Ameshya Williams-Holliday was recruited by a powerhouse, Mississippi State, but playing with the Bulldogs didn’t stick. It was only this season, her first at Jackson State, that Williams-Holliday realized the potential she was recruited for — not just leading her team to its second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship, but earning a S.W.A.C. Player of the Year award in the process. The Lady Tigers will attempt to topple the No. 3 Louisiana State Tigers, and spoil Kim Mulkey’s first tournament game as L.S.U. head coach.
Dive Deeper Into the N.C.A.A. Tournaments
- A Catalyst for Change: A viral video by Oregon’s Sedona Prince led to a gender equity review in college basketball. Did the fixes go far enough?
- Throwback Big Men: In an era that prioritizes 3-pointers, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe and Illinois’s Kofi Cockburn are reminders of what the game used to be.
- Returning to the Big Stage: After years away from the tournament, these women’s teams made history before taking the floor.
- A Scout at Heart: Omar Minaya, a former Mets general manager, is a proud dad at Providence games. But he’s also watching for pro talent.
Kansas State came onto sports fans’ radars earlier this season thanks to Ayoka Lee, a junior center who broke the Division I single-game scoring record in a victory over Oklahoma by scoring 61 points in just 35 minutes on the court. It was not an uncharacteristic performance from the 6-foot-6 Lee, who has turned Kansas State into a contender with her efficient scoring and dominant defense — but the fact that her record-setting game came in an upset of an A.P. ranked opponent should make No. 8 Washington State a little nervous. When the stakes are high, Lee has shown that she can meet the moment.
It’s all about the underdogs.
If you’re looking for underdogs to root for, nine teams playing on Saturday have never won an NCAA Division I tournament game. Central Florida, American, Jackson State, the University of Massachusetts, Charlotte, Mercer and Washington State will all be looking for their first tournament wins — in the case of No. 8 Washington State and No. 7 Central Florida, they are actually in good position to make program history.
Two schools are playing in the tournament for the first time: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and Longwood. I.U.P.U.I had won a bid to the 2020 tournament before it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, so 2022 will be their first time actually playing in the tournament.