WNIT 2021 = 32 teams [merged thread]

[Viet Vet]

Teams that made WNIT--Brackets to follow

2021 field announced for 32-team Postseason WNIT

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After fighting through adversity and complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an impressive group of 32 teams kept up the fight all season and has been selected to play in the 2021 Postseason WNIT.

womensnit.com

AQ’s (9)
Bowling Green (20-6), Mid-American
California Baptist (24-0), Western Athletic
Dayton (14-3), Atlantic 10
Delaware (21-4), Colonial
Louisiana (16-6), Sun Belt
New Mexico (15-4), Mountain West
Rice (18-4), Conference USA
Samford (14-9), Southern
UT Martin (20-5), Ohio Valley

At-Large (23)
Arizona State (11-10), Pac-12
Charlotte (10-10), Conference USA
Clemson (11-13), Atlantic Coast
Colorado (10-10), Pac-12
Creighton (9-11), Big East
DePaul (14-8), Big East
Drake (16-11), Missouri Valley
Florida (11-13), SEC
Fordham (12-4), Atlantic 10
Fresno State (16-10), Mountain West
Houston (16-7), American
Illinois State (15-7), Missouri Valley
Milwaukee (19-7), Horizon
Missouri (9-11), SEC
Nebraska (12-12), Big Ten
Northern Iowa (14-12), Missouri Valley
Ohio (14-8), Mid-American
Ole Miss (11-11), SEC
Saint Louis (12-4), Atlantic 10
San Francisco (15-10), West Coast
Tulane (17-8), American
UMass (14-7), Atlantic 10
Villanova (15-6), Big Eas

 

[Viet Vet]

Slightly bigger YAWN than the men's NIT.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm all in rooting for Cal Baptist in the WNIT!

 

[Lorcan]

I'm all in rooting for Cal Baptist in the WNIT!

Undefeated National Champions has a nice ring to it!

 

[ochoopsfan]

It appears Buffalo is the 33rd team in WNIT in case someone has to drop out.

 

[Rooster C.]

Ha ... have you ever seen the attendance at a Clemson home game?

Not all WNIT at-large teams are "bubble" teams per se.

But Clemson wasn't terribly far from it -- #64 in the NET, wins over tournament teams Florida State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and bona fide "bubble" team Notre Dame

Well....Miami did not have a losing record....and they beat FSU, Wake Forest(when it was a must-win for them) and Clemson twice! A slightly higher NET but they lost a close game at Louisville by only 3 and beat NC twice as well as having a better conference record so.....

 

[ochoopsfan]

WNIT Bracket

 

[Vowelguy]

Knowing next to nothing about these teams, I'll predict a final 8 of:

ASU - Cal Baptist / Delaware - Villanova
Nebraska - Ole Miss / BGSU - DePaul

Massey predicts:
Mizzou - Houston / Clemson - Florida
Colorado - Ole Miss / Creighton - DePaul

 

[Vowelguy]

In line with the above, WNIT auto bids will go to the following regular-season conference champs:

Maine (America East)​

Dayton (Atlantic 10)​

Delaware (Colonial)​

Rice (Conference USA)​

​

IUPUI (Horizon)​

Bowling Green (MAC)​

New Mexico (Mountain West)​

TN Martin (Ohio Valley)​

​

Bucknell (Patriot)​

Samford (SoCon)​

Louisiana (Sun Belt)​

Cal Baptist (WAC)​

Maine turned down its bid.
Bucknell & IUPUI must have as well

 

[Lorcan]

I'm not sure who I like in this bracket.

Cal Baptist with a tough path through Houston, Arizona State, and heck New Mexico might even beat them in R1.

I'm eying whether Chelsea Perry can lead UT Martin past Nebraska, then likely Colorado back to back while Ole Miss gets an easier route to Round 3-- but Tulane is no slouch.

I'd say......


Arizona State
Houston
Ohio
Villanova
UT Martin
Tulane
Bowling Green
Milwaukee

 

[Plebe]

To me the most intriguing first round games are in the Ft. Worth region on Friday:

Rice–Arizona State
Fresno State–Missouri
Cal Baptist–New Mexico

UNM's NET ranking (54) is more than 100 spots higher than the (by far) best team CBU has played all season (Grand Canyon, #163).

 

[Plebe]

Based on how they finished down the stretch, I consider Ole Miss the clear favorite of the Memphis region. They may play the winner of an Intriguing potential 2nd-round matchup between former Big 12 foes Colorado and Nebraska.

In the Rockford IL region, on paper it should be Dayton and Bowling Green facing off in the second round, but Creighton is a streaky team that may have something to say about that. DePaul is the theoretical favorite in the bottom half of the region, but who knows with their poor play of late.

Would love to see Villanova do well in the Charlotte region, and they have a decent draw.

 

[donalddoowop]

Wow. My Saint Louis Billikens get no respect.

 

[Plebe]

Wow. My Saint Louis Billikens get no respect.

How did they not get an NCAA at-large, with those huge marquee wins over Dayton and Bradley

 

[Lorcan]

I mean, if Butler can beat DePaul, St. Louis should handle them no problem. That's practically a cupcake matchup! A dream!

 

[Plebe]

Well....Miami did not have a losing record....and they beat FSU, Wake Forest(when it was a must-win for them) and Clemson twice! A slightly higher NET but they lost a close game at Louisville by only 3 and beat NC twice as well as having a better conference record so.....

Do we know that Miami didn't decline a bid? I have a feeling they were offered.

 

[azfan]

Go Devils! Delighted for CTT and her young team to get an invite although Rice might be a tall order.

The Cal Baptist - New Mexico game should be super fun.

 

[donalddoowop]

How did they not get an NCAA at-large, with those huge marquee wins over Dayton and Bradley

Maybe if they had made it to the conference championship game they would have gotten an invite. I doubt if they had gotten far.

 

[Plebe]

Maybe if they had made it to the conference championship game they would have gotten an invite. I doubt if they had gotten far.

Only if they had gone completely undefeated otherwise, and even then it would be only barely a maybe. The A-10 offered next to nothing in the way of quality wins. The road win at Dayton was as good as it gets and they're only in the 70s of NET.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Honestly I believe the WNIT shouldn't be happening this year with COVID. I am not shocked MSU turned down the bid, they are just ready for this year to be over.

Austin could be the best player in the WNIT. I understand why Ole Miss accepted it, it's growth for their program given where they have been.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Streak of 24 straight NCAA tournaments is over.

An extremely impressive feat matched by few. I've never loved the Domers, but as a wise man once said, be nice on the way up because you'll meet them on the way down. Muffet wisely got out before she had the make the return trip.

 

[Plebe]

An extremely impressive feat matched by few. I've never loved the Domers, but as a wise man once said, be nice on the way up because you'll meet them on the way down. Muffet wisely got out before she had the make the return trip.

Wisely? More like cowardly. When the going got tough then Muffet ... folded up her cheap secondhand tent and skedaddled. Quite ironic just one year after all her posturing and grandstanding as the next Susan B Anthony.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

An extremely impressive feat matched by few. I've never loved the Domers, but as a wise man once said, be nice on the way up because you'll meet them on the way down. Muffet wisely got out before she had the make the return trip.

I get the no love lost for ND on the board here and can't say I was a fan on Easter 2018 but Muffet built a great program. I was a fan of Diggins and loved how fearlessly she played. The games with UConn when she was in uniform reminded me of the old UT/UConn rivalry and they were fun to watch.

Whatever happened that caused McGraw to step away when she did knocked them down a bit, but unlike my alma mater ND has incredible academic reputation, resources, and this impressive history that will keep them relevant. I anticipate the Irish will be back to being among the better programs in the next three years.

 

[azfan]

Wisely? More like cowardly. When the going got tough then Muffet ... folded up her cheap secondhand tent and skedaddled. Quite ironic just one year after all her posturing and grandstanding as the next Susan B Anthony.

View attachment 65894

Excellent point. She made some comment while still coaching she would only hire female assistants. So in her role as a ambassador at Notre Dame how wide is her hiring reach?

 

[azfan]

Can't wait for @Shades to put up polls on the first round games for the tournament.

Clearly the most interesting first round game will be Cal Baptist versus New Mexico.

Both teams can really score. Cal Baptist closed down Grand Canyon in their tournament championship final while New Mexico seems to have some funk in their offense. As go the Duff twins so goes the wandering Lobos.

Lobos, snubbed by NCAA, head to WNIT instead

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team accepted a bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and will begin play in the field of 32 later this week.

www.santafenewmexican.com