March 17, 2008

2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Four Big Ten women's basketball teams have been selected to participate in the 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, the NCAA announced on Monday. Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Purdue will all vie for the national title when competition begins on Saturday, March 22.

A No. 9 seed in the New Orleans Regional, Iowa earns its 17th overall trip and fifth in the last eight years after sharing the 2008 Big Ten title with Ohio State. The Hawkeyes will face No. 8 Georgia at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va., on Sunday, March 23, at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Iowa boasts a 21-10 record, which is the Hawkeyes' first 20-win season since 2004-05, while their conference championship is the squad's first since 1998. Iowa is led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Lisa Bluder, who earlier this season became the third active conference mentor to eclipse the 500-career-victories milestone.

Minnesota is making its seventh overall NCAA appearance and its sixth in the last seven years, entering the bracket as the No. 9 seed in the Greensboro Regional. The Golden Gophers will play No. 8 Texas at Bridgeport Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Minnesota owns a record of 20-11, marking the team's first 20-win season since 2004-05. At 11-7 in Big Ten play, the Gophers finished the conference season tied for third. Minnesota is led by first-team All-Big Ten honoree Emily Fox, who leads her team with a 17.0 points-per-game average.

Making its sixth consecutive and 17th overall trip to the NCAA Championship, Ohio State was tabbed as a No. 6 seed in the New Orleans Regional. The nationally-ranked Buckeyes will take on No. 11 Florida State at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, March 22, at approximately 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. OSU earned an at-large bid after sharing the Big Ten title with Iowa. The Buckeyes recorded their sixth straight 20-win season and own a conference-best 22-8 overall record heading into tournament play. Ohio State is led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jantel Lavender, who was also named the conference's Player of the Year by the coaches, becoming the first Big Ten freshman to have ever earned the distinction. Lavender is the only freshman in the NCAA to rank among the nation's top 50 in scoring and rebounding.

Purdue earns its 15th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship after earning the Big Ten's automatic bid by winning the conference tournament. The Boilermakers are the No. 9 seed in the Oklahoma City Regional and will face No. 8 Utah at home in Mackey Arena on Sunday, March 23, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Boilermakers advanced to the Elite Eight in last year's NCAA Championship. The 2008 Big Ten Tournament title was Purdue's second consecutive trophy and the team's seventh overall. Sophomore FahKara Malone led Purdue in the team's chase for the Big Ten Tournament title, receiving the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award after averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 assists and 5.7 steals per game. Malone's 17 swipes set a tournament record.

The Big Ten has now sent at least four teams to the NCAA Championship on 18 occasions in the 27-year history of the event, including in 15 of the last 16 years. Ohio State and Purdue are both making back-to-back trips into the bracket, while Minnesota's last bid came in 2006 and Iowa's last appearance was in 2004.

The 2008 Women's Final Four will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on April 6 and 8.