Where NC State women’s basketball stands in NCAA Bracketology heading into postseason

It’s March, and postseason women’s basketball has arrived. After a rocky start to the season, NC State raced to the finish line with wins in 20 of its last 22 games as it appears to be peaking at the right time. 

The Wolfpack, which earned five Associated Top 25 wins down the stretch of the season, enters the ACC Tournament as the league’s top seed. NC State earned a share of the conference’s regular season title, but since it beat Notre Dame in the penultimate home regular season game, the Pack sits in the No. 1 seed. 

That end of year surge not only allowed the Wolfpack to claim the best seed in the league tournament this week, but it also boosted NC State’s NCAA Tournament stock. At one point, the Pack was a three-seed in the NCAA’s pre-tournament list, but it has since risen to the two line going into the conference quarterfinals on Friday afternoon (1 p.m., ACC Network) in Greensboro.

NC State, which appears to be a lock to host the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, will put its 16-0 record inside Reynolds Coliseum on the line as it looks to get back to the Final Four for the second straight year.

Let’s take a look at where the Wolfpack stacks up in the latest bracketology going into the ACC Tournament.

ESPN

In his latest iteration of the bracket, which released Thursday morning, ESPN’s Charlie Creme has the Wolfpack as the No. 2 seed in Region 1. The top left quadrant on the bracket, the second weekend is set to be played in Birmingham, Ala.

Creme slotted NC State against 15-seeded Lehigh in the opening round at Reynolds Coliseum with No. 7 seed Utah and No. 10 seed Indiana joining the Wolfpack in Raleigh. 

Lehigh, the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, begins its postseason quest on Monday night in the quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks went 24-6 in the regular season, including a 15-3 record in conference play. Lehigh, which owns a Power Conference win at Northwestern, is expected to win its league crown to make the field of 68 teams. 

Utah, meanwhile, is the sixth seed in the Big 12 Tournament. The Utes went 22-7 in the regular season, including a 78-67 win over Notre Dame in the Cayman Islands on Nov. 30. Indiana, the final squad in the four-team pod, posted an 18-11 mark this season, including a 10-8 record in Big Ten play. 

No. 1 Texas headlines this region, while a date with No. 3 seed Oklahoma could happen in the Sweet 16.

Her Hoop Stats

Megan Gauer, who runs bracketology for Her Hoop Stats, placed NC State as the No. 2 seed in Region 1 as well. Gauer slotted the Pack against 15-seeded College of Charleston, while she also had No. 7 seed Utah and No. 10 seed Richmond making the trip to Reynolds Coliseum. 

Charleston is currently in second place of the Coastal Athletic Association with a 21-6 overall record, including a 12-4 mark in league play. The Cougars are expected to win the conference tournament, which is set for March 12-16 in Washington, D.C.

Richmond, meanwhile, presents as a dangerous 10th seed as it is projected to visit Raleigh. The Spiders, which went 26-5, including a 17-1 mark in Atlantic 10 play, appear to have enough of a resume to earn an at-large should they not win the league tournament this week. Richmond is currently No. 32 in the NET rankings — the highest-rated mid-major team in the nation. 

NC State is in the same region as No. 1 seed Texas and could face No. 3 seed TCU in the Sweet 16 in this projection.

The Athletic

While the Wolfpack was in Region 1 in the first two projections, The Athletic’s Mark Schindler placed NC State in Region 2, the top right quadrant of the bracket. He still projected that group to play the second weekend in Birmingham, Ala.

Schindler had 15-seeded Southeastern Louisiana playing the Pack in the first game, while he had No. 7 seed Utah and No. 10 seed Nebraska rounding out the quartet. 

Southeastern Louisiana is the top seed in the Southland Conference Tournament after it went 25-4, including a 19-1 mark in league play. The Lions do not own a win over a Power Conference team with losses at Nebraska (78-68 on Nov. 9) and Houston (70-65 on Dec. 8).

The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, finished the regular season ninth in the Big Ten standings. Nebraska went 20-10 overall, including a 10-8 mark in conference play, with one ranked win at then-No. 17 Maryland on Feb. 13 on its resume.

No. 1 Texas leads this region, while a rematch with No. 3 TCU would await in the Sweet 16.