Vanderbilt women’s basketball has improved its projected seeding in the NCAA Tournament after beating Tennessee on Mikayla Blakes’ last-second game-winning putback.
The Commodores (15-4, 2-3 SEC) have had strong metrics all season, but they endured a three-game losing streak that included blowout losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss. Beating the Lady Vols gave Vanderbilt a Quadrant 1 win it desperately needed as coach Shea Ralph looks to get the team back to March Madness.
In women’s basketball, teams that earn top-four seeds host first-round games at their home arenas. The Sweet 16 and Final Four are held at neutral sites.
Here’s where the latest bracketology has Vanderbilt:
Vanderbilt women’s basketball NCAA Tournament projections
ESPN: No. 7 seed, facing No. 10 seed Oregon in Manhattan, Kansas.
ESTES Vanderbilt women’s basketball shouts a statement of its own by beating Tennessee
Vanderbilt women’s basketball March Madness resume
Vanderbilt is ranked No. 21 in the NET rankings, which corresponds to approximately a No. 6 seed. The Commodores are 1-4 in Quadrant 1 games, with the lone win coming against Tennessee.
On the other hand, Vanderbilt has yet to lose a game outside of Quad 1. The Commodores are 1-0 in Quadrant 2 and 2-0 in Quadrant 3.
Vanderbilt women’s basketball NCAA tournament history under Shea Ralph
Vanderbilt had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2014, when Ralph was hired. After falling short in her first two seasons, the Commodores qualified for March Madness as a No. 12 seed playing in the First Four in 2024. Vanderbilt won its play-in game against Columbia before falling to Baylor in the first round.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt women bracketology update: Latest NCAA bracket predictions
