if you want to see them in the tournament, you better make sure to catch them in the Round of 64.

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Strengths: Where were you when Nebraska knocked off Caitlin Clark and Iowa on ESPN? It was a huge moment for the Huskers — and a bigger moment for Jaz Shelley, who dropped 23 points on then-No. 2 Iowa with her family visiting from Australia.

Weaknesses: But reality set back in, and that has been the case too often for Nebraska. Following the win over Iowa, Ohio State defeated the Cornhuskers by 33 points in the next game. It was a season-long trend for Nebraska, which hoped to find consistency but couldn’t put stretches together. There was a 47-point win over Alcorn, followed by a 5-point loss to Creighton. A 25-point win followed by a 17-point loss. A 12-point victory followed by a 22-point loss. And so on and so on.

Outlook: Nebraska can get the big win, but can it get multiple big wins within the same weekend? That’s the hesitancy in picking it to make it beyond the first weekend. The opposition doesn’t have to worry about forced turnovers, as Nebraska ranks in the 27th percentile in steals per game and the sixth percentile in blocks per game. The Huskers are fun to watch, but if you want to see them in the tournament, you better make sure to catch them in the Round of 64.

Strengths: Where were you when Nebraska knocked off Caitlin Clark and Iowa on ESPN? It was a huge moment for the Huskers — and a bigger moment for Jaz Shelley, who dropped 23 points on then-No. 2 Iowa with her family visiting from Australia.

Weaknesses: But reality set back in, and that has been the case too often for Nebraska. Following the win over Iowa, Ohio State defeated the Cornhuskers by 33 points in the next game. It was a season-long trend for Nebraska, which hoped to find consistency but couldn’t put stretches together. There was a 47-point win over Alcorn, followed by a 5-point loss to Creighton. A 25-point win followed by a 17-point loss. A 12-point victory followed by a 22-point loss. And so on and so on.

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Outlook: Nebraska can get the big win, but can it get multiple big wins within the same weekend? That’s the hesitancy in picking it to make it beyond the first weekend. The opposition doesn’t have to worry about forced turnovers, as Nebraska ranks in the 27th percentile in steals per game and the sixth percentile in blocks per game. The Huskers are fun to watch, but if you want to see them in the tournament, you better make sure to catch them in the Round of 64.

Team in 16 words:Up-and-down season, with big wins (Iowa, Michigan State) and big losses (four by at least 17 points).

Record: 22-11

Coach: Amy Williams

Player to watch: Jaz Shelley

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Strengths: Outside of sophomore Nyla Harris, seniors and graduates primarily have been the Cardinals’ starters. Even after losing Hailey Van Lith to LSU, Louisville has fulfilled preseason predictions. The Cardinals clean up on the offensive glass, landing in the 94th percentile for offensive rebounds per game. Harris leads the way with three offensive boards – making her one of 16 sophomores averaging three or more per game in the nation. They’re efficient from the field, too, as their 50 percent 2-point rate brings them to an overall 45.6 field goal percentage – good for 29th nationally. James Madison transfer Kiki Jefferson has filled a void for the Cardinals with a team-high 118.5 offensive rating.

Weaknesses: It’s the 2-point shooting that carries the Cardinals, as they struggle from behind the arc. They shot 32.4 percent during the regular season, but they ranked No. 328 in 3-point rate. That’s an area they’ll need to improve on in the tournament, but their true weakness is interior defense. Louisville had 50 blocks on the year – only 28 teams had fewer – and committed 548 fouls resulting in 488 trips to the charity stripe for the opposition.

Outlook: Louisville limped out of the regular season, swapping wins and losses every other game throughout February. There’s no sense ofof momentum heading into the Big Dance. We’ve seen the Cardinals get hot at the right time and put together impressive victories – wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse and Duke come to mind. But if they run into an opponent that makes it a point to attack the interior of the defense, the Cardinals could be out early.

Strengths: Outside of sophomore Nyla Harris, seniors and graduates primarily have been the Cardinals’ starters. Even after losing Hailey Van Lith to LSU, Louisville has fulfilled preseason predictions. The Cardinals clean up on the offensive glass, landing in the 94th percentile for offensive rebounds per game. Harris leads the way with three offensive boards – making her one of 16 sophomores averaging three or more per game in the nation. They’re efficient from the field, too, as their 50 percent 2-point rate brings them to an overall 45.6 field goal percentage – good for 29th nationally. James Madison transfer Kiki Jefferson has filled a void for the Cardinals with a team-high 118.5 offensive rating.

Weaknesses: It’s the 2-point shooting that carries the Cardinals, as they struggle from behind the arc. They shot 32.4 percent during the regular season, but they ranked No. 328 in 3-point rate. That’s an area they’ll need to improve on in the tournament, but their true weakness is interior defense. Louisville had 50 blocks on the year – only 28 teams had fewer – and committed 548 fouls resulting in 488 trips to the charity stripe for the opposition.

Outlook: Louisville limped out of the regular season, swapping wins and losses every other game throughout February. There’s no sense ofof momentum heading into the Big Dance. We’ve seen the Cardinals get hot at the right time and put together impressive victories – wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse and Duke come to mind. But if they run into an opponent that makes it a point to attack the interior of the defense, the Cardinals could be out early.

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Strengths: Outside of sophomore Nyla Harris, seniors and graduates primarily have been the Cardinals’ starters. Even after losing Hailey Van Lith to LSU, Louisville has fulfilled preseason predictions. The Cardinals clean up on the offensive glass, landing in the 94th percentile for offensive rebounds per game. Harris leads the way with three offensive boards – making her one of 16 sophomores averaging three or more per game in the nation. They’re efficient from the field, too, as their 50 percent 2-point rate brings them to an overall 45.6 field goal percentage – good for 29th nationally. James Madison transfer Kiki Jefferson has filled a void for the Cardinals with a team-high 118.5 offensive rating.

Weaknesses: It’s the 2-point shooting that carries the Cardinals, as they struggle from behind the arc. They shot 32.4 percent during the regular season, but they ranked No. 328 in 3-point rate. That’s an area they’ll need to improve on in the tournament, but their true weakness is interior defense. Louisville had 50 blocks on the year – only 28 teams had fewer – and committed 548 fouls resulting in 488 trips to the charity stripe for the opposition.

Outlook: Louisville limped out of the regular season, swapping wins and losses every other game throughout February. There’s no sense ofof momentum heading into the Big Dance. We’ve seen the Cardinals get hot at the right time and put together impressive victories – wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse and Duke come to mind. But if they run into an opponent that makes it a point to attack the interior of the defense, the Cardinals could be out early.

Team in 16 words:Veteran-led team who has held track all season. Can they overcome their struggles behind the arc?

Record: 24-9

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Coach: Jeff Walz, four Sweet 16s, four Elite Eights, two Final Fours, two Runner-Ups

Player to watch: Kiki Jefferson

Strengths: The eyes were on Caitlin Clark and her pursuit – and achievement – of the all-time scoring record, but don’t overlook what Fair has done for Syracuse. She passed Brittney Griner for No. 5 on the all-time list. The Orange did a great job on the offensive glass, keeping the possessions alive for Fair and Co. Kyra Wood (91) and Alyssa Latham (89) were especially big there, helping ‘Cuse to the sixth-most offensive rebounds in the nation. Pair that with the top 90 percent STOCK rate, and it does just enough on both sides of the ball.

Weaknesses: Pace. That’s the glaring weakness for Syracuse, as it ranked No. 112 in team pace during the regular season. With the slow tempo, the Orange average only 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes, so the aim would be more involvement overall within the offense. But Syracuse is in the bottom 10th percentile in assisted shot rate (46.4 percent).

Outlook: The Orange will go as far as Fair and Georgia Woolley take them, but even the latter needs more involvement in the offense. Syracuse took care of opponents they needed to beat in the ACC, but when the Orange lost, they lost big. Four of their six losses were by at least 12 points, and all six regular season losses came to tournament-bound teams. Syracuse will need to control the boards and cash in on the second-chance opportunities if it hopes to advance to the second weekend.

Strengths: The eyes were on Caitlin Clark and her pursuit – and achievement – of the all-time scoring record, but don’t overlook what Fair has done for Syracuse. She passed Brittney Griner for No. 5 on the all-time list. The Orange did a great job on the offensive glass, keeping the possessions alive for Fair and Co. Kyra Wood (91) and Alyssa Latham (89) were especially big there, helping ‘Cuse to the sixth-most offensive rebounds in the nation. Pair that with the top 90 percent STOCK rate, and it does just enough on both sides of the ball.

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Weaknesses: Pace. That’s the glaring weakness for Syracuse, as it ranked No. 112 in team pace during the regular season. With the slow tempo, the Orange average only 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes, so the aim would be more involvement overall within the offense. But Syracuse is in the bottom 10th percentile in assisted shot rate (46.4 percent).

Outlook: The Orange will go as far as Fair and Georgia Woolley take them, but even the latter needs more involvement in the offense. Syracuse took care of opponents they needed to beat in the ACC, but when the Orange lost, they lost big. Four of their six losses were by at least 12 points, and all six regular season losses came to tournament-bound teams. Syracuse will need to control the boards and cash in on the second-chance opportunities if it hopes to advance to the second weekend.

Strengths: The eyes were on Caitlin Clark and her pursuit – and achievement – of the all-time scoring record, but don’t overlook what Fair has done for Syracuse. She passed Brittney Griner for No. 5 on the all-time list. The Orange did a great job on the offensive glass, keeping the possessions alive for Fair and Co. Kyra Wood (91) and Alyssa Latham (89) were especially big there, helping ‘Cuse to the sixth-most offensive rebounds in the nation. Pair that with the top 90 percent STOCK rate, and it does just enough on both sides of the ball.

Weaknesses: Pace. That’s the glaring weakness for Syracuse, as it ranked No. 112 in team pace during the regular season. With the slow tempo, the Orange average only 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes, so the aim would be more involvement overall within the offense. But Syracuse is in the bottom 10th percentile in assisted shot rate (46.4 percent).

Outlook: The Orange will go as far as Fair and Georgia Woolley take them, but even the latter needs more involvement in the offense. Syracuse took care of opponents they needed to beat in the ACC, but when the Orange lost, they lost big. Four of their six losses were by at least 12 points, and all six regular season losses came to tournament-bound teams. Syracuse will need to control the boards and cash in on the second-chance opportunities if it hopes to advance to the second weekend.

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Team in 16 words:Syracuse finished with its highest conference winning percentage (68.4 percent) since 2015-2016 (78.9 percent).

Record: 23-7

Coach: Felisha Legette-Jack, one Sweet 16

Player to watch: Dyaisha Fair

Strengths: Rickea Jackson is an offensive force, coming back post-injury looking like the version of her we expected to see all season. She’s going to be a Day 1 contributor in the WNBA. But before the draft, Jackson hopes to lead the Lady Vols back to the Sweet 16. It’ll be a tough path for Tennessee, but that’s been the story of their season. Offensively, Tennessee gets the job done, playing at a good tempo and averaging 75.8 points per game.

Weaknesses: Tennessee’s struggles fall into a few buckets. First, its defense gave up 70.1 points per game during the regular season, which flows into Tennessee’s inability to generate STOCKs. Its steal rate in the second percentile, and its block rate in the 26th. The other bucket is that Tennessee had the nation’s hardest schedule. Its opponents’ win percentage was 67.3 percent. The Lady Vols lost to Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU and twice against South Carolina. Though, if you believe in moral victories, the losses to South Carolina were by a combined 19 points.

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Outlook: Based on talent, Tennessee can get to the second weekend. But it’s going to need everything to click defensively to slow down the top seed in its bracket. The Lady Vols came within a miracle shot of being the first team to take down South Carolina in the SEC tournament semifinals.

Strengths: Rickea Jackson is an offensive force, coming back post-injury looking like the version of her we expected to see all season. She’s going to be a Day 1 contributor in the WNBA. But before the draft, Jackson hopes to lead the Lady Vols back to the Sweet 16. It’ll be a tough path for Tennessee, but that’s been the story of their season. Offensively, Tennessee gets the job done, playing at a good tempo and averaging 75.8 points per game.

Weaknesses: Tennessee’s struggles fall into a few buckets. First, its defense gave up 70.1 points per game during the regular season, which flows into Tennessee’s inability to generate STOCKs. Its steal rate in the second percentile, and its block rate in the 26th. The other bucket is that Tennessee had the nation’s hardest schedule. Its opponents’ win percentage was 67.3 percent. The Lady Vols lost to Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU and twice against South Carolina. Though, if you believe in moral victories, the losses to South Carolina were by a combined 19 points.

Outlook: Based on talent, Tennessee can get to the second weekend. But it’s going to need everything to click defensively to slow down the top seed in its bracket. The Lady Vols came within a miracle shot of being the first team to take down South Carolina in the SEC tournament semifinals.

Strengths: Rickea Jackson is an offensive force, coming back post-injury looking like the version of her we expected to see all season. She’s going to be a Day 1 contributor in the WNBA. But before the draft, Jackson hopes to lead the Lady Vols back to the Sweet 16. It’ll be a tough path for Tennessee, but that’s been the story of their season. Offensively, Tennessee gets the job done, playing at a good tempo and averaging 75.8 points per game.

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Weaknesses: Tennessee’s struggles fall into a few buckets. First, its defense gave up 70.1 points per game during the regular season, which flows into Tennessee’s inability to generate STOCKs. Its steal rate in the second percentile, and its block rate in the 26th. The other bucket is that Tennessee had the nation’s hardest schedule. Its opponents’ win percentage was 67.3 percent. The Lady Vols lost to Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU and twice against South Carolina. Though, if you believe in moral victories, the losses to South Carolina were by a combined 19 points.

Outlook: Based on talent, Tennessee can get to the second weekend. But it’s going to need everything to click defensively to slow down the top seed in its bracket. The Lady Vols came within a miracle shot of being the first team to take down South Carolina in the SEC tournament semifinals.

Team in 16 words:Vols faced the hardest schedule of any team this season. Opponents’ win percentage was 67.3 percent.

Record: 19-12

Coach: Kellie Harper, three Sweet 16s

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Player to watch: Rickea Jackson

Strengths: Ole Miss looked absolutely dominant, winning its final six games of the regular season and taking its last four by significant margins of victory. They beat Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas — not exactly No. 1 seeds — but momentum is momentum. Ole Miss is great on the glass and at thwarting shots close to the rim. The Rebels had five players average 4.8 or more rebounds per game, led by Madison Scott’s 6.1, and they were 15th nationally in rebounds per game (42). Their 6.2 blocks per game were the second-highest mark this season, led by Rita Igbokwe’s 1.8 per contest.

Weaknesses: Ole Miss suffered a big blow early when transfer KK Deans went down with a knee injury, forcing her to miss the rest of the season. Deans missed half of the season with a knee injury during the 2021-2022 season when she was with West Virginia. The injury to Deans forced the Rebels to go with a bigger lineup, with Kennedy Todd-Williams serving as the only true guard in its starting lineup. It has allowed freshman Marija Avlijas to get some experience, though.

Outlook: Ole Miss has the size to control the game on the glass and down low, as it prefers to take an inside-out approach offensively. It advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, but the path will be much more difficult this year, requiring a massive second-round upset.

Strengths: Ole Miss looked absolutely dominant, winning its final six games of the regular season and taking its last four by significant margins of victory. They beat Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas — not exactly No. 1 seeds — but momentum is momentum. Ole Miss is great on the glass and at thwarting shots close to the rim. The Rebels had five players average 4.8 or more rebounds per game, led by Madison Scott’s 6.1, and they were 15th nationally in rebounds per game (42). Their 6.2 blocks per game were the second-highest mark this season, led by Rita Igbokwe’s 1.8 per contest.

Weaknesses: Ole Miss suffered a big blow early when transfer KK Deans went down with a knee injury, forcing her to miss the rest of the season. Deans missed half of the season with a knee injury during the 2021-2022 season when she was with West Virginia. The injury to Deans forced the Rebels to go with a bigger lineup, with Kennedy Todd-Williams serving as the only true guard in its starting lineup. It has allowed freshman Marija Avlijas to get some experience, though.

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Outlook: Ole Miss has the size to control the game on the glass and down low, as it prefers to take an inside-out approach offensively. It advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, but the path will be much more difficult this year, requiring a massive second-round upset.

Strengths: Ole Miss looked absolutely dominant, winning its final six games of the regular season and taking its last four by significant margins of victory. They beat Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas — not exactly No. 1 seeds — but momentum is momentum. Ole Miss is great on the glass and at thwarting shots close to the rim. The Rebels had five players average 4.8 or more rebounds per game, led by Madison Scott’s 6.1, and they were 15th nationally in rebounds per game (42). Their 6.2 blocks per game were the second-highest mark this season, led by Rita Igbokwe’s 1.8 per contest.

Weaknesses: Ole Miss suffered a big blow early when transfer KK Deans went down with a knee injury, forcing her to miss the rest of the season. Deans missed half of the season with a knee injury during the 2021-2022 season when she was with West Virginia. The injury to Deans forced the Rebels to go with a bigger lineup, with Kennedy Todd-Williams serving as the only true guard in its starting lineup. It has allowed freshman Marija Avlijas to get some experience, though.

Outlook: Ole Miss has the size to control the game on the glass and down low, as it prefers to take an inside-out approach offensively. It advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, but the path will be much more difficult this year, requiring a massive second-round upset.

Team in 16 words:Ole Miss ended the season winning by an average of 29.3 in its last four games.

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Record: 23-8

Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin, one Sweet 16

Player to watch: Madison Scott

Strengths: If you want to watch a veteran team with recent success (2022 Elite Eight) that does the little things right (No. 1 in the country in free-throw percentage and No. 5 in turnovers per game), watch the Bluejays. They can score, too, as Lauren Jensen, Emma Ronsiek and Morgan Maly lead the offensive charge with 17.2, 17.5 and 14.8 points per game, respectively.

Weaknesses: Creighton was able to beat up on inferior competition, but when it faced a solid opponent — UConn, Marquette and even Green Bay — it lost. It plays at such a slow pace that, while efficient, it can settle for too many forced 3s.

Outlook: Fundamentals can get you far, and being cool, calm and collected will help Creighton. But it has first weekend upset written all over it. Proceed with caution.

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Strengths: If you want to watch a veteran team with recent success (2022 Elite Eight) that does the little things right (No. 1 in the country in free-throw percentage and No. 5 in turnovers per game), watch the Bluejays. They can score, too, as Lauren Jensen, Emma Ronsiek and Morgan Maly lead the offensive charge with 17.2, 17.5 and 14.8 points per game, respectively.

Weaknesses: Creighton was able to beat up on inferior competition, but when it faced a solid opponent — UConn, Marquette and even Green Bay — it lost. It plays at such a slow pace that, while efficient, it can settle for too many forced 3s.

Outlook: Fundamentals can get you far, and being cool, calm and collected will help Creighton. But it has first weekend upset written all over it. Proceed with caution.

Strengths: If you want to watch a veteran team with recent success (2022 Elite Eight) that does the little things right (No. 1 in the country in free-throw percentage and No. 5 in turnovers per game), watch the Bluejays. They can score, too, as Lauren Jensen, Emma Ronsiek and Morgan Maly lead the offensive charge with 17.2, 17.5 and 14.8 points per game, respectively.

Weaknesses: Creighton was able to beat up on inferior competition, but when it faced a solid opponent — UConn, Marquette and even Green Bay — it lost. It plays at such a slow pace that, while efficient, it can settle for too many forced 3s.

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Outlook: Fundamentals can get you far, and being cool, calm and collected will help Creighton. But it has first weekend upset written all over it. Proceed with caution.

Team in 16 words:A senior-heavy team that doesn’t turn the ball over (11.1 per game, to rank fifth nationally).

Record: 25-5

Coach: Jim Flanery, one Elite Eight

Player to watch: Emma Ronsiek

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Strengths: It’s a party, it’s a party, it’s a party. A block party, that is, as the Blue Devils swatt away everything that comes at them at the rim. Their six blocks per game rank third nationally, and Duke pairs that with a defense that allows 57.9 points per game. Yeah, that’ll do it. Kennedy Brown, Jadyn Donovan and Camilla Emsbo each average more than a block per game, and three players rank inside the top 121 in defensive win shares.

Weaknesses: Though Duke is strong defensively, it struggles mightily on offense. It failed to score more than 60 points on five different occasions, and it went 11-7 in conference play. It managed to keep close in losses to Stanford (overtime), Miami, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but all of those were due in part to its defense. The defense can bend but not break only so much in the tournament.

Outlook: The draw and seeding are going to make it tough for Duke to go deep in the tournament outside of a big upset. Is it possible? Yes, of course, but Duke will need to slow down the pace and rely on its elite defense for every minute to make a run to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

Strengths: It’s a party, it’s a party, it’s a party. A block party, that is, as the Blue Devils swatt away everything that comes at them at the rim. Their six blocks per game rank third nationally, and Duke pairs that with a defense that allows 57.9 points per game. Yeah, that’ll do it. Kennedy Brown, Jadyn Donovan and Camilla Emsbo each average more than a block per game, and three players rank inside the top 121 in defensive win shares.

Weaknesses: Though Duke is strong defensively, it struggles mightily on offense. It failed to score more than 60 points on five different occasions, and it went 11-7 in conference play. It managed to keep close in losses to Stanford (overtime), Miami, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but all of those were due in part to its defense. The defense can bend but not break only so much in the tournament.

Outlook: The draw and seeding are going to make it tough for Duke to go deep in the tournament outside of a big upset. Is it possible? Yes, of course, but Duke will need to slow down the pace and rely on its elite defense for every minute to make a run to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

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Strengths: It’s a party, it’s a party, it’s a party. A block party, that is, as the Blue Devils swatt away everything that comes at them at the rim. Their six blocks per game rank third nationally, and Duke pairs that with a defense that allows 57.9 points per game. Yeah, that’ll do it. Kennedy Brown, Jadyn Donovan and Camilla Emsbo each average more than a block per game, and three players rank inside the top 121 in defensive win shares.

Weaknesses: Though Duke is strong defensively, it struggles mightily on offense. It failed to score more than 60 points on five different occasions, and it went 11-7 in conference play. It managed to keep close in losses to Stanford (overtime), Miami, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but all of those were due in part to its defense. The defense can bend but not break only so much in the tournament.

Outlook: The draw and seeding are going to make it tough for Duke to go deep in the tournament outside of a big upset. Is it possible? Yes, of course, but Duke will need to slow down the pace and rely on its elite defense for every minute to make a run to the Sweet 16 or beyond.

Team in 16 words: Duke’s great defense covers for average offense. Failed to eclipse 60 points six times this year.

Record: 20-11

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Coach: Kara Lawson

Player to watch: Jadyn Donovan

Strengths: Iowa State is a fun team. Well, if you like high-scoring affairs with teams draining shots from 3, it’s fun. The Cyclones are in the 85th percentile in attempted 3s, as well as the 94th percentile in made 3s. As good as they are from behind the arc, it may not even be where they succeed most. That’s because Audi Crooks cooks down low, averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 boards. The boards are a big part of the Cyclones’ success. They’re elite on the defensive glass, ranking in the 99th percentile in defensive rebounds per game and 98th percentile in total rebound rate. Emily Ryan averages 6.3 assists per game, which is the country’s ninth-best mark.

Weaknesses: As fun as Iowa State’s offense is, its defense struggles. It especially struggles limiting opponents from behind the arc. Live by the sword, right? The Cyclones allow 68.1 points per game, but they rank No. 357 out of 360 teams in 3-point rate against. Opponents have made 233 3s against Iowa State. It allowed Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma to each make 13 3s against it — all losses. In wins, Iowa State allowed double-digits in 3s four times.

Outlook: Crooks was an unanimous choice for first-team All-Big 12 and is one of the best players in the country. But she can do only so much in the Round of 32 — assuming Iowa State advances out of the first round — against one of the top seeds in the tournament. Unless teams run ice cold from deep, Iowa State will struggle.

Strengths: Iowa State is a fun team. Well, if you like high-scoring affairs with teams draining shots from 3, it’s fun. The Cyclones are in the 85th percentile in attempted 3s, as well as the 94th percentile in made 3s. As good as they are from behind the arc, it may not even be where they succeed most. That’s because Audi Crooks cooks down low, averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 boards. The boards are a big part of the Cyclones’ success. They’re elite on the defensive glass, ranking in the 99th percentile in defensive rebounds per game and 98th percentile in total rebound rate. Emily Ryan averages 6.3 assists per game, which is the country’s ninth-best mark.

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Weaknesses: As fun as Iowa State’s offense is, its defense struggles. It especially struggles limiting opponents from behind the arc. Live by the sword, right? The Cyclones allow 68.1 points per game, but they rank No. 357 out of 360 teams in 3-point rate against. Opponents have made 233 3s against Iowa State. It allowed Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma to each make 13 3s against it — all losses. In wins, Iowa State allowed double-digits in 3s four times.

Outlook: Crooks was an unanimous choice for first-team All-Big 12 and is one of the best players in the country. But she can do only so much in the Round of 32 — assuming Iowa State advances out of the first round — against one of the top seeds in the tournament. Unless teams run ice cold from deep, Iowa State will struggle.

Strengths: Iowa State is a fun team. Well, if you like high-scoring affairs with teams draining shots from 3, it’s fun. The Cyclones are in the 85th percentile in attempted 3s, as well as the 94th percentile in made 3s. As good as they are from behind the arc, it may not even be where they succeed most. That’s because Audi Crooks cooks down low, averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 boards. The boards are a big part of the Cyclones’ success. They’re elite on the defensive glass, ranking in the 99th percentile in defensive rebounds per game and 98th percentile in total rebound rate. Emily Ryan averages 6.3 assists per game, which is the country’s ninth-best mark.

Weaknesses: As fun as Iowa State’s offense is, its defense struggles. It especially struggles limiting opponents from behind the arc. Live by the sword, right? The Cyclones allow 68.1 points per game, but they rank No. 357 out of 360 teams in 3-point rate against. Opponents have made 233 3s against Iowa State. It allowed Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma to each make 13 3s against it — all losses. In wins, Iowa State allowed double-digits in 3s four times.

Outlook: Crooks was an unanimous choice for first-team All-Big 12 and is one of the best players in the country. But she can do only so much in the Round of 32 — assuming Iowa State advances out of the first round — against one of the top seeds in the tournament. Unless teams run ice cold from deep, Iowa State will struggle.

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Team in 16 words: Cyclones struggle to contain the opposition from 3. They also live and die behind the line.

Record: 20-11

Coach: Bill Fennelly, four Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights

Player to watch: Audi Crooks

Strengths: Deja Kelly, a first-team All-ACC member for the third straight year, led the Tar Heels with 16.8 points per game. Though Carolina struggled down the stretch, the offense never slipped off of its pace, finishing with fewer than 60 points just twice. There’s nothing that Carolina does that will blow you away, but it’s solid across the board. Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng provide interior defensive presences for the Tar Heels, evidenced by their 17th-best block rate in the country.

Weaknesses: UNC beat Duke prior to the ACC tournament, which was huge given its late-season struggles. In those six losses since Jan. 28, the fewest number of points the Tar Heels allowed was 63. UNC has given up 61.9 points per game this season. Kelly and Ustby are fantastic players, but they can’t do it on their own.

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Outlook: The ACC is wild, and it doesn’t look like it will be the Tar Heels’ year. UNC made the Sweet 16 in 2022, but it’s hard to imagine it getting past the Round of 32.

Strengths: Deja Kelly, a first-team All-ACC member for the third straight year, led the Tar Heels with 16.8 points per game. Though Carolina struggled down the stretch, the offense never slipped off of its pace, finishing with fewer than 60 points just twice. There’s nothing that Carolina does that will blow you away, but it’s solid across the board. Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng provide interior defensive presences for the Tar Heels, evidenced by their 17th-best block rate in the country.

Weaknesses: UNC beat Duke prior to the ACC tournament, which was huge given its late-season struggles. In those six losses since Jan. 28, the fewest number of points the Tar Heels allowed was 63. UNC has given up 61.9 points per game this season. Kelly and Ustby are fantastic players, but they can’t do it on their own.

Outlook: The ACC is wild, and it doesn’t look like it will be the Tar Heels’ year. UNC made the Sweet 16 in 2022, but it’s hard to imagine it getting past the Round of 32.

Strengths: Deja Kelly, a first-team All-ACC member for the third straight year, led the Tar Heels with 16.8 points per game. Though Carolina struggled down the stretch, the offense never slipped off of its pace, finishing with fewer than 60 points just twice. There’s nothing that Carolina does that will blow you away, but it’s solid across the board. Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng provide interior defensive presences for the Tar Heels, evidenced by their 17th-best block rate in the country.

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Weaknesses: UNC beat Duke prior to the ACC tournament, which was huge given its late-season struggles. In those six losses since Jan. 28, the fewest number of points the Tar Heels allowed was 63. UNC has given up 61.9 points per game this season. Kelly and Ustby are fantastic players, but they can’t do it on their own.

Outlook: The ACC is wild, and it doesn’t look like it will be the Tar Heels’ year. UNC made the Sweet 16 in 2022, but it’s hard to imagine it getting past the Round of 32.

Team in 16 words: Veteran-led team that struggled down the stretch, going 4-6 in its final 10 regular season games.

Record: 19-12

Coach: Courtney Banghart

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Player to watch: Alyssa Ustby

Strengths: Few teams have the Mountaineers’ defensive prowess. They rank third in the country in defensive rating (77.9), and that’s thanks in large part to Jordan Harrison and Ja’Naiya Quinerly. Each averages around 3 steals per game, making them the only pair of teammates with average that high. The Mountaineers are in the 100th percentile in steals per game, and the 80th percentile in steals per game. Stocks on stocks on stocks. The aforementioned duo also lead West Virginia in scoring, with Quinerly putting up 19.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: It’s good that WVU is so active on defense with blocking shots and creating havoc in the passing lanes to force turnovers, because when it comes to the battle of the boards, WVU struggles. And that’s putting it nicely. It ranks No. 327 out of 360 teams in defensive rebounds per game. In its six losses, opponents outrebounded WVU by an average of 40 to 28.3. Five of those losses were by 10 points or fewer. A direct correlation? You can be the judge.

Outlook: West Virginia’s hard-nosed defense and Quinerly and Harrison making life miserable for opposing backcourts is the recipe for advancing. Its seed is deserved, but at best, it’ll face a Round of 32 exit.

Strengths: Few teams have the Mountaineers’ defensive prowess. They rank third in the country in defensive rating (77.9), and that’s thanks in large part to Jordan Harrison and Ja’Naiya Quinerly. Each averages around 3 steals per game, making them the only pair of teammates with average that high. The Mountaineers are in the 100th percentile in steals per game, and the 80th percentile in steals per game. Stocks on stocks on stocks. The aforementioned duo also lead West Virginia in scoring, with Quinerly putting up 19.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: It’s good that WVU is so active on defense with blocking shots and creating havoc in the passing lanes to force turnovers, because when it comes to the battle of the boards, WVU struggles. And that’s putting it nicely. It ranks No. 327 out of 360 teams in defensive rebounds per game. In its six losses, opponents outrebounded WVU by an average of 40 to 28.3. Five of those losses were by 10 points or fewer. A direct correlation? You can be the judge.

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Outlook: West Virginia’s hard-nosed defense and Quinerly and Harrison making life miserable for opposing backcourts is the recipe for advancing. Its seed is deserved, but at best, it’ll face a Round of 32 exit.

Strengths: Few teams have the Mountaineers’ defensive prowess. They rank third in the country in defensive rating (77.9), and that’s thanks in large part to Jordan Harrison and Ja’Naiya Quinerly. Each averages around 3 steals per game, making them the only pair of teammates with average that high. The Mountaineers are in the 100th percentile in steals per game, and the 80th percentile in steals per game. Stocks on stocks on stocks. The aforementioned duo also lead West Virginia in scoring, with Quinerly putting up 19.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: It’s good that WVU is so active on defense with blocking shots and creating havoc in the passing lanes to force turnovers, because when it comes to the battle of the boards, WVU struggles. And that’s putting it nicely. It ranks No. 327 out of 360 teams in defensive rebounds per game. In its six losses, opponents outrebounded WVU by an average of 40 to 28.3. Five of those losses were by 10 points or fewer. A direct correlation? You can be the judge.

Outlook: West Virginia’s hard-nosed defense and Quinerly and Harrison making life miserable for opposing backcourts is the recipe for advancing. Its seed is deserved, but at best, it’ll face a Round of 32 exit.

Team in 16 words:Six losses are West Virginia’s fewest since 2013-2014 season. Defense drives the results (78.5 defensive rating).

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Record: 24-7

Coach: Mark Kellogg

Player to watch: Jordan Harrison

Strengths: Kansas plays at a slow pace of 69.4 possessions per 40 minutes. It knows what it does well and sticks to it. Kansas essentially uses a six-player rotation, with Skyler Gill getting some time, too. But four players log at least 29.6 minutes per night, with Taiyanna Jackson standing out, averaging a double-double.

Weaknesses: The slow place leaves Kansas susceptible on defense, as it allows 63.7 points on average, leaving a slight 4.4 positive margin on the scoreboard. Kansas recorded key victories this season – notably against Iowa State, Nebraska and Baylor, but its inability to keep up offensively was its downfall. Kansas lost three games despite surrendering low totals of 63, 60 and 59 points.

Outlook: Kansas should be thrilled to get out of the first round, honestly. A second-round date with USC would await, and the Jayhawks just don’t have the offensive power to go basket for basket.

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Strengths: Kansas plays at a slow pace of 69.4 possessions per 40 minutes. It knows what it does well and sticks to it. Kansas essentially uses a six-player rotation, with Skyler Gill getting some time, too. But four players log at least 29.6 minutes per night, with Taiyanna Jackson standing out, averaging a double-double.

Weaknesses: The slow place leaves Kansas susceptible on defense, as it allows 63.7 points on average, leaving a slight 4.4 positive margin on the scoreboard. Kansas recorded key victories this season – notably against Iowa State, Nebraska and Baylor, but its inability to keep up offensively was its downfall. Kansas lost three games despite surrendering low totals of 63, 60 and 59 points.

Outlook: Kansas should be thrilled to get out of the first round, honestly. A second-round date with USC would await, and the Jayhawks just don’t have the offensive power to go basket for basket.

Strengths: Kansas plays at a slow pace of 69.4 possessions per 40 minutes. It knows what it does well and sticks to it. Kansas essentially uses a six-player rotation, with Skyler Gill getting some time, too. But four players log at least 29.6 minutes per night, with Taiyanna Jackson standing out, averaging a double-double.

Weaknesses: The slow place leaves Kansas susceptible on defense, as it allows 63.7 points on average, leaving a slight 4.4 positive margin on the scoreboard. Kansas recorded key victories this season – notably against Iowa State, Nebraska and Baylor, but its inability to keep up offensively was its downfall. Kansas lost three games despite surrendering low totals of 63, 60 and 59 points.

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Outlook: Kansas should be thrilled to get out of the first round, honestly. A second-round date with USC would await, and the Jayhawks just don’t have the offensive power to go basket for basket.

Team in 16 words:Kansas plays at an extremely slow pace, but struggles to keep up with its opponent offensively.

Record: 19-12

Coach: Brandon Schneider

Player to watch: Taiyanna Jackson

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Strengths: The Crimson Tide have four different players with usage rates at or above 21.1 percent. The three veterans — Aaliyah Nye, Sarash Ashlee Barker and Jessica Timmons — lead the way, but freshman Essence Cody has played a steady role, logging big minutes down the stretch. Alabama doesn’t stand out in any significant way, but it does everything pretty well.

Weaknesses: Alabama had eight losses, but seven of those were by double digits, making its average margin of defeat 15.5 points. The biggest losses, predictably, came against South Carolina and twice against LSU. You’d like to see some more assists overall from ‘Bama, as only Loyal McQueen averaged more than 3 dimes per game.

Outlook: Alabama has a tough road and a tough draw. It hasn’t made it out of the second round since 1998. Maybe next season can be the year with Cody’s growth, because it’s not going to be this year.

Strengths: The Crimson Tide have four different players with usage rates at or above 21.1 percent. The three veterans — Aaliyah Nye, Sarash Ashlee Barker and Jessica Timmons — lead the way, but freshman Essence Cody has played a steady role, logging big minutes down the stretch. Alabama doesn’t stand out in any significant way, but it does everything pretty well.

Weaknesses: Alabama had eight losses, but seven of those were by double digits, making its average margin of defeat 15.5 points. The biggest losses, predictably, came against South Carolina and twice against LSU. You’d like to see some more assists overall from ‘Bama, as only Loyal McQueen averaged more than 3 dimes per game.

Outlook: Alabama has a tough road and a tough draw. It hasn’t made it out of the second round since 1998. Maybe next season can be the year with Cody’s growth, because it’s not going to be this year.

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Strengths: The Crimson Tide have four different players with usage rates at or above 21.1 percent. The three veterans — Aaliyah Nye, Sarash Ashlee Barker and Jessica Timmons — lead the way, but freshman Essence Cody has played a steady role, logging big minutes down the stretch. Alabama doesn’t stand out in any significant way, but it does everything pretty well.

Weaknesses: Alabama had eight losses, but seven of those were by double digits, making its average margin of defeat 15.5 points. The biggest losses, predictably, came against South Carolina and twice against LSU. You’d like to see some more assists overall from ‘Bama, as only Loyal McQueen averaged more than 3 dimes per game.

Outlook: Alabama has a tough road and a tough draw. It hasn’t made it out of the second round since 1998. Maybe next season can be the year with Cody’s growth, because it’s not going to be this year.

Team in 16 words:When the Crimson Tide lost, they lost big time. Their average margin of defeat was 15.5.

Record: 23-9

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Coach: Kristy Curry, two Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight, one runner-up

Player to watch: Aaliyah Nye

Strengths: The Spartans make it rain from downtown. That much is sure. In coach Robyn Fralick’s first season, her Spartans are shooting 37.3 percent from behind the arc, making the ninth-most 3s (270) during the regular season. That’s why, despite a less-than-average defense, Michigan State is seemingly in every game. Moira Joiner and DeeDee Hagemann are gunners from behind the arc, knocking down their shots at a 42.8 percent and 40.6 percent clip, respectively.

Weaknesses: Michigan State was in most of its games, but in the three double-digit losses it had, it was torched defensively by Ohio State, Minnesota and Creighton. It’s not just a breakdown defensively, though, as it struggles to keep the opposing offense off the glass. Opponents have averaged 8.7 offensive boards per game against the Spartans, which is the 16th-highest mark.

Outlook: The Spartans likely will be one-and-done in the tournament, which is still considered a success with a first-year coach. They showed they could hang with tough teams — they lost to Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana and Nebraska by a total of 17 points — but reaching the second weekend seems unlikely.

Strengths: The Spartans make it rain from downtown. That much is sure. In coach Robyn Fralick’s first season, her Spartans are shooting 37.3 percent from behind the arc, making the ninth-most 3s (270) during the regular season. That’s why, despite a less-than-average defense, Michigan State is seemingly in every game. Moira Joiner and DeeDee Hagemann are gunners from behind the arc, knocking down their shots at a 42.8 percent and 40.6 percent clip, respectively.

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Weaknesses: Michigan State was in most of its games, but in the three double-digit losses it had, it was torched defensively by Ohio State, Minnesota and Creighton. It’s not just a breakdown defensively, though, as it struggles to keep the opposing offense off the glass. Opponents have averaged 8.7 offensive boards per game against the Spartans, which is the 16th-highest mark.

Outlook: The Spartans likely will be one-and-done in the tournament, which is still considered a success with a first-year coach. They showed they could hang with tough teams — they lost to Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana and Nebraska by a total of 17 points — but reaching the second weekend seems unlikely.

Strengths: The Spartans make it rain from downtown. That much is sure. In coach Robyn Fralick’s first season, her Spartans are shooting 37.3 percent from behind the arc, making the ninth-most 3s (270) during the regular season. That’s why, despite a less-than-average defense, Michigan State is seemingly in every game. Moira Joiner and DeeDee Hagemann are gunners from behind the arc, knocking down their shots at a 42.8 percent and 40.6 percent clip, respectively.

Weaknesses: Michigan State was in most of its games, but in the three double-digit losses it had, it was torched defensively by Ohio State, Minnesota and Creighton. It’s not just a breakdown defensively, though, as it struggles to keep the opposing offense off the glass. Opponents have averaged 8.7 offensive boards per game against the Spartans, which is the 16th-highest mark.

Outlook: The Spartans likely will be one-and-done in the tournament, which is still considered a success with a first-year coach. They showed they could hang with tough teams — they lost to Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana and Nebraska by a total of 17 points — but reaching the second weekend seems unlikely.

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Team in 16 words: Spartans enter March with fewest losses since the 2010-2011 season. Five players average double-figures in points.

Record: 22-8

Coach: Robyn Fralick

Player to watch: Moira Joiner

Strengths: Princeton’s driven by its defense, playing at a deliberate pace for grind-them-out games. The Tigers allowed just 56 points per game, and against Yale in February, they held the Bulldogs to just 25 points the entire contest. Princeton uses a suffocating defense that forces opponents into bad shots and mistakes. Despite the slow pace, it’s actually opened up Kaitlyn Chen to elevate her overall game — offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses: The pace and the competition come into play here for Princeton. It doesn’t attempt a ton of 3s, which could be a factor when it’s trailing. Princeton is solid on offensive boards, but it pulls down only 22.8 defensive boards per game, ranking 295th.

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Outlook: Princeton can hang with elite teams. It took UCLA to the buzzer and lost to Indiana by 9. The defense is tough, and the Tigers won’t be an easy out for anyone.

Strengths: Princeton’s driven by its defense, playing at a deliberate pace for grind-them-out games. The Tigers allowed just 56 points per game, and against Yale in February, they held the Bulldogs to just 25 points the entire contest. Princeton uses a suffocating defense that forces opponents into bad shots and mistakes. Despite the slow pace, it’s actually opened up Kaitlyn Chen to elevate her overall game — offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses: The pace and the competition come into play here for Princeton. It doesn’t attempt a ton of 3s, which could be a factor when it’s trailing. Princeton is solid on offensive boards, but it pulls down only 22.8 defensive boards per game, ranking 295th.

Outlook: Princeton can hang with elite teams. It took UCLA to the buzzer and lost to Indiana by 9. The defense is tough, and the Tigers won’t be an easy out for anyone.

Strengths: Princeton’s driven by its defense, playing at a deliberate pace for grind-them-out games. The Tigers allowed just 56 points per game, and against Yale in February, they held the Bulldogs to just 25 points the entire contest. Princeton uses a suffocating defense that forces opponents into bad shots and mistakes. Despite the slow pace, it’s actually opened up Kaitlyn Chen to elevate her overall game — offensively and defensively.

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Weaknesses: The pace and the competition come into play here for Princeton. It doesn’t attempt a ton of 3s, which could be a factor when it’s trailing. Princeton is solid on offensive boards, but it pulls down only 22.8 defensive boards per game, ranking 295th.

Outlook: Princeton can hang with elite teams. It took UCLA to the buzzer and lost to Indiana by 9. The defense is tough, and the Tigers won’t be an easy out for anyone.

Team in 16 words: Princeton showed it could hang out of conference with single-digit loss to UCLA. Extremely slow-paced team.

Record: 25-4

Coach: Carla Berube

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Player to watch: Ellie Mitchell

Strengths: Laila Phelia, a junior and first-team All-Big Ten selection, built off last season’s individual success, leading the Wolverines with 16.3 points per game and a 25.2 usage rate. The Wolverines ranked in the middle of just about every key metric, and that was indicative of their up-and-down season, where they went 9-9 in conference play.

Weaknesses: Of Michigan’s 12 losses, 10 were by double-digits — three of them coming by 21 or more points. Phelia didn’t have a lot of help offensively, with Lauren Hansen serving as the only other player averaging double-digits.

Outlook: The Wolverines made it to the Elite Eight two seasons ago — the first career trip for Kim Barnes Arico — but to get to the second weekend this season, they’ll need consecutive upsets. That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of Phelia.

Strengths: Laila Phelia, a junior and first-team All-Big Ten selection, built off last season’s individual success, leading the Wolverines with 16.3 points per game and a 25.2 usage rate. The Wolverines ranked in the middle of just about every key metric, and that was indicative of their up-and-down season, where they went 9-9 in conference play.

Weaknesses: Of Michigan’s 12 losses, 10 were by double-digits — three of them coming by 21 or more points. Phelia didn’t have a lot of help offensively, with Lauren Hansen serving as the only other player averaging double-digits.

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Outlook: The Wolverines made it to the Elite Eight two seasons ago — the first career trip for Kim Barnes Arico — but to get to the second weekend this season, they’ll need consecutive upsets. That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of Phelia.

Strengths: Laila Phelia, a junior and first-team All-Big Ten selection, built off last season’s individual success, leading the Wolverines with 16.3 points per game and a 25.2 usage rate. The Wolverines ranked in the middle of just about every key metric, and that was indicative of their up-and-down season, where they went 9-9 in conference play.

Weaknesses: Of Michigan’s 12 losses, 10 were by double-digits — three of them coming by 21 or more points. Phelia didn’t have a lot of help offensively, with Lauren Hansen serving as the only other player averaging double-digits.

Outlook: The Wolverines made it to the Elite Eight two seasons ago — the first career trip for Kim Barnes Arico — but to get to the second weekend this season, they’ll need consecutive upsets. That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of Phelia.

Team in 16 words: Michigan’s 61.3 winning percentage was its lowest mark since 2015-2016 when it was at 60 percent.

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Record: 20-13

Coach: Kim Barnes Arico, two Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight

Player to watch: Laila Phelia

Strengths: If Florida State is going to do one thing, it’s take care of the ball. The Seminoles had the third-lowest turnover rate in the country (13 percent), and that’s with their fast-paced offense, averaging 77 possessions per 40 minutes. Florida State was quick to shoot all season, averaging the second-most field goal attempts in the country. Ta’Niya Latson led the offensive charge, averaging 21.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: Florida State’s defense struggled. It allowed the most points per game (72) of any ACC team. That turnstile mark put FSU in the nation’s bottom 12th percentile. The Seminoles allowed 90 or more points five different times this season — four of them in losses save for their 92-91 win over Tennessee — and allowed Stanford to hit the century mark.

Outlook: Florida State is deep, with seven players competing at least 19 minutes per game. It’ll need that depth and scoring throughout the tournament as it hasn’t found a way to adjust defensively. It depends on the draw, but seeing Florida State advance to the Sweet 16 seems like a longshot.

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Strengths: If Florida State is going to do one thing, it’s take care of the ball. The Seminoles had the third-lowest turnover rate in the country (13 percent), and that’s with their fast-paced offense, averaging 77 possessions per 40 minutes. Florida State was quick to shoot all season, averaging the second-most field goal attempts in the country. Ta’Niya Latson led the offensive charge, averaging 21.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: Florida State’s defense struggled. It allowed the most points per game (72) of any ACC team. That turnstile mark put FSU in the nation’s bottom 12th percentile. The Seminoles allowed 90 or more points five different times this season — four of them in losses save for their 92-91 win over Tennessee — and allowed Stanford to hit the century mark.

Outlook: Florida State is deep, with seven players competing at least 19 minutes per game. It’ll need that depth and scoring throughout the tournament as it hasn’t found a way to adjust defensively. It depends on the draw, but seeing Florida State advance to the Sweet 16 seems like a longshot.

Strengths: If Florida State is going to do one thing, it’s take care of the ball. The Seminoles had the third-lowest turnover rate in the country (13 percent), and that’s with their fast-paced offense, averaging 77 possessions per 40 minutes. Florida State was quick to shoot all season, averaging the second-most field goal attempts in the country. Ta’Niya Latson led the offensive charge, averaging 21.4 points per game.

Weaknesses: Florida State’s defense struggled. It allowed the most points per game (72) of any ACC team. That turnstile mark put FSU in the nation’s bottom 12th percentile. The Seminoles allowed 90 or more points five different times this season — four of them in losses save for their 92-91 win over Tennessee — and allowed Stanford to hit the century mark.

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Outlook: Florida State is deep, with seven players competing at least 19 minutes per game. It’ll need that depth and scoring throughout the tournament as it hasn’t found a way to adjust defensively. It depends on the draw, but seeing Florida State advance to the Sweet 16 seems like a longshot.

Team in 16 words: Seminoles limit turnovers but struggle defensively to stop the opposition, allowing conference-high 72 points per game.

Record: 23-10

Coach: Brooke Wyckoff

Player to watch: Makayla Timpson

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Strengths: Marquette starts five seniors, and its style of play reflects that. It averagings the 12th-most assists per game, with an assisted shot rate of 68.3 and an assist to turnover rate of 1.29. Liza Karlen has taken on a bigger role for Marquette this season, upping her usage rate to a team-high 29.6, while elevating her per-game numbers from 11.4 points last season to 18.

Weaknesses: Despite a relatively easy schedule, Marquette lost both games against UConn by a total of 57 points. In its other five losses, it lost by a total of 18 points. So you can look at that as it being able to stay in close games, or you can look at it as Marquette being unable to put away teams like St. John’s and Villanova twice.

Outlook: Marquette can advance out of the No. 7 versus No. 10 matchup, but then it might have to take down the No. 2 seed in its bracket. The veteran Golden Eagles can do a lot, but that’s a tall task.

Strengths: Marquette starts five seniors, and its style of play reflects that. It averagings the 12th-most assists per game, with an assisted shot rate of 68.3 and an assist to turnover rate of 1.29. Liza Karlen has taken on a bigger role for Marquette this season, upping her usage rate to a team-high 29.6, while elevating her per-game numbers from 11.4 points last season to 18.

Weaknesses: Despite a relatively easy schedule, Marquette lost both games against UConn by a total of 57 points. In its other five losses, it lost by a total of 18 points. So you can look at that as it being able to stay in close games, or you can look at it as Marquette being unable to put away teams like St. John’s and Villanova twice.

Outlook: Marquette can advance out of the No. 7 versus No. 10 matchup, but then it might have to take down the No. 2 seed in its bracket. The veteran Golden Eagles can do a lot, but that’s a tall task.

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Strengths: Marquette starts five seniors, and its style of play reflects that. It averagings the 12th-most assists per game, with an assisted shot rate of 68.3 and an assist to turnover rate of 1.29. Liza Karlen has taken on a bigger role for Marquette this season, upping her usage rate to a team-high 29.6, while elevating her per-game numbers from 11.4 points last season to 18.

Weaknesses: Despite a relatively easy schedule, Marquette lost both games against UConn by a total of 57 points. In its other five losses, it lost by a total of 18 points. So you can look at that as it being able to stay in close games, or you can look at it as Marquette being unable to put away teams like St. John’s and Villanova twice.

Outlook: Marquette can advance out of the No. 7 versus No. 10 matchup, but then it might have to take down the No. 2 seed in its bracket. The veteran Golden Eagles can do a lot, but that’s a tall task.

Team in 16 words: Veteran-laden team that gets everyone involved. It has the nation’s sixth-highest assisted shot rate (68.3 percent).

Record: 23-8

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Coach: Megan Duffy

Player to watch: Liz Karlen

Strengths: Regardless of the context, 26-2 is one hell of a season. UNLV won by a margin of 20.6 points, averaging 112.9 points per 100 possessions despite an average 70.7 pace. The Lady Rebels led the nation in defensive rebound rate, while rarely turning over the ball – just 10.6 per game.

Weaknesses: UNLV also had a strength of schedule that ranked pretty low. Its marquee victories came in December against Arizona and Oklahoma — and it won both comfortably. But it struggled to put away games against Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State and New Mexico. .

Outlook: It’s hard to fully buy into UNLV given the lack of true competition it faced this year. Round 2 is the ceiling.

Strengths: Regardless of the context, 26-2 is one hell of a season. UNLV won by a margin of 20.6 points, averaging 112.9 points per 100 possessions despite an average 70.7 pace. The Lady Rebels led the nation in defensive rebound rate, while rarely turning over the ball – just 10.6 per game.

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Weaknesses: UNLV also had a strength of schedule that ranked pretty low. Its marquee victories came in December against Arizona and Oklahoma — and it won both comfortably. But it struggled to put away games against Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State and New Mexico. .

Outlook: It’s hard to fully buy into UNLV given the lack of true competition it faced this year. Round 2 is the ceiling.

Strengths: Regardless of the context, 26-2 is one hell of a season. UNLV won by a margin of 20.6 points, averaging 112.9 points per 100 possessions despite an average 70.7 pace. The Lady Rebels led the nation in defensive rebound rate, while rarely turning over the ball – just 10.6 per game.

Weaknesses: UNLV also had a strength of schedule that ranked pretty low. Its marquee victories came in December against Arizona and Oklahoma — and it won both comfortably. But it struggled to put away games against Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State and New Mexico. .

Outlook: It’s hard to fully buy into UNLV given the lack of true competition it faced this year. Round 2 is the ceiling.

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Team in 16 words:UNLV finished 26-2 with the No. 104 hardest schedule. It led nationally in defensive rebound rate.

Record: 30-2

Coach: Lindy La Rocque

Player to watch: Desi-Rae Young

Strengths: Richmond finished the regular season with its highest winning percentage in more than three decades. It’s in the tournament for the first time since 2005. What an accomplishment for fourth-year head coach Aaron Roussell. The Spiders are elite from behind the arc, with 37.5 percent of its total points coming from downtown. Siobhan Ryan leads the nation with her 49 3-point percent among players with at least 100 attempts.

Weaknesses: Richmond is pretty one-dimensional. It attempted just 946 2-point field goals this season. For context, it shot 754 3-pointers. The Spiders don’t generate a ton of second-chance opportunities given its offensive gameplan, so it must hit its shots.

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Outlook:An upset here isn’t impossible, and if Richmond gets hot, it could be a Cinderella who advances to the Sweet 16. We’ve seen it struggle against tournament schools this season, though, so pick the Spiders at your own risk.

Strengths: Richmond finished the regular season with its highest winning percentage in more than three decades. It’s in the tournament for the first time since 2005. What an accomplishment for fourth-year head coach Aaron Roussell. The Spiders are elite from behind the arc, with 37.5 percent of its total points coming from downtown. Siobhan Ryan leads the nation with her 49 3-point percent among players with at least 100 attempts.

Weaknesses: Richmond is pretty one-dimensional. It attempted just 946 2-point field goals this season. For context, it shot 754 3-pointers. The Spiders don’t generate a ton of second-chance opportunities given its offensive gameplan, so it must hit its shots.

Outlook:An upset here isn’t impossible, and if Richmond gets hot, it could be a Cinderella who advances to the Sweet 16. We’ve seen it struggle against tournament schools this season, though, so pick the Spiders at your own risk.

Strengths: Richmond finished the regular season with its highest winning percentage in more than three decades. It’s in the tournament for the first time since 2005. What an accomplishment for fourth-year head coach Aaron Roussell. The Spiders are elite from behind the arc, with 37.5 percent of its total points coming from downtown. Siobhan Ryan leads the nation with her 49 3-point percent among players with at least 100 attempts.

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Weaknesses: Richmond is pretty one-dimensional. It attempted just 946 2-point field goals this season. For context, it shot 754 3-pointers. The Spiders don’t generate a ton of second-chance opportunities given its offensive gameplan, so it must hit its shots.

Outlook:An upset here isn’t impossible, and if Richmond gets hot, it could be a Cinderella who advances to the Sweet 16. We’ve seen it struggle against tournament schools this season, though, so pick the Spiders at your own risk.

Team in 16 words:The Richmond Spiders’ 83.9 winning percentage ties the all-time school record, set way back in 1990-1991.

Record: 29-5

Coach: Aaron Roussell

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Player to watch: Siobhan Ryan

Strengths: Maryland played at a fast pace all season, averaging 77.9 points per game and 101.7 points per 100 possessions. The former ranked 22nd in the country. Shyanne Sellers paced the play all season long for the Terrapins, averaging a team-high 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. The assists were tied for the 17th-most per game in the country. Maryland is an extremely deep squad, with nine players averaging 13 or more minutes per game, and it used seven different starters this season..

Weaknesses: Its 17-12 record is rough, but the strength of schedule is a big reason. The Terps had the nation’s eighth-hardest schedule, with their opponents’ average win percent at 63. And that pace and high-powered offense we spoke about? Yeah, it was needed, as it allowed 73.1 points per game. Only 26 teams allowed more points than Maryland did.

Outlook:Maryland’s losses made sense: South Carolina, UConn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana. That’s really, really tough. You know what else is tough? Tournament teams. Maryland may be deep, and even though it won big against Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney, it will struggle to keep pace with the others.

Strengths: Maryland played at a fast pace all season, averaging 77.9 points per game and 101.7 points per 100 possessions. The former ranked 22nd in the country. Shyanne Sellers paced the play all season long for the Terrapins, averaging a team-high 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. The assists were tied for the 17th-most per game in the country. Maryland is an extremely deep squad, with nine players averaging 13 or more minutes per game, and it used seven different starters this season..

Weaknesses: Its 17-12 record is rough, but the strength of schedule is a big reason. The Terps had the nation’s eighth-hardest schedule, with their opponents’ average win percent at 63. And that pace and high-powered offense we spoke about? Yeah, it was needed, as it allowed 73.1 points per game. Only 26 teams allowed more points than Maryland did.

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Outlook:Maryland’s losses made sense: South Carolina, UConn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana. That’s really, really tough. You know what else is tough? Tournament teams. Maryland may be deep, and even though it won big against Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney, it will struggle to keep pace with the others.

Strengths: Maryland played at a fast pace all season, averaging 77.9 points per game and 101.7 points per 100 possessions. The former ranked 22nd in the country. Shyanne Sellers paced the play all season long for the Terrapins, averaging a team-high 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. The assists were tied for the 17th-most per game in the country. Maryland is an extremely deep squad, with nine players averaging 13 or more minutes per game, and it used seven different starters this season..

Weaknesses: Its 17-12 record is rough, but the strength of schedule is a big reason. The Terps had the nation’s eighth-hardest schedule, with their opponents’ average win percent at 63. And that pace and high-powered offense we spoke about? Yeah, it was needed, as it allowed 73.1 points per game. Only 26 teams allowed more points than Maryland did.

Outlook:Maryland’s losses made sense: South Carolina, UConn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana. That’s really, really tough. You know what else is tough? Tournament teams. Maryland may be deep, and even though it won big against Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney, it will struggle to keep pace with the others.

Team in 16 words:Maryland’s a deep team that finished 17-12 but had the eighth-hardest schedule (63 opponent win percent).

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Record: 19-13

Coach: Brenda Frese, four Sweet 16s, four Elite Eights, two Final Fours, one championship

Player to watch: Shyanne Sellers

Strengths: The Aggies’ defense was strong this season, holding opponents to 82.8 points per 100 possessions and 68.7 points per game. They also thrived on the boards, averaging 14 rebounds per game behind the duo of Lauren Ware and Janiah Baker. Auburn transfer Aicha Coulibaly was one of the more underrated SEC players, averaging 14.5 points per conference game.

Weaknesses: Efficiency was a big offensive issue for Texas A&M. It shot 27.9 from 3, 46.2 percent from 2 and a poor 67.8 percent on free throws. The Aggies started the season red hot, but when conference play started, they struggled majorly. They went 6-10 in the SEC, losing five of its six final regular-season contests.

Outlook: If the Aggies makes it past the first weekend — let alone out of the first round — it’ll be by controlling the boards and playing strong defense. A first-round upset could be in the cards, but anything beyond that isn’t worth banking on.

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Strengths: The Aggies’ defense was strong this season, holding opponents to 82.8 points per 100 possessions and 68.7 points per game. They also thrived on the boards, averaging 14 rebounds per game behind the duo of Lauren Ware and Janiah Baker. Auburn transfer Aicha Coulibaly was one of the more underrated SEC players, averaging 14.5 points per conference game.

Weaknesses: Efficiency was a big offensive issue for Texas A&M. It shot 27.9 from 3, 46.2 percent from 2 and a poor 67.8 percent on free throws. The Aggies started the season red hot, but when conference play started, they struggled majorly. They went 6-10 in the SEC, losing five of its six final regular-season contests.

Outlook: If the Aggies makes it past the first weekend — let alone out of the first round — it’ll be by controlling the boards and playing strong defense. A first-round upset could be in the cards, but anything beyond that isn’t worth banking on.

Strengths: The Aggies’ defense was strong this season, holding opponents to 82.8 points per 100 possessions and 68.7 points per game. They also thrived on the boards, averaging 14 rebounds per game behind the duo of Lauren Ware and Janiah Baker. Auburn transfer Aicha Coulibaly was one of the more underrated SEC players, averaging 14.5 points per conference game.

Weaknesses: Efficiency was a big offensive issue for Texas A&M. It shot 27.9 from 3, 46.2 percent from 2 and a poor 67.8 percent on free throws. The Aggies started the season red hot, but when conference play started, they struggled majorly. They went 6-10 in the SEC, losing five of its six final regular-season contests.

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Outlook: If the Aggies makes it past the first weekend — let alone out of the first round — it’ll be by controlling the boards and playing strong defense. A first-round upset could be in the cards, but anything beyond that isn’t worth banking on.

Team in 16 words: Texas A&M’s 82.8 defensive rating was the Aggies’ highest mark since hitting 82.4 in 2012-2013 season.

Record: 19-12

Coach: Joni Taylor

Player to watch: Aicha Coulibaly

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Strengths: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Will Durant may have come up with the quote, but the Blue Raiders applied it this season. The Conference USA champs started the same five players in all 29 regular-season games. Those players were in at least 30.4 minutes per game. Coach Thibs is somewhere smiling right now. Middle Tennessee’s defense is elite, holding opponents to 54.3 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Blue Raiders’ strength of schedule was No. 170. Beating Tennessee was their biggest win — on paper, at least, as they registered a 45-point victory over Florida A&M — so they haven’t been tested like they will be in the tournament. Can their defense translate over?

Outlook: The last time Middle Tennessee got out of the first round was 2007, when it was a No. 5 seed and knocked off Gonzaga. Since then, it’s been one-and-done eight different times. A second round appearance is in the cards this year.

Strengths: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Will Durant may have come up with the quote, but the Blue Raiders applied it this season. The Conference USA champs started the same five players in all 29 regular-season games. Those players were in at least 30.4 minutes per game. Coach Thibs is somewhere smiling right now. Middle Tennessee’s defense is elite, holding opponents to 54.3 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Blue Raiders’ strength of schedule was No. 170. Beating Tennessee was their biggest win — on paper, at least, as they registered a 45-point victory over Florida A&M — so they haven’t been tested like they will be in the tournament. Can their defense translate over?

Outlook: The last time Middle Tennessee got out of the first round was 2007, when it was a No. 5 seed and knocked off Gonzaga. Since then, it’s been one-and-done eight different times. A second round appearance is in the cards this year.

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Strengths: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Will Durant may have come up with the quote, but the Blue Raiders applied it this season. The Conference USA champs started the same five players in all 29 regular-season games. Those players were in at least 30.4 minutes per game. Coach Thibs is somewhere smiling right now. Middle Tennessee’s defense is elite, holding opponents to 54.3 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Blue Raiders’ strength of schedule was No. 170. Beating Tennessee was their biggest win — on paper, at least, as they registered a 45-point victory over Florida A&M — so they haven’t been tested like they will be in the tournament. Can their defense translate over?

Outlook: The last time Middle Tennessee got out of the first round was 2007, when it was a No. 5 seed and knocked off Gonzaga. Since then, it’s been one-and-done eight different times. A second round appearance is in the cards this year.

Team in 16 words: From top to bottom, this may be the best Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders team since 2013-2014.

Record: 29-4

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Coach:Rick Insell

Player to watch: Anastasiia Boldyreva

Strengths: You’re going to struggle in the SEC — unless you’re South Carolina. It was no different for Auburn, but it did finish the season on a three-game winning streak against Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Florida. The Tigers had close calls against LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Tennessee – all losses that were by single digits that its defense kept competitive. That unit allows only 79.8 points per 100 possession, which is good for the seventh best mark in the country.

Weaknesses: Auburn was ugly from 3-point range, shooting only 28.7 percent there making just 110 treys all season. It had the 13th-worst 3-point rate at 18.8 percent. That’s why, despite the solid pace it plays, it still wasn’t able to score at the rate it needed to to complement its defensive efforts.

Outlook: Auburn hasn’t made it to the second weekend since 1996, despite making the tournament nine times since then. It’ll face a tough road as it works to end that streak. Even if first-team All-SEC Honesty Scott-Grayson is in her bag, the lack of shooting will put Auburn’s journey on hold.

Strengths: You’re going to struggle in the SEC — unless you’re South Carolina. It was no different for Auburn, but it did finish the season on a three-game winning streak against Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Florida. The Tigers had close calls against LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Tennessee – all losses that were by single digits that its defense kept competitive. That unit allows only 79.8 points per 100 possession, which is good for the seventh best mark in the country.

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Weaknesses: Auburn was ugly from 3-point range, shooting only 28.7 percent there making just 110 treys all season. It had the 13th-worst 3-point rate at 18.8 percent. That’s why, despite the solid pace it plays, it still wasn’t able to score at the rate it needed to to complement its defensive efforts.

Outlook: Auburn hasn’t made it to the second weekend since 1996, despite making the tournament nine times since then. It’ll face a tough road as it works to end that streak. Even if first-team All-SEC Honesty Scott-Grayson is in her bag, the lack of shooting will put Auburn’s journey on hold.

Strengths: You’re going to struggle in the SEC — unless you’re South Carolina. It was no different for Auburn, but it did finish the season on a three-game winning streak against Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Florida. The Tigers had close calls against LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Tennessee – all losses that were by single digits that its defense kept competitive. That unit allows only 79.8 points per 100 possession, which is good for the seventh best mark in the country.

Weaknesses: Auburn was ugly from 3-point range, shooting only 28.7 percent there making just 110 treys all season. It had the 13th-worst 3-point rate at 18.8 percent. That’s why, despite the solid pace it plays, it still wasn’t able to score at the rate it needed to to complement its defensive efforts.

Outlook: Auburn hasn’t made it to the second weekend since 1996, despite making the tournament nine times since then. It’ll face a tough road as it works to end that streak. Even if first-team All-SEC Honesty Scott-Grayson is in her bag, the lack of shooting will put Auburn’s journey on hold.

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Team in 16 words: Auburn has a stifling defense, but it struggles immensely from 3-point range, shooting just 29 percent.

Record: 20-11

Coach:Johnnie Harris

Player to watch: Honesty Scott-Grayson

Strengths: Arizona loves to play inside out. It attempted just 414 3-pointers this season to rate in the 16th percentile. Helena Pueyo earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors as she played 36.4 minutes per game and swiped three balls per game on average. The future is bright in Arizona, too, as freshman Jada Williams earned All-Freshman honors.

Weaknesses: The Wildcats are in a tough spot. Leading scorer Kailyn Gilbert made her last appearance for Arizona on Feb. 18. The struggles came before Gilbert left the team, though, as Arizona found itself in a stretch where it lost six of eight games between Jan. 5 and Jan. 28. Williams and Pueyo help, of course, but it’s hard to make up for Gilbert’s absence, and those two alone can’t improve Arizona’s defensive rebounding, which hauled 21.9 per game.

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Outlook: Getting Williams tournament experience is a big plus here. Whether it’s a game or two remains the question, but building off it for next year is the main goal.

Strengths: Arizona loves to play inside out. It attempted just 414 3-pointers this season to rate in the 16th percentile. Helena Pueyo earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors as she played 36.4 minutes per game and swiped three balls per game on average. The future is bright in Arizona, too, as freshman Jada Williams earned All-Freshman honors.

Weaknesses: The Wildcats are in a tough spot. Leading scorer Kailyn Gilbert made her last appearance for Arizona on Feb. 18. The struggles came before Gilbert left the team, though, as Arizona found itself in a stretch where it lost six of eight games between Jan. 5 and Jan. 28. Williams and Pueyo help, of course, but it’s hard to make up for Gilbert’s absence, and those two alone can’t improve Arizona’s defensive rebounding, which hauled 21.9 per game.

Outlook: Getting Williams tournament experience is a big plus here. Whether it’s a game or two remains the question, but building off it for next year is the main goal.

Strengths: Arizona loves to play inside out. It attempted just 414 3-pointers this season to rate in the 16th percentile. Helena Pueyo earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors as she played 36.4 minutes per game and swiped three balls per game on average. The future is bright in Arizona, too, as freshman Jada Williams earned All-Freshman honors.

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Weaknesses: The Wildcats are in a tough spot. Leading scorer Kailyn Gilbert made her last appearance for Arizona on Feb. 18. The struggles came before Gilbert left the team, though, as Arizona found itself in a stretch where it lost six of eight games between Jan. 5 and Jan. 28. Williams and Pueyo help, of course, but it’s hard to make up for Gilbert’s absence, and those two alone can’t improve Arizona’s defensive rebounding, which hauled 21.9 per game.

Outlook: Getting Williams tournament experience is a big plus here. Whether it’s a game or two remains the question, but building off it for next year is the main goal.

Team in 16 words: Who needs the deep ball? Not Arizona, apparently, as it attempted just 414 on the season.

Record: 17-15

Coach:Adia Barnes, one Final Four

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Player to watch: Helena Pueyo

Strengths: Green Bay plays at a slow pace, which is elevated by its hard-nosed defense. Its 66.7 possessions per 40 minutes ranked No. 322, but it held opponents to 57.8 points per game, with an average margin of victory of 16.4 points. First-team Horizon League guard Natalie McNeal leads the nation in scoring and rebounds.

Weaknesses: Despite all of its bigs and wings listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, Green Bay ranks in the 18th percentile in blocks per game with 2.1. The Phoenix also struggle mightily on the boards, pulling down 34.2 per game.

Outlook: Green Bay was competitive in most games, with its biggest loss coming against Horizon League Player of the Year Colbi Maples and Cleveland State. The Phoenix had nonconference wins against Creighton and Washington State — by an average of 11.5 points. A second-round appearance wouldn’t shock me, but it’s hard to see them getting to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.

Strengths: Green Bay plays at a slow pace, which is elevated by its hard-nosed defense. Its 66.7 possessions per 40 minutes ranked No. 322, but it held opponents to 57.8 points per game, with an average margin of victory of 16.4 points. First-team Horizon League guard Natalie McNeal leads the nation in scoring and rebounds.

Weaknesses: Despite all of its bigs and wings listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, Green Bay ranks in the 18th percentile in blocks per game with 2.1. The Phoenix also struggle mightily on the boards, pulling down 34.2 per game.

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Outlook: Green Bay was competitive in most games, with its biggest loss coming against Horizon League Player of the Year Colbi Maples and Cleveland State. The Phoenix had nonconference wins against Creighton and Washington State — by an average of 11.5 points. A second-round appearance wouldn’t shock me, but it’s hard to see them getting to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.

Strengths: Green Bay plays at a slow pace, which is elevated by its hard-nosed defense. Its 66.7 possessions per 40 minutes ranked No. 322, but it held opponents to 57.8 points per game, with an average margin of victory of 16.4 points. First-team Horizon League guard Natalie McNeal leads the nation in scoring and rebounds.

Weaknesses: Despite all of its bigs and wings listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, Green Bay ranks in the 18th percentile in blocks per game with 2.1. The Phoenix also struggle mightily on the boards, pulling down 34.2 per game.

Outlook: Green Bay was competitive in most games, with its biggest loss coming against Horizon League Player of the Year Colbi Maples and Cleveland State. The Phoenix had nonconference wins against Creighton and Washington State — by an average of 11.5 points. A second-round appearance wouldn’t shock me, but it’s hard to see them getting to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.

Team in 16 words: No senioritis in Green Bay, as it starts five juniors and rosters one senior (Natalie Andersen).

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Record: 27-6

Coach:Kevin Borseth

Player to watch: Natalie McNeal

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Strengths: The Eagles went undefeated in conference, and it wasn’t an easy road, as they dealt with injuries to key contributors all season. Still, they made it rain from behind the arc, attempting the eighth-most 3-pointers in the country. They attempted so many, in fact, that the 804 attempts were just four shy of their total 2-point attempts.

Weaknesses: FGCU plays at a super slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Eagles also take a volume approach for its shots from behind the arc, shooting 30.3 percent, which is right around the 50th percentile in the metric.

Outlook: FGCU has made the second round in consecutive years but hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2007. If the shots fall at better than a 30.3 percent clip, it might just see the second weekend.

Strengths: The Eagles went undefeated in conference, and it wasn’t an easy road, as they dealt with injuries to key contributors all season. Still, they made it rain from behind the arc, attempting the eighth-most 3-pointers in the country. They attempted so many, in fact, that the 804 attempts were just four shy of their total 2-point attempts.

Weaknesses: FGCU plays at a super slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Eagles also take a volume approach for its shots from behind the arc, shooting 30.3 percent, which is right around the 50th percentile in the metric.

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Outlook: FGCU has made the second round in consecutive years but hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2007. If the shots fall at better than a 30.3 percent clip, it might just see the second weekend.

Strengths: The Eagles went undefeated in conference, and it wasn’t an easy road, as they dealt with injuries to key contributors all season. Still, they made it rain from behind the arc, attempting the eighth-most 3-pointers in the country. They attempted so many, in fact, that the 804 attempts were just four shy of their total 2-point attempts.

Weaknesses: FGCU plays at a super slow pace of 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes. The Eagles also take a volume approach for its shots from behind the arc, shooting 30.3 percent, which is right around the 50th percentile in the metric.

Outlook: FGCU has made the second round in consecutive years but hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2007. If the shots fall at better than a 30.3 percent clip, it might just see the second weekend.

Team in 16 words: The slow-paced FGCU Eagles held their opponents to the fewest points per game (55.9) since 2015-2016.

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Record: 29-4

Coach: Karl Smesko

Player to watch: Uju Ezeudu

Strengths: Katie Dinnebier was fantastic this season, averaging 18.1 points and 7 assists per game as well as 2.5 steals. Dinnebier was the only player in the country to average at least 18 points, 7 assists and 2 steals in a game.

Weaknesses: Drake turned averaged 17.7 turnovers per game, and it had four starters — Dinnebier, Grace Berg, Anna Miller and Taylor McAulay — who averaged at least 2 per game.

Outlook: Four of Drake’s five losses came against Iowa, Richmond, Creighton and a double-overtime loss against Minnesota. It’ll need some help for Dinnebier — perhaps from Anna Miller? — if it hopes to get to the second weekend.

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Strengths: Katie Dinnebier was fantastic this season, averaging 18.1 points and 7 assists per game as well as 2.5 steals. Dinnebier was the only player in the country to average at least 18 points, 7 assists and 2 steals in a game.

Weaknesses: Drake turned averaged 17.7 turnovers per game, and it had four starters — Dinnebier, Grace Berg, Anna Miller and Taylor McAulay — who averaged at least 2 per game.

Outlook: Four of Drake’s five losses came against Iowa, Richmond, Creighton and a double-overtime loss against Minnesota. It’ll need some help for Dinnebier — perhaps from Anna Miller? — if it hopes to get to the second weekend.

Strengths: Katie Dinnebier was fantastic this season, averaging 18.1 points and 7 assists per game as well as 2.5 steals. Dinnebier was the only player in the country to average at least 18 points, 7 assists and 2 steals in a game.

Weaknesses: Drake turned averaged 17.7 turnovers per game, and it had four starters — Dinnebier, Grace Berg, Anna Miller and Taylor McAulay — who averaged at least 2 per game.

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Outlook: Four of Drake’s five losses came against Iowa, Richmond, Creighton and a double-overtime loss against Minnesota. It’ll need some help for Dinnebier — perhaps from Anna Miller? — if it hopes to get to the second weekend.

Team in 16 words: The Bulldogs’ 83.9 winning percentage is their highest mark since the 2016-2017 season (at 84.4 percent).

Record: 27-5

Coach: Allison Pohlman

Player to watch: Katie Dinnebier

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Strengths: Vandy is fantastic at getting steals. It was in the 92nd percentile in steals per game and 94th percentile in steal rate. Though it struggled down the stretch, it kept games close against non-elite SEC teams — South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee — before losing to Florida in the second round of the conference tournament.

Weaknesses: Vandy has promise for the future. It has only two seniors on its roster. Losing freshman Madison Greene to a season-ending ACL injury after 11 games was a big blow.

Outlook: Next season will be a positive one, but as far as this tournament goes, it’s going to be an early exit. The Commodores, though, should be proud of its best regular-season in 11 years.

Strengths: Vandy is fantastic at getting steals. It was in the 92nd percentile in steals per game and 94th percentile in steal rate. Though it struggled down the stretch, it kept games close against non-elite SEC teams — South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee — before losing to Florida in the second round of the conference tournament.

Weaknesses: Vandy has promise for the future. It has only two seniors on its roster. Losing freshman Madison Greene to a season-ending ACL injury after 11 games was a big blow.

Outlook: Next season will be a positive one, but as far as this tournament goes, it’s going to be an early exit. The Commodores, though, should be proud of its best regular-season in 11 years.

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Strengths: Vandy is fantastic at getting steals. It was in the 92nd percentile in steals per game and 94th percentile in steal rate. Though it struggled down the stretch, it kept games close against non-elite SEC teams — South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee — before losing to Florida in the second round of the conference tournament.

Weaknesses: Vandy has promise for the future. It has only two seniors on its roster. Losing freshman Madison Greene to a season-ending ACL injury after 11 games was a big blow.

Outlook: Next season will be a positive one, but as far as this tournament goes, it’s going to be an early exit. The Commodores, though, should be proud of its best regular-season in 11 years.

Team in 16 words: Vandy started the season hot, going 16-1, but floundered late, finishing 6-9 to finish the year.

Record: 22-9

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Coach: Shea Ralph

Player to watch: Iyana Moore

Strengths: The Lions are a sneaky-good offensive team. They scored 108 points per 100 possessions and averaged 76 points per game, which helps to offset its 63.2 points allowed on average defensively. Columbia’s offensive rebounding ability can’t be overstated. It ranked sixth in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, behind Kitty Henderon’s team-leading 2.4 boards.

Weaknesses: Columbia didn’t face a tough schedule — No. 94 in the country as far as difficulty — and its defense leaves a lot to be desired. It can be attacked on the interior, as it was in the 24th percentile in blocks per game with 2.3.

Outlook: This is Columbia’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, despite competing in the Ivy League since 1984. Could it knock off Vanderbilt? Yeah. Can it take down Baylor if it wins? Unlikely.

Strengths: The Lions are a sneaky-good offensive team. They scored 108 points per 100 possessions and averaged 76 points per game, which helps to offset its 63.2 points allowed on average defensively. Columbia’s offensive rebounding ability can’t be overstated. It ranked sixth in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, behind Kitty Henderon’s team-leading 2.4 boards.

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Weaknesses: Columbia didn’t face a tough schedule — No. 94 in the country as far as difficulty — and its defense leaves a lot to be desired. It can be attacked on the interior, as it was in the 24th percentile in blocks per game with 2.3.

Outlook: This is Columbia’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, despite competing in the Ivy League since 1984. Could it knock off Vanderbilt? Yeah. Can it take down Baylor if it wins? Unlikely.

Strengths: The Lions are a sneaky-good offensive team. They scored 108 points per 100 possessions and averaged 76 points per game, which helps to offset its 63.2 points allowed on average defensively. Columbia’s offensive rebounding ability can’t be overstated. It ranked sixth in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, behind Kitty Henderon’s team-leading 2.4 boards.

Weaknesses: Columbia didn’t face a tough schedule — No. 94 in the country as far as difficulty — and its defense leaves a lot to be desired. It can be attacked on the interior, as it was in the 24th percentile in blocks per game with 2.3.

Outlook: This is Columbia’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, despite competing in the Ivy League since 1984. Could it knock off Vanderbilt? Yeah. Can it take down Baylor if it wins? Unlikely.

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Team in 16 words: Columbia’s 108.9 offensive rating is its highest in the modern era (rating at 104.8 in 2023).

Record: 23-6

Coach: Megan Griffith

Player to watch: Abbey Hsu

Strengths: The Jackrabbits love the 3-point shot. Their 38.7 percent from 3 is the fourth-best nationally this season. That plays a part in South Dakota State’s 0.93 points per play and 1.14 points per scoring attempt marks despite playing at a slow pace.

Weaknesses: When faced with nonconference competition, South Dakota State has struggled mightily. All five losses came against five tournament-bound opponents. The Jackrabbits have overcome a lot of injuries, losing Madysen Vlastuin to a season-ended injury 19 games into the season. They also lost Kallie Theisen and Haleigh Timmer before the season even started.

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Outlook: South Dakota State can score, but we’ve seen what happens when it goes up against a nonconference foes. Yes, the Jackrabbits made the Sweet 16 in 2019 when they upset No. 3 Oregon, but this isn’t 2019. This Jackrabbits team has early exit written all over it.

Strengths: The Jackrabbits love the 3-point shot. Their 38.7 percent from 3 is the fourth-best nationally this season. That plays a part in South Dakota State’s 0.93 points per play and 1.14 points per scoring attempt marks despite playing at a slow pace.

Weaknesses: When faced with nonconference competition, South Dakota State has struggled mightily. All five losses came against five tournament-bound opponents. The Jackrabbits have overcome a lot of injuries, losing Madysen Vlastuin to a season-ended injury 19 games into the season. They also lost Kallie Theisen and Haleigh Timmer before the season even started.

Outlook: South Dakota State can score, but we’ve seen what happens when it goes up against a nonconference foes. Yes, the Jackrabbits made the Sweet 16 in 2019 when they upset No. 3 Oregon, but this isn’t 2019. This Jackrabbits team has early exit written all over it.

Strengths: The Jackrabbits love the 3-point shot. Their 38.7 percent from 3 is the fourth-best nationally this season. That plays a part in South Dakota State’s 0.93 points per play and 1.14 points per scoring attempt marks despite playing at a slow pace.

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Weaknesses: When faced with nonconference competition, South Dakota State has struggled mightily. All five losses came against five tournament-bound opponents. The Jackrabbits have overcome a lot of injuries, losing Madysen Vlastuin to a season-ended injury 19 games into the season. They also lost Kallie Theisen and Haleigh Timmer before the season even started.

Outlook: South Dakota State can score, but we’ve seen what happens when it goes up against a nonconference foes. Yes, the Jackrabbits made the Sweet 16 in 2019 when they upset No. 3 Oregon, but this isn’t 2019. This Jackrabbits team has early exit written all over it.

Team in 16 words: South Dakota has been undefeated since Dec. 31, but went 0-5 against nonconference NCAA Tournament teams.

Record: 27-5

Coach: Aaron Johnston, one Sweet 16

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Player to watch: Brooklyn Meyer

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Summit League

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Strengths: Fairfield’s offense was fine, but its defense that allowed 55 points per game was the big reason it lost only once this season. Meghan Andersen led the Stags with 15.5 points and 1.4 blocks per game.

Weaknesses: The Stags don’t have a deep bench, with seven players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. After that, it’s a deep drop-off. Fairfield’s defense is strong, but will that translate against tougher teams? If not, can its offense step up?

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Outlook: It was a historic season, as its only loss came on Nov. 12 in a three-point loss to Vanderbilt. The Stags would make a great Cinderella, and the path isn’t the hardest to advance to the second weekend. I’ll pick them as a Round of 32 team.

Strengths: Fairfield’s offense was fine, but its defense that allowed 55 points per game was the big reason it lost only once this season. Meghan Andersen led the Stags with 15.5 points and 1.4 blocks per game.

Weaknesses: The Stags don’t have a deep bench, with seven players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. After that, it’s a deep drop-off. Fairfield’s defense is strong, but will that translate against tougher teams? If not, can its offense step up?

Outlook: It was a historic season, as its only loss came on Nov. 12 in a three-point loss to Vanderbilt. The Stags would make a great Cinderella, and the path isn’t the hardest to advance to the second weekend. I’ll pick them as a Round of 32 team.

Strengths: Fairfield’s offense was fine, but its defense that allowed 55 points per game was the big reason it lost only once this season. Meghan Andersen led the Stags with 15.5 points and 1.4 blocks per game.

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Weaknesses: The Stags don’t have a deep bench, with seven players averaging 15 minutes or more per game. After that, it’s a deep drop-off. Fairfield’s defense is strong, but will that translate against tougher teams? If not, can its offense step up?

Outlook: It was a historic season, as its only loss came on Nov. 12 in a three-point loss to Vanderbilt. The Stags would make a great Cinderella, and the path isn’t the hardest to advance to the second weekend. I’ll pick them as a Round of 32 team.

Team in 16 words: Fairfield’s lone loss against Vanderbilt (73-70) is its fewest in school history, dating back to 1981.

Record: 31-1

Coach: Carly Thibault-DuDonis

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Player to watch: Meghan Andersen

Strengths: The Pilots are riding the momentum after taking down Gonzaga in one of the season’s biggest upsets in the WCC title game. They play at a fast pace and are active defensively, averaging 10.5 steals and 5.6 blocks per game.

Weaknesses: It’s been a true momentum run through the conference tournament. Portland lost four of its final five games of the regular season, and the last two losses were to San Francisco and Gonzaga by 12 and 50 points, respectively. The Pilots average 18 turnovers per game, and their 559 turnovers ranked No. 331 out of 360 teams.

Outlook: The conference run has been great, and bursting the bubble of teams on the fringe has to feel good. But Portland has next to no chance to exit the first round as winner.

Strengths: The Pilots are riding the momentum after taking down Gonzaga in one of the season’s biggest upsets in the WCC title game. They play at a fast pace and are active defensively, averaging 10.5 steals and 5.6 blocks per game.

Weaknesses: It’s been a true momentum run through the conference tournament. Portland lost four of its final five games of the regular season, and the last two losses were to San Francisco and Gonzaga by 12 and 50 points, respectively. The Pilots average 18 turnovers per game, and their 559 turnovers ranked No. 331 out of 360 teams.

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Outlook: The conference run has been great, and bursting the bubble of teams on the fringe has to feel good. But Portland has next to no chance to exit the first round as winner.

Strengths: The Pilots are riding the momentum after taking down Gonzaga in one of the season’s biggest upsets in the WCC title game. They play at a fast pace and are active defensively, averaging 10.5 steals and 5.6 blocks per game.

Weaknesses: It’s been a true momentum run through the conference tournament. Portland lost four of its final five games of the regular season, and the last two losses were to San Francisco and Gonzaga by 12 and 50 points, respectively. The Pilots average 18 turnovers per game, and their 559 turnovers ranked No. 331 out of 360 teams.

Outlook: The conference run has been great, and bursting the bubble of teams on the fringe has to feel good. But Portland has next to no chance to exit the first round as winner.

Team in 16 words: The Pilots’ defensive rating (86.9) is the highest it has been in more than a decade.

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Record: 21-12

Coach: Michael Meek

Player to watch: Emme Shearer

Strengths: Marshall scored 116 points against Appalachian State in the Sun Belt tournament, and it’s just an example of the offense it’s capable of. The Herd have three players who average at least 13.9 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Herd struggle from the charity stripe, shooting 65.7 percent per game. What’s more, its defense allows 71.6 points per game.

Outlook: Marshall can pour on the points — it scored more than 100 points three times this season — but will its defense be able to stop anyone in the tournament? It’s going home early this year.

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Strengths: Marshall scored 116 points against Appalachian State in the Sun Belt tournament, and it’s just an example of the offense it’s capable of. The Herd have three players who average at least 13.9 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Herd struggle from the charity stripe, shooting 65.7 percent per game. What’s more, its defense allows 71.6 points per game.

Outlook: Marshall can pour on the points — it scored more than 100 points three times this season — but will its defense be able to stop anyone in the tournament? It’s going home early this year.

Strengths: Marshall scored 116 points against Appalachian State in the Sun Belt tournament, and it’s just an example of the offense it’s capable of. The Herd have three players who average at least 13.9 points per game.

Weaknesses: The Herd struggle from the charity stripe, shooting 65.7 percent per game. What’s more, its defense allows 71.6 points per game.

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Outlook: Marshall can pour on the points — it scored more than 100 points three times this season — but will its defense be able to stop anyone in the tournament? It’s going home early this year.

Team in 16 words: Marshall can absolutely score, averaging 84.2 points per game (that ranks as fifth in the country).

Record: 26-6

Coach: Kim Stephens

Player to watch: Abby Beeman

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Strengths: UC Irvine is elite defensively. Five different players – Nikki Tom, Deja Lee, Diaba Konate, Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, and Nevaeh Dean – finished the season with defensive win shares of more than 1. Lee was the highest at 1.7.

Weaknesses: The Anteaters trade elite defense for poor offense at a slow pace. They rank in the 16th percentile in pace (67.4) and average a hair over 63.2 points per game.

Outlook: Its key victory this season was against Eastern Washington, so UC Irvine might struggle against tournament teams. It had the 59th easiest schedule on the year.

Strengths: UC Irvine is elite defensively. Five different players – Nikki Tom, Deja Lee, Diaba Konate, Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, and Nevaeh Dean – finished the season with defensive win shares of more than 1. Lee was the highest at 1.7.

Weaknesses: The Anteaters trade elite defense for poor offense at a slow pace. They rank in the 16th percentile in pace (67.4) and average a hair over 63.2 points per game.

Outlook: Its key victory this season was against Eastern Washington, so UC Irvine might struggle against tournament teams. It had the 59th easiest schedule on the year.

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Strengths: UC Irvine is elite defensively. Five different players – Nikki Tom, Deja Lee, Diaba Konate, Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, and Nevaeh Dean – finished the season with defensive win shares of more than 1. Lee was the highest at 1.7.

Weaknesses: The Anteaters trade elite defense for poor offense at a slow pace. They rank in the 16th percentile in pace (67.4) and average a hair over 63.2 points per game.

Outlook: Its key victory this season was against Eastern Washington, so UC Irvine might struggle against tournament teams. It had the 59th easiest schedule on the year.

Team in 16 words: The Anteaters are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995, when they lost to Stanford.

Record: 23-8

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Coach: Tamara Inoue

Player to watch: Deja Lee

Strengths: Aaliyah Alexander and Jamie Loera are Eastern Washington’s leaders, helping secure its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 37 years. Loera averages 2.4 steals per game.

Weaknesses: Eastern Washington had the 93rd easiest schedule this season, with its opponents’ average winning percentage coming in at 46.2 percent.

Outlook: Returning to the tournament is a fantastic accomplishment for Joddie Gleason and Co. No shame in an early exit.

Strengths: Aaliyah Alexander and Jamie Loera are Eastern Washington’s leaders, helping secure its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 37 years. Loera averages 2.4 steals per game.

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Weaknesses: Eastern Washington had the 93rd easiest schedule this season, with its opponents’ average winning percentage coming in at 46.2 percent.

Outlook: Returning to the tournament is a fantastic accomplishment for Joddie Gleason and Co. No shame in an early exit.

Strengths: Aaliyah Alexander and Jamie Loera are Eastern Washington’s leaders, helping secure its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 37 years. Loera averages 2.4 steals per game.

Weaknesses: Eastern Washington had the 93rd easiest schedule this season, with its opponents’ average winning percentage coming in at 46.2 percent.

Outlook: Returning to the tournament is a fantastic accomplishment for Joddie Gleason and Co. No shame in an early exit.

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Team in 16 words: This is the Eagles first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1987, when it lost 75-56 versus Oregon.

Record: 29-5

Coach: Joddie Gleason

Player to watch: Jamie Loera

Strengths: After losing its final five games of the season, Rice made fairly easy work of the competition in the AAC tournament. What was the difference? Well, the Owls’ defense stepped up. Both its offense and defense was middling during the regular season, but in the conference tournament, Rice didn’t allow anyone to eclipse the 60-point mark. It was especially impressive holding East Carolina to 41 points.

Weaknesses: Rice can get sloppy. It turned over the ball 500 times this season — 15.2 per game — and allowed its opponents to live at the foul line, committing 18.1 fouls per game.

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Outlook: It’s a surprising tournament bid for Rice, and it’s a great accomplishment for Lindsay Edmonds, making her first Big Dance as a head coach. But Rice struggled in close games all season against inferior competition compared to what it will face in the NCAA Tournament. With neither an above-average offense or defense, it’s hard to see Rice being the first No. 14 seed to pull off an upset.

Strengths: After losing its final five games of the season, Rice made fairly easy work of the competition in the AAC tournament. What was the difference? Well, the Owls’ defense stepped up. Both its offense and defense was middling during the regular season, but in the conference tournament, Rice didn’t allow anyone to eclipse the 60-point mark. It was especially impressive holding East Carolina to 41 points.

Weaknesses: Rice can get sloppy. It turned over the ball 500 times this season — 15.2 per game — and allowed its opponents to live at the foul line, committing 18.1 fouls per game.

Outlook: It’s a surprising tournament bid for Rice, and it’s a great accomplishment for Lindsay Edmonds, making her first Big Dance as a head coach. But Rice struggled in close games all season against inferior competition compared to what it will face in the NCAA Tournament. With neither an above-average offense or defense, it’s hard to see Rice being the first No. 14 seed to pull off an upset.

Strengths: After losing its final five games of the season, Rice made fairly easy work of the competition in the AAC tournament. What was the difference? Well, the Owls’ defense stepped up. Both its offense and defense was middling during the regular season, but in the conference tournament, Rice didn’t allow anyone to eclipse the 60-point mark. It was especially impressive holding East Carolina to 41 points.

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Weaknesses: Rice can get sloppy. It turned over the ball 500 times this season — 15.2 per game — and allowed its opponents to live at the foul line, committing 18.1 fouls per game.

Outlook: It’s a surprising tournament bid for Rice, and it’s a great accomplishment for Lindsay Edmonds, making her first Big Dance as a head coach. But Rice struggled in close games all season against inferior competition compared to what it will face in the NCAA Tournament. With neither an above-average offense or defense, it’s hard to see Rice being the first No. 14 seed to pull off an upset.

Team in 16 words: This year’s NCAA Tournament is Rice’s fourth appearance in the Big Dance in its school’s history.

Record: 19-14

Coach:Lindsay Edmonds

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Player to watch: Malia Fisher

Strengths: Miya Crump and Angel Jackson provide a nice one-two punch for the Tigers. Jackson State averages 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. The blocks puts the Tigers in the nation’s 100th percentile.

Weaknesses: The Tigers have a tendency to foul a ton. They average 17.8 fouls per game, so there is a downside to its 4.8 blocks per game and the aggressiveness defensively.

Outlook: A No. 14 seed has never defeated a No. 3 seed. It’s not happening this year with Jackson State, either.

Strengths: Miya Crump and Angel Jackson provide a nice one-two punch for the Tigers. Jackson State averages 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. The blocks puts the Tigers in the nation’s 100th percentile.

Weaknesses: The Tigers have a tendency to foul a ton. They average 17.8 fouls per game, so there is a downside to its 4.8 blocks per game and the aggressiveness defensively.

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Outlook: A No. 14 seed has never defeated a No. 3 seed. It’s not happening this year with Jackson State, either.

Strengths: Miya Crump and Angel Jackson provide a nice one-two punch for the Tigers. Jackson State averages 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. The blocks puts the Tigers in the nation’s 100th percentile.

Weaknesses: The Tigers have a tendency to foul a ton. They average 17.8 fouls per game, so there is a downside to its 4.8 blocks per game and the aggressiveness defensively.

Outlook: A No. 14 seed has never defeated a No. 3 seed. It’s not happening this year with Jackson State, either.

Team in 16 words:It was a great finish to the season as Jackson State finished 18-0 after starting 2-6.

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Record: 26-6

Coach: Tomekia Reed

Player to watch: Angel Jackson

Strengths: Jada Quinn was a bucket for Chattanooga this season, averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 boards per game on 52.2 percent shooting. Its defense was tough, allowing 54.5 points per game.
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Weaknesses: The Mocs struggled from downtown, shooting 29.4 percent from 3. They also ranked No. 357 out of 360 teams with 7.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Outlook: A key win against Mississippi State showed that it can compete, but Chattanooga isn’t going to get past the first round against NC State.

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Strengths: Jada Quinn was a bucket for Chattanooga this season, averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 boards per game on 52.2 percent shooting. Its defense was tough, allowing 54.5 points per game.
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Weaknesses: The Mocs struggled from downtown, shooting 29.4 percent from 3. They also ranked No. 357 out of 360 teams with 7.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Outlook: A key win against Mississippi State showed that it can compete, but Chattanooga isn’t going to get past the first round against NC State.

Strengths: Jada Quinn was a bucket for Chattanooga this season, averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 boards per game on 52.2 percent shooting. Its defense was tough, allowing 54.5 points per game.
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Weaknesses: The Mocs struggled from downtown, shooting 29.4 percent from 3. They also ranked No. 357 out of 360 teams with 7.1 offensive rebounds per game.

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Outlook: A key win against Mississippi State showed that it can compete, but Chattanooga isn’t going to get past the first round against NC State.

Team in 16 words: Its 25 wins, behind an elite defense that allows 54.7 ppg, are the most since 2014-2015.

Record: 28-4

Coach: Shawn Poppie

Player to watch: Jada Quinn

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Portland 4

Southern Conference

15

Strengths: The Golden Flashes offense, led by Katie Shumate (15.1 points per game) and Jenna Batsch (13.8) does enough to keep them in games, averaging 70.2 points per contest. In half of its losses, Kent State was unable to hit its season-long mark in average points scored per game.

Weaknesses: Kent State struggles mightily from the free-throw line, shooting 74.3 percent. That reared its head in single-digit losses to Ball State, Ohio, Old Dominion and Duquesne.

Outlook: Kent State is going dancing for the first time in two-plus years. Does the outcome really matter? It’s a huge accomplishment for Todd Starkey and staff — even with a first-round exit lined up.

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Strengths: The Golden Flashes offense, led by Katie Shumate (15.1 points per game) and Jenna Batsch (13.8) does enough to keep them in games, averaging 70.2 points per contest. In half of its losses, Kent State was unable to hit its season-long mark in average points scored per game.

Weaknesses: Kent State struggles mightily from the free-throw line, shooting 74.3 percent. That reared its head in single-digit losses to Ball State, Ohio, Old Dominion and Duquesne.

Outlook: Kent State is going dancing for the first time in two-plus years. Does the outcome really matter? It’s a huge accomplishment for Todd Starkey and staff — even with a first-round exit lined up.

Strengths: The Golden Flashes offense, led by Katie Shumate (15.1 points per game) and Jenna Batsch (13.8) does enough to keep them in games, averaging 70.2 points per contest. In half of its losses, Kent State was unable to hit its season-long mark in average points scored per game.

Weaknesses: Kent State struggles mightily from the free-throw line, shooting 74.3 percent. That reared its head in single-digit losses to Ball State, Ohio, Old Dominion and Duquesne.

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Outlook: Kent State is going dancing for the first time in two-plus years. Does the outcome really matter? It’s a huge accomplishment for Todd Starkey and staff — even with a first-round exit lined up.

Team in 16 words: Kent State is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2002 season (No. 14 seed).

Record: 21-10

Coach: Todd Starkey

Player to watch: Katie Shumate

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Strengths: The Lancers can score, and they can score in bunches. Chloe Webb leads them with 21.1 points per game, but as a squad, they average 81.1 points to rank No. 11 nationally – thanks to its fast pace (78.3 possessions per 40 minutes).

Weaknesses: Cal Baptist’s defense allows opponents to score at will, allowing 70.9 points per game. It also struggles on the glass; its 30.1 defensive rebounds per game are the fifth-fewest per game in the country.

Outlook: The Lancers have been dominant since making the switch to Division I, losing a total of 26 games over the past four seasons — half of those coming last year. They should look at making the NCAA Tournament as a check of the box. Switch to DI? Check. Win the conference? Check. Make the tournament? Check. Win a tournament game? Maybe next year.

Strengths: The Lancers can score, and they can score in bunches. Chloe Webb leads them with 21.1 points per game, but as a squad, they average 81.1 points to rank No. 11 nationally – thanks to its fast pace (78.3 possessions per 40 minutes).

Weaknesses: Cal Baptist’s defense allows opponents to score at will, allowing 70.9 points per game. It also struggles on the glass; its 30.1 defensive rebounds per game are the fifth-fewest per game in the country.

Outlook: The Lancers have been dominant since making the switch to Division I, losing a total of 26 games over the past four seasons — half of those coming last year. They should look at making the NCAA Tournament as a check of the box. Switch to DI? Check. Win the conference? Check. Make the tournament? Check. Win a tournament game? Maybe next year.

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Strengths: The Lancers can score, and they can score in bunches. Chloe Webb leads them with 21.1 points per game, but as a squad, they average 81.1 points to rank No. 11 nationally – thanks to its fast pace (78.3 possessions per 40 minutes).

Weaknesses: Cal Baptist’s defense allows opponents to score at will, allowing 70.9 points per game. It also struggles on the glass; its 30.1 defensive rebounds per game are the fifth-fewest per game in the country.

Outlook: The Lancers have been dominant since making the switch to Division I, losing a total of 26 games over the past four seasons — half of those coming last year. They should look at making the NCAA Tournament as a check of the box. Switch to DI? Check. Win the conference? Check. Make the tournament? Check. Win a tournament game? Maybe next year.

Team in 16 words: The Lancers are making the NCAA Tournament for the first time after completing their DI transition.

Record: 28-3

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Coach: Jarrod Olson

Player to watch: Chloe Webb

Strengths: Adrianna Smith was fantastic for the Black Bears, averaging 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per to go along with 4.7 assists. Smith was the only player to accomplish those marks this season.

Weaknesses: Maine’s slow pace limits its offensive ceiling. It averaged 64.3 points per game, and though its defense held opponents to 56.5, that was against non-tournament competition.

Outlook: A first-round loss is happening, but the defense and Smith’s play will keep it from being a blowout. Take the under if you’re a betting person.

Strengths: Adrianna Smith was fantastic for the Black Bears, averaging 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per to go along with 4.7 assists. Smith was the only player to accomplish those marks this season.

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Weaknesses: Maine’s slow pace limits its offensive ceiling. It averaged 64.3 points per game, and though its defense held opponents to 56.5, that was against non-tournament competition.

Outlook: A first-round loss is happening, but the defense and Smith’s play will keep it from being a blowout. Take the under if you’re a betting person.

Strengths: Adrianna Smith was fantastic for the Black Bears, averaging 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per to go along with 4.7 assists. Smith was the only player to accomplish those marks this season.

Weaknesses: Maine’s slow pace limits its offensive ceiling. It averaged 64.3 points per game, and though its defense held opponents to 56.5, that was against non-tournament competition.

Outlook: A first-round loss is happening, but the defense and Smith’s play will keep it from being a blowout. Take the under if you’re a betting person.

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Team in 16 words: Maine plays at a 65.5 pace (sixth percentile) — and that is up from 64.5 last season.

Record: 24-9

Coach: Amy Vachon

Player to watch: Adrianna Smith

Strengths: Diamond Johnson averaged 4 steals per game, which trailed only Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Siena’s Elisa Mevius this season.

Weaknesses: Norfolk State ranks dead last in opponents average points per 100 possessions with 82.3.

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Outlook: No. 15 seeds are 0-116 all time in the tournament.

Strengths: Diamond Johnson averaged 4 steals per game, which trailed only Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Siena’s Elisa Mevius this season.

Weaknesses: Norfolk State ranks dead last in opponents average points per 100 possessions with 82.3.

Outlook: No. 15 seeds are 0-116 all time in the tournament.

Strengths: Diamond Johnson averaged 4 steals per game, which trailed only Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Siena’s Elisa Mevius this season.

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Weaknesses: Norfolk State ranks dead last in opponents average points per 100 possessions with 82.3.

Outlook: No. 15 seeds are 0-116 all time in the tournament.

Team in 16 words: Norfolk State’s ranked in the 95th percentile or better in opponents ppg five times since 2017-2018.

Record: 27-5

Coach: Larry Vickers

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Player to watch: Diamond Johnson

Strengths: If there’s one thing that stands out in a good way for the Blue Hose, it’s their defense. They limit the scoring opportunies and own the defensive boards.

Weaknesses: That’s where the praise ends. Presbyterian has a -3.3 scoring differential on the season, averaging 56.5 points on offense and 59.8 allowed per game on defense.

Outlook: Seventeen years after becoming a Division I school, Alauara Sharp led Presby to its first NCAA Tournament. Losing in the first round will still be considered a success.

Strengths: If there’s one thing that stands out in a good way for the Blue Hose, it’s their defense. They limit the scoring opportunies and own the defensive boards.

Weaknesses: That’s where the praise ends. Presbyterian has a -3.3 scoring differential on the season, averaging 56.5 points on offense and 59.8 allowed per game on defense.

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Outlook: Seventeen years after becoming a Division I school, Alauara Sharp led Presby to its first NCAA Tournament. Losing in the first round will still be considered a success.

Strengths: If there’s one thing that stands out in a good way for the Blue Hose, it’s their defense. They limit the scoring opportunies and own the defensive boards.

Weaknesses: That’s where the praise ends. Presbyterian has a -3.3 scoring differential on the season, averaging 56.5 points on offense and 59.8 allowed per game on defense.

Outlook: Seventeen years after becoming a Division I school, Alauara Sharp led Presby to its first NCAA Tournament. Losing in the first round will still be considered a success.

Team in 16 words: Great defensively but not so much on offense; it’s great just to be in!

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Record: 20-14 (8-8 Big South)

Coach: Alaura Sharp (First NCAA Tournament)

Players to watch: Bryanna Brady and Tilda Sjokvist

Strengths: The offense for Sacred Heart runs through Ny’Ceara Pryor. She attempts 15.2 field goals per game, averaging 19.4 points per contest with a 30.5 usage rate.

Weaknesses: The Pioneers struggled at the charity stripe (68.7 percent) as well as behind the arc (28.7 percent) on offense, and they also struggled on the boards defensively, averaging just 23.1 defensive rebounds per game.

Outlook: Pryor will provide the scoring volume that Sacred Heart needs to avoid a first-half blowout, but there aren’t enough complementary players around her to put them in upset territory.

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Strengths: The offense for Sacred Heart runs through Ny’Ceara Pryor. She attempts 15.2 field goals per game, averaging 19.4 points per contest with a 30.5 usage rate.

Weaknesses: The Pioneers struggled at the charity stripe (68.7 percent) as well as behind the arc (28.7 percent) on offense, and they also struggled on the boards defensively, averaging just 23.1 defensive rebounds per game.

Outlook: Pryor will provide the scoring volume that Sacred Heart needs to avoid a first-half blowout, but there aren’t enough complementary players around her to put them in upset territory.

Strengths: The offense for Sacred Heart runs through Ny’Ceara Pryor. She attempts 15.2 field goals per game, averaging 19.4 points per contest with a 30.5 usage rate.

Weaknesses: The Pioneers struggled at the charity stripe (68.7 percent) as well as behind the arc (28.7 percent) on offense, and they also struggled on the boards defensively, averaging just 23.1 defensive rebounds per game.

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Outlook: Pryor will provide the scoring volume that Sacred Heart needs to avoid a first-half blowout, but there aren’t enough complementary players around her to put them in upset territory.

Team in 16 words: The Pioneers are making the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time in history.

Record: 24-9

Coach: Jessica Mannetti

Player to watch: Ny’Ceara Pryor

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Strengths: Holy Cross is going dancing again, and it’s in large part to the play of Bronagh Power-Cassidy, who not only has improved her scoring average from 13.5 points last season to 16.6 this season, but her 24.2 PER and 26 percent usage rate are high-water marks in her four-year career.

Weaknesses: Holy Cross plays at an exceptionally slow pace, averaging 65.9 possessions per 40 minutes. Though it has a solid overall defensive rating and holds opponents off of the scoreboard, it’s one of the worst teams in the country (No. 351) in steals per game with just 4.9.

Outlook: Back-to-back years in the tournament out of the Patriot League is a fantastic accomplishment.

Strengths: Holy Cross is going dancing again, and it’s in large part to the play of Bronagh Power-Cassidy, who not only has improved her scoring average from 13.5 points last season to 16.6 this season, but her 24.2 PER and 26 percent usage rate are high-water marks in her four-year career.

Weaknesses: Holy Cross plays at an exceptionally slow pace, averaging 65.9 possessions per 40 minutes. Though it has a solid overall defensive rating and holds opponents off of the scoreboard, it’s one of the worst teams in the country (No. 351) in steals per game with just 4.9.

Outlook: Back-to-back years in the tournament out of the Patriot League is a fantastic accomplishment.

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Strengths: Holy Cross is going dancing again, and it’s in large part to the play of Bronagh Power-Cassidy, who not only has improved her scoring average from 13.5 points last season to 16.6 this season, but her 24.2 PER and 26 percent usage rate are high-water marks in her four-year career.

Weaknesses: Holy Cross plays at an exceptionally slow pace, averaging 65.9 possessions per 40 minutes. Though it has a solid overall defensive rating and holds opponents off of the scoreboard, it’s one of the worst teams in the country (No. 351) in steals per game with just 4.9.

Outlook: Back-to-back years in the tournament out of the Patriot League is a fantastic accomplishment.

Team in 16 words: The Crusaders are making consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000-2001.

Record: 20-12

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Coach: Maureen Magarity

Player to watch: Bronagh Power-Cassidy

Strengths: Anaya Brown stood out for the Skyhawks, averaging 15.1 points, 8.9 boards and 3.4 STOCKs. UT Martin ranked No. 21 (77.4 percent) and No. 14 (36.9 percent) in free throw and 3-point percentage, respectively.

Weaknesses: The Skyhawks slow pace resulted in just 67.3 possessions per 40 minutes. What’s more, their opponents averaged 93.6 points per 100 possessions.

Outlook: Kudos are deserved for turning around a season that appeared to be lost in early December. It’s the fifth overall NCAA Tournament for the Skyhawks — their first since 2014.

Strengths: Anaya Brown stood out for the Skyhawks, averaging 15.1 points, 8.9 boards and 3.4 STOCKs. UT Martin ranked No. 21 (77.4 percent) and No. 14 (36.9 percent) in free throw and 3-point percentage, respectively.

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Weaknesses: The Skyhawks slow pace resulted in just 67.3 possessions per 40 minutes. What’s more, their opponents averaged 93.6 points per 100 possessions.

Outlook: Kudos are deserved for turning around a season that appeared to be lost in early December. It’s the fifth overall NCAA Tournament for the Skyhawks — their first since 2014.

Strengths: Anaya Brown stood out for the Skyhawks, averaging 15.1 points, 8.9 boards and 3.4 STOCKs. UT Martin ranked No. 21 (77.4 percent) and No. 14 (36.9 percent) in free throw and 3-point percentage, respectively.

Weaknesses: The Skyhawks slow pace resulted in just 67.3 possessions per 40 minutes. What’s more, their opponents averaged 93.6 points per 100 possessions.

Outlook: Kudos are deserved for turning around a season that appeared to be lost in early December. It’s the fifth overall NCAA Tournament for the Skyhawks — their first since 2014.

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Team in 16 words: UT Martin lost eight of its first nine games, finishing .500 after winning its conference tournament.

Record: 16-16

Coach: Kevin McMillan

Player to watch: Anaya Brown

Strengths: The Islanders have three players who carry the load offensively, relying on Paige Allen, Alecia Westbrook and Mireia Aguado — all of whom average 11-plus points per game. Their tough defense limits opponents to 82.5 points per 100 possessions.

Weaknesses: The Islanders struggle from behind the 3-point line, where they shot 26.2 percent. Only 29 teams shot worse.

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Outlook: Only one No. 16 team ever knocked off a No. 1 seed before. The big win for the Islanders was over Lamar in the conference tournament … and making it to the Big Dance for the first time.

Strengths: The Islanders have three players who carry the load offensively, relying on Paige Allen, Alecia Westbrook and Mireia Aguado — all of whom average 11-plus points per game. Their tough defense limits opponents to 82.5 points per 100 possessions.

Weaknesses: The Islanders struggle from behind the 3-point line, where they shot 26.2 percent. Only 29 teams shot worse.

Outlook: Only one No. 16 team ever knocked off a No. 1 seed before. The big win for the Islanders was over Lamar in the conference tournament … and making it to the Big Dance for the first time.

Strengths: The Islanders have three players who carry the load offensively, relying on Paige Allen, Alecia Westbrook and Mireia Aguado — all of whom average 11-plus points per game. Their tough defense limits opponents to 82.5 points per 100 possessions.

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Weaknesses: The Islanders struggle from behind the 3-point line, where they shot 26.2 percent. Only 29 teams shot worse.

Outlook: Only one No. 16 team ever knocked off a No. 1 seed before. The big win for the Islanders was over Lamar in the conference tournament … and making it to the Big Dance for the first time.

Team in 16 words: The Islanders earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in school history after knocking off Lamar 68-61.

Record: 23-8

Coach: Royce Chadwick

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Player to watch: Alecia Westbrook

Portland 3

Southland Conference

16

Strengths: Drexel continued its streak of playing elite defense, as 2023-2024 marked the 14th straight season where it has allowed fewer than 60 points per game. Its 55.5 allowed on average was the 12th-best mark this season.

Weaknesses: The pace. Was so. Slow. Drexel’s 63.5 pace was the fourth-worst mark in the country. With that, it scored 57.2 points per game.

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Outlook: When its opponents scored at least 60 points, Drexel was 2-10. Its other four losses came when its offense stalled, scoring 57, 56, 47, and 48 points, respectively. The lack of offense won’t play for Drexel’s hopes of making a decent run in the NCAA Tournament.

Strengths: Drexel continued its streak of playing elite defense, as 2023-2024 marked the 14th straight season where it has allowed fewer than 60 points per game. Its 55.5 allowed on average was the 12th-best mark this season.

Weaknesses: The pace. Was so. Slow. Drexel’s 63.5 pace was the fourth-worst mark in the country. With that, it scored 57.2 points per game.

Outlook: When its opponents scored at least 60 points, Drexel was 2-10. Its other four losses came when its offense stalled, scoring 57, 56, 47, and 48 points, respectively. The lack of offense won’t play for Drexel’s hopes of making a decent run in the NCAA Tournament.

Strengths: Drexel continued its streak of playing elite defense, as 2023-2024 marked the 14th straight season where it has allowed fewer than 60 points per game. Its 55.5 allowed on average was the 12th-best mark this season.

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Weaknesses: The pace. Was so. Slow. Drexel’s 63.5 pace was the fourth-worst mark in the country. With that, it scored 57.2 points per game.

Outlook: When its opponents scored at least 60 points, Drexel was 2-10. Its other four losses came when its offense stalled, scoring 57, 56, 47, and 48 points, respectively. The lack of offense won’t play for Drexel’s hopes of making a decent run in the NCAA Tournament.

Team in 16 words: Drexel has allowed fewer than 60 points per game in each of the last 14 seasons.

Record: 19-14

Coach: Amy Mallon

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Player to watch: Chloe Hodges

 

Regional breakdowns

Albany 1

South Carolina being the No. 1 overall seed is no surprise, of course, and if the bracket goes full chalk, we’ll get a showdown between the Gamecocks and Hanna Hidalgo and the Irish. The must-watch game of the bracket — assuming both win their respective first-round matchups — is Nebraska vs. Oregon State in Round 2. Nebraska is one of the few teams that has the ability to knock off South Carolina in regional play. We’ve seen how tough it played Iowa this year.

If Mackenzie Holmes isn’t 100 percent, Oklahoma could have an easier path to the Sweet 16 than anticipated.

Albany 2

Caitlin Clark and Iowa made it to the title game last year. If it hopes to return, it has one heck of a journey ahead of it. Iowa, arguably, has the hardest journey for a No. 1 seed, as it would have to overcome LSU or UCLA as potential favorites from the bottom of the region.

You saw the faces of the LSU players and staff, right? They seemed as surprised as us at home when they saw that it was a No. 3 seed instead of a No. 2 seed.

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Bulletin board material right there, and you have to feel for Rice who has to face the Tigers in the first round.

Whatever the Over/Under is on the West Virginia and Princeton game, hammer the Under. Both teams are tough defensively, and Princeton plays a grind-them-out style of ball. If it can defeat West Virginia, watching that defense against Clark and Iowa is going to be a lot of fun.

Portland 3

Butter or plain? No matter how you take your popcorn, get it ready. This is a region that is going to put on a show. JuJu Watkins, Jacy Sheldon, Georgia Amoore, Dyaisha Fair, Paige Bueckers — the buckets are endless here.

As fun as it’s going to be as viewers, for fans of the respective teams in the region — and, of course, the teams themselves – this is a tough, tough region.

Outside of how Watkins plays in the tournament as a true freshman, the other biggest storyline here is the health of Elizabeth Kitley, the three-time ACC Player of the Year for Virginia Tech. She injured her knee in the regular-season finale, and updates have been scarce. If Kitley is able to go and is anything close to 100 percent, Virginia Tech becomes a team who could easily make it out of the region and on to Cleveland.

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Circled in the region is the potential Round of 32 matchup between UConn and Syracuse. Fair vs. the combo of Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards is the type of game where you must fake a sick day to tune in.

The winner of Vanderbilt and Columbia has a tough matchup against Baylor, but you can pencil in Baylor vs. Virginia Tech in Round 2.

Portland 4

What have you done for me lately, or what have you earned? That’s the question with the No. 1 seed here. Texas – not Stanford – earned the No. 1 seed, and with Texas’ play in the Big 12 Tournament, you can see why. 

Cameron Brink and the Cardinal will get the winner of Maryland and Iowa State in Round 2. The Cyclones struggled against the Longhorns in tournament play, but seeing Brink against Audi Crooks will be fun.

Don’t sleep on Tennessee, as Rickea Jackson came on during the second half of the season and looked like the player we expected to see. She’s going to shine in the WNBA, but not before putting on a show in the tournament. Tennessee vs. Stanford in the Sweet 16? Yes, please.

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Gonzaga has a great Round 1 draw, but will face a challenge against Utah in the second round.

This still feels like Stanford’s region to lose.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; Photos of JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo: Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, G Fiume / Getty Images, Joseph Weiser / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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As the Dodgers enter their Shohei Ohtani Era, failure is not an option

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As the Dodgers enter their Shohei Ohtani Era, failure is not an option

PHOENIX — Flags only fly forever if you raise them.

At Dodgertown, the ancestral home of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach, Fla., a mural celebrating six World Series winners greeted visitors. No such signage exists at Camelback Ranch. The team has won the National League West 11 times since shifting its spring training base to Arizona in 2009, but the franchise does not memorialize mere postseason berths. The Dodgers intended to build a monument to the 2020 World Series championship team but pandemic-related construction delays sidelined the project, and the organization moved on. There are no murals and no banners, no portraits of protocol-following perseverance. If you rely upon commemorative decorations as your guide, the triumph in a 60-game season may as well not exist.

When Mark Walter, the owner of the Dodgers and the chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, met with two-way star Shohei Ohtani this past winter, he attempted to sell a vision based on these conflicting truths, the immense pride and deep frustration within his franchise. The Dodgers had become a colossus since Walter’s group took over in 2012 — a perennial contender, playing before crowds that lead the sport in attendance, driving a money machine now valued at nearly $5 billion. Yet the success could not offset the sting of October defeats. A series of early postseason exits since 2020 had disappointed Walter and those within his baseball operations department. As he outlined the dichotomy, Walter wanted to stress something to Ohtani: The owner considered his tenure running the Dodgers to be an on-field failure.

“We’ve only done it once,” said team president Stan Kasten, who was present when Walter spoke to Ohtani. “And we need to do it more often than that.”

In Ohtani — who will debut as a Dodger this week during a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea — Walter and the rest of the organization found a $700 million symbol of a new era. His arrival has vaulted the club into a new financial stratosphere, with a deferral-laden contract serving as the backbone for a $1.2 billion offseason bonanza. His presence has heightened expectations for a team that has not missed the postseason since Barack Obama’s first term in office. Ohtani chose the Dodgers because the franchise offered a pathway to October that had been foreclosed to him during six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers pursued Ohtani because they had grown tired of watching other franchises conduct parades in November.

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And because a union between the two parties made far too much business sense to pass up.

When Kasten first heard about how Ohtani wanted to structure his contract, he assumed he was missing something. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman called Kasten after a discussion with Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo. “Can you repeat that?” Kasten said. Over the course of a 10-year pact, Ohtani intended to receive only $20 million, with $680 million deferred through 2043 so he would not handcuff his new team.


Mark Walter and Stan Kasten introduce their new $700 million man at Dodger Stadium in December. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

In recent years, the Dodgers have made deferrals a habit. The contracts for both perennial MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman feature deferred millions. When the team offered $300 million to Gerrit Cole after the 2019 season, the bid included deferrals. Yet the contract Ohtani sought provided so much financial flexibility to the team that Friedman later admitted he would not have had the courage to suggest it himself. Kasten described Walter as “very supportive” of the contract structure. “I would tell you to ask Mark about it,” Kasten said. “But we know that’s not going to happen.” (Through a different team official, Walter, who rarely addresses the public, declined an interview request.)

With Ohtani’s contract functioning effectively as a credit card, Friedman rebuilt the starting rotation and bolstered the offense of a team that won 100 games in 2023 despite myriad shortcomings. The Dodgers bested the sport’s other financial behemoths to land Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a 12-year, $325 million deal. After acquiring Tampa Bay Rays starter Tyler Glasnow, the team hammered out a $110 million extension. The signing of former All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández for $23.5 million felt like an afterthought. Ohtani, of course, was the biggest prize. He will not pitch this season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. But he can still inspire hyperbole. Freeman suggested that when his career was over he would tell his grandchildren about playing with Ohtani, “just like we talk about Babe Ruth.”

The first step on the road to the purported promised land took place at Camelback Ranch three days after the Super Bowl. Crowds lined both sides of a path connecting the Dodgers clubhouse to a practice field for the team’s first workout. The speaker system blared a playlist that sounded as if it had not been updated since 2016. Reporters stood atop step-ladders. Fans lofted selfie sticks. A man hoisted a child onto his shoulders. The throngs pressed against the chain-link fence, desperate for a glimpse of Los Angeles’ newest lodestar. When Ohtani jogged to the field, the roar was loud enough to drown out the bridge of “I Knew You Were Trouble.” The soundtrack was fitting, at least to the team’s president.

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“I don’t want to compare it to Taylor Swift, but I think it’s our equivalent, in terms of conversation,” Kasten said. “It’s just everywhere you look, people are talking about him.” Kasten framed the alliance as mutually beneficial. “He had been this outsized talent for the last six years. But I think pairing him with the size of the Dodger brand makes his impact and his visibility even larger than it has been, until now.”


Dave Roberts rounded a corner and spotted a mass of media in the shade of the grapefruit trees planted outside Camelback Ranch. There was the usual group of American and Japanese reporters. But the media relations staff had installed a riser so seven different camera crews could film the manager’s daily briefing without turning the crowd into a rugby scrum. Roberts has chosen to greet the amplified attention this year with the amplification of his own enthusiasm.

“Oh, wow!” Roberts said. “Look at this setup, huh?”

When Ohtani was introduced at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 15, he expressed confusion to Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis as he gazed out at rows and rows of attendees. Ohtani had been told only media would be there. Davis had to break it to Ohtani that the massive crowd was, in fact, just the media. A similar crush will greet Ohtani during the season, especially at these games in Seoul. The Dodgers are already covered by one of the larger domestic press contingents. The group now includes around a dozen Japanese reporters, tracking Ohtani’s exploits in granular detail, from the number of home runs he hits in batting practice to the larger meaning of a fist bump with Hernández. When Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register asked Ohtani in passing about his dog, Dekopin, Plunkett’s picture was plastered across Japanese newspapers.


Shohei Ohtani attracted massive attention at his first Dodgers spring training. (Kyodo via Associated Press)

Ohtani conducts group interviews once or twice a week. He rarely reveals much about himself. He values his privacy. Reporters have been discouraged from approaching Ohtani or Yamamoto for one-on-one conversations. The team preferred to hold the group sessions in front of a backdrop featuring advertising for Guggenheim. (The team’s uniforms also now include a Guggenheim patch.) For the players, the parade of reporters has wrought some genial irritation. The clubhouse is often barren when reporters are permitted inside.

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“It’s just a lot of people,” pitcher Walker Buehler said. “They’ll ask you two questions about you, and then six about Ohtani. And you’ll be like, ‘You just baited me! You baited me into this. You guys got me.’”

The primary person who will deal with the scrutiny is Roberts. The courtship of Ohtani created unease for him. When Roberts decided at the Winter Meetings to reveal a Dodger Stadium sit-down with Ohtani — which no other official from any team involved in the sweepstakes had done previously — Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes declined to offer him much cover. The group patched things up later that week, but when the Dodgers introduced Ohtani, Roberts was not on the stage.

As Roberts spoke to the group beside the grapefruit trees, an intrepid eighth cameraman scaled a staircase leading toward the complex’s executive offices.

“Excuse me,” a security guard told the cameraman, “you have to come down from there.”

The cameraman pointed to a Dodgers official.

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“Excuse me,” the guard repeated.

The cameraman pointed again. A team official walked over. “He’s with us,” the staffer explained. SportsNet LA, the team’s television network, has produced 10 seasons of “Backstage: Dodgers,” which offers lighthearted looks at the inner workings of the franchise. The guard was adamant. Regulations trumped content; eventually the cameraman left his perch and rejoined the scrum. Soon after, Friedman and members of his baseball operations department, clad in three-quarter-zip pullovers, descended the steps.

To some, Roberts occupies the hottest seat in the sport. Friedman has impregnable job security. The Ohtani deal features a provision called a “key man” clause. He can opt out of his contract if Friedman or Walter leaves the organization. The same protection does not apply to Roberts, whose contract runs through 2025. “If the highest preseason expectations in club history crash,” esteemed Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote recently, “the Dodgers will need an easy target to take the blame, and that will be him.”


Few have as much riding on Shohei Ohtani’s success as manager Dave Roberts. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)

In eight seasons at the helm, Roberts has never won fewer than 91 games — except for the shortened 2020 season, when the club played at a 116-win pace. His .618 winning percentage is the best in Major League Baseball history. He would likely find a bevy of suitors for his services, especially in the wake of new Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s market-setting five-year, $40 million contract. Unlike Counsell, Roberts has actually won a World Series — even if his postseason resume contains its share of strategic misfires.

Roberts has described anything short of a championship in 2024 as a bust. Of course, he has spoken with that confidence before. He guaranteed the Dodgers would win the 2022 World Series. That team set a franchise record with 111 victories, but crashed out of the postseason in four games. The disappointment increased the motivation to add Ohtani. Before the season, Roberts suggested his players should worry less about external noise and concentrate on individual progress. Ignoring the noise, he acknowledged, will be tougher than ever.

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“This year feels different because you’ve got, essentially, the best player on the planet,” Roberts said. He added, “People love beating the Yankees. And people love beating the Dodgers. When you put on this uniform, that’s what you sign up for. But this year, it’s a little bit more extreme.”


The most expensive pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball has never thrown a pitch in Major League Baseball. Whenever Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound this spring, the occasion merited monitoring. As he unveiled his arsenal in a bullpen session during the team’s first workout, a gaggle of reporters watched from a distance. Roberts, Friedman and various members of the coaching staff and front office stood behind the row of mounds. Standing behind the catcher, peering through a mesh-covered fence were Buehler, reliever Daniel Hudson and starter James Paxton. Each took a peek as Yamamoto spun curveballs and splitters along with his 95-mph fastball. “Everything just explodes out of his hand,” Paxton said a day later.

Yamamoto has been an object of fascination among big-league teams for years. The list of executives who traveled to Japan to watch him in 2023 included Friedman, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. After the season, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns made similar jaunts to court Yamamoto. The Yankees presented Yamamoto with his own No. 18 jersey in pinstripes.

His free agency sparked even greater zeal than expected. When the offseason began, some executives pegged Yamamoto in line for a contract worth about $200 million. As the price escalated, the Giants bowed out. The Yankees offered $300 million. So did the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers won the bidding by matching Cohen’s offer after Yamamoto met with Betts, Freeman and, of course, Ohtani.

Yamamoto represents the promise and the peril inherent in the Dodgers pitching staff. His stature is unremarkable; he stands 5-foot-10 and weighs about 175 pounds. He became elite through a focus on flexibility and unconventional activities like chucking a javelin. The transition from Japan to the major leagues can be challenging. During the winter, Yamamoto familiarized himself with the baseball used in the major leagues, which is smaller and slicker than its equivalent in Japan. During his spring debut, a center-field camera for SportsNet LA could capture the different grips of Yamamoto’s pitches.

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The tipping discussion that followed did not prompt alterations to Yamamoto’s delivery. The organization expects him to lead its rotation, which will likely function as something resembling a six-man unit to provide breaks for the starters. The regulars may need the rest. Yamamoto has never pitched on the big-league schedule. Glasnow logged a career-high 120 innings last season. Paxton has thrown 117 2/3 innings since 2019. Buehler will not begin the season with the club as he attempts to return from his second Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw hopes to rejoin the team by July or August as he recovers from the first surgery of his career, a corrective procedure on his left shoulder. The list of rehabbing pitchers at Camelback Ranch will include Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin.

Despite the uncertainty, the team expects its pitching to be excellent. The same cannot be said for its infield defense. A series of wayward throws by infielder Gavin Lux, who is returning from knee surgery, convinced the organization to play Betts at shortstop, a position Betts had handled in only 14 games in the first 10 years of his big-league career. Lux did not look much better after swapping places with Betts to play second base.

The overwhelming strength of the Dodgers, the propulsive force expected to vault the club past 100 victories yet again, will be the first three hitters in the lineup. Betts posted a .987 OPS last season with 39 homers and 40 doubles. Freeman put forth his usual output, with a .976 OPS, 29 homers and 59 doubles. Ohtani surpassed them both while pulling double duty as a pitcher: 44 home runs and a 1.066 OPS in an offense that provided scant protection. When executives around the sport grumble about the Dodgers, they are grumbling about the prospect of trying to shut down this trio, during a season in which Ohtani can concentrate on his hitting.

At one point this spring, Roberts compared Ohtani to the most talented teammate he had ever had. Near the end of his playing career, Roberts shared a clubhouse with Barry Bonds, the sport’s all-time home run leader, a slugger tarnished by his involvement with performance-enhancing drugs but revered by his peers for his talent. Ohtani, Roberts thought, might one day surpass Bonds — in ability, if not homers.

“Shohei,” Roberts said, “has a chance to be the best player ever.”

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The people ringed the practice field, clicking cameras and lifting selfie sticks once more, as Ohtani settled into the batter’s box to face live pitching for the first time since his elbow surgery. One fan clutched a painted portrait of the world’s most famous designated hitter. This was several days after the first workout. The attention on Ohtani and the Dodgers had not slackened. If anything, it had intensified, and would only continue to do so.

For a decade, Kershaw acted as the gravitational force within the Dodgers clubhouse. The duo of Betts and Freeman supplied that presence in recent years. Given the magnitude of Ohtani’s fame, the ramifications of his contract and the extent of his ability, Ohtani must serve that role now. He has bonded with Hernández, a former American League West rival. Freeman pronounced himself amazed that Ohtani remembered the name of Freeman’s son, Charlie, after meeting the boy at last year’s All-Star Game.

“He seems to be holding onto his balance, to the extent he can,” Kasten said. “But it’s almost like, in America, he can escape. Because in Japan, he can’t. I’ve been there recently. He’s everywhere.”


Shohei Ohtani’s arrival in Korea with wife Mamiko Tanaka became a news event. (Stringer / Getty Images)

When Ohtani announced his marriage, Japanese television stations interrupted their programming. The Dodgers intend to capitalize on that devotion. “One of our goals is to have baseball fans in Japan convert to Dodger blue,” Friedman said at Ohtani’s introductory press conference. That effort is unlikely to end with Ohtani and Yamamoto. The team is expected to make a full-pocketed pursuit of Rōki Sasaki, the 22-year-old right-handed phenom, whenever the Chiba Lotte Marines make him available. Visitors to Dodger Stadium can expect a bevy of new sponsorships decorating the ballpark. The prices of tickets to enter the ballpark are rising on the secondary market.

As Ohtani prepared to face his new teammates in batting practice, fans and reporters catalogued his movements. When he connected with a fastball from pitcher J.P. Feyereisen, the sound reverberated across the facility. The crowd gasped as the ball took flight. Ohtani watched it clear the center-field fence as he left the batter’s box. He peeled a pad off his surgically-repaired right arm, which remained sheathed in a compression sleeve. He jogged back toward the clubhouse, past the crowd screaming his name, one step closer to Opening Day.

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The judgment on this first season of the 10-year union will not come until October. Ohtani has never experienced the MLB playoffs. The Dodgers never miss an invitation. The franchise embarked on this era hoping to accumulate flags to raise and banners to proclaim championships.

Anything less would be a failure.

(Top illustration by Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos by George Rose / Getty Images; Gene Wang / Getty Images; David Durochik/Diamond Images)

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