ESPN waited until the end of its selection show to show LSU’s fate in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. When the Lady Tigers’ name came across the screen with a one beside the school’s name, things got loud.
The small crowd on hand in the fifth floor of the LSU Athletic Administration Building erupted in applause when ESPN announced LSU would be a No. 1 seed in the West region. The top billing could pave the way for the Lady Tigers to reach their first Final Four. Sixteen of the 21 past NCAA champions were top seeds.
LSU (27-3) earned its first-ever No. 1 seed and will face Southwest Texas (18-13) Saturday in the first round in Eugene, Ore., at a time to be determined. The Lady Tigers beat the Bobcats 91-40 on Dec. 21 in Baton Rouge.
LSU head coach Sue Gunter said she was pleased with the team’s placement but was not happy about the caliber of competition in the West region.
“Wow! Couldn’t they have found a little bit tougher bracket to put us in?” Gunter asked after Sunday’s show. “Did they have to put everyone that’s in the Top 10 in that one bracket?”
Four teams in LSU’s bracket rank in the Top 10 and eight teams are ranked in the Top 25.
“When you get to this point, everybody’s good and you have to play good people and all we’re about right now is Southwest Texas,” Gunter said.
If the Lady Tigers win Saturday, they will face the winner of No. 8 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay and No. 9 seed Washington on Monday, March 24.
Other teams in the bracket include No. 2 seed Texas, which LSU beat 76-58 on Dec. 28, No. 5 seed Louisiana Tech and No. 7 Arkansas. The Lady Tigers beat the LadyBacks twice in three games this season.
LSU point guard Temeka Johnson said having played Southwest Texas earlier in the year is an advantage, but they have to focus on Saturday’s game.
“We can’t even worry about it,” Johnson said. “We just have to concentrate on Southwest Texas right now and go from there. All the teams that we’ve played have prepared us for this whole, entire NCAA thing, so we’ll be OK.”
Gunter said the previous games give both teams an advantage, but she is not worried because the game is at a neutral site. She said being the top seed gives LSU the edge because the bracket is set up for them to face lesser opponents.
“You know who you’re staying away from until you’re fortunate enough get to Atlanta,” Gunter said. “You know you’re not going to play the other three [top seeds].”
Center Aiysha Smith said waiting for the decision kept her on her toes, but after she heard LSU was a top seed, it eased her mind. She said playing tough teams in the nation’s best conference will help them in the tournament.
“It’s just like league play,” Smith said. “The SEC is very tough, just like our region is, so we can’t look over anybody. We just have to go to Oregon a little bit earlier to get used to it.”
Gunter said finally getting to be a No. 1 seed has made this season, one in which the Lady Tigers won the SEC Tournament and consistently have been ranked high in the national polls, a banner one.
“I think it’s huge for our program to be a No. 1 seed,” Gunter said. “It’s a culminating point, and it’s another thing we haven’t done before.”