Will weaker nonconference schedules catch up to South Carolina, Stanford?

The statement implicit the qualities of schedules usually doesn't statesman until February erstwhile the spotlight starts to radiance connected the NCAA tourney enactment process.

But wherefore wait?

Nonconference schedules tin marque oregon interruption teams' seeding oregon their inclusion successful the 68-team tourney field. That has made docket operation an creation form. Programs request capable wins to participate the speech for tourney selection, but determination besides indispensable beryllium capable prime opponents to marque those wins worthy something. And it each begins arsenic soon arsenic the 2022-23 play tips connected Nov. 7.

Here's a look astatine the programs that took connected a November and December postulation of games that should assistance them (and hole them) travel March -- and which teams that mightiness look backmost with immoderate regret (or astatine slightest are playing a softer docket than usual).

Which teams helped themselves the astir with their schedule?

UConn Huskies: One could reason that this docket is excessively difficult. Did the Huskies instrumentality connected excessively much, particularly present that Paige Bueckers volition miss the season? Of course, Geno Auriemma would ne'er subscribe to that theory. Play the champion to beryllium the champion is what UConn is attempting this season. This is the country's apical nonconference slate, the benignant of docket that is bully for the sport.

With games against the Texas Longhorns, NC State Wolfpack, Duke Blue Devils and perchance Iowa Hawkeyes (if some scope the Nov. 27 title crippled of the Phil Knight Legacy successful Portland, Oregon) each earlier the extremity of Thanksgiving weekend, the Huskies person a November equivalent to an NCAA tourney run. Throw successful the South Carolina Gamecocks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Maryland Terrapins, Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Princeton Tigers and Florida State Seminoles, and UConn has a gauntlet.

As galore arsenic 7 of those opponents person Elite Eight potential. UConn mislaid 4 games extracurricular the Big East past play yet survived to scope the NCAA tourney rubric game. This slate of games is adjacent much rigorous. Only the results and the Huskies' showing successful March volition archer america if it was worthy it.

Tennessee Lady Vols: These aren't rather the Pat Summitt days of play anyone, anywhere, but the Lady Vols volition beryllium regularly tested successful the archetypal 2 months. That should wage dividends travel March. They unfastened the play with consecutive games against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Atlantic 10 favourite UMass Minutewomen and Indiana Hoosiers, past instantly caput to the Battle 4 Atlantis connected Nov. 19-21 successful the Bahamas, wherever the imaginable hostile successful the finals could beryllium Texas oregon the Louisville Cardinals. Tennessee besides plays the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Stanford Cardinal and UConn, giving the Lady Vols the champion nonconference docket of immoderate squad successful the SEC and 1 that is worthy of a No. 1 seed.

Creighton Bluejays: The seventh-rated nonconference docket is the biggest crushed the Bluejays received an at-large bid and a No. 10 effect to the NCAA tourney a play ago. Then they turned it into an quality successful the Elite Eight. With games astatine the South Dakota Coyotes, South Dakota State Jackrabbits and Stanford, positive matchups with the Arkansas Razorbacks and Nebraska Cornhuskers successful Omaha, this slate is adjacent better. Two wins among this radical with expected occurrence successful the Big East and Creighton volition beryllium overmuch amended than a No. 10 effect this coming March.

Belmont Bruins: This is what mid-major nonconference scheduling should look like. Belmont is the favourite to triumph the Missouri Valley Conference successful its archetypal twelvemonth successful the league. Should they falter successful the league tournament, the Bruins person prime games successful the archetypal 2 months to heighten their at-large résumé. Belmont volition big Louisville and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, sojourn Iowa and the Georgia Lady Bulldogs, and play the Villanova Wildcats, and perchance the Baylor Bears successful Florida astatine the Gulf Coast Showcase connected Nov. 25-27. The Bruins are bully capable to triumph immoderate of those games. If they do, an NCAA tourney bid volition arrive.

Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes didn't play a azygous nonconference crippled against a squad wrong the NET apical 100 past season, but benefitted from a favorable Big Ten docket to station a 23-6 pre-NCAA tourney record. That's wherefore adjacent with a stock of the Big Ten regular-season title, the Buckeyes lone earned a No. 6 seed. Success against this season's docket volition person overmuch much impact. The Nov. 8 matchup with Tennessee successful Columbus is 1 of the champion games of the archetypal week. Louisville successful the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, positive the South Florida Bulls and either Arkansas oregon the Oregon Ducks successful the San Diego Invitational is overmuch amended mentation for this seasoned Ohio State team.

Toledo Rockets: When does a 26-5 squad that dominates its league neglect to get an at-large bid? When lone 1 of those 26 wins comes against a squad successful the apical 100 of the NET, and 5 of 9 nonconference games were against teams extracurricular the apical 250. A atrocious docket outgo the Rockets a accidental to play successful the 2022 NCAA tournament. Coach Tricia Cullop fixed that this offseason. Some clunkers are inactive there, but Toledo added Duke and the Michigan Wolverines to spell with repetition games against the Missouri State Lady Bears and Dayton Flyers. That should assistance immensely should the MAC regular-season favorites falter successful the league tourney again.

Which teams' schedules could person been tougher?

South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks' docket isn't bad. Maryland, Stanford and UConn are inactive there. This conscionable isn't the accustomed South Carolina nonconference slate, 1 that was tops successful the state past year. The Gamecocks person a acceptable a precocious barroom for scheduling that they didn't rather scope this season. It's hard to spot an East Tennessee State Bucs wherever determination was an NC State past season, oregon a Memphis Tigers wherever determination was a Duke.

Stanford Cardinal: The aforesaid goes for the Cardinal. The nonconference docket doesn't conscionable the programme modular this year. South Carolina and Tennessee are the lone top-10 caliber teams Stanford volition play each season, and the Cardinal don't play a azygous nonconference crippled aft Dec. 20. This is simply a seasoned radical and, similar South Carolina, a No. 1 effect seems inevitable, but the tests successful March aren't rather arsenic casual if those successful November and December weren't challenging enough.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish person grown into a seasoned radical that should person aspirations for an Elite Eight oregon beyond. Yet the Irish person a docket much designed for a young squad simply trying to turn confidence. Other than a back-to-back contests against Maryland and UConn to statesman December, Notre Dame plays nary 1 extracurricular of the ACC that builds the résumé. If the Irish spell 0-2 successful those games, the borderline for mistake successful a highly competitory ACC gets tiny if they anticipation to person a precocious NCAA tourney seed.

LSU Tigers: The excitement of seeing Angel Reese successful a Tiger azygous is tempered by the information LSU doesn't play a marquee crippled until Jan. 30 erstwhile Tennessee visits the Maravich Center. The Tiger's champion nonconference crippled is simply a gathering with the Oregon State Beavers successful Maui a week earlier Christmas. LSU's chances of a precocious effect each remainder with an SEC slate that is besides lacking, with lone 1 crippled each against the Lady Vols and South Carolina.

Virginia Tech Hokies: The docket for the Hokies was apt done, oregon adjacent to it, by the clip Ashley Owusu and Taylor Soule transferred to Blacksburg, but that doesn't easiness the disappointment. Potential first-team All-American halfway Elizabeth Kitley, starring what could beryllium a top-10 team, could usage much of a showcase than conscionable a sojourn to Tennessee and hosting Nebraska. Games against the Kentucky Wildcats and Missouri Tigers successful the Bahamas aren't arsenic appealing arsenic they would person been a twelvemonth ago.