Get your sheets in early! The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday, meaning you’ve got to get your picks locked in a little earlier.
I’ve gone on record multiple times saying I’m not a fan of basketball before noon unless it’s a badly acted show on NBC with Reggie Theus as the head coach (“Hang Time” gave us a catchy theme song as well as Anthony Anderson).
This year’s Final Four is in Phoenix, and the road for Maryland (23-8,11-7 Big Ten) will not begin in College Park for the second time in three years. A loss in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament moved the Terps from a No. 4 to a No. 5 seed, meaning they wouldn’t host the first weekend as they have 12 times over the last 15 years.
“I’ve had plenty of teams, whether it’s at home or on the road. It’s a mindset this time of year,” coach Brenda Frese said after the field was announced Sunday. “It doesn’t come down to a building, it comes down to a mindset.”
The Terps face Murray State in the first round. The 31-3 Racers went 19-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference and have won 15 straight behind an offense that’s ranked fifth best in Division I.
“I know that they try to score in the first eight to 10 seconds,” Frese said. “They’re a high-powered offensive team.”
No. 4 seed North Carolina and No. 13 Western Illinois round out the foursome in Chapel Hill, with the likely opponent in Fort Worth for the regional semifinals being No. 1 and defending national champion UConn.
“Any team that’s in your bracket now can play,” Frese said. “We have the utmost respect for every opponent.”
Terps and Racers tip off at 3 p.m. Friday.
Other locals
Virginia Tech (23-9, 12-6 ACC) gets a No. 9 seed and faces No. 8 Oregon (22-12) in Austin on Friday at 1:30 p.m., with the winner likely facing No. 1 seed Texas.
Howard (26-7, 13-1 MEAC) gets a No. 14 seed and visits Ohio State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The Bisons led their conference in scoring (66.9 points per game) but they battle a Buckeyes team that ranks 13th nationally in scoring 81.7 per outing.
Virginia (20-11, 11-7 ACC) lost three straight and eight of 14 to find its spot in the First Four, facing Arizona State on Thursday night with the winner meeting Georgia Saturday.