OU in position to host first two rounds of tournament
The Oklahoma women’s basketball team got some good news Monday. The Sooners are in the top 16 nationally, according to the NCAA selection committee. If OU can stay there, the Sooners would get to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA women’s committee has mimicked the men’s committee by revealing its rankings a couple of times before the final selections. The women’s committee ranked the top 16 nationally on Jan. 23, and the Sooners weren’t included. But after a 74-73 victory over Texas on Saturday, the Sooners jumped to No. 16.
The top 16 teams host the first two rounds of the tournament.
The committee’s rankings released Monday:
1. Connecticut 2. Mississippi State 3. Baylor 4. Notre Dame 5. South Carolina 6. Texas 7. Maryland 8. Oregon State 9. Florida State 10. Stanford 11. Duke 12. Washington 13. UCLA 14. Louisville 15. Kentucky 16. Oklahoma
The first two rounds are scheduled for March 17-20. The regional sites the next week are Oklahoma City; Stockton, Calif.; Bridgeport, Conn., and Lexington, Ky. The Final Four will be in Dallas from March 31-April 2.
The Sooners face a difficult task in staying in the top 16. OU has three regular-season games remaining — at Kansas State on Tuesday night, at TCU on Saturday and home against Baylor on Monday night.
In the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, the Sooners almost surely will be seeded third, which would mean a likely semifinal game against Texas or Baylor. If OU could notch another victory over Baylor or Texas, its resume’ would be enhanced significantly.
If OU loses both to Baylor next week and to either Baylor or Texas in the Big 12 Tournament, the Sooners might not have enough cachet to stay in the top 16.