Girls's March Insanity 2024: Predicting each Candy 16 sport – ESPN

Relive the South Carolina Gamecocks’ greatest performs from the ladies’s NCAA event up to now in wins over Presbyterian and North Carolina. (1:57)
Sixteen groups superior to the regional semifinals in Albany and Portland. And the Candy 16 is full of potential.
All 4 No. 1 seeds reached the spherical of 16. Defending champion LSU is again, as is No. 1 total seed South Carolina, which is 34-0 and chasing an ideal season.
Particular person star energy abounds as effectively. Caitlin Clark, who broke the NCAA Division I file for many factors in a single season within the second spherical, and Iowa stay within the hunt to guide a return journey to the nationwide semifinals. JuJu Watkins, the front-runner for nationwide freshman of the yr, has led USC to its first Candy 16 since 1994.
The Trojans are one in every of 5 Pac-12 groups within the Candy 16 because the convention continues its push to exit on a excessive notice in its final March Insanity earlier than the Pac-12 as we all know it ceases to exist.
And Duke, at No. 7 the bottom seed left, is hoping to proceed its run however must get previous UConn and Paige Bueckers, who had been upset on this spherical a yr in the past.
Which groups will make the Elite Eight? ESPN’s Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel preview each regional semifinal and be a part of Andrea Adelson in predicting who advances.


Relive the LSU Tigers’ greatest performs from this yr’s NCAA event in wins over Rice and Center Tennessee.

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC (Area 2 in Albany)
Why LSU will win: A part of the Tigers’ energy this season is proved by how carefully they performed SEC rival and No. 1 total seed South Carolina. The Tigers misplaced the regular-season matchup with the Gamecocks 76-70 on Jan. 25, and the SEC event ultimate 79-72 on March 10.
The Tigers did not have a very convincing NCAA event first-round win over Rice (70-60). And observers voiced concern concerning the second spherical’s free throw capturing disparity with Center Tennessee: The Tigers had been 26-of-37 from the road, whereas the Blue Raiders had been 6-of-9.
However the backside line is that LSU has the rebounding capability, led by Angel Reese, to win the board battle in most video games. The Tigers additionally common nearly 10 factors per sport greater than the Bruins. So so long as LSU is ready to run its offense comparatively effectively, it is likely to be robust for UCLA to decisively win any main side of the sport.
Why UCLA will win: The Bruins misplaced to rival USC within the Pac-12 event semifinals, after which received a scare from Creighton within the second spherical of the NCAA event. Now that they’re within the Candy 16, we would see the very best of UCLA. The Bruins misplaced right here in Albany within the regional semifinal 5 years in the past; that was to a UConn crew not that removed from its residence. Final season, UCLA additionally misplaced within the Candy 16 on the East Coast: to South Carolina in Greenville, South Carolina.
This season’s Bruins spent plenty of time at No. 2 within the Related Press ballot and have all of the bases lined with expertise. UCLA has six gamers averaging between 14.9 and eight.9 factors. All however one in every of them — heart Lauren Betts — have made at the least 20 3-pointers this season. It is honest to say that UCLA is the very best program that hasn’t made the ladies’s Remaining 4 within the NCAA period. A win over the defending champion Tigers will not get it there however could be a giant step.
What is the X issue: It could possibly be free throws. The Tigers lead Division I in free throws made (709) and tried (950). Evaluate that to UCLA, which is 421-of-563 from the road for the season. — Voepel
Which crew will advance?
Adelson: UCLA 77, LSU 76
Creme: UCLA 72, LSU 71
Pelton: LSU 80, UCLA 73
Philippou: UCLA 75, LSU, 72
Voepel: LSU 81, UCLA 77
Relive Iowa star Caitlin Clark’s greatest performs from the Hawkeyes’ wins vs. Holy Cross and West Virginia within the girls’s NCAA event.

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC (Area 2 in Albany)
Why Iowa will win: The Hawkeyes needed to be affected person in letting West Virginia’s fouls meet up with it in Monday’s second-round win. The Mountaineers’ defensive technique was to attempt to harass Iowa into sufficient turnovers to take management of the sport, however the Hawkeyes did not let it occur. Nonetheless, the sport went right down to the wire, so Colorado may strive among the identical techniques.
That mentioned, Iowa nonetheless has plenty of offensive threats even past famous person Caitlin Clark, who leads Division I in scoring, assists and 3-pointers. Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall and Sydney Affolter can all hit large 3-point photographs. Hannah Stuelke was quiet through the early-round video games — she missed most of Iowa’s NCAA opener with migraine points — however this sport could possibly be large for her. As for Clark, the Candy 16 and past final season was when she actually put her sport into one other gear. If she will be able to do the identical this yr, the Hawkeyes can advance to the Elite Eight.
Why Colorado will win: The Buffaloes’ early-round victories had been in opposition to Drake, which depends on good 3-point capturing, and Kansas State, which is not as excessive scoring and bases its offense round a middle. Colorado dealt with each these groups effectively, beating the Bulldogs by 14 and the Wildcats by 13. Iowa is Division I’s most potent offense, however the Buffs have proved they will decelerate good groups.
If Colorado — which averages 75.4 PPG to Iowa’s 92.0 PPG — can set the tone defensively, that tilts the sport within the Buffs’ favor. Like West Virginia, Colorado has a super-quick guard in Jaylyn Sherrod. Not like the Mountaineers, the Buffs have extra expert inside gamers, equivalent to Quay Miller and Aaronette Vonleh. The Hawkeyes beat the Buffs 87-77 final season within the Candy 16, however Colorado might flip the tables this time.
What is the X issue: Iowa’s 3-point capturing. The Hawkeyes common a Division I-best 11.1 3-pointers per sport. And after they begin raining 3s, they will go on spurts that change the entire dynamic of the sport. — Voepel
Which crew will advance?
Adelson: Iowa 75, Colorado 70
Creme: Iowa 78, Colorado 72
Pelton: Iowa 90, Colorado 82
Philippou: Iowa 82, Colorado 74
Voepel: Iowa 84, Colorado 79
Relive USC star JuJu Watkins’ greatest performs from the Trojans’ wins vs. Texas A&M Commerce and Kansas within the girls’s NCAA event.

Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Area 3 in Portland)
Why USC will win: Having misplaced only one sport throughout February and March, the Trojans have been enjoying their greatest basketball on the proper time. Freshman phenom JuJu Watkins is doing her factor and boasts the third-most factors of all time by a freshman with 861. However others round her have stepped up too — significantly McKenzie Forbes on the offensive finish, who simply strung collectively three consecutive 20-plus-point video games for the primary time in her profession. When these two are hitting photographs and the remainder of the Trojans — whether or not Kayla Padilla, Kaitlyn Davis, Clarice Akunwafo or another person — excel of their roles, Lindsay Gottlieb’s squad is hard to beat.
Why Baylor will win: The Bears’ offensive stability — a distinction from Watkins-centric USC — signifies that based mostly on matchups, any one in every of their gamers has the chance to pop off. In opposition to Vanderbilt, it was Bella Fontleroy. In opposition to Virginia Tech, it was Sarah Andrews within the first half and Jada Walker within the second on her option to posting a career-high 28 factors. Nicki Collen mentioned her crew misplaced a few of its confidence on the offensive finish of the ground throughout its rocky Huge 12 slate, but when that robust efficiency in Blacksburg carries over to Saturday — mixed with the Bears’ sometimes robust protection — it might spell an upset.
What is the X issue: Baylor is 21-1 this season when it outrebounds its opponent, with Aijha Blackwell and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs combining for 15.3 boards per contest. Can Rayah Marshall (10.3 RPG) — top-of-the-line rebounders within the Pac-12 — and the Trojans sustain?
Which crew will advance?
Adelson: USC 83 Baylor 72
Creme: USC 72, Baylor 55
Pelton: USC 72, Baylor 65
Philippou: USC 71, Baylor 62
Voepel: USC 72, Baylor 67
Relive UConn star Paige Bueckers’ greatest performs from the Huskies’ wins vs. Jackson State and Syracuse within the girls’s NCAA event.

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, (Area 3 in Portland)
Why UConn will win: The Huskies have three seniors — Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl — who’ve been on this stage (and greater) earlier than and had been on the crew final yr when UConn was surprised by Ohio State within the Candy 16. Even when it was to a unique opponent, the ache of that loss on this spherical remains to be recent on their minds, solely additional motivating the Huskies heading into Saturday. Bueckers is likely to be having the very best postseason of any participant within the nation, and along with her well-rounded impression on the sport will do no matter it takes to get UConn one step nearer to Cleveland. She would not need to do it alone, both, with robust begins to postseason play from Edwards and freshman Ashlynn Shade.
Why Duke will win: The Blue Devils boast top-of-the-line defenses within the nation, a unit that may trigger suits for UConn’s offense. They have not allowed an opponent to attain greater than 63 factors since Feb. 19. Whereas they did not have a ton of constant offensive firepower through the common season, they now have one of many hottest gamers within the event in junior Reigan Richardson, who’s averaging 12.4 factors per sport on the season however scored 25 and 28 factors in opposition to Richmond and Ohio State, respectively. Duke’s prowess on the offensive glass, spurred by freshman Oluchi Okananwa, additionally provides the Blue Devils an edge over an opponent with a dearth of frontcourt choices.
What is the X issue: Syracuse did job for probably the most a part of neutralizing UConn’s publish play. Can Duke do the identical? The Blue Devils enable simply 23.4 factors within the paint per sport and have posts Kennedy Brown (6-6) and Camilla Emsbo (6-5) defending the rim (the crew averages 5.6 rejections per sport). Edwards is without doubt one of the prime gamers left within the event, and final time these two packages met in November 2022, she tallied 17 factors and 11 rebounds. — Philippou
Which crew will advance?
Adelson: UConn 66, Duke 60
Creme: UConn 70, Duke 56
Pelton: UConn 71, Duke 60
Philippou: UConn 67, Duke 59
Voepel: UConn 79, Duke 65

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