Howdy once again, folks!

Our women's first round is now complete, which means I can bring you our second-round games, starting Sunday morning and running through Monday night. It's late, though, at the tail end of a busy, busy first round, so I hope you'll forgive me this time around if I skip the usual banter and get right into our game previews.

Women's Second Round - Sunday, 10:00 Pacific / 1:00 Eastern: Michigan (2) vs. NC State (7)

Michigan sophomore Mila Holloway put on a show in the first round and she's the kind of player who makes Michigan's offense feel unstoppable when she's locked in. NC State is much tougher competition than Holy Cross, though. The Wolfpack beat Tennessee behind 30 points from sophomore Zamareya Jones, and their frontcourt can make life miserable for anyone who wants to play inside. Michigan has struggled at times against physical defenses, but the Wolfpack are banged up too, and if they're missing Zoe Brooks on Sunday, they might be in trouble.

Women's Second Round - Sunday, 5:00 Pacific / 8:00 Eastern: Michigan State (5) vs. Oklahoma (4)

Michigan State barely survived Colorado State in the first round — a three-point escape that didn't exactly inspire confidence — and now they head to Norman to face an Oklahoma team playing on its home floor with senior center Raegan Beers, who is a genuine problem for anybody who has to guard her in the post. The Spartans can run with anybody and have the depth to wear teams down, but this MSU offense has struggled to find its shooting touch, and that won't help at all against a Sooners team that dominated against Idaho on Friday. Oklahoma hasn't lost a game all season that wasn't against a top-20 opponent, and Sunday night in Norman against a banged-up Big Ten team feels like exactly the kind of game Beers takes over.

Virginia came through the First Four, upset 7-seed Georgia in overtime on Saturday, and is now the last double-digit seed standing in the women's bracket — a remarkable run for a program making its first tournament appearance since 2018. Guard Kymoraj Johnson paced the Cavaliers against Georgia with 28 points and six assists, but playing Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, one of the loudest venues in women's college ball, is a whole different kind of challenge. The Hawkeyes handled Fairleigh Dickinson comfortably in the first round and have every structural advantage on Monday. Virginia has already beaten the odds twice to get here — the question is whether they have one more miracle left.

Syracuse pulled off a legit first-round win over Iowa State and superstar Audi Crooks on Saturday. But UConn is 35-0, surfing a 51-game winning streak, and playing on its home floor in Storrs with one of its best lineups in years. The Huskies haven't failed to reach the Sweet 16 since 1992, which should give you an idea of the challenge that faces the Orange on Monday. They've genuinely earned their moment, but UConn really is just that far ahead of everyone else in the game.

Okay, there we go - four brand-new squares games, hot off the presses, for your viewing enjoyment as the weekend winds down. Enjoy the games, everyone, and I'll be back Wednesday night with a full slate of Sweet 16 matchups on both the men's and women's side.

Best,

Chris