Utah suffered a stunning loss Thursday in the Pac-12 quarterfinals at the hands of Washington State. The defeat leaves the door wide open for the fourth and final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Sure, the Utes could still end up as a top seed by the end of this weekend – after all, anything can happen in conference tournaments. But which other teams should be considered for the No. 1 line? Let’s take a look.

Iowa

If all goes according to plan in the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa and Maryland will duke it out Saturday afternoon for a spot in Sunday’s final.

Had the Hawkeyes not lost to Maryland in the second-to-last game of the regular season, they would be a lock for the final No. 1 seed. But they did, and while Caitlin Clark’s last-second heroics in the season finale against Indiana bode well for the Iowa, the team needs to at least avenge that loss to Maryland to move into a top seed.

Maryland

Heading into the season, few thought Maryland would have the chance for a No. 1 seed, given the high-profile transfers that left the program in the offseason.

Yet, here the Terrapins are, with wins over Iowa, Notre Dame, Michigan, UConn, Ohio State and Illinois on their impressive résumé. Utah’s loss has opened the door for the Terps, but they likely will have to beat Illinois and then Iowa in order to do make their case.

LSU

Despite head coach Kim Mulkey’s belief to the contrary, LSU does have an argument for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers’ strength of schedule hurts them, but they’ve remained consistent and only have one loss – to No. 1 South Carolina.

If LSU can manage to go all the way and win the SEC Tournament, and if Maryland and Iowa don’t advance to the Big Ten Tournament final, LSU could have a fighting chance.

Utah

The reality is, despite its loss Thursday, Utah still has a top-line résumé. The Utes have their recent win over Stanford, which itself looks destined for a No. 1 seed, as well as wins over Arizona and Oklahoma.

While Thursday’s loss to Washington State doesn’t help their chances, they shouldn’t be counted out, especially if other teams don’t perform to expectation over the conference tournament weekend.

Maryland women’s basketball remembered its beatdown at the hands of Big Ten rival Iowa in early February. The loss deepened the chip on the No. 7 Terrapins’ collective shoulder.

“A lot of people have underestimated us as a team this whole year pretty much,” senior guard Brinae Alexander said.

Alexander and the Terps (23-5) not only avenged that loss but completely flipped the script Tuesday, scoring a 96-68 win against the No. 6 Hawkeyes (22-6). The 28-point margin represented the biggest loss in Player of the Year front-runner Caitlin Clark’s tenure at Iowa.

Clark scored 42 points in the 96-82 win against Maryland on Feb. 2. But in the Hawkeyes’ visit to College Park, the junior guard was held to 18 points, her second-lowest total of the season. She is averaging 27.0 points per game, third in NCAA Division I.

“They denied the heck out of her,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “They face-guarded her the whole time.”

“Overrated!” came the chant from Maryland fans at the Xfinity Center, directed at Clark and the Hawkeyes as the Terps increased their lead.

Maryland coach Brenda Frese praised her team’s response to its earlier loss in Iowa City.

“That’s what I love about this group,” Frese said. “They took it to heart back when we went to Iowa and Clark and [Monika] Czinano kind of had their way with us. And you just saw the focus and the intention today.”

Iowa scored just eight points in the second quarter, the Hawkeyes’ lowest mark in any quarter this season. The team also committed a season-high 24 turnovers.

Alexander scored a season-high 24 points off the bench on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 shooting from behind the 3-point line. As a team, the Terps went 14-of-26 from beyond the arc.

Maryland guard Diamond Miller called out the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes for their style of play in their 90-54 loss Sunday against No. 8 Terrapins.

“I was definitely [ticked] off. They were playing dirty,” said Miller, who flexed on her opponents at one point during the game. “Not really dirty, I guess, because people call me a dirty player, but they were very aggressive towards me, and I guess I just showed a little of what real aggression is.”

The game provided the Terrapins with a statement win after they lost handily Thursday on the road against No. 6 Iowa. Maryland took advantage of an Ohio State team that had lost three of its last four entering Sunday, and now has dropped four of its last five – including a loss to unranked Purdue.

For Maryland, though, the win was a reset after the team was dismantled by Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes.

“I was extremely frustrated after the Iowa game,” Miller said, “just because I felt like we did not perform the way we needed to perform for that game, and we knew we were capable of competing and beating teams like Iowa.

“So coming out today was extremely crucial for us just to show that we can play 40 minutes and we are one of the top contenders in the Big Ten.”

Miller led the team with 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Abby Meyers added 22 points. The Terps also held one of the top teams in the country to a season low in points.

“I absolutely believe that we made a statement,”  said guard Shyanne Sellers, who had 19 points and nine assists. “If people don’t believe it, they’re going to have to find out when they play us.”

UConn women’s basketball entered the day with a limited bench, and it showed in the team’s 85-78 loss to Maryland.

It was announced prior to the game that Nika Muhl, who went down in the team’s game against Princeton after hitting her head, was in concussion protocol and would not be playing. The team was also without Dorka Juhasz who continues to recover from a broken thumb.

The absences, which added to UConn’s already depleted roster, meant that the Huskies had just two players available on the bench.

Aliyah Edwards took on the bulk of the load, scoring a personal-best 25 points while adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Aubrey Griffin contributed a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The fight didn’t die from UConn, as all but two players scored in double-digits for the Huskies.

But it wasn’t enough, as Abby Meyers led Maryland with 20 points and six rebounds.

She was joined by Shyanne Sellers, Diamond Miller and Brinae Alexander in double-digits as the Terrapins earned their first win over UConn in program history. In total, the team forced 22 turnovers out of the Huskies.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was also coaching with a heavy heart, as his mother Marsiella passed away on Thursday. He still made the trip to College Park, however, to coach his squad.

On Sunday, he expressed his pride for the team despite the loss.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my team and how we represented ourselves,” he said. “It was a gutsy, amazing performance.”

Good luck stopping Diamond Miller.

That’s the mindset Maryland had with 15.8 seconds left on the clock, tied at 72 with No. 7 Notre Dame on the road.

The No. 20 Terrapins inbounded to Shyanne Sellers, who took four dribbles, her eyes locked on Miller, who posted up Sonia Citron at the top of the key.

The senior guard caught the ball with six seconds left, but she looked relaxed as the precious seconds ticked off the clock. Miller crossed over, used a screen, and as time expired, she faded left, balancing on one foot, and fired.

The senior watched the ball fell through the net as the buzzer sounded. Then she turned to the crowd of Notre Dame supporters and put a finger to her lips.

“Shhhh,” she motioned. Be quiet. This is my game.

Maryland 74, Notre Dame 72. Diamond Miller played the hero for the Terrapins but the villain for the Irish faithful, who she silenced with one play.

“Even if you know it’s going to Diamond, you probably have like a less than 5 percent chance of stopping Diamond,” Sellers told the Washington Post after the game.

Miller made the play look easy, but the off-balance shot had a high degree of difficulty.

First, time is expiring. If she misses, the game goes to overtime on Notre Dame’s home court. Second, she’s off-balance. Going left and shooting off your left foot is extremely awkward and unnatural.

Yet Miller made the play look routine.

Her game-winner put an exclamation point on what turned out to be a signature game for the senior. Her 31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals propelled the Terps to an upset, something they needed after falling to unranked DePaul a few games prior. 

“I really knew how important this win was for us,” Miller said. “It’s a great motivation builder, knowing that we beat the No. 7 team in the country.”

The shot, and the victory, come after a season of chaos surrounded Miller and Maryland in 2021-22. She battled injuries, playing in 22 games and posting 13.1 points and 4 rebounds per game, a decrease from her 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds the year prior. 

Overall, the Terps underperformed in 2021-22, losing to Stanford in the Sweet 16 after starting the year ranked No. 4 in the country. Then, in the offseason, Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu – the team’s top two scorers – opted to transfer, leaving Miller to pick up the pieces. 

So far, the senior has delivered, leading her team in both points (19.2) and rebounds (7.6).

And the basketball world is taking notice.

Her buzzer-beater against Notre Dame garnered praise from NBA greats Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.

“Aye Diamond Miller, u a killer for that Dirk fade at the buzzer, good win Terps,” tweeted Durant, comparing the shot to longtime Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. 

Curry took to Instagram, commenting: “She cold!!!!!” 

As for those nearer to the program, coach Brenda Frese found herself impressed but not surprised with the way Miller handled the pressure in the last seconds of the game.

“It was a set for us, and she executed it to perfection,” Frese told reporters. “That’s what your all-American, your senior, your fourth year in your program is supposed to do. I have so much trust in Diamond. She wants to make those plays. And it’s a big moment, and I love the fact that she knew time and score.”

Diamond Miller spent much of last season nursing a nagging knee injury, but she entered the 2022-23 season with a clean bill of health, much to the excitement of Maryland faithful.

But that excitement quickly turned to concern during Monday’s season opener, as the senior guard went down in the second quarter with an injury, which looked to affect the same knee that limited her last season. She had surgery to repair the knee in April.

The Maryland women’s basketball team downplayed the injury following an 88-51 victory over George Mason, as coach Brenda Frese told reporters taking Miller out was a precautionary move.

“From our end, we just didn’t think it was worth pressing anything,” she said. “It’s nothing too serious. We’ll continue to have her evaluated once we get back home, but just more out of precautionary [reasons]. It’s a long season … so just wanted to be smart with it.”

Much of that precaution likely comes because the Terps want the 6-foot-3 senior to be healthy in the long run, especially as No. 17 Maryland prepares to take on No. 1 South Carolina on Friday. The game will be televised at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The Terps will need Miller when they battle the defending champions – she averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore before the injury during her junior season. But even without Miller for most of the game, Maryland showed plenty of firepower against George Mason.

Abby Meyers, who joined the Terrapins after transferring from Princeton, finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Shyanne Sellers had 14 points, Bri McDaniel had 13, and Lavender Briggs finished with 9.

Still, Maryland’s next opponent looked even stronger. South Carolina ended Monday with a 101-31 win over East Tennessee State. Zia Cooke led the Gamecocks with 17 points, while Sania Feagin added 15 points.

Reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston ended the contest with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

The 2022-23 college basketball season will hit the ground running.

The first games tip off Monday, and the opening week features several marquee matchups — including a must-watch battle between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 17 Maryland. Just Women’s Sports has five games you won’t want to miss.

Monday, Nov. 7: No. 21 Creighton vs. No. 23 South Dakota State

Kick off the week with a mid-major matchup between two experienced top-25 squads.

Creighton burst onto the scene during last year’s NCAA tournament when Lauren Jensen’s 19 points and go-ahead 3-pointer knocked out No. 2 seed Iowa in the second round. The Blue Jays made a run to the Elite Eight as a tournament darling. Meanwhile, South Dakota State narrowly missed March Madness but went on to win the NIT, topping Seton Hall in the championship.

Rising juniors Lauren Jensen, Morgan Maly, Molly Mogensen and Emma Ronsiek were Creighton’s top four scorers last season, and now they have high-level experience to go with their offensive prowess. Expect the same style of play they showed in 2021-22, with everyone on the floor shooting 3-pointers – 41% of the Bluejays’ point production came from long range last year.

South Dakota State is in a similar position, returning four of its starters (who also happen to be their top four scorers). After winning the NIT, the Jackrabbits are hungry to prove themselves — and to earn a March Madness bid. Starting the season with a win over No. 21 Creighton would put them on the right path.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Ohio State

There’s no easing into the season, as Tuesday boasts another top-25 matchup. Tennessee and Ohio State were both Sweet 16 teams last year, and though their seasons technically ended the same way, they were viewed through different lenses.

Injuries and inconsistency kept the Vols from reaching their full potential, while the Buckeyes made a surprise splash, winning the Big Ten regular season and reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. Tennessee will look to redeem itself this year, while Ohio State’s goal is to prove it has staying power.

Vols fans are rejoicing at the return of leading scorer (16.2) and rebounder (9.4) Jordan Horston, who was injured during the NCAA tournament. Tuesday’s contest will also give the Tennessee faithful their first non-exhibition look at top transfers Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell.

The Buckeyes will once again be led by guard duo Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, who return for their senior seasons. The two combined to score just under half of Ohio State’s total points last season, averaging 19.7 and 18.6 points per game, respectively. The Buckeyes should also expect a jump from 6-4 forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, who provides a post presence for the team, averaging 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest last season.

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Ohio State seeks to prove it has staying power in the 2022-23 season. (Adam Cairns/USA TODAY Sports)

Wednesday, Nov. 9: No. 12 North Carolina vs. Jackson State

I’m still thinking about Jackson State’s near 15-over-2-seed upset of LSU in last season’s NCAA tournament. It marked what I anticipate to be the beginning of Jackson State’s rise on the national level. And the way the Tigers play against No. 12 North Carolina on Wednesday will give us an idea of just how quickly the JSU program will reach that potential.

As for UNC, the Tar Heels have their own potential to live up to, with an NCAA tournament run that ended with a close contest against eventual champion South Carolina – the Gamecocks ended up winning 69-61 in the Sweet 16.

Last season, Jackson State coach Tomekia Reed scheduled a tough slate of non conference opponents, and it paid off. When conference play came around, the Tigers cruised to an 18-0 SWAC record and a conference tournament title to earn their March Madness bid. This season is no different. After taking on UNC, the Tigers play teams like Texas, UCLA and Oregon State.

UNC will once again be led by Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby, one of the top guard duos in the country. Now juniors, Kelly (16.5 points per game) and Utsby (12.9) have experience to go with their talent. Third leading scorer Kennedy Todd-Williams also returns for the Tar Heels.

Friday, Nov. 11: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 17 Maryland

Any time the defending national champs are playing, it’s must-see TV.

The Gamecocks are starting the season with a challenge in No. 17 Maryland, a team that looks very different to last season. The Terrapins both won and lost in the transfer market, losing top players in Ashley Owusu and Angel Reese but gaining several replacement players, headlined by Abby Meyers (Princeton) and Lavender Briggs (Florida). Meanwhile, South Carolina looks virtually the same as it did during last season’s title run, meaning a repeat is possible.

South Carolina will be anchored once again by reigning POY and DPOY Aliyah Boston. Three other starters also return, with Destanni Henderson the only departure – she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. Sophomore guards Raven Johnson and Bree Hall should be able to contribute in her place. And as good as Henderson is, don’t expect the Gamecocks to miss her too much. There’s plenty of talent to fill the gap.

Maryland is full of new faces this season, but expect a familiar one to lead the charge. After an impressive sophomore season where she averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, Diamond Miller was plagued by injuries in 2021-22, and never reached full strength. Now, she’s back to her true form and ready to anchor this Terrapins squad.

Friday, Nov. 11: No. 24 Princeton vs. Villanova

Princeton is another team that made waves in last year’s NCAA tournament, upsetting No. 6 Kentucky in the first round before falling 56-55  to No. 3 Indiana. The Tigers were solid all season, going 14-0 in Ivy League play. They are expected to win their conference again this season.

Villanova, on the other hand, is a team that’s likely feeling a bit slighted by not appearing in the AP Top 25. The Wildcats are receiving votes, though, and a win over Princeton would quickly get them into the rankings.

The Tigers lost top scorer Meyers to the transfer portal, but their No. 2 and 3 scorers return in Julia Cunningham and Kaitlyn Chen. Chen in particular is someone to get excited about. Her athleticism and shot-creating ability are more akin to a Power Five player than an Ivy Leaguer.

As for Villanova, everyone knows the name Maddy Siegrist by now. The senior forward was second in the country last season in scoring, averaging 25.3 points per game. Her creativity scoring the ball is key for the Wildcats, as opponents – starting with Princeton – will make it their mission to slow down the senior.