Women's Tournament 2012: Expect Shocking Upsets in Elite Eight

The women’s college basketball tournament is down to the final eight and it features nothing but chalk.

There are four No. 1’s and four No. 2’s still breathing, but things are about to change on Tuesday in not one, but two of the regional finals.

No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Maryland

The Terps are fresh off an 18-point comeback of the defending national champion Texas A&M and did so with some outstanding work on the glass. They out-rebounded the Aggies 32-20, and that’s exactly what they need to do against a Notre Dame team that isn’t very tall.

The Terps are incredibly aggressive on the offensive glass and use those second chance opportunities to their full benefit. The collective team is long, lanky and very athletic, giving them a huge advantage over the Irish.

As long as the Terps can slow down the frantic pace that Skylar Diggins and Natalie Novosel set, Maryland will be in control. Easier said than done, but with sensational sophomores Alyssa Thomas and Laurin Mincy around, they are more than capable of doing it.

As long as the pace of the game is slowed down and the Terps are hitting the glass hard, the Maryland will punch its ticket to Denver and reach the Final Four.  

Maryland 71, Notre Dame 65

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 2 Kentucky

The Huskies are a very balanced offense with a scorer in Bria Hartley who is capable of dropping 20 on any opponent.

But there is a player with revenge on her mind for the Wildcats.

Samarie Walker attended UConn for a semester before transferring to Lexington. She is the best guard on a roster chalk full of talented ones. Her motivation to beat her old coach and teammates should certainly be sky-high, and it’s one of the main reasons I like the Wildcats.

The Huskies certainly have the advantage on the boards, as they possess much more height inside, but I believe Kentucky is able to counter that with their quickness on the perimeter.

The Huskies are led in the post by Stefanie Dolson, but she is susceptible to giving up offensive rebounds. Kentucky led the SEC this season by averaging over 18 per game. UK will use these second chances to offset their issues with defensive rebounding.

The Huskies are a great team, and there is no question the Wildcats have their issues, but I think with the revenge-minded Walker playing at her best and the offensive rebounding significantly in Kentucky’s favor, this is going to be the biggest upset of the Elite Eight.

Kentucky 66, UConn 60

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.