Predicting Women's March Madness: ACC, Big East, and Big Ten version

Can you feel it? There is more tension in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Title races than any Drake versus Kendrick Lamar battle. Several of the regular season titles are all but clinched. However, some mean nothing until those automatic qualifier bids are secured. One less-than-best day, one late rotation lapse this spring could ruin everything the team has worked for since last summer.

You’ve got to love NCAA March Madness. Anyone can fill out a bracket. But even announcers get tongue-twisted at times during the tumultuous tournament. So, how can casuals keep track of these conference championship configurations? (Hey, this is going to be fun, promise. There are even predictions to argue about later!)

These 144 teams will be whittled down to the final 68 lucky squads invited to the last big basketball dance of the season. No match for the transfer portals? No worries. Let’s get right to it.

Atlantic Coast Conference (8 bids)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Duke Blue Devils

North Carolina Tar Heels

Louisville Cardinals

Florida State Seminoles

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

California Bears

Duke has a top-five offense (5th) and defense (2nd). Notre Dame is top-three in both but best in neither. The Fighting Irish are not quite elite, at least not consistently enough for them to jump off the page. Florida State takes that to the opposite extreme, being the absolute best in scoring and worst in stopping the other team (71.9 points allowed per game). North Carolina allows about 55 points per game, for comparison.

So what can Hannah Hidalgo (25.2 points per game) do versus the field? Fresh faces have not feared the Fighting Irish this season. Newcomers are ready to take over. For instance, sophomore Reniya Kelly (UNC) was averaging just 9.1 points per game through February 10. She became the first Tar Heel to record back-to-back 20-point performances this season in wins over Virginia Tech and NC State. Tajianna Roberts (Louisville) is a five-time ACC Rookie of the Week winner who is now posting double-doubles.

Can Aziaha James (NC State) keep up with that crowd? Will Toby Fornier (Duke) finally take over? Should Ta'Niya Latson (Florida State) get more respect for leading the ACC in scoring at 26.2 points per game? Any of the teams could wind up in the Elite Eight, and it would not be surprising. However, it’s hard to see why Virginia Tech, Stanford, Virginia, or Clemson should be included in the bracket at all.

Prediction: Two of the three ‘snubbed’ teams lose if they even play one of the other postseason tournaments. Two of the ACC’s eight qualifiers make the Elite Eight. One is upset in the first round. Notre Dame does not win the ACC Tournament.

Big East (2 Bids)

Connecticut Huskies

Creighton Bluejays

Seton Hall Pirates

Marquette Golden Eagles

Villanova Wildcats

UConn’s trio of Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong, and Azzi Fudd are all in the top five for field goal percentage this season. Bueckers leads the Big East in assists, keeping everyone on an All-Star team relatively happy. The Huskies lead the nation in NET Rating, which Geno will surely mention often in hopes of landing some home cooking in the regionals.

Crieghton is a Top 25 team, depending on the week, giving their wayward conference a much-needed boost against the “UConn and Who” critics. Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly could even pull off an upset or two on the road to the Sweet Sixteen. Maly is up to 10 double-doubles and counting as of February 17.

Skyler Forbes gives Marquette (60th Net Rating) a puncher’s chance at an at-large bid. Faith Masonius does the same for Seton Hall. It’s hard to see Villanova winning an NCAA bracket game - if they get a call at all. The Wildcats need multiple wins in the conference tournament to get an invite to the Big Dance.

Prediction: UConn sweeps the titles. Creighton wins an NCAA Tournament game or two, but no more, and the Big East is left belly-aching about not getting a third team into the field.

Big Ten (11 Bids)

Southern California Trojans

UCLA Bruins

Ohio State Buckeyes

Illinois Fighting Illini

Maryland Terrapins

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan Wolverines

Oregon Ducks

Indiana Hoosier

Iowa Hawkeye

Nebraska Cornhusker

Minnesota Gophers

Washington Huskies

The BIG Ten is the Best Best to steal the SEC’s crown with 11 honest-to-goodness just-good-enough teams with a case to be included in the NCAA’s final 68-team bracket. Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska can afford no slipups, though. Minnesota (19-8) is on the bubble but could finish 2-6 on the road in conference play. Purdue and Michigan State trips remain, as does a visit from fellow BIG 10 bubble rival Washington (14-9). Unfortunately for the new members of the pack, the Huskies have lost six out of their last seven games and slid right out of the tournament picture.

Thankfully, JuJu Watkins (USC), Lauren Betts (UCLA), and Cotie McMahon (OSU) are more than just good enough. They may be part of the next Olympics Golden Generation, the literal future of the game growing before our eyes. They better grow up quickly. Kaylene Smikle (Maryland) is not smiling about being fourth. Olivia Olson (Michigan) is ready to own a moment in March, too.

Kendall Bostic (Illinois) has been all business, handling a humbling well and bouncing back after some last-minute, soul-crushing losses. She leads the Big Ten in rebounding for a reason. Deja Kelly has been outstanding for an out-of-sorts Oregon. The Ducks are good enough to provide a first-round scare, but more should be expected from Nike’s flagship school considering the investment.

Prediction: Minnesota and Washington crumble. The committee’s headaches are eased as those calling for more equity and access get another two small conference at-large bids. JuJu Watkins is unfairly called a whiner after falling short of the Final Four. UCLA wins…something.