Elite eight power rankings: is Uconn intended for another Final Four? Can UCLA be stopped?
Note of the publisher: this article is part of the Central parenthesis Series, a look inside the period before men and women NCAA Tournamentstogether with analysis and choices during the tournaments.
The last weekend of the NCAA tournament is almost upon us, but first: Eight Eight. Four phenomenal matches await Monday while each team lives to give a punch in Tampa for the Final Four.
Seed n. 1 UCLA and seed n. 3 LSU face each other in a revenge of the Sweet 16 last season. Two of the most prolific players of the paint this season (Lauren Betts and Aneesah Morrow) will clash. The tremendous guards fill the pieces of remains of each team, made more remarkable by the LSU star Flau’jae Johnson who was deleted to play after suffering an eye injury in the Sweet 16.
In another revenge, this time from a game of nonconference at the beginning of this season, seed n. 1 of South Carolina and seed n. 2 Duke meet again. Will the Gamecocks roll on a fifth consecutive final Oi Blue Devils can return for the first time in almost two decades?
So, a solitary showdown as seed n. 1 Texas and seed n. 2 TCU will fight it. The teams play different styles; The Horned Frogs took 25.3 attempts by 3 points this season (26th in the nation) compared to 10.7 per game from the Longhorns (358th in the nation). Texas ended among the top 10 at national level in free -range attempts and offensive rebound, but TCU is located in the lower third of both statistics. This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the NCAA tournament.
Seed n. 1 USC and seed n. 2 Uconn, who have perhaps played the best game of the season in December, will reveal themselves, but both teams seem quite different in March. The Trojans sparked a Gutsy Sweet 16 victory over the Kansas state after losing the star of the star Juju Watkins due to a knee injury in the second round. The Huskies have just come out of an outbreak of Oklahoma and a record performance of the Guardia di Stella Paige Bueckers.
How do these teams accumulate in front of the eight Élite?
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The way the Bruins can adapt at the moment it distinguishes them. That adaptability shone brilliantly in the third quarter during the second round and Sweet 16, while they passed the combined Richmonds and Ole Miss 54-22. Lauren Betts is the undeniable engine that guides the UCLA, the foundation of an elite defense and a post-dominant presence at 6-7. The ability of her teammates to move and respond around her to the opposing gaming plans has the Bruins playing at elite basketball. They can find their rhythm that affects open shots, moving the game by forcing turnover and bullying on the glass. Bruins have the tools and trust to win everything.
Behind a Marach Uconn of March Uconn record from Star Paige Bueckers, the Huskies rolled in the Eight elite. When they click offensively, it is difficult to find a more difficult team to protect, since each set has a plethora of moving parts and options inside. The opponents cannot take a second in possession against the Huskies. Despite being a smaller team, Uconn plays forcefully in defense, dictating with times and pressure. The teams with length and switching have been able to confuse Uconn’s offense during the non -congress game, so it will be something to trace by going on. The Huskies have a legitimate shot to return to the Final Four and win a national championship.
No. 15 of the state of the Arkansas
103-34
No. 10 So. Dakota st
91-57
After an exciting victory back and forth of Sweet 16 against Maryland, the Gamecocks will appear in their fifth elite Eight Eight. For anyone who wonders if the South Carolina has a reference player, do not look beyond the performance of Milaysia Fullwiley. His ability to create an easy look at the edge in a Mucky game looms while the Gamecocks go deeper in March. The South Carolina has not played its typical assertive defense level, something he will need against Duke. However, it is distinguished that the South Carolina has still found a way to survive and advance despite the absence of their normal winning formula of efficiency and forced turnover.
N. 16 Tennessee Tech
108-48
Texas advanced to Eight Elite after a revenge with the enemy of the Tennessee sec, its first significant test of the NCAA tournament. The way the Longhorns are winning has not changed, dominating the paint and forcing the turnover. However, Texas went smaller in March, playing with more speed without sacrificing the size, strength and determination that they gained a seed n. 1 The optimized formula for Texas should be a good omen against the powerful TCU.
No. 16 William and Mary
105-61
The cuckold frogs head towards Eight Eight for the first time in the history of the program with the potential to go even further thanks to the ability of their high -power offense. The two players of Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince has been effective throughout the season and its power has only accentuated in the post-installation game. Van Lith’s patience and calm as a sphere and facilitator make it difficult to protect it in the pick-and-roll. He has the vision of separating the defense of the opponents, the 3 -point shot to punish anyone who gives space and the descent to put the ball in the basket. With Prince, 6 feet-7s, present in the paint, the cuckold frogs present a non-constant correspondence on both ends of the court and use it to their advantage. TCU has a trip to the Final Four in sight.
The tigers are fierce on the glass, including a margin of rebound plus 18 against the NC state in the Sweet 16. The comedy of Anesah Morrow has been stellar in the great dance, offering a widespread correspondence for each opponent of Frontcourt that LSU faced. Sa’myah Smith’s trust and production have also shown that they are a huge impulse alongside Morrow, adding another fist in the paint. It will be interesting to see how the tigers go against the UCLA in a revenge of the Sweet 16 last season, but with very different staff. The dimensions and length that the Bruins carry are not common and is something that LSU has not yet seen at March Madness. Can tigers spread the floor enough to open the paint a little?
No. 14 State of San Diego
103-48
N. 6 Florida State
101-71
The Trojans return to Eight Eights after a lively performance in a courageous and pro-philo battle with the Kansas State. Juju Watkins, who underwent an end of the season knee injury in the second round, is irreplaceable. However, the defensive foundation of this team remains and was the key to keeping the fifth crime more efficient in the country to one of its outputs with the lowest score of the year. The largest tactical question in front of the Usca Sweet 16 matchup was where his offense came from and Kennedy Smith’s Tandem and Avery Howell marriages provided an answer. Smith has marked his 19 -point career, making 14 career shots in the game and spending much more time to start the offense than typical. What will the offense of the Trojans be like now that there is a complete game of ribbon on this Shorthanding group?
No. 16 Unc Greensboro
71-25
No. 9 Mississippi st
96-59
The Blue Devils probably played the most suffocating defense of any team in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, keeping the North Carolina only 28.3 percent and 38 points in the Sweet 16. The coach Kara Lawson’s team is playing on a rope, physical on the screens, hard in the pole and plays to shoot. There is no doubt about Duke’s ability to defend themselves and win when the games drag. Can Blue Devils find a more coherent and efficient aspect offensively in the Eight elite? Against a huge defensive team in the South Carolina, who held Duke during their regular season, playing in the balance and in control will be the key.
N. 3 North Carolina
47-38
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(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / Atletico; Photo: Jacob Kupherman / Getty Images, Gary Cosby Jr. / Tuscalosa News, Robert Hanashiro / Image Images)
