Who? The Lady Techsters of Louisiana Tech.
What? Well, I'm working under the assumption that a Techster is a person who goes to a tech school. Their mascot is a bulldog with the straightforward name of Tech and an unabashedly mawkish origin story.
Where? Ruston, Louisiana.
When? Sunday the 20th, against Rutgers in Shreveport.
Why? Because I wouldn't want to be the person who looked Teresa Weatherspoon in the eye and told her that a buzzer-beater was going to keep her out of the tournament. No, but really, Louisiana Tech had a good season and many of the major schools shot themselves in the foot. (In the feet? What would the proper pluralization of that phrase be?)
How? They were an at-large selection from the WAC.
Surprise? Somewhat. The committee is historically not kind to mid-majors, but everyone expected Louisiana Tech to be in- just as an auto-bid. This isn't even the oddest time they've been in the tournament.Who's driving this thing, anyway? Teresa Weatherspoon, since 2009. A brilliant defensive player and distributor... who, because the universe has a weird sense of humor, is best known for a three-point shot.
RPI: 28
SOS: 69
Record: 24-7 (15-1 WAC)
Best win: Georgia (N)
Worst loss: Nevada (A)
Notable results: Marquette (L, N, 83-75), Houston (L, H, 70-66)
You'll definitely notice senior forward Adrienne Johnson for this team, who puts up 22 points and pulls down 9.5 rebounds per game. I like her ability to get to the line and hit the shots when she's there. But can a one-player team, even one with a partisan crowd, spring an upset?