Everyone’s Going To Albany To Conquer Their Demons

This year, “region of death” is an Albany expression. If you had proposed to me last week a Final Four that included Iowa, LSU, and UCLA, I'd have said, Sure, why not? Those teams have all been in the top three of the AP poll at some point this season. Each may rankle the skeptic—UCLA bungled close games, LSU has one ranked win, Iowa struggles with size—but at their best, they're all capable of a deep tournament run. Now we know better. Last night, the women's selection committee gave Iowa the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 region. In theory, theirs is the second-easiest path to the Final Four (after No. 1 South Carolina's); in reality, it'll be all-out war. Joining Iowa in Albany 2 is two-seeded UCLA, three-seeded LSU, four-seeded Kansas State (whose star big Ayoka Lee still holds the D-I women's single-game scoring record), and a five-seeded Colorado team that ran LSU out of the gym back in November. The reigning champions and a team that beat them and the player of the year and the country’s most talented roster and the best scoring center? At this time of year? In this part of the bracket? Localized entirely within one quadrant? May I see it?