By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 14, 2011
The favorite
Baylor. The Big 12 tournament champions have dominated all season, led by center and sophomore phenom Brittney Griner — who had 31 points, seven blocks and eight rebounds in the tournament final. Baylor is 31-2 with its only losses coming on the road against Connecticut and Texas Tech. The Bears enter the tournament on a seven-game winning streak and on a mission. They've had to battle back from double-digit deficits — including the Big 12 tournament final — so they are experienced and know how to face adversity. The key is keeping Griner out of foul trouble. Twice in the past week Baylor has cut down the nets (regular-season and tournament titles), and the players have said they are determined to do it once more this year.
"It's a feeling that you want to keep having," Griner said. "So it's definitely something to look forward to and work hard to try and get that feeling again."
Other contenders
Texas A&M, Florida State, Michigan State. The Aggies became the only team in NCAA Tournament history to be chosen as a No. 2 seed four consecutive years. They have strong guards, which is critical in the tournament, and are motivated by an early exit last season. FSU's strength is its defense. Also, playing at Auburn could make it a close enough game to draw a favorable crowd. Michigan State has tournament experience and is battle-tested in the Big Ten.
Best player
Griner is 6 feet 8 with a wingspan of more than 7 feet and without a doubt is fantastic. But the unsung hero, and arguably most talented, is Baylor freshman G Odyssey Sims, left. She averages 13.5 points (Griner 22.6) but shoots 45.6 percent on 3-pointers and can take over with her outside shooting. She's the outside threat that makes Griner even more effective inside.
Dream matchup
Texas A&M vs. Baylor. They met twice this season with Baylor winning both, but the matchups were highly competitive and the rivalry is fierce. It's always tough to beat a team three times in one season, which puts extra pressure on the Bears. Plus, it would be great for Texas and women's college basketball to have an All-Texas region final. That's a crowd any team would love to play in front of.
Antonya English, Times staff writer