The Beavers, coming off a WCC tournament title, are a heavy underdog in their first-roundg NCAA tourney game at North Carolina.

Both USC and UConn have strong cases to make it to the Final Four, and win a national championship, but with Paige Bueckers starring a professional basketball career in the face, and UConn without a national title in a decade, the sense of urgency should favor the Huskies.