Gonzaga women's basketball doesn't have a great seed. For the second straight year they end up with a lower seeding, meaning the Bulldogs will have to fight their way through upper competition to get to the second weekend. Luckily for them, once again they'll be in good shape based on the region they've ended up in. Once again they have to feel pretty good about their position.
No. 6 Rutgers draws the brunt end here.
Rutgers and coach C. Vivian Stringer seem to never enjoy a favorable landing spot on Selection Monday and it now appears to be a routine occurrence.
For the seventh time since 2003, the Scarlet Knights learned last night they’ll be shipped off to the home state of a lower-seeded team for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
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"At this particular point in my life, with this team, I don’t care," Stringer said afterwards. "I don’t care what people do. We’re happy to play. We appreciate the opportunity.
"It really doesn’t matter. I’m not afraid of anybody. I kick into another gear this time of year. I can hardly sleep. Everything else was a dress rehearsal. The curtain is up. It’s time to put this show on the road."
The selection process tends to favor locations that turn out favorable audiences and have adequate facilities, and it appears Spokane has become very favorable to the women's college basketball audience, as their games have sold out on a regular basis. Gonzaga thus was the obvious pick for the Spokane regional, even if it meant facing teams that performed better than them in the regular season. It's one of those painful efficiencies that the Bulldogs will try their best to exploit.
To discuss Gonzaga basketball, head on over to the Slipper Still Fits.