Lady Vols basketball bracketology update: Latest NCAA bracket predictions
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Lady Vols basketball keeps moving up in the projected women’s NCAA Tournament field.
Tennessee (14-7, 7-2 SEC) has moved out of the play-in games in ESPN’s latest bracketology update Tuesday. The Lady Vols went from the Last Four In to the Last Four Byes after their win over Missouri on Sunday.
Green Bay is one spot ahead of the Lady Vols in the Last Four Byes and Alabama and Texas A&M are right behind them. Tennessee plays at Alabama on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) and will play the Aggies in its last home game.
The Lady Vols rose from a projected No. 11 seed to a No. 10 seed in the Portland 3 region. They are projected to play No. 7 seed UNLV in Boulder, Colorado, where the Buffs are the projected No. 2 seed. NC State is the No. 1 seed in Portland 3.
The teams projected as No. 9 seeds are Princeton, Washington State, Miami and Oklahoma, which Tennessee has a win over.
The Lady Vols are holding steady at No. 49 in the NCAA NET rankings. They were No. 98 after losing to Middle Tennessee State in December.
This is Tennessee’s third week in the projected tournament field after being dropped following their 5-5 start. The Lady Vols hovered on the bubble between the First Four Out and the Next Four Out after starting SEC play 3-1. They moved back into the field after wins at Mississippi State and Vanderbilt at home.
When Tennessee first dropped out of the field, ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme said it wasn’t time to panic yet if the Lady Vols put together a substantial SEC record. They are in sole possession of second place in the SEC.
A signature win over LSU or South Carolina would boost Tennessee’s seeding significantly, and staying competitive in a loss is crucial.
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The Lady Vols, who have never missed an NCAA Tournament, have eight NCAA championships and 18 trips to the Final Four. All of those happened under coach Pat Summitt, and the last time they did either was in 2008.
The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament during Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper’s first season. Tennessee has made the Sweet 16 the past two seasons. It was the first time the Lady Vols made back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 since 2015 and 2016.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
Read More: Lady Vols basketball bracketology update: Latest NCAA bracket predictions 2024-02-06 15:11:11