After celebrating a victory over BYU in the MWC final, 11th-seeded Utah is looking for a similar high against No. 6 seed Illinois in a first-round game in the Midwest.
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Best first-round matchup:
No. 8 seed Michigan vs. No. 9 seed Stanford. At times this season, both teams have played incredibly well. Both have talent, solid coaching and a continued hunger to prove themselves.
Fearless Prediction:
Maine upset No. 7 seed Stanford in 1999. This season, the Black Bears will knock out North Carolina in a first-round game in the West.
It could happen:
It wouldn't happen until the Elite Eight, but top-seeded Georgia could get another shot at No. 3 seed Mississippi State, which upset the Miller twins and Co. in the SEC semifinals.
User Message of the Day:
"The path to the Final Four has been annointed to the Huskies. We will await the other three arrivals to be led to Philadephia, like Christians being led to the lions. Have faith that God will take away your pain." -- HuskyHoops25 on our message boards.
Did you know?
The SEC and Big 12 each landed six teams in the Big Dance. The ACC sent five teams, and the Big East, Big Ten and Pac-10 each have four.
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SEC speaks Vol-umes
 | | Coco Miller's Lady Bulldogs are No. 1 in the West. | |
Since the NCAA Tournament began in 1982, there has been at least one Southeastern Conference team in the Final Four
every year except one.
But everyone who thinks the Southeastern Conference rules the women's college basketball world should think again. As ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel points out, only one SEC team -- and we know which one -- has an NCAA title to its name.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Which team is the tournament's darkhorse? |
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ESPN's Jay Bilas: Mississippi State. Head coach Sharon Fanning has raised her expectation level, and it really showed in the SEC tournament. Mississippi State has a true star in LaToya Thomas. If she can avoid foul trouble, the Lady Bulldogs can make some noise in this tournament.
ESPN's Vera Jones: I'm looking at Purdue. Katie Douglas is the best player in the country, or at least the most versatile. One of the keys to the tournament is the supporting cast and Purdue has a good one. That supporting cast really makes a difference.
ESPN.com's Melanie Jackson: Despite its disappointing performance in the WCC tourney, Pepperdine has the potential to get to the Sweet 16. The Waves and Rasheeda Clark are battle-tested and ready to take advantage of their first trip to the Big Dance.
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Bio Rhythms: Katie Douglas
| |  | | Katie Douglas and Purdue are hoping to repeat. |
To give fans an inside look at the personalities behind March Madness, ESPN.com asked more than 20 players to share information about themselves. Look for the Tournament Dish's "Bio Rhythms" -- a fun and humorous look at the athlete by the athlete -- throughout the women's NCAA Tournament.
We start our series with a look at Purdue junior Katie Douglas, who turned to basketball after twice breaking her arm on the softball field. A decade later, Douglas has been named Big Ten Player of the Year and won a national championship.
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