In the first game No. 16 St. Francis (PA) will square off with No. 16 Alabama State, with a trip to Kentucky to take on the top overall seed Auburn on the line. In the second game, No. 11 North Carolina — a surprising inclusion in the tournament — takes on No.

Both USC and UConn have strong cases to make it to the Final Four, and win a national championship, but with Paige Bueckers starring a professional basketball career in the face, and UConn without a national title in a decade, the sense of urgency should favor the Huskies.