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Undefeated UConn and Notre Dame highlight 2014 women’s NCAA Tournament

Geno Auriemma

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma watches play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Penn State in Storrs, Conn., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

AP

The Bracket

While we’ve debated about the men’s edition of the NCAA Tournament for a little over 24 hours now, on Monday, attention turned to the women’s NCAA Tournament as defending champion UConn, Notre Dame, Tennessee and South Carolina were all given No. 1 seeds in this year’s event.

The women’s NCAA Tournament tips off March 22nd and 23rd with first-round action and finishes up with the Final Four in Nashville on April 6th, with the championship game occurring on April 8th.

Much has been made of Wichita State entering the men’s NCAA Tournament as the first unbeaten team since UNLV in 1991, but in the women’s tournament AAC champion UConn (34-0) and ACC champion Notre Dame (32-0) both enter the field unblemished on the season.

Entering the tournament unbeaten is more common in the women’s game -- with Baylor last doing it in 2011-12 on its way to a 40-0 season and national championship -- but it is only the second time that two teams have entered the women’s tournament undefeated.

The last time it happened was 1998 when Tennessee claimed the national title as the Lady Vols defeated the other unbeaten team, No. 16 seed Liberty, in the first round.

Speaking of the Lady Vols (27-5), they claimed a No. 1 seed after winning the SEC Tournament title and they’re joined as a one-seed by SEC regular-season champion South Carolina (27-4).

Many expected South Carolina to potentially fall from a No. 1 seed after the Gamecocks dropped two of their last three games, but No. 2 seed Stanford (29-3) fell in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals to USC, which helped South Carolina maintain its spot.

Other No. 2 seeds joining the Cardinal include Duke (27-6), West Virginia (29-4) and Baylor (29-4). Defending national runner-up Louisville (30-4) headlines the No. 3 seeds that also includes Texas A&M (24-8), Kentucky (24-8) and Penn State (22-7).

Among the interesting story lines surrounding the 2014 Women’s NCAA Tournament includes the return of schools hosting regional finals on their home floors. After nearly a decade at neutral sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, this season’s regionals will be played on campus at Nebraska, Louisville, Notre Dame and Stanford.

First and second-round games are commonly played on campus sites and this trend continues in 2014 as well.

The regionals returning to campus sites gives unbeaten No. 1 seed Notre Dame a homecourt advantage in regional play and it means No. 1 seed UConn could have what amounts to a road game in Lincoln at No. 4 seed Nebraska in the Sweet 16. No. 3 seed Louisville also could get a homecourt advantage over No. 1 seed Tennessee in the Elite 8 while the same thing could happen with No. 2 seed Stanford getting a home game against No. 1 seed South Carolina.

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