That's a really interesting post. I just saw that ESPN3 will be televising the Ags at UC Irvine on May 17 & 18. I hope they play well on national tv.

It was simply a draw based on geography and money for the NCAA and not on the strength of the Aggies. I read where the Stanford coach, Tara VanDerveer, was not happy with the draw either. She had this to say:

She also said she was “not excited” about playing the Aggies because their head coach, Jennifer Gross, and her staff were a huge help to the Stanford coaches several years ago when they were learning the Princeton offense, which UCD has used for many years. VanDerveer wanted to open up the offense after All-American Chiney Ogwumike left in 2014.

“I’ve been rooting for them all year,” VanDerveer said. “It’s hard to play someone you’re close to and want to win, too.” But she added, “It’s every woman for themselves.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-women-will-host-UC-Davis-ESPN-botches-13698532.php

Who knows? I would think that we won't see such a stacked schedule but I hope we don't water the schedule down to the point that the wins are essentially meaningless for our RPI and SOS and any loses to weak teams brings the RPI and SOS way down real fast.

I believe we are already scheduled to play in the Hardwood Classic again next season so we will be playing at Indiana and Arkansas again.

The 64 team WNIT field is set:

I think the Aggies would have made a deep run into the WNIT if they had not gotten into the Big Dance. Most likely they would have hosted St Mary's in the first round and, if they beat them, I think they would have hosted again against the winner of the Pepperdine vs Cal Baptist. I think they just may have hosted the third round also.

https://www.womensnit.com/tournaments/brackets/index.aspx?bracket_id=87

Hawai'i travels to St Mary's for their first round game on Friday night in the WNIT.

Apparently UCSB and Hawai'i had offers to play in a post-season tournament but turned them down. Those other tournaments are pay for play with little exposure so they must have felt it's not worth it.

The 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
All Times EST

First Round

MONDAY, MARCH 18
NJIT 92, Quinnipiac 81

TUESDAY, MARCH 19
Cornell (15-15) vs. Robert Morris (17-16) 7:00 pm

Jim Phelan Classic
IUPUI (16-16) vs. Marshall (19-14) 7:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20
Texas Southern (21-13) vs. New Orleans (19-13) 8:00 pm
Grambling (17-16) vs. UT Rio Grande Valley (19-16) 8:00 pm
Presbyterian (18-15) vs. Seattle (18-14) 10:00 pm

Hugh Durham Classic
Green Bay (17-16) vs. ETSU (24-9) 7:00 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 21
FAU (17-15) vs. Charleston Southern (17-15) 7:00 pm

Coach John McLendon Classic
Saint Francis Brooklyn (17-15) vs. Hampton (16-17) 7:00 pm

Riley Wallace Classic
CSU Bakersfield (16-15) vs. Cal State Fullerton (16-17) 10:00 pm

Lou Henson Classic
Kent State (22-10) vs. UL Monroe (18-15) 8:00 pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Drake (24-9) vs. Southern Utah (16-16) 8:30 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 23
FIU (19-13) vs. Texas State (24-9) 7:00 pm

Second Round
NOTE: Top 3 seeds will get a bye after first round

Quarterfinals
March 27-31

Semifinals
April 2

Championship
April 4

http://www.2019cit.com/schedule-results.php

Kevin Blue is on the CIT Selection Committee:

CIT SELECTION COMMITTEE
The CIT Selection Committee consists of 12 current NCAA Division I Athletic Directors and Conference Commissioners.

Kevin Blue, UC Davis
Jim Donovan, Cal State Fullerton - Committee Chairman
Ted Gumbart, Atlantic Sun Conference
Tim Hall, UMBC
Kelley Hartley Hutton, Fort Wayne
Ryan Ivey, Stephen F. Austin
Lenny Kaplan, NJIT
Eugene Marshall, Jr., Hampton
Jeremy McClain. Troy
Ed McLaughlin, VCU
Bob Moosbrugger, Bowling Green
Peter Pilling, Columbia

Hawai'i is going to the WNIT (opponent TBD) and Riverside is in the WBI and will host Utah State.

They could have beaten Hawai'i by 40 and the NCAA would have still sent them to Stanford because of their geographic prioritizing. It sounds like it makes sense since women's basketball doesn't generate the fan numbers that the men do. However, if you want to grow the interest in the sport, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to continue to penalize up and coming programs by matching them up with #1 and #2 seeds and thereby practically guaranteeing they go one and done. That just continues to feed the big programs and it hurts recruiting for the up and coming programs since the lopsided losses look bad. The Aggies have dominated the Big West for the past 3 years. I think they were at least a 14 seed if not a 13.

Don't get me wrong though. Stanford will be facing a very good 15 seed that simply got jobbed. We'll bring a good contingent of fans to the game and the NCAA will have a few more bucks for their overflowing coffers. The Ags just may show up with a big chip on their shoulders too with everything to gain and nothing to lose. Nothing like a little disrespect to motivate a team.

We stunned Stanford in football once and we just may stun them again in this game.

The bracket leak ruined Selection Monday

The leak, and subsequent adjustments, ruined the entire evening for all involved, in so many ways. Viewing parties were likely cancelled. There will be no raw emotion and tension captured on camera, no live reaction shots of bubble teams finding out they’ve received a bid

Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu summed up the players’ perspective pretty well:

What a bunch of crap from the NCAA. This team is much more deserving than being a 15 seed. I think this is mostly the NCAA thinking that this game will bring in more fans and that will mean more money for them. Pure BS...

Here are a few excerpts from an extensive Enterprise article interviewing Jen Gross and the Aggie players:

Q. What went wrong in that first half? Then how did the Aggies turn it around in the second 20 minutes?

Gross — “It’s such a blur. Our goal was to defend and rebound. And to Hawaii’s credit, they scored on us pretty much every time to start the game. We weren’t playing with enough urgency. On the offensive side, I thought we were really stagnant.

“We talked about getting the ball moving, but (Hawaii) was doing a really good job with the pressure and we were being passive, quite frankly.

“As a group, we came into this game telling ourselves, ‘We’re not going to let ourselves get stagnant,’ and we did.

“I thought in the second half, when we can get stops, when can get going in transition, put a little pressure on their defense and play a little faster, we got a couple of buckets that way.

“I thought (Cierra Hall) really did a tremendous job. They were sagging off her — they were helping and trying to double-team and cross things up for Morgan — (Hall) made a number of really nice plays for us, whether that was passing plays or scoring plays.

“We told our guards we have to try to be more aggressive. We can’t be passive in our offense. We have to try to kick it, then drive it again and then look inside.

“That was planned. We tried to get people in the right positions so Morgan could have a little more space attacking the basket — and she did a tremendous job finishing…

“I think our defense really did fuel our offense. We were able to finally get some stops. For a lot of teams, I think when they score, then they feel good and then they play harder on defense. For our team, all year long, we hung our hats on our defense.

“Just a tremendous job of focus through our (second-half) multiple possessions.”[/quote]

Q. Cierra, Hawaii is a physical team, but it seemed like your physicality in the second half had a big impact in making them a little less physical. How did you feel about your game and the physical aspect of the game?

Cierra Hall — “They came out and like punched us in the face with their physicality.

“We had to react to that. Being physical, to me, is the best part of the game — getting in there and banging with the big dogs. I’ve been an undersized post my whole life, so to me there’s nothing better than going out there, and the refs letting us play, being able to give it right back to them.

“If that’s how I can help my team — get the boards and help to be physical — then that’s what I’ll do every single time. It was blast, being in there and banging.”

Sofia Song's father has been in a coma for 2 years after a heart attack:

Q. Sophia, can you describe your emotions during the celebration? Was that relief, joy? What can you describe?

Song — “I’m getting emotional just thinking about it again. Maybe because …

(Long pause as a tearful Song tries to collect herself)

“I’m so, so happy. These are happy tears. This woman right here (Gross) helped me get through the hardest years of my life. I really wanted to stop playing basketball last year — but she and my teammates really got me to this point where I am out there competing and performing.

“To be of this much help to the team and to win this whole thing is just an unbelievable feeling. This is a huge win for the program, but it is a really big personal one for me as well.

(As Song’s emotions again got the better of her, there was another long pause as Gross, Bertsch and Hall consoled their sister.)

“Thanks to all these people for not letting me give up.

“I can’t describe how I am feeling right now. To be where I am, even mentally, it’s just a crazy feeling.

“I am so grateful and blessed to be a part of this program and there were too many emotions that hit me when we won that I can’t even describe it.

“I’m just very thankful for all these people. I’m very, very happy.”[/quote]

Much more here: https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/whew-take-a-breath-aggie-women-here-ya-go-again/

Hahaha...I completely messed up on that...you're right...CSUN is playing in the CBI at Utah Valley. I fixed the post.

Fullerton is actually playing in the CIT and is hosting Bakersfield on Thursday.

Irvine got a good draw and could win a couple of games and advance to the Sweet 16. That would be great for the Big West Conference.

She looks like an impressive scorer and is very athletic. Etiwanda High School is ranked as the #4 team in the nation. Awesome!

Here is a link to the ESPN replay of the game:

http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=92972dac-6dd2-4ffa-94c7-7993e729cf62

From the Associated Press: UC Davis rallies from 17 down to win Big West women's title

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Cal Davis saved its biggest comeback in nearly eight years for the perfect time.

The Aggies trailed Hawaii 39-22 with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter on Saturday before rallying to capture their first Big West Conference Women's Tournament title in eight years, defeating the Rainbow Wahine 58-50.

"To say we faced some adversity is a bit of an understatement. We either were going to stand up to them and their pressure or we were going to go home disappointed," UC Davis coach Jennifer Gross said. "We came up with some big stops and big plays to turn the momentum back."

Tournament MVP Morgan Bertsch led the Aggies (25-6) with 24 points and Cierra Hall added 14. UC Davis -- which is headed to the NCAA Women's Tournament for the first time since 2011 -- has won a program record 15 straight and 22 of its last 23.

The last time UC Davis rallied from 17 down to win was on Dec. 20, 2011. Its opponent? Hawaii.

More here: http://www.espn.com/ncw/recap?gameId=401121563