SELECTION-DAY PRIMER / WOMEN

Tournament Selection Show

Today, Channel 2, 2 p.m.

HOW IT SHOULD SHAPE UP

After more than three months of clashes all over the country in the NCAA’s 31 major conferences, March Madness finally has arrived as teams that didn’t win a conference title or tournament await their fate today--Selection Sunday. Here are teams that received automatic berths, and predictions on which teams will get at-large bids to go the the Big Dance.

AUTOMATIC BIDS

TEAM (RECORD) COMMENT

Delaware (26-4): America East: Needed OT victory over Vermont in title game.

Duke (28-3): Atlantic Coast: Schweitzer may be the best.

Xavier (28-2): Atlantic 10: Three consecutive 20-win seasons.

Connecticut (28-2): Big East: Suddenly another All-American gone.

Liberty (18-11): Big South: Fifth consecutive trip for Flames.

Idaho State (25-4): Big Sky: Mandi Carver is best player you never heard of.

Iowa (20-9): Big Ten: Chief weakness is its backcourt.

Iowa State (25-5): Big 12: A Final Four would surprise no one.

UC Santa Barbara (22-8): Big West: Beat good teams, including Arizona State.

Old Dominion (21-8): Colonial: As usual, dominated weak league.

Tulane (22-9): Conference USA: McKiver, Slaughter combine for 37 a game.

Pennsylvania (21-5): Ivy: It will be a quick trip.

Siena (24-5): Metro Atlantic: Have two Latvian national team players.

Toledo (23-5): Mid-American: Beat Kent State in OT Saturday.

Oral Roberts (20-10): Mid-Continent: Finished third in regular season.

Howard (20-9): Mid-Eastern: A number of double-digit wins.

Wisconsin Milwaukee (19-10): Midwestern: Wilhite’s threes are the key.

Southwest Missouri St. (25-5): Missouri Valley: Stiles is greatest show in game.

Long Island (16-14): Northeast: Upset Mount St. Mary’s in title game.

Austin Peay (16-13): Ohio Valley: Upset Tennessee Tech for title.

Stanford (18-10): Pac-10: 15th NCAA trip for Tara VanDerveer.

Holy Cross (21-8): Patriot: Routed Lehigh, 94-68, in title game.

Georgia (26-5): Southeastern: Make way for the Miller twins.

Chattanooga (24-6): Southern: Mocs celebrate at Taco Mac.

Stephen F. Austin (26-6): Southland: Was 18-0 at one point in conference race.

Alabama State (22-8): Southwestern: Shocked Alcorn State in title game.

Louisiana Tech (28-4): Sun Belt: Coach Barmore’s final NCAA trip.

Campbell (21-6): Trans America: Fighting Camels in, but not for long.

St. Mary’s (25-5): West Coast: No worse than second best in West.

Texas Christian (25-7): Western Athletic: Jeff Mittie is coach on the rise.

Mountain West Conference: BYU and Colorado State played for automatic bid.

AT-LARGE BIDS

TEAM (RECORD) COMMENT

Texas Tech (23-6): Peaking at the perfect time.

Florida (23-5): Struggling at the wrong time.

Notre Dame (28-2): Ruth Riley is college game’s best center.

Purdue (26-6): Riding on Katie Douglas’ shoulders.

Oklahoma (25-5): Loss in Big 12 title game might be rallying point.

Vanderbilt (21-9): This year’s serious sleeper team.

Tennessee (29-2): Go ahead with the St. Louis travel plans.

Rutgers (22-7): Defense, defense, defense.

Utah (26-2): Until Friday loss to BYU was best in the West.

Washington (19-9): Dangerous perimeter game.

North Carolina State (20-10): Expect an early exit.

Louisiana State (19-10): Had 18 in a row at one point.

Arizona (19-11): Should go because of quality victories.

Colorado (21-8): Lost to Oklahoma in Big 12 semis.

Penn State (19-9): Ousted by UConn at last year’s Final Four.

Clemson (20-9): Take note: Tigers beat Duke big in December.

Baylor (21-8): Danielle Crockrom is best Big 12 rebounder.

Wisconsin (18-9): A 12-4 Big Ten team and a flop in tournament.

Oregon (17-11): Coaching flap could sink Ducks anyway.

Villanova (21-8): Super freshman: Courtney Mix.

George Washington (22-9): Blasted by Xavier, 81-56, in Atlantic 10 final.

Virginia Tech (21-8): Hammered by Notre Dame, 67-49.

Arkansas (19-12): Look out: Wendi Willits 41% three-point shooter.

Kent State (21-8): Blew 38-15 halftime lead in Mid-American title game.

Michigan (18-11): Thumped by Purdue, 74-55, in Big Ten semis.

Arizona State (20-10): Did not finish well.

Denver (24-6): Defeated 67-55 by Louisiana Tech in Sun Belt final.

Loyola Marymount (17-11): Top-50 PRI rating should be enough.

Missouri (20-9): Lost by one at Iowa State.

Drake (22-5): Beware: 78.5% team free-throw shooting.

Hawaii (23-7): Lost Saturday to TCU, but solid RPI.

Louisville (19-9): Beat Tulane, 64-60, Jan. 26.

Mountain West Conference: BYU-Colorado State loser still gets in.

TOURNAMENT DATES, SITES

SUB-REGIONALS

* FIRST ROUND: Friday and Saturday at on-campus sites

* SECOND ROUND: March 18-19 at on-campus sites

REGIONALS

* EAST: March 24 and 26 at Mellon Arena (Pittsburgh)

* MIDEAST: March 24 and 26 at Birmingham (Ala.)-Jefferson Civic Center

* MIDWEST: March 24 and 26 at Pepsi Center (Denver)

* WEST: March 24 and 26 at Spokane (Wash.) Arena

FINAL FOUR

* SEMIFINALS: March 30

* CHAMPIONSHIP : April 1

* SITE: Savvis Center (St. Louis). Capacity: 19,376