Iowa's road through the region of death received plenty of attention on Selection Sunday — particularly the Hawkeyes' potential rematch with LSU.
The defending national champion Tigers, though, have to deal with the same challenging quadrant of the bracket and the same looming replay of the 2023 NCAA Tournament final. And they don't get the benefit of a No. 1 seed to help them along.
Indeed, as a No. 3 seed for the second consecutive season, LSU could make a case as a snub with its seeding. The Tigers were widely projected as a No. 2 seed, but they found themselves turned away by the selection committee in favor of Stanford, Ohio State, Notre Dame and UCLA.
To repeat as national champions, LSU will need to run the gauntlet of the Albany 2 region — and then test its luck in the Final Four. Here's what the road to a second straight title could look like for the Tigers.
WOMEN'S MARCH MADNESS HQ
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LSU women's basketball bracket
Albany Regional No. 2
1 Iowa vs. 16 Holy Cross / UT Martin
8 West Virginia vs. 9 Princeton
5 Colorado vs. 12 Drake
4 Kansas State vs. 13 Portland
6 Louisville vs. 11 Middle Tennessee
3 LSU vs. 14 Rice
7 Creighton vs. 10 UNLV
2 UCLA vs. 15 California Baptist
LSU March Madness schedule 2024
LSU will face No. 14 seed Rice in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 4 p.m. ET Friday, March 22, at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
If the Tigers win, their second-round matchup will take place on Sunday, March 24, also at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
LSU March Madness odds
Despite entering the tournament as a No. 2 seed, LSU holds the third-best odds to win the NCAA Tournament as of Sunday, March 17, at +650, per BetMGM.
Undefeated South Carolina, which received the overall No. 1 seed for the tournament, also holds the best odds to win at -120, per BetMGM. Iowa comes in second at +400.
How LSU can reach Final Four, win March Madness
Here are the highest possible seeds Iowa could face in each round of the NCAA Tournament, from the early rounds all the way up to the national title game.
Round of 64: No. 14 Rice
The Owls entered the American Athletic Conference tournament as the No. 9 seed, but they made a surprise run to the title to secure their bid. Rice comes into the NCAA Tournament on a hot streak, but the team faces long odds against LSU.
Round of 32: No. 6 Louisville
As a No. 5 seed in 2023, Louisville made a run to the Elite Eight before losing to Iowa. The Cardinals did so behind star guard Hailey Van Lith — who jumped ship for LSU in the transfer portal. As exciting as a rematch between LSU and Iowa could be, don't lose sight of this spicy second-round matchup.
Sweet 16: No. 2 UCLA
Led by Lauren Betts, Charisma Osbourne and Kiki Rice, the Bruins have a surplus of talent. They've also had to fight through a tough Pac-12 schedule, which could leave them battle-tested — or battle-weary.
Elite Eight: No. 1 Iowa
Reese's "You can't see me" gesture toward Caitlin Clark as the Tigers claimed the national title over the Hawkeyes last April made an indelible mark on the national sporting consciousness. While both stars downplayed their rivalry after LSU's win, basketball fans are salivating over the potential rematch.
Final Four: No. 1 USC
USC guard JuJu Watkins averages 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game — and she's only in her first year of college ball. She's setting herself up for a long and successful career with USC, but there's no reason that can't start with a deep tournament run in 2024.
Championship: No. 1 South Carolina
Sparks flew between LSU and South Carolina during this season's SEC Tournament championship. The Gamecocks emerged victorious, but not before the teams got in a few shoves. South Carolina senior Kamilla Cardoso received an ejection and a one-game suspension as a result. Expect the tensions to be sky-high if the conference rivals face off in the national championship game.