March Madness Looks Orderly in This Bracket

Just how competitive is women’s college basketball?

The number of quality players is much greater than 15-20 years ago, and more than 200 Division I teams have participated in the women’s NCAA tournament since it began in 1982. Yet many of the same teams -- Tennessee, Connecticut, Louisiana Tech, Purdue, Duke -- continue to dominate postseason play.

The imbalance that defines as well as limits the women’s game has been evident in this year’s tournament.

Even with the change this year to predetermined tournament sites instead of the top 16 seeds having the option to host first- and second-round games, it was the top two seeded teams in all four regions that played for a Final Four berth.

As for the Final Four, look at the semifinalists -- Tennessee, Connecticut, Duke and Texas. Texas, the lone second-seeded team to win a regional, is the only team that hasn’t been here recently. Still, the Longhorns have won a national championship.

When asked if there was a perception that too few teams have a realistic chance reaching the Final Four, Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma said yes.

“[The Final Four] is somewhat predictable,” said Auriemma, whose team is the defending champion. “But it will become less predictable, I think. Not less predictable in the sense that certain teams won’t always be in the mix, but less predictable in who those teams are.”

Even so, Auriemma said, “you will still have one or two teams here every year that everybody goes, ‘Oh yeah.’ I don’t know if you can ever get away from that.”

But don’t expect Auriemma, or his coaching counterparts, Jody Conradt of Texas, Pat Summitt of Tennessee or Gail Goestenkors of Duke, to apologize for their success. Conradt said, “If Connecticut is the standard, then the rest of us better work as hard as we can to try and get there.”

Texas (29-5), which plays Connecticut in one semifinal, is the hottest team, judging by its 17-game winning streak, currently the longest in Division I.

The Longhorns can play the power game with 6-foot-1 junior forward Stacy Stephens (14.4 points) or finesse you with 6-2 forward sophomore Heather Schreiber (14.4), who is equally adept finishing the fastbreak or pulling up for a three-pointer.

“We’ll try to guard their guards. I don’t know if we match up really well with their big kids,” Auriemma said.

Of course the 35-1 Huskies know something about streaks. They had won 70 in a row until being upset by Villanova in the Big East tournament championship game. They have the game’s best all-around player in Diana Taurasi (17.4), as well as solid role players in guard Ann Strother (10.1) and sophomore center Jessica Moore.

“Rebounding will be the key issue in this game,” Conradt said. “We pride ourselves in our rebounding. But it’s also one of the things Connecticut does best.”

In the other semifinal, Tennessee (32-4) and Duke (35-1) both have All-American guards running their show.

Kara Lawson, a 5-8 senior who averages 14.5 points, is playing in her third Final Four as a Lady Vol and is hungry to win her first title. She’d also like to pay back Duke for the 76-55 beating handed out by the Blue Devils on Nov. 24.

“It was the beginning of the year and we were learning a new offense,” Lawson said. “Anytime you incur a loss like that you want the opportunity to play again and try to win.”

Blue Devil guard Alana Beard, a 5-11 junior who averages 21.8 points, would be the consensus player of the year if not for Taurasi. Beard said she would not turn the game into a personal duel with Lawson.

“Our defense is going to pressure all their players,” Beard said.

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WOMEN’S NCAA

FINAL FOUR

At Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Today, ESPN

* Tennessee (32-4)

vs. Duke (35-1), 4 p.m. PST

* Connecticut (35-1)

vs. Texas (29-5), 6:30 p.m. PST

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

ROAD TO FINAL FOUR

DUKE

Midwest Regional

First round: Georgia State, 66-48

Second round: Utah, 65-54

Regional semifinal: Georgia, 66-63

Regional final: Texas Tech, 57-51

TENNESSEE

Mideast Regional

First round: Alabama State, 95-43

Second round: Virginia, 81-51

Regional semifinal: Penn State, 86-58

Regional final: Villanova, 73-49

TEXAS

West Regional

First round: Hampton, 90-46

Second round: Arkansas, 67-50

Regional semifinal: Minnesota, 73-60

Regional final: Louisiana State, 78-60

CONNECTICUT

East Regional

First round: Boston University, 91-44

Second round: Texas Christian, 81-66

Regional semifinal: Boston College, 70-49

Regional final: Purdue, 73-64

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THE BIG TWO

How Tennessee and Connecticut fared in previous Final Four appearances:

TENNESSEE

2002 (l. to Connecticut)

2000 (d. Rutgers, l. to Connecticut)

1998 (d. Arkansas, d. Louisiana Tech)

1997 (d. Notre Dame, d. Old Dominion)

1996 (d. Connecticut, d. Georgia)

1995 (d. Georgia, l. to Connecticut)

1991 (d. Stanford, d. Virginia)

1989 (d. Maryland, d. Auburn)

1988 (l. to Louisiana Tech)

1987 (d. Long Beach St., d. Louisiana Tech)

1986 (l. to USC)

1984 (d. Cheyney, l. to USC)

1982 (l. to Louisiana Tech)

CONNECTICUT

2002 (d. Tennessee, d. Oklahoma)

2001 (l. to Notre Dame)

2000 (d. Penn State, d. Tennessee)

1996 (l. to Tennessee)

1995 (d. Stanford, d. Tennessee)

1991 (l. to Virginia)