Commentary
Breaking down the bracket
Updated: March 13, 2012, 11:04 AM ET
By espnW
Now that we know the field of 64, what do espnW's contributors think about the bracket? Some quick analysis:
SELECTION MONDAY QUICK PICKS
![]() Mechelle Voepel |
![]() Graham Hays |
![]() Charlie Creme |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardest regional | Raleigh | Des Moines | Kingston |
| Easiest regional | Fresno | Raleigh | Des Moines |
| Best first-round game | (8) Ohio State vs. (9) Florida |
(5) St. Bonaventure vs. (12) FGCU |
(7) DePaul vs. (10) BYU |
| Best potential second-round matchup | (7) Vanderbilt vs. (2) Duke |
(7) Green Bay vs. (2) Kentucky |
(3) Texas A&M vs. (6) Arkansas |
| Team better than its seed | (8) Ohio State | (7) Green Bay | (8) Ohio State |
| Team worse than its seed | (9) Texas | (4) Georgia Tech | (9) Texas |
| Biggest snub | Virginia | Hampton's No. 16 seed | OSU's seed, same subregional as Baylor |
| Biggest surprise | Duke not in Chapel Hill | Duke in Nashville | Duke sent to Fresno Regional |
| Possible Cinderella | (5) St. Bonaventure | (10) BYU | (7) Vanderbilt |
| First 1-seed to lose | Notre Dame | Stanford | Notre Dame |
| Most talent in one region | Des Moines | Des Moines | Fresno |
| Under-the-radar player | Toni Kokenis, Stanford |
Lindsey Moore, Nebraska |
Niveen Rasheed, Princeton |
| Final Four | (1) Baylor (1) Stanford (2) Maryland (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor (1) Stanford (1) Notre Dame (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor (1) Stanford (2) Maryland (1) Connecticut |
| Who wins | (1) Baylor over (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor over (1) Notre Dame |
(1) Baylor over (2) Maryland |
SELECTION MONDAY QUICK PICKS
![]() Michelle Smith |
![]() Kate Fagan |
![]() Melanie Jackson |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardest regional | Des Moines | Des Moines | Raleigh |
| Easiest regional | Raleigh | Raleigh | Fresno |
| Best first-round game | (7) Green Bay vs. (10) Iowa State | (7) Green Bay vs. (10) Iowa State | (7) DePaul vs. (10) BYU |
| Best potential second-round matchup | (6) Oklahoma vs. (3) St. John's | (7) Vanderbilt vs. (2) Duke | (7) Vanderbilt vs. (2) Duke |
| Team better than its seed | (8) Ohio State | (6) Oklahoma | (8) Ohio State |
| Team worse than its seed | (9) Texas | (3) Delaware | (9) Texas |
| Biggest snub | Virginia | Temple | Ohio State's seed |
| Biggest surprise | Michigan making field | Texas making field | Duke not in Chapel Hill |
| Possible Cinderella | (7) Green Bay | (10) Iowa State | (5) St. Bonaventure |
| First 1-seed to lose | (1) Connecticut | (1) Notre Dame | (1) Stanford |
| Most talent in a region | Des Moines | Des Moines | Des Moines |
| Under-the-radar player | Julie Wojta, Green Bay | Jordan Hooper, Nebraska | Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan |
| Final Four | (1) Baylor (1) Stanford (1) Notre Dame (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor (1) Stanford (2) Maryland (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor (1) Stanford (1) Notre Dame (1) Connecticut |
| Who wins | (1) Baylor over (1) Notre Dame |
(1) Baylor over (1) Connecticut |
(1) Baylor over (1) Notre Dame |
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2012 WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR

Baylor became the first women's or men's team to go 40-0. It's the seventh perfect season in women's Division I history.
Tournament home » Bracket » Challenge »
BAYLOR GOES 40-0
- Voepel: Baylor (40-0) finishes business »
- Voepel: Griner finally wins first title »
- Fagan: Sims conducts Baylor past Irish »
- Smith: Mulkey's spirit leads Baylor to title »
- Hays: Irish seniors make emotional exit »
- Creme: How Baylor beat Notre Dame »
- McGraw clarifies comments on Griner »
- Baylor vs. perfect teams of the past »
- Stats & Info: Griner powers Baylor »
- Baylor beats Irish, caps 40-0 season

- Mulkey and Griner on set

- Lawson: Where Baylor ranks all-time

- Lobo: Breaking down Baylor's win

- Emotions overcome McGraw

- Doris Burke on Baylor's win

- espnW Total Access: Notre Dame

- Recapping Baylor's road to 40

- Lady Bears celebrate

- Lawson: Baylor's journey to 40-0

- Looking ahead to 2012-13 season

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
- Stats & Info: Historic night either way »
- Voepel: Griner rises above on, off court »
- Fagan: Sims-Diggins will be deciding factor »
- Voepel: Irish, Bears seek second titles »
- Smith: 'Team Mom' Mallory leads Irish »
- Hays: Novosel is master of unconventional »
- Baylor nearly a unanimous pick »
- Creme: National championship preview »
- Fagan: First look at Notre Dame-Baylor »
FINAL FOUR
- Hays: Irish win game of twists, turns »
- Voepel: Condrey helps Baylor stay perfect »
- Fagan: Irish's critical 13-second sequence »
- Smith: Stanford empty-handed again »
- Creme: How Baylor beat Stanford »
- Creme: How Notre Dame beat UConn »
- Honorees include Auriemma, Summitt »
- Voepel: Mulkey keeps it light »
- Creme: Griner ends WNBA rumors »
- Summitt makes Final Four appearance »
- Shelburne: Why slam Griner for dunking? »
- Baylor one of best teams ever? »





