Where do NC State, rest of the ACC land in NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket?

Jadyn Watson-Fisher
·3 min read

N.C. State, North Carolina and Duke found out their NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament destinations on Selection Sunday.

The Wolfpack (27-6) earned a No. 3 seed in the Portland 4 regional. It will host the first weekend at Reynolds Coliseum before teams head to the regional sites.

N.C. State is set to face No. 14 Chattanooga (28-4), out of the Southern Conference.

The Wolfpack’s first weekend also features No. 6 Tennessee (19-12), led by former N.C. State coach Kellie Harper, and No. 11 Green Bay (27-6).

N.C. State’s regional also includes No. 1 seed Texas, No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 4 Gonzaga.

Head coach Wes Moore came to Raleigh after coaching Chattanooga from 1998-2013. He led the Lady Mocs to 12 regular season conference titles, nine tournament titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

Moore became the first coach in history to take teams to NCAA Tournament in Division I, II and III levels.

The Duke bench reacts after a three-point basket by Reigan Richardson during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 69-58 win over N.C. State on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
The Duke bench reacts after a three-point basket by Reigan Richardson during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 69-58 win over N.C. State on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Duke (20-11) earned the No. 7 seed in the Portland 3 regional and will open with No. 10 seed Richmond of the Atlantic 10 Conference. It will play the first round in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by No. 2 seed Ohio State (25-5).

The Blue Devils beat Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament’s second round, before losing by three points to N.C. State in the quarterfinals.

Duke’s region also features No. 1 seed Southern Cal, No. 3 seed UConn and No. 4 seed Virginia Tech. Duke is 2-7 against Top 25 teams in the NET.

North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby and South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao lunge for a loose ball during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 65-58 loss on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby and South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao lunge for a loose ball during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 65-58 loss on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.

North Carolina (19-12) earned the No. 8 seed and will face No. 9 Michigan State in Columbia, South Carolina. The Tar Heels would have to also defeat No. 1 overall seed South Carolina to advance to the Albany 1 regional. UNC lost to the Gamecocks in Chapel Hill, 65-58.

ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme said Friday the Tar Heels’ lower seeding was fair, considering its inconsistency this season.

Notre Dame (26-6) and Virginia Tech (24-7) will also represent the ACC as host sites.

The selection committee placed the Irish on the No. 2 line in the Albany 1 regional, the same as South Carolina. It will open the tournament against No. 15 Kent State (26-6).

The Irish finished slightly higher than the Wolfpack in the seeding after winning the ACC Tournament.

Virginia Tech was “on the doorstep of being a No. 1 seed,” Creme said, but its resume includes a few tough losses and Elizabeth Kitley’s injury. Tech will open against No. 13 Marshall.

In total, eight ACC teams earned a spot in March Madness. Louisville (24-9) earned a No. 6 seed in the Albany 2 regional. Syracuse (23-7) also earned a No. 6 seed, but it was placed in the Portland 3 regional.

Florida State (23-10) landed at No. 9 in the Portland 4 regional.

Miami (19-12) did not make the tournament., despite having wins over N.C. State, Duke, North Carolina, and Jackson State. Its NET ranking was higher than tournament teams, Vanderbilt and Columbia. The Hurricanes were originally predicted to earn a No. 10 seed.

The first round takes place on March 22-23 and the second round is March 24-25. Official dates and times have not been released.