Previewing the Power 4 women's basketball conference tournaments

The grass is getting greener and the weather is getting warmer, which means March has arrived and it’s time for the college basketball postseason.

This year's women’s college basketball season brought lots of parity, from the shuffling of the nations No. 1 seed, records broken, winning streaks snapped and even a coin flip for No. 1 in the SEC.

All this season's chaos is sure to bring excitement to conference tournaments, which kickoff on Wednesday.

Here’s what to know about each power four bracket.

ACC

Frontrunners: NC State, Notre Dame

NC State and Notre Dame were named co-champions after both finishing with a 16-2 record in ACC play. However, the Wolfpack were granted the No.1 because they defeated the Irish on Feb. 23, in a game that ended Notre Dame’s 19-game win streak.

Both are top-three scoring offenses in the ACC, with NC State averaging 77.9 points per game and the Irish averaging 86.1. Notre Dame is also a top defense, holding its opponents to 62.1 points per game

Contenders: Duke, Florida State, North Carolina

Duke and North Carolina have the top defenses in the conference. The Tar Heels hold its opponents to 57.5 points per game and the Blue Devils fall right behind, allowing 58.5 per game.

Florida State, North Carolina and Louisville finished in a three-way tie for the No. 4 seed. The Seminoles won the head-to-head and also earned a key win over Notre Dame to clinch the No. 4 seed and a double-bye.

Florida State is the highest scoring offense in the nation, averaging 88.2 points per game.

Dark Horse: Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech finished 9-9 in the ACC and earned the tournament's No. 9 seed. The Yellowjackets have a top-five scoring offense and defense in the conference, averaging 77.2 points per game and holding opponents to 64.3. Georgia Tech has spent time in the top-25 this season and has shown upset potential.

Big Ten

Frontrunners: USC, UCLA

This season was out with the old and in with the new for the Big Ten. USC and UCLA showed pure dominance en route to the conference’s top two teams.

The Trojans’ lone conference loss came in the hands of Iowa and the Bruins fell to USC twice, marking their only two losses of the season.

The Trojans lead the Big Ten, averaging 81.9 PPG and UCLA netting 78.8. The Bruins have held opponents to 57.2 PPG, and USC has only allowed 58.4.

Contenders: Maryland, Ohio State

Ohio State and Maryland both finished with a 13-5 record. The Buckeyes earned the No.3 seed with the head-to-head win between the two.

Ohio State is second in the conference in scoring with 80.7 PPG. The Terps fall right behind with 80.2.

The Buckeyes have one of the lowest turnover rates in the Big Ten, with just 12.9 per game.

Maryland is riding a four-game win streak and will look to stay hot heading into the tournament.

Dark Horse: Michigan State

Michigan State is the No. 6 seed after finishing with a 11-7 conference record. The Spartans have played well against tough opponents, including recent single-digit losses to USC, UCLA and Ohio State.

Michigan State averages 80.1 PPG and knows how to knock down the three. If the Spartans find a way to score they can be a surprise in the tournament.

Big 12

Frontrunners: TCU, Baylor

The in-state rivals faced each other on Sunday with the regular season championship on the line. TCU won 51-48 to earn the program's first Big 12 regular season championship.

Both teams have top-five scoring offenses and defenses in the conference. Baylor averages 78.7 PPG while holding opponents to 59.3. The Horned Frogs average 78.5 and hold opponents to 56.8.

Both can also shoot from deep, with TCU posting 37.5% from three and the Bears standing at 35.3%.

Contenders: Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Kansas State

These contenders round out the conference's top scoring teams. Oklahoma State knocks in 77.3 PPG while holding opponents to 59.2.

West Virginia has the top scoring defense, allowing just 54.5 PPG. The Mountaineers tack on 76.3 of their own.

Kansas State is the top scoring offense with 79.6 PPG. The Wildcats hold opponents to 57.9.

The numbers throughout the Big 12 have been even all season and each team shows even production, leaving the door wide open for any of these teams to take the crown.

Dark Horse: Iowa State

Iowa State has kept it close with all of these contenders, including a 85-63 win over Kansas State to end the regular season.

The Cyclones are best from beyond the arc, posting a 36.2 three-point percentage. If Iowa State can stay consistent in its shooting, they could cause a lot of trouble in the Big 12 tournament.

SEC

Frontrunners: South Carolina, Texas

South Carolina and Texas both finished 15-1 in conference play and defeated each other, so fate was decided by a coin toss. The Gamecocks earned the No. 1 seed.

Both teams post strong offensive numbers, but not at the top of the SEC. The strength of these powerhouses is more noticeable on the defensive side. Texas holds opponents to just 55.6 PPG, with South Carolina allowing 57.4.

The Longhorns have won 13 straight games, but the Gamecocks will be hungry to shut them down.

Contenders: LSU, Oklahoma

LSU powers 85.1 PPG but will be without leading scorer Flau’Jae Johnson for the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are a top-10 team nationally, but are on a two-game skid after dropping close contests to Alabama and Ole Miss.

Oklahoma scores a whopping 86.7 PPG while shooting 33% from three. The Sooners lead the boards, averaging 47 RPG.

Dark Horse: Ole Miss

Ole Miss is coming off of a huge road win over LSU and can cause some trouble in the SEC Tournament. The Rebels have a strong defense holding opponents to 57.3 PPG.

Ole Miss is a team that knows how to play defense and handle the ball, which is handy in the postseason.

Gianna Dowling is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email gmd5738@psu.edu.