The bracket is finalized and the 2022 DII women’s basketball tournament is set to tip off Friday, March 11. Before the first ball is tipped, let’s take a dive into the bracket and see if we can predict some winners.
How much does seeding play into a team making it to the DII women’s Elite Eight? One thing is for certain: A team’s likelihood of advancing is against it if it is a No. 5, No. 6 or No. 8 seed. Going through the past five DII women’s basketball tournaments, not one team that was seeded No. 5, No. 6 or No. 8 advanced to the quarterfinals in any of those seasons. Surprisingly, No. 7 seeds have had a bit of success, with four advancing to the DII women’s Elite Eight over that span.
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Of those 40 teams to appear in the DII women’s Elite Eight the past five years, 14 have been No. 1 seeds and 13 have been No. 2 seeds. That’s just about three No. 1 seeds and nearly the same number of No. 2 seeds per year. That’s 67.5 percent of the quarterfinal teams, so it is certainly advantageous to start as a better-seeded team. In fact, three of the past five championship games have featured a No. 1 versus a No. 2 seed.
So, if you’re picking a bracket, be mindful of choosing too many upsets….
