2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - News, Updates

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This season the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four will be held in Cleveland, Ohio -- April 5 & 7.


NCAA Women's Bracketology


Last Tournament Was a Huge Success for Viewers
 


South Dakota State women's basketball student-athletes Kallie Theisen and Haleigh Timmer will miss the upcoming 2023-24 season with injuries suffered in the offseason.

Theisen, the reigning Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year, appeared in all 35 games for the Jackrabbits a season ago. She averaged a 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per contest, both team bests, to go with 6.1 points per game.

Timmer earned Second-Team All-Summit honors as a sophomore last season and was named the MVP of the Summit League Championship. She made 35 starts and was the Jacks' second-leading scorer a year ago with 12.1 points per game. Timmer and added 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists, on average.



And with that, South Dakota State will surely fall off the preseason Bracketology.

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Best of wishes to the players for a successful recovery.
 

There are scenarios where the Gophers make the NCAA tournament this season. You decide. Look at who is ahead of the Gophers. If or when do the Gophers overtake a team or two to bump them out -- and Minnesota in?

Here is the bracketology at the start of the Gophers season today:


Seeds:
#1: Iowa, UCLA
#2: Indiana
#3: Ohio State, USC
#4. Maryland
#7: Illinois, Nebraska, Washington
#9: Michigan

Just missed: Michigan State, Oregon
 

  1. Iowa
  2. Ohio State
  3. Indiana
  4. Maryland
  5. Michigan
  6. Illinois
  7. Nebraska
  8. Purdue
1-5 are in, 6-8 are on the bubble, the typical bottom are out.
 

Defending champion LSU has early season issues, not exactly clear what's going on other than online spats, an upset loss, and oddly the team playing better with Reese not in the game despite her being productive in stats. There were no public game altercations. Some mystery here.


LSU forward Angel Reese, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 women's NCAA tournament, was not with the team Friday night as the Tigers faced Southeastern Louisiana on the road.

"Angel was not in uniform. Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope to see her sooner than later," LSU coach Kim Mulkey said after her team's 73-50 win.

When a reporter started to ask a follow-up question, Mulkey cut in, "I'm not gonna answer any more, that's it, that's all y'all need to know."
 


Defending champion LSU has early season issues, not exactly clear what's going on other than online spats, an upset loss, and oddly the team playing better with Reese not in the game despite her being productive in stats. There were no public game altercations. Some mystery here.


LSU forward Angel Reese, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 women's NCAA tournament, was not with the team Friday night as the Tigers faced Southeastern Louisiana on the road.

"Angel was not in uniform. Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope to see her sooner than later," LSU coach Kim Mulkey said after her team's 73-50 win.

When a reporter started to ask a follow-up question, Mulkey cut in, "I'm not gonna answer any more, that's it, that's all y'all need to know."
Obviously, Angel is pouting. Unhappy about something. Coach has her heels dug in feeling strongly about her position/argument. (But also hoping Reese comes back.). Could be a lot of things but I'll bet Reese feels somehow disrespected as the social media face of LSU basketball.
 

Defending champions LSU loaded up with star talent in the offseason including guards Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith.

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Yet the star so far is freshman guard Mikaylah Williams. LSU has played five games.

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.623 and .632 shooting percentages in 2's and 3's. 22 points per game average. 17 rebounds in the four games she played in.

LSU otherwise is sort of a mystery with the unexplained Angel Reese benching situation and social media spats.

 

Cameron Brink saves Stanford women's basketball as Team USA phenom makes history​

Stanford and Team USA women's basketball prospect Cameron Brink helped her team avoid a home upset against unranked Duke on Sunday with a record-breaking performance that included a career high in points.

Cameron Brink put on a show for Stanford women's basketball in an overtime win over Duke.


"Stanford women's basketball was at risk of an upset defeat until Cameron Brink took over in a dominant performance to help the Cardinal upend unranked Duke, 82-79, in overtime.

Brink extended her made free throw streak to 72 in a row, moving to second place all-time in NCAA women's basketball history. She's now only three makes behind record holder Michelle Gaislerova.

...It's been an incredible 2023 for the Cardinal star, who earned MVP with Team USA at this past summer's FIBA 3x3 World Cup as the Americans won a gold medal. She previously won gold medals at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup."

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Angel Reese with defending champion LSU issues a Tweet response to her mysterious benching after LSU's upset loss.

"Please don't believe everything you read."

Gossip now swirling her GPA is too low to play.
 


At this point in Caitlin Clark’s career, it’s not a matter of if she broke an NCAA record – it’s which record she broke.

The Iowa guard’s 35-point performance in the Hawkeyes’ 113-90 win against Drake on Sunday marked her 39th career game with at least 30 points. That number breaks Kelsey Plum’s record for the most in Division I women’s college hoops history. She also had 10 assists, 6 rebounds and 7 steals – an all-around performance from the reigning national player of the year.

With just one more 30-plus point game, Clark will match the overall NCAA record, set by Detroit’s Antoine Davis last season. With her pace so far (31.0 points per game through five games), she seems likely to break the record.

Perhaps more important to Clark, though, was the rebounding performance from the Hawkeyes, as well as teammate Kate Martin posting a career high in points after going scoreless in the previous game, a 68-58 loss to Kansas State.

“I thought everyone responded really well,” Clark said. “People want to beat you. You’re the Iowa Hawkeyes. You were in the Final Four last year. You have a target on your back, but this group just worries about what’s in our locker room. We knew Thursday wasn’t who we are.


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Huge showdown looming between #6 UConn and #2 UCLA on Friday evening, Black Friday.




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All five starters for UCLA average double-digit scoring per game. UCLA has not faced a ranked team, I believe, so we will see if UCLA is a paper tiger.

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Questions have been circulating about UConn that fans expect to be contender for #1. Are they top-4, people are asking? UConn looked shaky in 3 quarters against Minnesota.

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Azzi Fudd to miss remainder of season, UConn championship chances dip to 3rd behind South Carolina and LSU but ahead of Iowa, UCLA, Stanford and Colorado.

 

Unfortunately, in today's released bracketology the Gophers miss the threshold watch group.

These other Big Ten teams made the 'at or over the threshold' watch groups:

4-2 Illinois
6-2 Nebraska
7-2 Penn State

Gophers are 7-1.

I strongly denounce the horrific weak schedule put together by this Gophers administration. Bad bad bad...
 

Unfortunately, in today's released bracketology the Gophers miss the threshold watch group.

These other Big Ten teams made the 'at or over the threshold' watch groups:

4-2 Illinois
6-2 Nebraska
7-2 Penn State

Gophers are 7-1.

I strongly denounce the horrific weak schedule put together by this Gophers administration. Bad bad bad...
this schedule wasn't put together by the current staff.. just an fyi
 




The new staff added Grambling (NET/RPI 231/91), Lindenwood (321/355) and Chicago State (357/303) to the schedule, it’s been reported by Bball_craz_31, so can’t blame it all on Lindsay.
 
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The new staff added Grambling (NET/RPI 231/91), Lindenwood (321/355) and Chicago State (357/303) to the schedule, it’s been reported by Bball_craz_31, so can’t blame it all on Lindsay.
Technically this is correct....HOWEVER they searched high and low, with multiple power five teams and everyone they contact was filled already. schedules are usually a year ahead if not more. They actually wanted more road games and would have went on the road to Power five/high mid-major teams but with the three teams, they were not going to on the road.
 

Technically this is correct....HOWEVER they searched high and low, with multiple power five teams and everyone they contact was filled already. schedules are usually a year ahead if not more. They actually wanted more road games and would have went on the road to Power five/high mid-major teams but with the three teams, they were not going to on the road.
Any details on teams contacted while searching high and low? I have no doubt that Coach P was put in a difficult scheduling spot, but without more details remain skeptical that she couldn't have upgraded the schedule, if she really wanted to (and perhaps if she had suspected the rapid improvement the Gophers were about to make). For example, I doubt that teams like Toledo, Green Bay, Gonzaga, South Dakota State would have turned down a visit from the Gophers this year, in exchange for a future trip to Williams Arena. Teams like Green Bay, Gonzaga, South Dakota State seem like they are willing to play any Power 6 team home and home.

What about teams like Iowa State, Marquette, Creighton, schools that recruit Minnesota, which would love to play here? Were they among the schools offered home-and-home-games, with the Gophers on the road this year? Washington State is a P6 school that really struggles to get P6 teams to come to Pullman, and has agreed in recent years to play teams like Montana and South Dakota State home-and-home? Was Coach P willing to go to Pullman this year? Doubt very much that such an offer would have been rejected by WSU.

Ultimately, without more details, I am reluctant to believe she had no choice but to schedule bottom-feeders like Chicago State and Lindenwood. But also happy to be proven wrong.
 

Any details on teams contacted while searching high and low? I have no doubt that Coach P was put in a difficult scheduling spot, but without more details remain skeptical that she couldn't have upgraded the schedule, if she really wanted to (and perhaps if she had suspected the rapid improvement the Gophers were about to make). For example, I doubt that teams like Toledo, Green Bay, Gonzaga, South Dakota State would have turned down a visit from the Gophers this year, in exchange for a future trip to Williams Arena. Teams like Green Bay, Gonzaga, South Dakota State seem like they are willing to play any Power 6 team home and home.

What about teams like Iowa State, Marquette, Creighton, schools that recruit Minnesota, which would love to play here? Were they among the schools offered home-and-home-games, with the Gophers on the road this year? Washington State is a P6 school that really struggles to get P6 teams to come to Pullman, and has agreed in recent years to play teams like Montana and South Dakota State home-and-home? Was Coach P willing to go to Pullman this year? Doubt very much that such an offer would have been rejected by WSU.

Ultimately, without more details, I am reluctant to believe she had no choice but to schedule bottom-feeders like Chicago State and Lindenwood. But also happy to be proven wrong.
well she got her in what March? most schedule are booked a year out.. so most teams have their schedules full already.. like most of those teams you named above.. you can only play so many non conference games.
 

Looks like choosing to pad stats and hyoe that over gaining respect among people who matter. The padding stats isn't working, if you saw the attendance at the pad stats games.

I remember when Zie was signed last season. The U of M put up a graphic boasting her eye popping rebounds number without any clarification that it was earned at a community college. Nothing personal against her and pulling for her, a huge leap up in level.

But hey, Stony Brook the Gophers beat soundly is projected a #14 seed in the NCAA Tournament since they did play someone good, Minneaota.
 

most schedule are booked a year out.. so most teams have their schedules full already..
Curious how you know this. Can you tell me who the Gophers will play next year for their non-conference schedule? Drake, I assume. Who else? Also, if most teams have their schedules full a year out, what was Lindsay doing having nearly 30% of her non-conference schedule undone as of last season's end? Your knowledge of WBB non-conference scheduling is also very different than my understanding of men's non-conference scheduling. But I know less about WBB scheduling, so curious.

On the men's bball side of things, my understanding is that many games, including but not limited to the "buy" games on a men's basketball schedule, are frequently scheduled for the next season after the last season ends, over the spring and early summer. This makes men's basketball very different from football, where you can readily find a list of future Gophers non-conference opponents. No such public list exists for men's basketball, though you can find information about the second year of home-and-home deals. For example, the Gopher men had 2 open dates for this year as of late August that they had to fill. And when the Gopher men announced in early August 2023 that they had scheduled a 2-year series with Missouri starting this season, that was not some deal that had long been in the can.
 
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Technically this is correct....HOWEVER they searched high and low, with multiple power five teams and everyone they contact was filled already. schedules are usually a year ahead if not more. They actually wanted more road games and would have went on the road to Power five/high mid-major teams but with the three teams, they were not going to on the road.
This is not true. These games were added within a day or two after the new staff was signed, but they were added by the administration, not the coaches.
 

Curious how you know this. Can you tell me who the Gophers will play next year for their non-conference schedule? Drake, I assume. Who else? Also, if most teams have their schedules full a year out, what was Lindsay doing having nearly 30% of her non-conference schedule undone as of last season's end? Your knowledge of WBB non-conference scheduling is also very different than my understanding of men's non-conference scheduling. But I know less about WBB scheduling, so curious.

On the men's bball side of things, my understanding is that many games, including but not limited to the "buy" games on a men's basketball schedule, are frequently scheduled for the next season after the last season ends, over the spring and early summer. This makes men's basketball very different from football, where you can readily find a list of future Gophers non-conference opponents. No such public list exists for men's basketball, though you can find information about the second year of home-and-home deals. For example, the Gopher men had 2 open dates for this year as of late August that they had to fill. And when the Gopher men announced in early August 2023 that they had scheduled a 2-year series with Missouri starting this season, that was not some deal that had long been in the can.
Many games are scheduled a year out, because they are home and homes. The buy games are different. For the new match ups, coaches start working / networking in November and December, sometimes talking to other coaches when they are at holiday tournaments, or watching how teams perform against common opponents. I have been told by a couple coaches that their goal is to have most of their schedule filled before the February End of season stuff starts heating up. The only unknowns are who will be invited to which holiday tournaments, which often is decided in January or February, but not released until later.
 


Looks like in this updated bracketology, Creme only has 6 BIG teams in, down from his preseason prediction of 9 teams. Don’t think the BIG teams had as much success in the non conference like the past couple of years. Hopefully this will improve and more teams can get in. PAC 12 really showing out during their last season of current members. Do miss thr BIG/ACC challenge tho.
 




Oh man would I take her. I already thing the guard spots will be solid next season. And then add Nnaji to the post. I’m drooling at the possibility 🤣

First of all, she would never come back to Minnesota. Secondly....THANK GOD FOR THAT. Absolutely not! She is a selfish player, not really super liked from teammates, opponents alike. Low motor. Believes her own hype. I would even say you may lose a MINIMUM of two of the 2022s if you add her to this roster. STAY FAR FAR AWAY if you don't want a poison in the program.
 

First of all, she would never come back to Minnesota. Secondly....THANK GOD FOR THAT. Absolutely not! She is a selfish player, not really super liked from teammates, opponents alike. Low motor. Believes her own hype. I would even say you may lose a MINIMUM of two of the 2022s if you add her to this roster. STAY FAR FAR AWAY if you don't want a poison in the program.
Woah…. Didn’t expect that.
 

She seems pretty entrenched in the advanced medical studies program at UA. Don't see her leaving the school. Just basketball. Good for her in that regard. Too many athletes are 99% sport 1% education. NIL makes this disparity even worse.
 




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