Big Ten Women's Basketball: Still the Best Conference in the Country?
Big Ten women's basketball was certainly on the radar this season as seven teams made it to the NCAA Tournament and one team in Iowa advanced all the way to the title game where LSU ultimately finished off the Hawkeyes. Is the Big Ten the best conference in the league this season all things considered?
It depends on how you judge it! Indiana head coach Teri Moren along with her players including junior guard Sydney Parrish have said in multiple press conferences this season they feel like the Big is the best this year — not every season, but this season.
Five of the seven Big Ten teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament had been consistently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll all season long. The Hoosiers led the conference most weeks at No. 2 until Iowa slipped into that position for one week after winning the Big Ten Tournament.
Of course every Division I conference will send at least one representative to the NCAA Tournament given that the conference tournament champion gets an automatic bid to the Big Dance, but the Power Five teams accounted for 34 teams in the NCAA Tournament this year.
If a fan is judging the best conference of the season based on the NCAA Tournament finish, it would definitely be the SEC as the Tigers won their first national championship in program history taking down Iowa 102-85 on Sunday afternoon.
One-seed South Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll all season long and only fell one time this season to the Hawkeyes who then met LSU in the finals. Tennessee and Ole Miss had respectable finishes in the Sweet 16 while Georgia and Mississippi State ended on a second round run. Alabama was the sole SEC team out after the first round. Three SEC teams in South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee were ranked to finish the regular season.
Once again based on the NCAA Tournament, the Big Ten is next in line with Iowa knocking off the undefeated Gamecocks to reach the title game. Maryland and Ohio State beat Notre Dame and legendary UConn respectively to make it to the Sweet 16 while Michigan and an uncharacteristic Indiana fell short in the second round.
The Hoosiers were the only Big Ten team to earn a one-seed. However, no conference had more than one team earn such an honor. Finally, Purdue and Illinois fell short in the First Four. Illinois was ranked sparingly throughout the season.
The ACC also had a tremendous postseason as one-seed Virginia Tech advanced to the Final Four while Miami knocked off Indiana to eventually advance to the Elite Eight alongside Louisville. North Carolina and Duke finished in the second round as Florida State and NC State ended their dance in the first. Four ACC teams finished the season ranked in the AP Poll.
Here's a breakdown of the Power Five teams in the Big Dance with each team's finish.
ACC — 7
- Virginia Tech, Final Four
- Miami and Louisville, Elite Eight
- North Carolina and Duke, Second Round
- Florida State and NC State, First Round
Big Ten — 7
- Iowa, title game
- Maryland and Ohio State, Elite Eight
- Indiana and Michigan, Second Round
- Purdue and Illinois, First Four
Big 12 — 6
- Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor; Second Round
- Iowa State and West Virginia, First Round
Pac-12 — 7
- Colorado, Utah and UCLA; Sweet 16
- Stanford and Arizona, Second Round
- USC and Washington State; First Round
SEC — 7
- LSU, NCAA Champions
- South Carolina, Final Four
- Tennessee and Ole Miss, Sweet 16
- Georgia and Mississippi State, Second Round
- Alabama, First Round
Related stories on NCAA basketball
- CONTROVERSIAL END TO WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT Sunday afternoon, the LSU Tigers took home the women's NCAA championship title but not without controversy as poor officiating affected both teams, and trash talk between the foes was the central topic of social media. CLICK HERE
- NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FINAL SCORES The field of 68 women's teams competing in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament will be announced on Selection Sunday night. Here is all the information you need to know about the tournament teams so far complete with a schedule, locations and game times. CLICK HERE
