Who? The Lady Razorbacks of Arkansas. Sometimes Lady 'backs for short. Occasionally Hogs, but I wouldn't recommend saying that around most of them.
What? Named after a coach's description of his football team. There's also a family of costumed mascots.
Where? Fayetteville, Arkansas, host to the Wal-Mart shareholders' meeting.
When? March 17th, in College Station, Texas.
How? They were an at-large selection.
Partner: Dayton, of the Atlantic 10.
Surprise? Historically, maybe, but they've earned it this year.
RPI: 31
SOS: 46
Record: 23-8 (10-6 SEC)
Good wins: at Tennessee
Bad losses: Minnesota at Daytona Beach.
Who's running this show? Tom Collen, since 2007. Guy knows a little something about stars.
Extra, Extra! The Democrat-Gazette.
Senior C'eira Ricketts has been waiting a long time for her chance to shine in the spotlight- the talented guard has come close a couple of times, but it's been nine years since their last trip. Ricketts averages 11.3 points per game and adds 4.4 assists, but she's no longer called upon to carry the entire burden. They get strong post play from seniors Sarah Watkins and Ashley Daniels, with Watkins adding 10.1 points and Daniels pulling down a team-high 6.3 rebounds. Shooting is not this team's strength, but they play strong defense and find ways to win.
For what it's worth, as a St. John's fan, I look at Arkansas and see our Southern twins- a defensive team that plays better than its stats, one with a little bit of history but not much recently (though theirs is more recent than ours), one that's walked into the lair of a titan and slain it. The parallels intrigue me.