Official 2023 bracket thread

[Bone Dog]

Megan Gauer weighs in on how Scar might lose, and UConn tops the list.

"The Huskies struggled down the stretch of the regular season — their last eight games before the Big East tournament were decided by single digits and included losses to Marquette and St. John’s. While their defense has thrived all season — the Huskies rank second in Her Hoop Stats’ defensive rating — the offense looked anemic.
Enter Azzi Fudd.... Fudd’s return transformed the Huskies’ offense, instantly improving their spacing and ability to operate in the lane. And once Fudd shook off the rust, the three-pointers started falling as well. U-Conn. cruised to the Big East title, posting an average margin of victory of more than 23 points in the tournament."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/12/women-ncaa-tournament-favorites-south-carolina-stanford/

 

[UConnCat]

The times for Thursday's and Fridays games in the men's tournament are already set but ESPN, which has had the bracket ahead of anyone else, can't quite pull it together to tell us what times the games will be played on Friday and Saturday.

I'm old enough to remember when they would tell us game times on the selection show.

 

[Tonyc]

UConn in Techs bracket. Tech must be excited and thinking pretty positive then they see UConn and their bracket and they must be thinkin OH MY GOSH Yeah you got UConn and if they stay healthy youve got a problem. I like our bracket. VaTech is good but UConn will win this game and if playing at close to 100% it could be embarrassing. UConn has too much fire power at every position and UConns defense is suffocating. We should get to the FF and face Stanford. It wont be a cake walk but we will be lighting the candles.

UConn has been through hell and survived. Now healthy UConn will overwhelm teams. If they meet SC in the final well I like our chances. Im not concerned about UConn winning. My only concern is by how much. Looking at the brackets the only team I feel that will make the FF is Uconn. Everybody else could loose.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[toadfoot]

Top teams, maybe, although I don’t necessarily agree with your statement . The teams that don’t get a lot of coverage should enjoy their moment

I thought the moment was when they take the court but point taken.

 

[Bone Dog]

... and UConns defense is suffocating.

Every post about this game, or the rest of the tournament, should include this phrase.

 

[npignatjr]

When Nika was playing? Now UConn has Her and Azzi.

 

[Happydad745]

Wait until Iowa has to play Georgia and the rugby game that will ensue with Coach Abe

I have watched at least 5 games that Iowa was in this year....I think this team can make it the final four. It's up to their defense-because offense is not something they lack.

 

[tchalla1]

Top teams, maybe, although I don’t necessarily agree with your statement . The teams that don’t get a lot of coverage should enjoy their moment

I totally agree--there's much to appreciate about teams celebrating their invite to the big dance, especially mid-majors and those who are not often in the media limelight. What is distasteful is for those to try to tell others how they should celebrate an accomplishment that may be the gem of their entire season.

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm looking for Dorka to break the press, just like she did throughout the BE tournament.

 

[HuskyNan]

I thought the moment was when they take the court but point taken.

Remember these are teens and young twenty-somethings in college, not pros

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yeah I know... I remember Jimmy V came to NC State from there. And Jeff Ruland.

Rick Pitino is the men's coach, rumored to be moving to St. Johns.

 

[npignatjr]

if it was Peck, she probably thought UConn as a 2 was to high

She thought UConn was a 1

 

[MilfordHusky]

According to ESPN site, UConn will play Saturday and Monday (if they win). Times are not set.

No guarantee, but history suggests Saturday at noon and Monday at 7:00.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree Tennessee will be the first to go out. How did they get a 4 seed to begin with?
ND will be a sitting duck if Miles doesn't play.
Utah will upset Indiana to win the Region
SC will cruise to the final but NO other 1 seed will join them.

I'm thinking only one #1 seed survives, most likely S.C.

 

[SCGamecock]

Not sure who Connecticut paid off but congrats on your millionth consecutive final four.

 

[Cuango]

Greenville 1 is soft

It’s a “nurturing” bracket!

 

[MilfordHusky]

I am glad to not be in the Stanford region. Lots of teams there that are best to avoid - Florida State, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Louisville, even Ole Miss. I would be surprised if both Stanford and Iowa make it to the Elite Eight.

Hard to believe what an insipid mess ESPN made out of what could have been a very interesting show. How about we cut it from five people to three and leave out all the teams who are all doing the same thing?

I don`t get ND as a three seed but they are in with SC, so they won`t get to Dallas even if Miles makes a miraculous recovery.

Some interesting second round matchups. I like Michigan over LSU and Creighton over ND.

Very happy with UConn`s draw.

Earlier in the season, I would have liked to see ND play SC, but without Mabrey and possibly without Miles, ND has no chance. They scored 38 on Louisville. They may not make that against S.C.

 

[Aluminny69]

If Stanford was the last #1 in, and UConn just missed a #1, IOW the highest #2, shouldn't UConn play in Stanford's bracket, according to the S curve?

 

[Fore!]

VaTech will have a tough time with UCONN but really I don't think they even make it that far. They are the most overrated team in the field and I am glad UCONN ended up with them

On Bob Joyce’s UConn Women’s Tournament Selection Show Debbie Antonelli proffered that the VT, UConn bracket was the most difficult, mentioning that tOSU was finally healthy and playing well.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Think we got this bracket! South Carolina and Indiana will be very tough but this UConn team can beat anyone.

 

[jaydee602]

If Stanford was the last #1 in, and UConn just missed a #1, IOW the highest #2, shouldn't UConn play in Stanford's bracket, according to the S curve?

Iowa was #5 and ahead of UCONN as the next ranked after Stanford. UCONN was#6 between between Iowa & Utah.

 

[SCGamecock]

It’s a “nurturing” bracket!

Maryland will be tough in the Elite Eight if both teams make it. Maryland and UConn were the two-seeds I absolutely did not want.

 

[UCMB88]

Later she made it clear she thought UConn should have been a 1.

Then I stand corrected! I didn't catch that, because after all the brackets were announced, I found the show to be pretty much unwatchable. Thanks for the update.