As anticipation continues to build towards NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament games in Cassell Coliseum this Friday and Sunday, join us as we take a deep dive into the teams coming to Blacksburg for first and second round games.
Virginia Tech earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament after posting a 27-4 mark and claiming the program's first-ever ACC Tournament title. The Hokies will play No. 16 Chattanooga in a first-round game Friday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by a contest between eighth-seeded USC and No. 9 South Dakota State.
The winners of those two games will play for a trip to the Sweet 16 on Sunday, March 19 (game time TBD).
NO. 16 CHATTANOOGA
The Mocs earned a spot in the Big Dance after winning the SoCon tournament following a second-place finish in the league standings during the regular season. A familiar face will be on the sideline as Chattanooga first-year head coach Shawn Poppie returns to Blacksburg after spending six seasons as an assistant coach under Brooks, including the final three years as associate head coach.
Chattanooga has won 20 games so far this season, including eight of its last 10. The Mocs rank 16th nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 54.7 points per game. Raven Thompson and Yazz Wazeerud-Din are two players to watch, as Thompson earned SoCon Freshman of the Year honors while Wazeerud-Din was a first team all-league pick. Both average better than 15 points per game.
Virginia Tech is 5-0 all-time against Chattanooga while Brooks is 2-0 in games against the Mocs as the Hokies' head coach. The two teams last met back on Nov. 19, 2018, a 75-49 Tech win in Cassell.
NO. 8 USC
No stranger to NCAA Tournament success, the Trojans are making their 17th trip to March Madness, but just their first since 2014. USC is a two-time national champion and is on the hunt for its 30th all-time victory in the tournament.
USC received an at-large bid after finishing 21-9 in the regular season and 11-7 in the Pac-12 Conference. Like Chattanooga, the Trojans boast a stout defense, ranking in the top 20 nationally in blocks per game (5.7 bpg) scoring defense (54.8 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (35.4%). Rayah Marshall was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and is a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, boasting averages of 3.4 blocks per game and 11.4 rebounds per game.
Virginia Tech and USC have met just once previously, a 65-64 Tech setback in the Bahamas on Nov. 24, 2007.
NO. 9 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
One of the best mid-major programs in the country, SDSU comes to Blacksburg fresh off Summit League regular season and tournament titles, amassing a 28-5 record during the regular season. The Jackrabbits are riding a 21-game winning streak, the third-longest streak in the nation, and have not lost since Dec. 15, 2022.
Summit League Player of the Year Myah Selland leads the Jackrabbits in scoring with nearly 16 points per game while also pulling down more than six rebounds per contest. As a team, SDSU ranks 11th nationally in scoring offense (79.4 ppg), fifth in scoring margin (19.1 ppg) and sixth in field goal percentage (48.0%).
South Dakota State is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2021. Virginia Tech has never faced the Jackrabbits.