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Angelique Chengelis and Tony Paul of The Detroit News predict how far Michigan and Michigan State will go in the Women's NCAA Tournament:
➤Angelique Chengelis: The Wolverines are young but performed well during a rigorous season that featured games against some of the top teams in the country. They are led by a trio of sophomores – Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway – who helped Michigan to a top-16 seed and an opportunity to host first- and second-round games. Being able to host in the Women's NCAA Tournament is an enormous advantage and gives teams a favorable path to the Sweet 16. Michigan will beat Holy Cross and the winner of N.C. State vs. Tennessee and will make the Sweet 16. And now that the Wolverines have had a chance to rest since a tough finish to the season, they will be sharp enough to make a run to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history. But this team is a year away from getting beyond there and into the Final Four.
More: Michigan earns No. 2 seed as host team in Women's NCAA Tournament
➤Tony Paul: It’s not very often you get a breather moving from the regular season to the NCAA Tournament. But that’s the case for Michigan, which faced a gauntlet of a schedule down the stretch and now gets to host a game or (likely) two at Crisler Center this week. Michigan’s star sophomores were freshmen when they got to the second round a year ago. Expect a slightly deeper run this year – even though perennial powers Tennessee and N.C. State wait in the wings – with little issue handling Holy Cross to start.
➤Angelique Chengelis: The Spartans want to return to how they started the season when they were on a roll, highly ranked and in the running for a top-16 seed. Down the stretch, though, Michigan State struggled and coach Robyn Fralick said the team needed to focus on finishing plays and games. The Spartans are certainly capable of making a postseason run thanks to Grace VanSlooten and Kennedy Blair, but can they find that early-season spark again? It's tough to advance from a second-round game played at a top-16 host as the Spartans found out last year. This year, the Spartans play at host Oklahoma and will get past Colorado State in the first round but will have a tough time against the Sooners. It's impressive Fralick, in her three seasons, has led the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament each year. The next step is hosting to have a shot at the Sweet 16. It will be another second-round loss for MSU.
More: Michigan State women's basketball earns No. 5 seed in NCAA Tournament
➤Tony Paul: It was a limp to the finish line for the Michigan State women, who probably were ranked a little too low to start the season and a little too high for much of the season after taking advantage of a relatively pedestrian nonconference slate. Making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009 is going to be quite the challenge, with host and No. 4 seed Oklahoma waiting in the wings in Norman. MSU cost itself a chance to host with its late-season stumbles, having lost six of nine. I’d say one (win) and done.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Predictions for Michigan and Michigan State in Women's NCAA Tournament
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Michigan
➤Angelique Chengelis: The Wolverines are young but performed well during a rigorous season that featured games against some of the top teams in the country. They are led by a trio of sophomores – Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway – who helped Michigan to a top-16 seed and an opportunity to host first- and second-round games. Being able to host in the Women's NCAA Tournament is an enormous advantage and gives teams a favorable path to the Sweet 16. Michigan will beat Holy Cross and the winner of N.C. State vs. Tennessee and will make the Sweet 16. And now that the Wolverines have had a chance to rest since a tough finish to the season, they will be sharp enough to make a run to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history. But this team is a year away from getting beyond there and into the Final Four.
More: Michigan earns No. 2 seed as host team in Women's NCAA Tournament
➤Tony Paul: It’s not very often you get a breather moving from the regular season to the NCAA Tournament. But that’s the case for Michigan, which faced a gauntlet of a schedule down the stretch and now gets to host a game or (likely) two at Crisler Center this week. Michigan’s star sophomores were freshmen when they got to the second round a year ago. Expect a slightly deeper run this year – even though perennial powers Tennessee and N.C. State wait in the wings – with little issue handling Holy Cross to start.
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Michigan State
➤Angelique Chengelis: The Spartans want to return to how they started the season when they were on a roll, highly ranked and in the running for a top-16 seed. Down the stretch, though, Michigan State struggled and coach Robyn Fralick said the team needed to focus on finishing plays and games. The Spartans are certainly capable of making a postseason run thanks to Grace VanSlooten and Kennedy Blair, but can they find that early-season spark again? It's tough to advance from a second-round game played at a top-16 host as the Spartans found out last year. This year, the Spartans play at host Oklahoma and will get past Colorado State in the first round but will have a tough time against the Sooners. It's impressive Fralick, in her three seasons, has led the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament each year. The next step is hosting to have a shot at the Sweet 16. It will be another second-round loss for MSU.
More: Michigan State women's basketball earns No. 5 seed in NCAA Tournament
➤Tony Paul: It was a limp to the finish line for the Michigan State women, who probably were ranked a little too low to start the season and a little too high for much of the season after taking advantage of a relatively pedestrian nonconference slate. Making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009 is going to be quite the challenge, with host and No. 4 seed Oklahoma waiting in the wings in Norman. MSU cost itself a chance to host with its late-season stumbles, having lost six of nine. I’d say one (win) and done.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Predictions for Michigan and Michigan State in Women's NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
