The NCAA Tournament is once again crowded with Big Ten contenders as more than half of the conference received invitations to the Big Dance.
For the second straight year, six squads - Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois and MSU - found themselves on the board as the NCAA selection committee unveiled brackets on Sunday. The six bids are tied for most in Big Ten history.
The Boilermakers (26-5) garnered the highest Big Ten seed at No. 2 in the East region, which is the same bracket as the eighth-seeded Spartans (17-11). The squads have a chance to meet in the Sweet 16.
The Lady Lions (24-8) and the Buckeyes (21-9) received No. 4 seeds in the Mideast and West regions, respectively. The Golden Gophers (23-5) join Ohio State in the West, while the Fighting Illini (17-11) rounds out conference picks with a ninth-seed in the Mideast. Purdue and Penn State have the added advantage of hosting the first and second rounds of the tourney.
Bubble bobble
During Sunday's selection show on ESPN, there were eight teams distinguished as being on the proverbial bubble.
After half the tournament seeds had been announced, the number had dwindled to four, leaving a nail-biting finish for the Spartans.
MSU was one of the final four bubble teams to be chosen, and head coach Joanne P. McCallie said the repeated on-screen reminders only added to the anxiety of the wait.
"The wait is always exciting, your brain's working overtime," she said. "I tried to hold myself neutral, but, man, they kept showing those bubble teams over and over."
After a break halfway through the program, the Spartans were the 37th team unveiled for the Women's NCAA Tournament.
Do a little dance
With seriousness and suspense hanging in the air Sunday at the Berkowitz Basketball Complex, the Spartans got a bit of comic relief. Halfway through the show, the program flashed to a clip of Tennessee, back-to-back national champions in 1997-98. Starring in the piece was MSU assistant coach Niya Butts, a member of the Lady Vols from 1996-2000.
Butts was shown bear-hugging a teammate after winning the title game, which sent the room into laughter and applause.
On top of the pile
Since the Women's NCAA Tournament began in 1981, 16 top seeds have won the title, including the past five tournaments.
MSU has a shot to dispel the trend.
If the Spartans can get past Texas Christian on Sunday, they will advance to play the overall No. 1 seed, defending national champion Connecticut.
