STORRS — Let the March Madness start.
The UConn ladies’s basketball workforce was chosen as a No. 2 seed and can open NCAA Tournament play Saturday in opposition to Fifteenth-seeded Vermont at Gampel Pavilion.
The Huskies (29-5) have been positioned within the Seattle 3 area as a part of this season’s new two-host format for the regional spherical.
“I think if we weren’t called UConn, we’d be a number one (seed),” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma stated. “Or if they used the men’s criteria, when you think about the wins that we’ve had in quadrant one, two, all that, who has a better record than us against those teams? So being the number two, I’m kind of happy we are. There were a lot of teams that had great years and the four number ones, they all did great things this year or they wouldn’t be number one seeds. … I’m pretty proud of our team for accomplishing what we did.”
See the complete ladies’s NCAA Tournament bracket
As anticipated, South Carolina was chosen as the highest total seed, adopted by Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford on the one-line.
UConn and Vermont (25-6) final met on Dec. 3, 2009. This would be the two program’s twelfth all-time assembly, with the Huskies 11-0 of their earlier matchups.
“It’s exciting,” Caroline Ducharme stated. “You’re always up for the NCAA Tournament, you’re always ready, but you’re kind of just preparing without knowing what you’re preparing for. And now we’ve kind of put a face to the opponent and you get to really lock in on what specifically they do and we get to really focus in on everything that we want to prepare for them.”
If the Huskies advance, they’ll face the winner of No. 7 Baylor and No. 10 Alabama within the second spherical on Monday.
Virginia Tech is the highest seed within the Seattle 3 area, adopted by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Iowa State. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight video games will probably be performed at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Five different Big East groups made the NCAA Tournament subject: No. 4 Villanova, No. 6 Creighton, No. 9 Marquette and No. 11 St. John’s. Additionally, 10 of UConn’s 11 nonconference opponents are going dancing, with Northeastern as the one exception.
“Our strength of schedule was incredible,” Auriemma stated. “Our wins have been greater than anyone else’s in opposition to groups that have been seeded fairly excessive. So I feel we’re fairly properly ready, we’re fairly properly examined. … Five Big East groups, that’s a hell of a factor, proper. Because folks are likely to not give our convention a variety of respect. And all I do know is our report final 12 months within the event was lots higher than a number of the conferences that get an excessive amount of respect, in the event you ask me. And I feel that will have had one thing to do with it if you take a look at how our groups did within the event final 12 months. “
