For the first time, Michigan will play in the Elite Eight after Laila Phelia knocked down the go-ahead bucket. (0:33) You might still be in good shape if you went chalk in the NCAA tournament. The top seeds advanced to the Elite Eight. The reseeding at the top does not need much change except to account for how good the Cardinal have been. Heading into the Sweet 16, the reigning national champion moved to the top of the overall rankings. The tournament that had provided the most wins by double-digit seeds in women's NCAA tournament history has settled into a march of heavyweights over the final two days of games. The first double-digit seed to reach the Elite Eight in five years was Creighton. The Big East has surprised everyone outside of Omaha, Nebraska, and has given the conference more teams in the Elite Eight than the SEC, according to the NET. The Big 12 had four teams in the top four. Only one is left. The Big Ten only sent one team to the Elite Eight. Four top seeds are still alive, but this has been a crazy tournament. Now that the regional finals are set, we rank the field. 1. The Cardinal is from the state of California.
Original seed: No. 1
Elite Eight seed: No. 1 overall
2022 NCAA tournament record: Defeated No. 16 Montana State 78-37; defeated Kansas 91-65; defeated Maryland 72-66
The women's NCAA tournament games are underway. Play a tournament.
The Cardinal have been the best team in the NCAA tournament and hold on to the top spot because of the last six minutes of their game against Maryland. The complete shutdown of Maryland on Friday was an example of how many ways to win the game. The defense held the sixth-highest- scoring team in the country to 33.8% shooting and won the rebound battle 50-32. After scoring 11 points in the first two wins, Haley Jones had 17 points, 10 rebound and 6 assists. One possible cause for concern as the Cardinal prepare for the defensive intensity of Texas is the fact that they committed four turnovers and missed five free throws in the final 5:40 on Friday.
The next game is against Texas on Sunday at 9 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
2. South Carolina football team.
Original seed: No. 1 overall
Elite Eight seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 16 Howard 79-21; defeated Miami 49-33; defeated North Carolina 69-61
The Gamecocks are going to win with their defense and rebound, according to Dawn Staley. The assessment was on display in the win over North Carolina. The offense was much better than in the second round against Miami, but still had trouble in the second half. The imperfections were wiped away by 25 offensive boards that the Gamecocks turned into 27 second-chance points. Boston scored 28 points on the day that many national player of the year ballots were due. South Carolina made 7 of 19 3-pointers, but Boston dominated in the paint to the point that South Carolina might not have escaped the Sweet 16.
The next game is against Creighton on Sunday at 7 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
NC State overcame a late deficit and won to advance to the second Elite Eight in program history.
3. The NC State Wolfpack is a basketball team.
Original seed: No. 1
Elite Eight seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 16 Longwood 96-68; defeated Kansas State 89-57; defeated Notre Dame 66-63
Raina Perez probably played 100 better games than she did on Saturday. She has never had more time to think. The Wolfpack took their first lead since the second quarter after the steal on Notre Dame's Dara Mabrey. Perez made the crucial defensive rebound after Westbeld missed a 3-pointer. The two free throws that followed iced NC State. Perez was only 2-of-9 from the field with seven points and two assists, but her plays at the end of the game extended her own career and those of her teammates. A second consecutive loss in the Sweet 16 would have been devastating for this group of players who have otherwise been successful over the past three seasons.
The next game is against the University of Connecticut on Monday, 7 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
4. The Louisville Cards.
Original seed: No. 1
Elite Eight seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 16 Albany 83-51; defeated Gonzaga 68-57; defeated Tennessee 76-64
In the regional semifinal win over Tennessee, Emily Engstler scored 20 points, which is the least valuable contribution she makes to Louisville's success. Her Hoops Stats ranks the senior's 2.6 steals per game and 1.8 blocks per game as the sixth best in the country. A relentless rebounder, Engstler provides constant energy. The Lady Vols have the greatest strength in their frontcourt, and on Saturday, they were nearly eliminated by a group of people. Alexus Dye and Tamari Key were 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 The Cards are in the Elite Eight for the fourth straight year and remain on top.
Monday, 9 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
In the second half, the University of Connecticut runs off 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266
5. The University of Connecticut's men's basketball team.
Original seed: No. 2
Elite Eight seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 15 Mercer 83-38; defeated UCF 52-47; defeated Indiana 75-58
The 16-0 run to start the third quarter against Indiana was vintage Connecticut: offensive execution, relentless offensive rebound and swarming interior defense. Considering the level of competition, the 4:45 stretch was the best of the season for the Huskies. The Hoosiers are a veteran team. They have been through this before. Indiana didn't have an answer for the attack. The scoring balance and the rebound of Aaliyah Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa kept Indiana at arm's length throughout the rest of the game. The two posts combined for 24 rebound, 10 on the offensive end to keep the game going. The shooting was a huge improvement over Monday, but they missed six free throws and only made 5 of 20 3-pointers. The numbers are not vintage.
The next game is against NC State. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
6. The Texas Longhorns.
Original seed: No. 2
Elite Eight seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 15 Fairfield 70-52; defeated Utah 78-56; defeated Ohio State 66-63
The Texas coach could be heard telling Aaliyah Moore how big her block was during the celebration. He was referring to the freshman who denied the short jumper that could have given Ohio State a one-point lead. It was not just big. It was important. Texas stopped the Buckeyes from getting a shot off. The defense paved the way for the Longhorns to reach the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. A nine-player rotation that includes three sophomores and two freshmen leads the way for the Longhorns. Two of the rookies, Moore and Rori, got their first taste of big-time college basketball in the second game of the season, an upset win over the same team they will be playing for in the Final Four.
The next game is against Cardinal on Sunday, 9 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
7. The Michigan Wolverines.
Original seed: No. 3
Elite Eight seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 14 American 74-39; defeated Villanova 64-49; defeated South Dakota 52-49
The first trip to the Elite Eight for Michigan was well-earned. Having to play South Dakota has proved tough enough, but because the fans showed up by the thousands to INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, the Sweet 16 game became one of the best atmospheres in the tournament. It was a battle between two teams. The first star post player in the tournament, Naz Hillmon, had 17 points and 10 rebound against the South Dakota defense, and the Wolverines needed every one of her points. They needed missed 3s by South Dakota's Kyah Watson and Chloe Lamb in the last 19 seconds to survive the game.
The next game is against Louisville on Monday, 9 p.m. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
Monica McNutt breaks down what it will take for Creighton to pull off an upset against South Carolina.
There are 8. The Bluejays are from Creighton.
Original seed: No. 10
Elite Eight seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record: Defeated No. 7 Colorado 84-74; defeated Iowa 64-62; defeated Iowa State 76-68
The Bluejays are the latest team to prove that the end of the season doesn't correlate to NCAA tournament success. After losing its last two games in the Big East, it had nearly two weeks off. Colorado, Iowa and Iowa State have been beaten by the Bluejays. Coach Jim Flanery got his team refocused on what it does best -- share the ball, rely on each other and shoot 3-pointers -- which helped propel them to the regional final. The Bluejays rank third in the country in made 3-pointers per game and have a spread offense. Which player is going to do it? The leading scorer in the regular season was Emma Ronsiek. She scored two points in the upset. Morgan Maly came off the bench and scored in two of the three games.
The next game is against South Carolina. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
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