Questions Raised, Questions Answered - Sweet 16 Answers
Answers to Chauny's Sweet 16 questions.
A lot of these questions were answered IMMEDIATELY. Let’s dive into what happened.
BIRMINGHAM
-Will familiarity help anybody? The theme of this region has turned into “I know you well and I hate you.” South Carolina’s Bree Hall said in a locker room interview that she learned “something personal” after the Gamecocks’ last meeting with Maryland it’s fueling her, so there's that. Duke and UNC goes without saying. HVL Bowl II features TCU and Hailey Van Lith’s old ACC foe Notre Dame, who faced and lost to TCU earlier this season. Texas vs. Tennessee is the only matchup void of any real static, but that can change. Is burnt orange or Lady Vols orange the best shade? Let the teams play for their honor!
- Yes. Maryland head coach Brenda Frese claimed Maryland showed the blueprint to beating South Carolina. Didn’t know it was a group project, but ok. The familiarity stilled helped her Terps keep it close. Hailey Van Lith knew what to expect against Notre Dame and stayed calm, cool and collected to get the dub. Texas used familiarity with their self to just play their game and get the second win over Tennessee this year.
- Will HVL Bowl II deliver? We’ve gotten the matchup we’ve wanted after a thriller against Louisville thanks to some late game heroics by Jayda Curry. As stated in the previous question, TCU already defeated Notre Dame once this season. Will the get back be an incredible one or will Hailey’s Horned Frogs prevail? Find out next time on Dragonball Z!
- YES! IT WAS CINEMA! Notre Dame threw some heavy punches in the first half and looked to have the game on lock until HVL stepped up in the 4th an got it down. There was yapping, shimmying staredowns and more and I personally loved every minute of it.
-Which players turned coaches will prevail? Every team is with the exception of Texas is led by a coach with collegiate playing experience. That comes into play with how they communicate with their players as well as how they approach the game. Which former hooper will advance and what was so wrong with Vic Schaefer’s jumper?
- Turns out you don’t need a reliable jumper as a coach to advance. Vic and his girls got the dub and now is still the lone coach with no collegiate hoops experience in the Birmingham region. It’s hilarious because Dawn Staley and Kara Lawson face off today and I’m not putting money on Vic’s defense against either of them.
- Which game will provide the most theatrics? There are some intriguing matchups but I’mma be honest…if we get some blowouts I’m gonna be mad. I don’t mind a little OT. Put the kids to bed and let’s watch some hoops!
- All of them were good! Each game had its own set of drama and came down to the 4th quarter and saw a hero emerge late. I’m incredibly thankful. Uncommon favor.
SPOKANE
-Will Wes Moore pay for his unethical hate? Seriously, wtf was this about?
-YES! And Angel Reese if you’re still waiting to whack Wes Moore again, Stay in line! Love to see it, truly.
-Can Ole Miss stop Lauren Betts from dominating? The Rebels are quite thin in the frontcourt. Will Lauren Betts take advantage and lead her team to the Elite 8?
-No. Betts had her way with that Ole Miss frontcourt to the tune of 31 and 10.
-Can Oklahoma shock the world…again? The Sooners already made major headlines this week when five-star recruit Aaliyah Chavez announced she's taking her talents to Norman (please clap). Can OU make headlines again with a major upset over a determined Paige Bueckers as the UConn Huskies? Bonus question: will Reagen Beers have a career night in the process?
- Kinda. They had us in the first half, not gonna lie. Peyton Verhulst pulling up from darn near the logo had the world on the edge of their seats. We’ll always have that to remember.
-Are you ready for Kiki Iriafen vs. Ayoka Lee? The basketball community was devastated by the injury to Juju Watkins, but that doesn’t mean Trojan fans should give up hope. Iriafen is still a lottery pick level talent and now has the perfect stage to show it. She’s going head-to-head with Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee who, and I cannot stress this enough, scored 61 points on Tyler’s Oklahoma Sooners just three years ago. She’s healthy and the Wildcats are clicking and hungry for a trip to the Elite 8.
-Turns out it was Serena Sundell vs. Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell. My bad folks. Sundell went off for 22 points and was the driving force for Kansas State. Smith and Howell finished with 19 and 18 respectively and really delivered at a time when it was really needed.