Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Women Basketball: Which teams will receive postseason bids ?

By Daniel Benjamin

Mar 5, 2017; Uncasville, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard/forward Napheesa Collier (24) reacts with guard Gabby Williams (15) after a play against the UCF Knights in the second half of the semifinals during the women's AAC Conference Tournament at Mohegun Sun Arena. UConn defeated UCF 78-56. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2017; Uncasville, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard/forward Napheesa Collier (24) reacts with guard Gabby Williams (15) after a play against the UCF Knights in the second half of the semifinals during the women's AAC Conference Tournament at Mohegun Sun Arena. UConn defeated UCF 78-56. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The NCAA women’s basketball postseason fields will be set soon. So, before the official announcement here is an early a look at which team may receive a postseason bid.

There are two major women’s basketball postseason tournaments, just like the men, which are the NCAA Tournament and the NIT (aka WNIT). The NCAA 64 team tournament bracket will be revealed on March 13 at 7 p.m ET on ESPN.

The NCAA 64-team field is pretty much set with 58 of the 64 bids. Top-ranked UConn (32-0) is a given to receive the top No. 1 overall seed and be placed in the Bridgeport Region. The Huskies, who are looking for their 12th NCAA title, enter the tournament undefeated for the eight time.

ACC champion Notre Dame (30-3), Big 10 champ Maryland (30-2) and SEC champion South Carolina  (27-4) will likely get the other three No. 1 seeds.

Baylor (30-3) is still in contention for a No.1 seed, but will likely receive the top No. 2 seed following its loss to West Virginia (23-10) in the Big 12 title game. Stanford (28-5), Oregon State (29-4), Mississippi State (29-4), Duke (27-5),  and Florida State (25-6) are also candidates for a two seed.

The ACC is projected to lead the way with eight NCAA Tournament bids, followed by the Big Ten getting seven teams in. The Pac-12 and the SEC should each get six teams in the tournament with six while the Big 12 will likely have five.

Arizona State, St. John’s, Virginia, and Penn State are my projections to be the last four teams to get into the tournament. Northwestern, LSU, Iowa State and UCF are the first four out.

In the meanwhile, the WNIT selects the best remaining 64 teams — unlike the men’s tourney which takes 32 teams — that weren’t selected for the NCAA Tournament with the caveat that at least one team from each of the 32 conferences

Overall, the ACC has 10 teams projected to be in the NCAA Tournament and the WNIT combined. The SEC and Big Ten are next with nine teams apiece in those two tournaments.

Also like the men, the women participate in another basketball invitational tournament called the WBI — the men’s edition is called the CBI. The WBI is a 16-team tournament. However, the women don’t have a fourth tournament, which the men do (CIT).

Here is a look at the teams that will receive postseason bids

America East (2): NCAA (1): Albany (21-11) by virtue of winning the conference tournament. WNIT (1): Regular season champion New Hampshire (26-5).

American Athletic (7): NCAA (5): UConn, Temple (24-7) and South Florida (24-8). WNIT (2): UCF (20-11), and SMU (17-14).

ACC (10): NCAA (8): Notre Dame, Duke, Florida State, Louisville (27-7), N.C. State (22-8), Syracuse (21-10), Miami (23-8), and Virginia (19-12).  WNIT (2): Georgia Tech (17-14) and Virginia Tech (17-14)

A-10 (5): NCAA (1): Dayton (22-9). WNIT (4). George Washington (20-9), Saint Louis (24-8), Fordham (21-11), and Duquesne (18-15)

Atlantic Sun (3): NCAA (1): Florida Gulf Coast (26-8); WNIT: Stetson (26-6), and Jacksonville (23-8)

Big 12 (7): NCAA (5): West Virginia, Baylor, Texas (23-8), Oklahoma (22-9), and Kansas State (22-10). WNIT (2). Iowa State (18-12) and Oklahoma (17-14).

Big East (5): NCAA (4): Marquette (25-7), DePaul (26-7), Creighton (23-7), and St. John’s (20-11). WNIT (1): Georgetown (17-14)

Big Sky (5) : NCAA (1) Montana State (25-6). WNIT (4): Northern Colorado (22-8),  North Dakota (20-10), Idaho State (19-13), and Eastern Washington (19-13).

Big South (3): NCAA (1): UNC Asheville (19-14) WNIT (1): Radford (24-8) and Campbell (21-9).

Big Ten (9): NCAA (7): Maryland, Ohio State (26-6), Michigan (22-9), Purdue (22-12), Michigan State (21-11), Indiana (20-10), and Penn State (19-11). WNIT (2): Northwestern (20-11) and Iowa (17-13).

Big West (3): NCAA (1): Long Beach State (23-10), WNIT (2): UC Davis (23-7), and CSU Northridge (18-14).

CAA (4): NCAA (1): Elon (27-6) WNIT (4): James Madison (24-8), Drexel (21-10), and William and Mary (20-11).

C-USA (6): NCAA (1):  Western Kentucky (27-6); WNIT (5): Southern Miss (23-10),Middle Tennessee (21-10), Charlotte (21-10), Louisiana Tech (18-13), and Rice (18-13).

Horizon League (5): NCAA (1): Green Bay (27-5), WNIT (4):  Wright State (24-8), Milwaukee (20-11), Oakland (18-12), and Detroit Mercy (18-14)

Ivy League (2): NCAA (1): Penn (22-7); WNIT (1): Harvard (20-8).

MAAC (3): NCAA (1): Quinnipiac (27-6); WNIT (1): Rider (24-8) and Iona (18-13).

MAC (6): NCAA (1): Toledo (25-8); WNIT (5): Central Michigan (23-8), Ohio (22-9), Buffalo (22-10), Ball State (21-10), and Northern Illinois (21-11).

MEAC (2): NCAA (1): Hampton (20-12); WNIT: Bethune-Cookman (21-10)

MVC (2): NCAA (1): Drake (28-4); WNIT (1): Northern Iowa (24-8)

Mountain West (4): NCAA (1): Boise State (25-7); WNIT (3): Colorado State (24-8), Wyoming (21-9), and UNLV (22-10).

Northeast (3): NCAA (1) Robert Morris (22-10); WNIT (2): Sacred Heart (17-14) and Bryant (18-14).

OVC (2):  NCAA (1): Belmont (27-5); WNIT: Morehead State (21-9)

Pac-12 (7): NCAA (6): Stanford, Oregon State, Washington (27-5), UCLA (23-8), Oregon (20-10), and Arizona State (19-12). WNIT: California (19-13).

Patriot (3): NCAA (1): Bucknell (27-5); WNIT: Navy (23-9) and Army (22-9).

SEC (9): NCAA (6): South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kentucky (21-10), Missouri (21-10), Texas A&M (21-10), and Tennessee (19-11). WNIT (4): LSU (20-11), Alabama (19-13), Auburn (17-14) and Ole Miss (17-13).

Southern (2): NCAA (1): Chattanooga (21-10); WNIT: Mercer (25-6)

Southland (4): NCAA (1): Central Arkansas (26-4); WNIT (3): Stephen F. Austin (25-7), Abilene Christian (22-8), and Lamar (22-7).

SWAC (2): NCAA (1): Texas Southern (23-9); WNIT: Grambling State (18-14)

Summitt (4): NCAA (1): Western Illinois (26-6); WNIT: IUPUI (24-8), South Dakota (22-8), and South Dakota State (22-8).

Sun Belt (4): NCAA (1): Troy (22-10) WNIT (3): Ark- Little Rock (24-8), UT-Arlington (22-8), Troy (22-10), and UL Lafayette (20-11).

WCC (3): NCAA (1): Gonzaga (26-6) WNIT (2): BYU (20-11), and Saint Mary’s (20-12).

WAC (2): NCAA (1): New Mexico State (24-6); WNIT (1): UT Rio Grande Valley (18-13).

Home/March Madness