Predicting Women's March Madness: Big 12 and SEC version

In March, 68 teams will hear their name called for a chance to compete in the NCAA March Madness tournament, but there is still plenty of regular season to get through before then.

For our predictions on the ACC, Big East, and Big Ten read more here.

Big 12 (7 bids)

Texas Christian Horned Frogs

Baylor Bears

Kansas State Wildcats

Utah Utes

West Virginia Mountaineers

Oklahoma State Cowgirls

Iowa State Cyclones

Colorado Buffaloes

TCU are all but assured of claiming one of the BIG 12’s four double-byes to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Baylor, Kansas State, Utah, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State are in a four-square fight for the remaining three skip-the-line spots. The fifth through eighth seeds get single byes in the conference tournament, meaning they’ve got to face a fired-up and full-of-hope fringe bracket team like Cincinnati, Kansas, or Arizona with momentum.

Tournament lives will be on the line for Iowa State and Colorado if they slip up against an also-ran but the BIG 12’s top six should be safe.

Hailey Van Lith (TCU) and Audi Crooks (Iowa State) get the headlines but Kansas State is the sleeper here. The Wildcats have the best offense and second-best defense. Serena Sundell can find a bucket late in the shot clock but is never selfish. Over in Waco, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Baylor) is a beast on the boards, keeping the Bears ahead in games they should have lost in some respects. Their 22-5 record is somewhat flattering.

Gianna Kneepkens (Utah) is the BIG 12’s most lethal (47.2%) beyond-the-arc threat. Taryn Sides and Temira Poindexter (Kansas State) are also above 40%, giving the Wildcats twice the firepower in a must-win situation. Madison Conner (TCU) is also a top-four three-point threat, so HVL isn’t going at this gauntlet alone.

Prediction: Colorado misses the cut after falling flat down the stretch. Crooks keeps the Cyclones spinning in circles, hoping to land in a favorable first-round matchup.

Southeastern Conference (9 bids)

Texas Longhorns

South Carolina Gamecocks

LSU Tigers

Kentucky Wildcats

Alabama Crimson Tide

Ole Miss Rebels

Oklahoma Sooners

Vanderbilt Commodores

Tennessee Lady Volunteers

The SEC has dominated the NCAA’s Top 25 for years. They should not get 10 of 16 teams into a national title conversation. Nine is fine this year. The Final Four will still have a SEC representative. Other conferences, usually relegated to one bid, have deserving outfits ready to seize an opportunity.

Let Madison Booker (Texas), Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), and Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU) try to dissect something new. Georgia Amoore (Kentucky), Sarah Ashlee Barker (Alabama), and Reagan Beers (Oklahoma) would rather see fresh faces in the NCAA’s Round of 32.

Tennessee will make the dance, but how much success they could have is still up in the air.

Prediction: LSU and South Carolina play in an SEC or NCAA Final Four. Flau’jae finds a way to win some legacy points in an LSU win.