Gophers could earn top-16 seed, host NCAA regional with Big Ten Tournament run
Gophers women's basketball gearing up for Big Ten Tournament
The Gophers' women's basketball team is getting ready to head to Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota is the No. 4 seed and opens play on Friday. Coach Dawn Plizuweit met with the media on Wednesday before the team leaves town. The Gophers head to Indianapolis looking to make a run to the weekend, and lock up potentially being a host site for an NCAA Tournament regional.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This time last year, Dawn Plitzuweit worked with the University of Minnesota administration to make sure Williams Arena would be available to Gophers’ women’s basketball team for March Madness.
Fast forward a year, and Plitzuweit’s Gophers are on the verge of being a host site for the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, March 12-15. That’s the same week that Williams Arena is set to be a host site for the Girls’ State High School Basketball Tournament. It’s a great logistical problem to have.
"I did send a thank you text to our administration, because to have the confidence and the belief that our program at some point in time being in a spot where maybe we could do that, was something they had to take a leap of faith on," Plitzuweit said. "Very thankful they did do that."
Is hosting an NCAA regional a goal?
What we know:
After getting a 78-73 win at Illinois, the Gophers finished the regular season 22-7, and 13-5 in Big Ten play. They’re at No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25.
Minnesota has a path to being a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament, which means Williams Arena would potentially be a host site for the first weekend. It had been talked about publicly before the Gophers went to Illinois, something she admitted hoping the players hadn’t heard.
She says being a host site would be great, but it’s not the goal. Playing good basketball and enjoying the process is the goal.
"At that point in time it’s something you want to have happen for your program, for your team. For this team at this point in time, the body of work that they’ve put in is being recognized," Plitzuweit said. "It’s something they’re aware of, but having that as our goal isn’t what our goal is. Playing at a high level and getting better, and having fun while we’re doing that is what our goal is. We focus on the process."
Gophers are No. 4 seed for Big Ten Tournament
Why you should care:
Minnesota is the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Gophers open play in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon, and if the seeds hold, they would face No. 5-seeded Ohio State.
The Gophers have all but secured their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.