Sooner Nation can start making plans to watch NCAA Tournament games inside Lloyd Noble Center.
With the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament over and the Oklahoma Sooners unable to slip any in projected seedings, OU is expected to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament next week in Norman.
In fact, the Sooners' first-ever appearance in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament actually improved their NCAA Tournament stock, at least according to bracketologists. OU made a run to the semifinals before losing to 1 seed and eventual champion South Carolina.
The loss to South Carolina ended a nine-game winning streak for the Sooners that included a pair of tournament victories. OU, the 5 seed, beat 12 seed Georgia after getting a first-round bye. The Sooners then avenged an earlier loss in the season by upsetting 4 seed Kentucky in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats were the last team to beat OU before its winning streak started.
The Sooners had been stuck as a 4 seed nearly all season in NCAA Tournament projections but finally broke free from that mark after their showing in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament.
According to the most recent ESPN Bracketology from Charlie Creme, OU is the 3 seed in the Spokane Region. Top-4 seeds in the women's tournament get to host, meaning OU will likely welcome three other teams to Norman and get home-court advantage in the first two rounds.
The Sooners are projected to play 14 seed San Diego State, which won the Mountain West tournament, in the first round. The other pairing in Norman would include 6 seed Michigan State and 11 seed George Mason.
Connor Groel of CBS Sports also has OU as a 3 seed but does not say which region or did not predict where teams could end up.
The NCAA Tournament bracket will officially be announced at 6 p.m. CT Sunday on ESPN.