First Thoughts – 2009 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

The Bracket has been announced. The question is, will this be a coronation of UConn, or will someone be able to rise up to stop their run? Overall, I think this has been the fairest bracket in recent memory, but it does seem that the Trenton region (UConn’s) is a bit easier than the other three. Still, upsets await the unwary.

In the Berkeley region, it’s between Duke and Stanford with Tennessee as a possible spoiler to Stanford reaching the finals. To do that, the young Lady Vols will have to kick it up a notch to get farther than the Sweet-16. In the end, I’ll have to go with Duke in a close one against Stanford.

The Oklahoma City region could very well see a fair number of upsets. Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, UNC, and Auburn could all make a good run out of the region. In the end, if Oklahoma doesn’t fall to Georgia Tech in a stunner, I think they’ll emerge from this region.

In Raleigh, the Maryland Terrapins will be sorely tested, especially in a potential NCAA regional rematch with Baylor, but they should also survive for a trip to St. Louis.

For Connecticut, I think the only school that could stand in their way to the Final Four is Florida State, and that’s only if the Seminoles have a heck of a game.

Amazingly, I have my number ones in the finals. Who wins? I’m agreeing with just about everyone else: the only team that has a realistic shot at spoiling UConn’s perfect season is Maryland for three reasons: 1) Head coach Brenda Frese and seniors Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman have won a championship, so they aren’t lambs to the Final Four slaughter; 2) Their philosphy of winning — if we score more points than you, then we win (as opposed to the more common, if we keep you from scoring more points than us then we win). UConn has a high-powered offense that no one has been able to thwart to this point. Perhaps then the only solution is to outscore them; 3) Brenda Frese. It’s my feeling that Maryland could easily have won the title last year had Coach B been able to marshall the team for the entire season. Don’t underestimate the positive motivation from this coach.

I’m not going to predict a winner. I’ll just say that I think if Maryland can’t beat UConn, then no team in the country can (all things being equal).

(Disclaimer – y’all know I’m a huge Maryland fan, and I make no apologies for that. Is this biasing anything in this blog? Maybe a little, but I think it still holds, regardless.)