Hottest women’s NCAA basketball teams ahead of March Madness

By this point in February, things start to get real for college basketball teams across the country. Regular-season conference championships are at stake. League tournaments, and thereby automatic bids to the NCAA tournament, are right around the corner. And then a national title will be on the line for the 68 teams that compete in March Madness.

Championships aren’t won or lost in February, something we saw as recently as last year. LSU, for example, dropped two late contests in SEC play, routed by South Carolina on Super Bowl Sunday and then upset in the conference tournament semifinal by Tennessee. But the Tigers emerged as the best version of themselves in late March and early April, making the program’s first Final Four in 15 years and winning its first national championship.

It’s much better to be jelling and have things figured out at this time of year than still searching for answers. So as March creeps up, here are five hot teams picking up momentum at the right time, some that have shaken things up in ESPN’s Bracketology and might be poised for deep runs this spring.

Fresh off its first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years, Ohio State didn’t meet expectations early on, dropping marquee nonconference contests to USC and UCLA, but the Buckeyes have taken care of business in Big Ten play. After falling at Michigan on Dec. 30, the Buckeyes haven’t lost in the 2024 calendar year, most significantly beating Iowa in overtime in Columbus. Last week they pulled off a 80-47 rout over Nebraska, who the game prior had upset Iowa, in perhaps the most complete game of the season for Kevin McGuff’s squad.

A 13-game win streak has propelled Ohio State…