NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament gets underway tomorrow, and this year there is only one WCC school contesting: Gonzaga.

In women’s basketball the top seeds generally get the home court advantage or at least they play close to home….and this year is no exception, except for Gonzaga. The NCAA has again rewarded GU for its tradition of season long sellout crowds…virtually every home game for Gonzaga is a sellout in their 6,000 seat arena.

Gonzaga is only a 12 seed this year, but actually has the opportunity to stay in Spokane before heading to the Final Four in New Orleans in 3 weeks…..but that’s not going to happen, in my estimation.

Picking winners in women’s basketball is generally a little easier than with men because the games generally go to form. Here are my predictions for Gonzaga and the Final Four teams.

West First Round:
GONZAGA (12) vs. Iowa State (5) - The Zags have made a living the last few years winning NCAA tournament games at home. The Cyclones will be the latest higher seed to fall to Kelly Graves' team.

West Second Round:
GONZAGA (12) vs. Georgia (4) - The Zags are missing the star power they've had in the past, but they still have the home-court advantage and send the Lady Bulldogs home early again. Georgia hasn't made it past the regional semifinals since 2004.

West Regional Semi-Final:
STANFORD (1) vs. Gonzaga (4) - A rematch of the 2011 regional final played in the same arena when a much better Gonzaga team lost by 23 to the Cardinal. This Stanford team isn't as good, either, but still has enough to end another Bulldogs season.

Final Four:
CONNECTICUT (1) vs. Notre Dame (1) - The Irish have found a way to win the three meetings this season and have dominated the Huskies over the last few years like no other team ever has. The two Big East powers will have one final clash this season and UConn will find a way to finally pull one out ending the brilliant college career of stellar guard Skylar Diggins.

BAYLOR (1) vs. Stanford (1) - The Cardinal handed Baylor its only loss of the past two seasons in Hawaii on Nov. 16. Odyssey Sims pulled her hamstring early in the first half and the Lady Bears weren't the same. Sims is healthy and will help the Lady Bears avenge the only blemish on their season.

Championship Game:
CONNECTICUT (1) vs. Baylor (1) - The teams met in February and UConn couldn't hold onto a halftime lead as Griner took over in the second half, including scoring her 3,000th career point. This will be one of the all-time great championship games, but super senior and dunk master Brittney Griner's career will end just short of a second straight national championship and the Huskies will win their eighth.

Turns out there are a number of PN “lurkers” and members who follow women’s basketball and are regulars at UP’s games……so, as a bit of an update, here’s how the WCC teams are doing in the post season:

NCAA: #12 Gonzaga takes on #5 Iowa St. in first round action in Spokane today at 1pm on ESPN2.

WNIT: BYU defeated Idaho St. at home Tuesday and plays San Diego St today in Provo at 1pm on BYUtv.

WNIT: St. Mary’s defeated Seattle U. at home on Thursday and now travels to Greeley to play Northern Colorado on Monday.

WNIT: San Diego defeated Hawaii at home and will play now play Utah in Salt Lake City on Monday.

#12 Gonzaga lost at home to #5 Iowa State today.

It's going to be the reverse of what Pilots fans experience in Las Vegas at the WCC Tournament where Gonzaga fans are always trying to buy our tickets in a seller's market…...it's going to be a buyer's market in Spokane for the next three rounds of play......

Tough day for GU fans all around.

In the WNIT yesterday, BYU beat San Diego St 69-58.

Combined with the Gonzaga men's and women's losses yesterday, that leaves BYU, San Diego, St. Mary's still alive in women's post season tournaments, and BYU is still alive in the NIT for the men.

While checking on women’s basketball scores and stats I noticed Cumberland University has a center named Calamity Jane Coley….it probably shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that she leads the team in shooting percentage…..

I would have expected a rebound leader.

There are two WCC schools and one future WCC school still alive in WNIT play, but San Diego is done for the year….losing tonight in Salt Lake City to Utah 61-50.

(I was able to spend a little time with USD coach Cindi Fischer in Las Vegas again this year; a fine lady and a very good coach….she does a masterful job getting her kids ready to play).

I’m adding Pacific to this year’s watch as they will be in the WCC next season. Pacific beat Washington 85-78 in Seattle on Sunday and will next play at home against Utah on Thursday in Stockton.

St. Mary’s beat Northern Colorado on the road Saturday and will now have to face BYU, a 69-58 winner over SDSU, in Provo on Wednesday. They split their two WCC games this season with each team winning at home.

On the men's side, BYU is still alive in the NIT, and Santa Clara is still playing in the CBI. (Info here:https://www.pilotnation.net/t5033-other-post-season-tournaments

I just watched a very good game (BYUtv) in which St. Mary’s downed BYU for the first time ever in Provo, 59-55. St. Mary’s now moves on to the quarterfinals of the WNIT and will meet the winner of tomorrow night’s game between Utah and WCC newcomer, Pacific.

I think this game marked the last one for BYU senior PG Haley Steed, although you never know. She’s been on the roster for seven years (2006-2013), which apparently included two medical redshirts and a regular redshirt….Geez will have to look that up in the rule book….

The only other graduating senior on the roster was Keilani Unga who started on the team in 2007, but came back for her final year after taking two year’s off to have two babies…..

One final note on BYU; their 6’-7” junior center, Jennifer Hamson, is the daughter of Tresa Hamson. Tresa played on the BYU team that was UP’s opponent in Coach Jim Sollars very first game as UP’s head coach. #trivia

Don't forget the two year mission exemption BYU kids get, which don't count toward the five year clock. That's seven years, and a kid from BYU could get another year that doesn't count towards the clock for the Olympics or Nat team duty. That's eight.

The key though, is to find out how old she is. It is very rare for a player to retain NCAA eligibility after age 26. That is the normal cutoff for D1, and I can't think of a player that has been allowed to play after that age.

She could, however, play a year of D3 if she wanted. No age limit there.

Yea, I don't know all the particulars in Haley's case, but she's been on the BYU roster for seven seasons....the BYU announcers were quick/proud to point out she was on the roster for 151 BYU wins.

She's had a number of ACL tears/surgeries, but did NOT go on any LDS missions during her 7 years....

I really don't know how she pulled it off.

DoubleDipper wrote:Yea, I don't know all the particulars in Haley's case, but she's been on the BYU roster for seven seasons....the BYU announcers were quick/proud to point out she was on the roster for 151 BYU wins.

She's had a number of ACL tears/surgeries, but did NOT go on any LDS missions during her 7 years....

I really don't know how she pulled it off.

She is actually listed as a grad student on the roster, so that could be another year.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:She is actually listed as a grad student on the roster, so that could be another year.

Year? I imagine she's completes 3 years of law school this year....

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
She is actually listed as a grad student on the roster, so that could be another year.

Well, no. Whether you play as an undergrad or as a grad student, your four years of eligibility come out of the five year clock. No extension on the clock just because you are a grad student. The only way the clock gets extended is the three methods i outlined (mission, Nats, hardship/injury.).

But she still has to be under 26 unless the NCAA grants a very special exemption.
Was she in the military? That not only extends the clock but the age limit.

This article from ESPN, written over a year ago, doesn’t explain HOW Haley was able to get three redshirt years, but does explain why.

It talks about being in he 6th year on the roster, with one year still to go.

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/tournament/2012/story/_/id/7688017/2012-women-ncaa-tournament-byu-cougars-haley-steed-worth-waiting-for

It’s really pretty confusing looking at the BYU website, but in essence she had two medical redshirt years and one “standard” redshirt year. There were no LDS missions and there was no military service involved.

2006-07 Freshman year/Medical Redshirt: Suffered season ending injury with a torn ACL to her left knee in the game @ New Mexico State on 12/06/06. Had played in all games to date

2007-08 Redshirt Year

2008-09 Sophomore year: Played in the first game of the season at Portland State on Nov. 14 and injured her knee with just under two minutes to play in the contest. Was unable to play the rest of the season due to the ACL injury…..but it was not called another Medical Redshirt year until the 10-11 season when she played the entire season. (BYU’s definition, not mine).

2009-2010 Junior Year: Played the entire year

2010-11 Medical Redshirt Year: Played entire year to make up for “lost” year in 2008-09

2011-12 Senior Year: Played the entire year

2012-13 Graduate Year: Played the entire year

If she played an entire four years as the website states, her eligibiliby is done. You only get four years.

She took what they call a regular redshirt on her five year clock.

The two medical redshirts ( actually called hardship exemptions) don't count towards either her clock or her eligibility.

BUT... You have to appeal to an NCAA committe on reinstatement to get them. They are not automatic.

Megan could have asked for two more years If she hadn't gone pro.

But nobody gets a fifth full playing year.

Did you find out how old she is? It really doesn't matter if she already played four years.

“14.2 Seasons of Competition: Five-Year Rule.
A student-athlete shall not engage in more than four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport (see Bylaws 14.02.7 and 14.3.3). An institution shall not permit a student-athlete to represent it in intercollegiate competition unless the individual completes all of his or her seasons of participation in all sports within the time periods specified below:
14.2.1 Five-Year Rule. A student-athlete shall complete his or her seasons of participation within five calendar years from the beginning of the semester or quarter in which the student-athlete first registered for a minimum full-time program of studies in a collegiate institution, with time spent in the armed services, on official religious missions or with recognized foreign aid services of the U.S. government being excepted. For international students, service in the armed forces or on an official religious mission of the student’s home country is considered equivalent to such service in the United States. (Revised: 4/2/10)
14.2.1.1 Determining the Start of the Five-Year Period. For purposes of starting the count of time under the five-year rule, a student-athlete shall be considered registered at a collegiate[…]”

Excerpt From: NCAA. “2012-13 Division I Manual.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

There is one more exception to the five year clock. You get a year added to the clock for pregnancy.

Yep, she had three redshirt seasons, all for ACL injuries, played four seasons. Great perseverance on Haley's part.

It was an interesting note in the article that, although she was injured, she continued to travel with the team.....#superfunding

St. Mary's is done for the year, which means all the WCC women's basketball teams are done too....

A very tight game all the way against Utah yesterday in Moraga, but despite having a huge edge in rebounding and foul shooting, Utah was the much better shooting team, hitting 11/22 3's in the 58-55 win in the WNIT quarterfinal.

St. Mary's finishes the season at 23-11....would love to see the Pilots do that...SOON!

(The WCC still has two men's teams alive; BYU in the NIT, and SCU in the CBI).

DoubleDipper wrote:Final Four:

CONNECTICUT (1) vs. Notre Dame (1) - The Irish have found a way to win the three meetings this season and have dominated the Huskies over the last few years like no other team ever has. The two Big East powers will have one final clash this season and UConn will find a way to finally pull one out ending the brilliant college career of stellar guard Skylar Diggins.

BAYLOR (1) vs. Stanford (1) - The Cardinal handed Baylor its only loss of the past two seasons in Hawaii on Nov. 16. Odyssey Sims pulled her hamstring early in the first half and the Lady Bears weren't the same. Sims is healthy and will help the Lady Bears avenge the only blemish on their season.

Championship Game:
CONNECTICUT (1)

Well, I was half right:

The Women's Final Four consists of:

#5 Louisville vs. #2 Cal
#1 UConn vs. #1 Notre Dame

I've still got to go with Connecticut as the champion!

DoubleDipper wrote:The Women's Final Four consists of:

#5 Louisville vs. #2 Cal
#1 UConn vs. #1 Notre Dame

I've still got to go with Connecticut as the champion!

And now there are two: LOUISVILLE played good team ball to get by Cal, and UCONN absolutely obliterated Notre Dame with an overwhelming defense....

No reason not to continue expecting UConn to win it all on Tuesday in New Orleans.

DoubleDipper wrote:No reason not to continue expecting UConn to win it all on Tuesday in New Orleans.

Geno Auriemma has been chasing Pat Summitt since he started coaching. Now with his eighth national championship, he has finally caught her.

It might not be long before Auriemma stands alone with freshman Breanna Stewart leading the way.

Stewart scored 18 of her 23 points in a dazzling first half and Connecticut won its eighth NCAA title with a 93-60 rout of Louisville on Tuesday night. It was the most lopsided victory in a title game, and it put the Huskies back atop college basketball after missing the game the past two years.

The title tied Auriemma and the Huskies (35-4) with Summitt for the most in women's basketball history. Unlike the Tennessee great, Auriemma has never lost a championship game in eight appearances.