It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

A new year is almost here, non-conference play is mostly done, conference action is either underway or about to tip off, and now it’s the top dawgs’ turn to show us what kind of madness awaits between now and March. And while March may still be some distance away, we cannot help but ask… which four teams are heading to Phoenix?

Here are our picks for the battle at the Mortgage Matchup Center:

UConn Huskies

Perhaps the easiest pick on the list. The defending champions, UConn Huskies, have held on to the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 since the very first week of the season, and we are now almost two months in. They remain unbeaten at 13–0 and are riding a 29-game winning streak, looking every bit like the team to beat.

The 12-time NCAA Division I champions, UConn Huskies, may have lost Paige Bueckers after she capped off her college journey with the big dance, but they do not look like a team missing her at all. Sarah Strong has continued to shine, thriving alongside captain Azzi Fudd, as UConn once again looks loaded with talent. The depth is almost unfair. So much so that last season’s starting center, Jana El Alfy, is barely seeing the floor right now.

If it happens, it would mark the program’s fifth perfect campaign, something Geno Auriemma’s side last achieved in the 2017–18 season, when they finished 36–0 and reached the Final Four. And given just how dominant they look right now, it would be unwise to count them out from pulling off something very similar once again.

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Texas Longhorns

For the first time since 2003, the Texas Longhorns punched their ticket to the Final Four. That run alone was a massive achievement for head coach Vic Schaefer, but he has made sure it was not a one-off. The Longhorns have carried that momentum straight into the new season, racing out to a perfect 15–0 start. With the way they are playing right now, Texas looks every bit like one of the favorites to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament again, and there are plenty of reasons why.

Just like UConn, the Texas Longhorns are a perfect 4–0 against Quad 1 opponents this season, and the statement wins are already there. The Longhorns have already beaten the UCLA Bruins and the South Carolina Gamecocks, two teams that made the Final Four last year. That alone says it all. Plus, the numbers back it up. Offensively, the Longhorns have been ruthless, averaging 93.5 points per game while shooting 52.62 % from the field. Both numbers place them inside the top five nationally.

The road ahead will not be as forgiving. February is where the real test begins. The SEC grind is nothing like the Big East, and Vic Schaefer’s side has five ranked matchups waiting for them. But with the wins Texas already has on its resume, it is hard not to see them as one of the early favorites to make it to Phoenix.

UCLA Bruins

Last season was one to remember in Westwood. The UCLA Bruins finished the regular season with a 30–2 record, earned the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history, and reached the Final Four for the first time as well. And it does not look like a one-off. Head coach Cori Close has assembled a roster that looks fully capable of doing it all over again.

They entered the new season as the No. 3 seed but have since slipped a spot following Texas’ resurgence. The Bruins’ only loss came against the Longhorns in the inaugural Players Era Championship. Since that setback, putting together a six-game winning streak that includes statement victories over Duke Blue Devils, No. 14 Tennessee Lady Volunteers, and No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes.

The only real concern early on for Cori Close’s side was Lauren Betts taking some time to find her rhythm. But that worry has quickly disappeared. Since the Tennessee game, Betts has been dominant, scoring 79 points and grabbing 42 rebounds over the last four games. Her return to form has powered UCLA to a nation-leading six Quad 1 wins and firmly placed them among the teams to watch as the NCAA Tournament pushes toward the Final Four.

LSU Tigers

Kim Mulkey’s side has become almost synonymous with 100-point outings this season. The Lady Tigers have already crossed the 100-point mark 12 times, and they are easily the most explosive offensive unit in the country. LSU is averaging a ridiculous 108 points per game while shooting 54.82 percent from the field. Straight-up video game numbers.

The Lady Tigers currently sit with the fifth-best NET ranking in the country and boast remarkable balance, with seven players averaging double-digit scoring. Yet, they might be the hardest team to properly evaluate right now. LSU have faced just one Quad 1 opponent so far and has not played a ranked team yet this season.

But that is about to change in a big way. A challenging stretch is coming up, with five games against top teams, including four ranked opponents such as the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. That run should tell us a lot about where the Lady Tigers truly stand.

So, some of you might be wondering: why did we go with the Lady Tigers over South Carolina?

Simple, because this is a bold predictions list, and this is our bold call! And we have our reasons.

South Carolina sit at No. 3 right now, and if there is one team itching for redemption after last season, it is them. Getting back to the NCAA championship game is clearly the goal. But despite the hunger, Dawn Staley’s team is not without its issues.

The season could not have gotten off to a worse start for the Gamecocks. Chloe Kitts, a cornerstone of the program who had started the past two seasons and played a major role in the 2024 national title run, went down with an ACL injury. As if that was not enough, Ashlyn Watkins, who was expected to return midseason after tearing her ACL in January, announced she would sit out the year entirely to “focus on myself.”

Depth has become a real concern for Dawn Staley this season. This is not last year’s roster, where she could turn to Tessa Johnson for Te-Hina Paopao, or bring Joyce Edwards off the bench to flip a game. Both Johnson and Edwards are starters now, and the bench production has been far from reliable.

This is a clear shift from a program that finished first or second nationally in bench scoring in each of the last three seasons. At times, Dawn Staley has been forced to work with a three-player bench because of injuries, stretching the rotation thin. Things took another turn this week when Ta’Niya Latson was forced to exit the South Carolina Gamecocks’ 96–55 win over the Providence Friars with an ankle injury, adding yet another concern to a roster already short on depth.

Hence, as long as Dawn Staley’s side keeps dealing with injuries, building rhythm and continuity once the Big Dance arrives becomes a serious challenge. And that is exactly why we are making this bold call. Over the coming weeks, the  Gamecocks could absolutely get healthy and, if that happens, writing them off from a Final Four run would be foolish.

But based on where things stand right now, with recurring injuries and limited depth, we are predicting South Carolina to fall short of the Final Four in this NCAA Tournament.