As expected, Mississippi State has been selected as #1 seed in the Women’s NCAA Tournament after a 32-1 start.
While their perfect season was ruined in the SEC Championship game by South Carolina, the Bulldog women are still expected to make a run at a national championship when the NCAA tournament begins later this week. Mississippi State will open up against the 16th seeded Nicholls State Colonels on Saturday in Starkville. Both Syracuse and Oklahoma State will also travel to Starkville for the beginning of the tournament, and State would face the winner of their matchup if they advance through the first round. MSU was able to beat both teams before the beginning of conference play this season.
Head coach Vic Shaefer says that the familiarity with all three teams in the region will help as they prepare for the tournament.
“I’m really proud of our kids and appreciate the committee’s consideration,” Schaefer said. “Our schedule, especially non-conference, was very difficult. Two of those same teams, Syracuse and Oklahoma State, we played really good ballgames with. If we get past Nicholls State, then we will have to play one of them. You get a conference champion in Nicholls State, and I’m very familiar with them. They have had a great year.”
This is the first #1 seed in program history for the Bulldogs, and tickets for Saturday’s matchup quickly sold out, so expect a noisy atmosphere at Humphrey Coliseum. The three other #1 seeds in the tournament include UConn, Notre Dame and Louisville.
History starts now. #HailState? pic.twitter.com/f1isM9qpF9
— MSU W. Basketball (@HailStateWBK) March 12, 2018
Both UConn and South Carolina reside on the other side of the bracket, which means they wouldn’t face off until a potential national championship game in Columbus on April 1.
Tip-off on Saturday is set for 5:00 p.m.
A full bracket can be seen below:
✨ So fresh. So clean. ✨
Complete #ncaaW Bracket ⤵https://t.co/VxMPipVBS1 pic.twitter.com/mCbl43bEdb
— NCAA Women’s BKB (@ncaawbb) March 13, 2018
