Dallas Regional Overview
Baylor completed the double in the Big 12 with a regular season title and a conference tournament title. They were rewarded with the top seed in the Dallas Regional. However, they were given a road to Indianapolis that will be filled with tough teams as Oregon State, Louisville, Texas A&M, Florida State and DePaul are all capable of making plenty of noise in this regional.
#1 Baylor, #2 Oregon State ,#3 Louisville, #4 Texas A&M, #5 Florida State, #6 DePaul, #7 Oklahoma State, #8 St. John's, #9 Auburn, #10 St. Bonaventure, #11 James Madison, #12 Middle Tennessee, #13 Missouri State, #14 Central Arkansas, #15 Troy, #16 Idaho
Who Can Win?
Baylor is the favorite as they are very deep and can beat you playing virtually any style. They also are fairly battle tested from the Big 12 Conference playing the likes of Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Oregon State also has enough balance to cause the Bears problems if they meet in the Elite Eight. The trio of Sydney Wiese, Jamie Weisner and Ruth Hamblin have the experience and talent to send the Beavers on a deep run.
Who Can Surprise?
DePaul, with their up-tempo style of play, is always a problematic matchup for teams as the Blue Demons will attack you from the perimeter at a relentless rate. If Louisville can shoot the basketball well during the NCAA Tournament, they could make a run to the Elite Eight as well.
Who's Hot?
Middle Tennessee State has won six straight games heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Raiders are making their 13th straight postseason appearance and put together a total team effort in the Conference USA Tournament in order to punch their ticket to the Big Dance. Senior guard Brea Edwards leads a very balanced offensive attack and is an excellent outside shooter as she has made over 41 percent of her shots from behind the three point line. If Edwards can get hot against Florida State, that will open things up for Ty Petty and Alex Johnson to attack the basket.
Who's Cold?
Florida State will be looking to bounce back from an ice cold second half in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. The Seminoles were tied at 37 against Miami heading into the locker room at halftime. In the second half, Florida State went ice cold shooting the basketball as they shot just 23.3 percent from the floor as the Hurricanes pulled away for a 74-56 win. Texas A&M will be looking to get back on track as their offense went south in consecutive losses to Kentucky and Tennessee and the Aggies could not score over 60 points in either contest.
Upset Alert!
James Madison has pulled upsets in the past as an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The matchup with DePaul will provide for a highly entertaining one for fans in Louisville as that is a very manageable drive from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Thus, they should have plenty of support in the stands, which always helps in these neutral court scenarios in the NCAA Tournament. The Dukes can also grind the tempo of the game down to a point where they can negate the Blue Demons ability to push the tempo if they can be efficient at both ends of the court.
What Possible Matchup is Interesting?
A matchup between Oklahoma State and Oregon State in the round of 32 would be intriguing. It would be intriguing because the Cowgirls have been giant killers this season as they are the only team to beat Baylor. For Oregon State it would be the mental hurdle of dealing with getting out of the second round at home after losing at Gil Coliseum to Gonzaga last year.
Which Player Will Dominate?
Louisville's Myisha Hines-Allen has the ability to put a team on her back and she may need to as the Cardinals move on in the Dallas Regional. Baylor's Niya Johnson, with the way that she can take over a game in the backcourt, is another top candidate to dominate in this regional as her value to the Bears was prevalent as she did not play in the loss at Oklahoma State.
Which System is Tough to Prepare For?
Oregon State, with the way they can get after you defensively, is an uphill challenge to prepare for with a short turnaround in the NCAA Tournament. The shot blocking of Ruth Hamblin and the constant pressure from the likes of Gabriella Hanson, who limited Washington's Kelsey Plum to 14 points in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, will test opponent’s patience and discipline offensively.
Dallas Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
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Sioux Falls Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
