Questions Raised, Questions Answered - Round 2 Aftermath

Chauny answers some previously asked questions about the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Courtesy: AP Photo/Jerry Larson

Having fun yet? Me too. Let’s get into some answered questions.

Spokane 1

• 1. Is this the year Ole Miss takes a leap? – The Rebels got a staple win in 2023 defeating Stanford to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years. They defeated Ball State 83-65 and take on 4 Baylor in round two. Is this the year they extend that 2023 success?

  • -It looks like it. After a win over 4 seed Baylor, Ole Miss returns to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. They face a UCLA team that they can hang with if they bring their signature defense.

• 2. Did UCLA show they were the #1 overall seed? – Round one as the top seed is all about taking care of business. Over in South Carolina, the Gamecocks put up 108 in their opening matchup against Tennessee Tech. UCLA put up a more demure 86 on a stout Southern team but will they come out and dominate more in round two?

  • They pulled away at the end against Richmond, but it was still close for a looooong time. They face an Ole Miss team that isn’t going to make things easy for them at all, but if the Bruins’ big names are all clicking and Cori’s familiarity with the team kicks in then they could make it an early night.

• 3. Is LSU healthy enough to avoid an early tournament exit? – Friday the Tigers had practice and LSU beat writer Cory Diaz posted a picture of the compression shoes that both Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow will be wearing. Is that reason to be concerned?

  • -Yes. The Tigers are good to go. No concerns on their end. Yay compression shoes!

• 4. Did Arizona State wait for Molly Miller’s postgame press conference to end before they hired her? Like we knew she was taking a P4 job and it was just a matter of where, but I swear that notification came like a few minutes after the final buzzer sounded. Sheesh.

  • -It appears so. The real question was had the final buzzer even sounded before Grand Canyon made an offer to South Carolina assistant coach Winston Gandy???

Birmingham 1

• 1. Are Dawn’s youngest daycare attendees ready to get the keys to the program? – South Carolina came out and absolutely dominated in their 108-48 win over Tennessee Tech. Every single Gamecock that suited up scored in that game but it was freshman Joyce Edwards that led the way with 22. Sophomores Milaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson were next with 15 and 11 respectively. Just pure eye test that trio could be an problem for the league for the next few years but the question is does Dawn trust them to take over now?

  • -Not quite. Indiana provided its typical matchup issue and the youngins were a bit frazzled. Joyce Edwards saw some looks on defense that she hasn’t typically seen and it threw her off a bit. Staley said she was glad Edwards was able to experience that early in the tournament so she’s not shell shocked later on. They are in a good position for a bounce back game.

• 2. Can Indiana create matchup problems like they did last year? – The Hoosiers took care of Utah 76-68 and will face South Carolina. Last year Indiana was able to stretch the floor and create a matchup nightmare for the Gamecocks. They ran the offense pretty efficiently, can they put pressure on South Carolina’s defense?

  • -Yes. Indiana might just be the thorn in SC’s side for years to come. They had a slight one-point lead heading into half time and rattled SC’s younger talent a bit. It wasn’t until the vets took over and went on a killer third quarter run that the game looked out of reach. And even after that, Indiana kept was dangerously close to getting the lead to one possession in the fourth.

• 3. How far will West Virginia's defense take them? – Love a good gritty defensive team to muck up some matchups and punch their ticket. Can West Virginia muster enough offense to crash the dance at the Elite 8?

  • -Not this year. Still need a few more offensive pieces to match said defense.

• 4. Is Oregan back? – Ok don’t involve Andrew, but after the gritty 77-73 overtime win over Vanderbilt Oregon looks primed to make a run for the first time since before the pandemic. After all the player departures and hitting rock bottom, is Oregon back?

  • -Kinda sorta. Kelly Graves feels revitalized and most likely saved his job. With the departure of Deja Kelly, the next step is gaining from the transfer portal instead of losing en masse like we’ve seen several times in the last few years so they can put together another competitive squad.

Spokane 2

• 1. Is Kentucky ok? – That was scary. Liberty almost got them out the paint, literally. Was that just first round hiccup or is Kentucky in danger?

  • -Kentucky was in fact in danger. Shout out to K-State. Ayoka Lee is her.

• 2. Can USC West outdo USC East? – Lindsey Gottlieb was one of the coaches displeased with her seeding as was Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks came out and dropped a cool 108 points and sent a message if you read between the lines. Can SoCal show they should’ve been higher with a dominant performance of their own?

  • -No. What I will say is despite the absolute devastating news that Juju Watkins is done for the year, USC is still in good shape. This is the moment Kiki Iriafen was made for and if Talia von Oelhoffen can finally find that Oregon State magic, this team could still be pretty dangerous.

• 3. Is the pressure off UConn? – Everyone’s been seething about seeding and Geno Auriemma is surprisingly zen. While the narrative should be eventual #1 WNBA draft pick Paige Bueckers cementing her place in college basketball history with a title, the focus seems to be every but there. Is the pressure off UConn and will that work in their favor?

  • -Yes and yes. There’s more fanfare around this being Paige’s last rodeo so the focus has been on enjoying her hoop. The title is seen more as a neat storybook ending than a necessary chapter is what I’m getting at. Which is fine, not gonna stop my agenda any.

Birmingham 2

• 1. Are you not entertained? – Did this section have and still have the most lit matchups?

  • -Jury’s still out because that Alabama Maryland game was INSANE!

• 2. Will the Hailey Van Lith Bowl deliver a cinematic experience? – It was a little sketchy for TCU early on and for Louisville all the way to the final buzzer, but both teams got the job done and will meet in round two. Will we get our money’s worth?

  • -Yes. Louisville came storming back and threatened to give us the most hilarious ending to the HVL bowl, but shout out to TCU for closing.

• 3. Is Notre Dame back? – The Fighting Irish lit SF Austin up to the tune of 106 points and gave fans hope after limping into the tournament. Unfortunately, Olivia Miles suffered a leg injury during the game and it’s got everyone waiting with baited breath on her status. If Miles can play, based on round one, is the Notre Dame back to their old form?

  • -Yes. O Miles is gutting it out and after a convincing 21-point win over a solid Michigan team, I’ve seen enough to say they’re back to what we’ve grown accustomed to this season.

• 4. Will Texas prove a point? – Again, there’s been a lot of talk about who should be seeded where and I feel like the consensus is Texas is the problem and shouldn’t be where they are. Will they come out and put up gaudy numbers like their counterparts and send a message?

  • -No, and that’s ok. They’re in the Sweet 16 all the same. They’re heavily favored to beat Tennessee, but I don’t trust those nerds. Eye test says the Lady Vols could give Texas a serious run for their money.