Eight more spots in the Sweet 16 await.
Monday’s NCAA Tournament action tips off at high noon, with No. 6-seed Alabama challenging No. 3-seed Louisville (12 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Here’s a closer look at some of the most intriguing matchups, storylines and more that could develop during Monday’s full day of action. Share your must-watch priorities and predictions in the comments below.
Can UVA go from the First Four to the Sweet 16?
Can No. 10-seed Virginia become the First Four team to advance to the Sweet 16? The milestone is theirs with a win over No. 2-seed
Iowa on Monday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
With how Kymora Johnson is playing, it’s easy to believe in the Cavaliers’ chances.
She sealed UVA’s First Four win over Arizona State with a late 3-pointer. She then was an offensive force for UVA in their overtime upset of No. 7-seed Georgia, finishing with 28 points, going 5-for-10 from 3, converting all seven of her free throws, grabbing seven boards and dishing six assists.
Virginia’s interior presence inspires further confidence in their upset ability.
The second-best shot blocking team in the nation, the Hoos have the length, with Sa’Myah Smith, Tabitha Amanze and Caitlin Weimar, to contend with Iowa’s post tandem of Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke, who steered the Hawkeyes through an uneven first-round performance, combining for 42 points and 23 rebounds.
Can UVA slide into Cinderella’s slipper and advance to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 2000? Or, will Iowa make sure the clock strikes midnight? And, do you agree that this is the day’s most likely upset, or should another higher-seeded team also be on upset watch?
Notre Dame-Ohio State will be a dynamic PG duel
Not many would dispute that Hannah Hidalgo is the most dynamic point guard in the country. Many of those who do, however, reside in Columbus and would give their vote to Jaloni Cambridge.
On Monday, Cambridge and No. 3-seed Ohio State will welcome the challenge from Hidalgo and No. 6-seed Notre Dame (4 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Hidalgo, who is the nation’s third-leading scorer with 25.2 points per game and leading steals maven with 5.5 per game, while also averaging more than five assists per game and finishing a career-best 53.7 percent of her 2-pointers, is an irrepressible two-way force, intent up salvaging an up-and-down season in South Bend by the leading the Fighting Irish back to the Sweet 16 for the fifth-straight season.
While Hidalgo pulsates with passion, Cambridge balances her electric game with a sense of cool. She netted nearly 23 points per game this season, improving her shooting percentages from all areas of the floor as she also upped her rebounding activity to 5.6 boards per game and increased her assists to 4.5 per contest.
Both players also can explode for huge scoring games. Hidalgo has nine games of 30 or more points with a season high of 47 points. Cambridge is on her heels with six games of 30-plus points and a season high of 41 points.
If the guards duel to a draw, Cambridge’s supporting cast is more likely to come through. Her older sister Kennedy is enjoying the best season of her college career, captaining Ohio State’s aggressive defense with 3.8 steals per game. Expect her to be tasked with trying to trouble Hidalgo. Chance Gray is one of the game’s most dangerous deep threats; she’s an almost 41 percent 3-point shooter who launches more than six triples per game. Ava Watson supplements OSU’s perimeter shooting and defense, while 6-foot-6 Elsa Lemmilä gives them a presence in the paint. Kylee Kitts then fills any gaps with her hustle.
The Irish likely need a full-force hero-ball performance from Hidalgo to advance—and it seems unwise to doubt her.
Do you think Hidalgo can engineer an epic Irish upset? Or, will Cambridge star and steer the Buckeyes back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2023?
South Carolina will prove themselves to be “The Realest SC”
In November, South Carolina traveled to Los Angeles to take on Southern Cal and determine “The Real SC.” The Gamecocks, now a No. 1-seed, trounced the No. 9-seed Trojans, 69-52, to claim the title.
This second-round tournament rematch will crown “The Realest SC,” with the two USCs battling with more than bragging rights on the line (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
It would be surprising if the result was reversed. South Carolina, which now will benefit from a FAMs-filled Colonial Life Arena, cruised to a program-record first-round win over No. 16-seed Southern, while Southern Cal required overtime to escape against No. 8-seed Clemson.
Jazzy Davidson, who met the moment in her tournament debut on Saturday, struggled in her first go-round against the Gamecocks, scoring just eight points as she shot 4-for-11 from the field. In contrast, Joyce Edwards, who led South Carolina with 27 points in their tournament opener, tallied a tidy double-double of 17-points and 10-rebounds when South Carolina won in LA.
As Edwin Garcia noted in his account of USC’s incredible first-round win, Davidson’s precocious star power makes you believe that she could pull off something special. But with the likes of Raven Johnson, college basketball’s best perimeter defender, on the other side, it’s hard to imagine Jazzy and the Trojans dancing to a SC upset.
What do you think? Does Jazzy have the juice needed to at least send a scare through South Carolina? Or, will Joyce and the Gamecocks roll into yet another Sweet 16?
The other No. 1 seeds similarly should saunter into the Sweet 16 without too much of a sweat.
Against No. 9-seed Syracuse, UConn is expected to notch win No. 36, preserving their undefeated record and extending their repeat quest (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). After a sluggish start to their tournament opener that drew the ire of head coach Cori Close, UCLA should be dialed in against a No. 8-seed Oklahoma State squad that surely will try to shoot their way to an upset (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Is there any reason for UConn or UCLA to be worried? Do you need to see top seeds dominate from tip to buzzer, or are you understanding of some stretches of unfocused play as long as the outcome is never in question? And if UConn or UCLA were to lose, would an early exit be more disastrous for the Huskies or Bruins?
