March Madness is here.
While the Women's NCAA Tournament is traditionally more chalky than the men's things could still get unpredictable and spicy. Are we sure UConn is going to win it all? Will every No. 1 seed make the Final Four? Will we have any double-digit seeds make the Sweet 16?
Let's fire off some hot takes and make a few wild predictions.
Dukegets revenge on LSU
You might remember that the Tigers marched into Cameron Indoor Stadium back in December and walloped Duke 93-77. Could LSU do that to the Blue Devils again if they meet in the Sweet 16? Perhaps.
But let's consider Duke was at its worst when the Tigers came to Durham. The very next game, the Blue Devils began a 17-game winning streak when coach Kara Lawson tweaked their starting lineup — promoting Riley Nelson off the bench — and then went on to win the ACC's regular season and tournament titles.
Lawson also has a pretty good pedigree in run-it-back games, where Duke gets a second crack at a team in a single season after losing to them earlier the year. Just look at last season:
Duke lost its first meeting with North Carolina, then beat the Tar Heels in their second and third matchups.
Duke lost at NC State in the regular season, then topped the Wolfpack in the ACC title game.
South Carolina beat the Blue Devils comfortably in their first meeting last season, and their Elite Eight meeting came down to the final two possessions.
Should Duke see LSU again, it'll be better prepared.
USC loses toClemsonin the first round
Overcoming the absence of JuJu Watkins has been difficult for the Trojans this season. Jazzy Davidson has established herself as one of the top freshmen in the country, but USC finished the regular season 17-13 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play a year after it won the conference tournament. USC is currently riding a five-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the vibes are great in Upstate South Carolina, where Clemson is dancing for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2002. The Tigers ended their season on a high note under second-year coach Shawn Poppie, securing their place in the tournament field with an upset win over Duke, a victory on the road at Cal and an ACC Tournament triumph over Virginia.
Throw out the stats in this matchup, we're riding with the vibes. The Tigers should have all the momentum in this game played in their home state.
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Kentucky makes the Final Four
The Wildcats' path to what would be Kenny Brooks' second Final Four appearance as a head coach has a few hurdles standing in their way, but they're manageable.
First, Kentucky has to get out of the West Virginia sub-regional. The Wildcats should be able to defeat James Madison — where Brooks first became a head coach and played for the Hall of Famer Lefty Driesell — comfortably. Kentucky will then likely face the Mountaineers, who rank 314th nationally in defending 3-pointers and 269th in defensive rebounds per game. The Wildcats should have the advantage on the boards and at the perimeter.
Kentucky would then face its second — and perhaps its biggest hurdle — which would be pulling off a Sweet 16 upset win over Texas. The Wildcats lost by 11 points in Austin earlier this season, but it was just Teonni Key's third game back from an elbow injury, Tonie Morgan had an uncharacteristic game with six turnovers, and Amelia Hassett and Jordan Obi combined for three points. The chances of all those things happening again seems unlikely.
Finally, Kentucky will likely have to get past either Michigan or Louisville in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals by double figures in Louisville earlier this season and have a noticeable size advantage over the Wolverines whose two tallest players are 6-foot-3. Kentucky has three starters above 6-foot-4.
If Kentucky gets a little bit of bracket luck, the idea of the Wildcats making it to Phoenix isn't so crazy.
Gonzaga makes the Sweet 16
No stranger to March Madness success, the Bulldogs have been to the Sweet 16 twice since Lisa Fortier became the head coach in 2014. Gonzaga ranks second nationally in 3-point shooting, making 39% of its attempts from behind the arc. The Zags are also third nationally in total rebounding rate at 57.8%. Being solid on the boards and good at shooting from deep range is usually a recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga is also has Allie Turner, the nation's third-best 3-point shooter with a 46.7% shooting clip from behind the arc. Additionally, Lauren Whittaker — a freshman — is the only player in the nation who averages at least 19 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting better than 50% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line.
Ole Miss, Gonzaga's first-round opponent, is 56th nationally in rebounding and a mediocre 225th in defending the 3-pointer. Minnesota — who would likely be Gonzaga's second round opponent — is 75th in rebounds per game and 224th in defending the 3-pointer.
The Zags can beat both of those teams.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Women's NCAA Tournament hot takes: Kentucky in Final Four, USC out early
