Memphis: 'Embarrassed' Tennessee on Road to Redemption

What's in the water in Morgantown?

First, West Virginia men's coach Bob Huggins spent Sunday evening and Monday morning griping that his team ended up in the same region with Kentucky.

Then, Huggins' women's counterpart, Mike Carey griped Monday night about his team, the third seed in the Memphis Regional, having to start the tournament in Austin, where they might have to play Texas.

"I think Pittsburgh was a realistic option," said Carey. "We are a third seed and finished second in the Big East, and we have to go and play someone on their home floor, I don't see why that happened. But once again, we just have to get ready to play. It just shows you that we don't get the respect that we need to get."

If West Virginia can get out of Texas, it's likely to run smack into a Duke team, the Memphis region's No. 2 seed that ranks 17th in the nation in scoring defense. Junior guard Jasmine Thomas has blossomed into one of the nation's top lead guards, and is as adept at scoring as she is distributing.

Much of the country will be watching Baylor freshman center Brittney Griner in her first extended national exposure since she was suspended for throwing a punch at a Texas Tech opponent.

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In the end, however, Tennessee, a No. 1 seed for the 20th time, looks primed to head to San Antonio without having to leave the state's borders.

"It feels great because usually Tennessee is a No. 1 seed, and I just feel like we're back to Tennessee -- the way Tennessee is supposed to be," sophomore guard Shekinna Stricklen said.

The Lady Vols, who were bounced from the NCAA tournament in the first round for the first time in program history, are looking to rebound from last year's debacle, where they returned to campus and practiced after losing to Ball State.

"They wanted to get better," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt (above right) said. "I think they were embarrassed. They made history in a bad way, so now I think they want to make history in a good way."

Regional Final Site: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.

The Winner: Tennessee. Quietly, or as quietly as a Tennessee team can, the Lady Vols have put together a solid, if unexciting campaign that should get them back to the Final Four after a one-year absence.

Bracket Buster: Hartford. Coach Jen Rizzotti's Hawks had won 20 straight before losing narrowly to Vermont in the America East finals. Hartford is just defensively-minded and scrappy enough to put a scare into an inconsistent LSU team before meeting Duke in Durham.

Ripe for the Taking: West Virginia. The Mountaineers, who lost to only three other teams not named Connecticut, might have the unenviable task of beating Texas in Austin, should both teams win their first-round games.

The Matchup to Watch: Duke vs. Texas in the regional semifinals. The seedings don't suggest this meeting, but if it happens, the junior and senior Blue Devil players would have to face their former coach, Gail Goestenkors, one year after current Duke coach, Joanne P. McCallie lost to her former school, Michigan State. And who says the NCAA doesn't have a sense of humor.

The Player to Watch: Tennessee's Stricklen. The 6-foot-2 swing not only leads the Lady Vols in assists, but is third on the team in rebounds. Her ability to control the game is critical to Tennessee's chances to get to the Final Four.

Bracket Notes: Tennessee has received a bid to each NCAA tournament, a streak of 29 straight ... Lamar (19 years) and Georgetown (17 years) have the longest gaps between their most recent tournament appearances ... Three schools in the region, Tennessee, Baylor and Texas, have won national titles, more than in any other region ... Austin Peay (15-17) the Ohio Valley tournament champion, is the only team in the field with a losing record.