A three seed that thinks it should have been a two seed. A two seed that thinks it was wrongly demoted from a one seed, and a one seed that many think would have been better as a two in another region -- you can find in the East Regional.

Penn State is considered the third-ranked No. 1 seed, but other than the Lady Lions, an argument can be made for nearly every other top seed in the East deserving of a higher ranking. No question: the East is a beast -- and the tournament's deepest region.

No. 1 seed Penn State (25-5)

Possibly the biggest surprise heading into the tournament was the Lady Lions receiving the No. 1 seed, while perennial women's basketball powerhouse Connecticut was given the No. 2 seed. Despite getting the top seed in the East, the Lady Lions got perhaps the most difficult matchups of any team. If the higher seeds win, Penn State will have to play Virginia Tech on its home floor in the second round and Connecticut in Hartford in a game that will decide who goes to the Final Four.

No. 2 seed Connecticut (25-4)

When does a No. 2 seed in a tournament field make waves of headlines? When it's the Connecticut women's basketball team in the NCAA women's tournament. The Huskies have been a No. 1 seed in each of the previous five years and nine of the last 10. Thus, much of the buzz on selection Sunday on ESPN.com and elsewhere was about how UConn played its way out of a No. 1 seed rather than how Penn State got the one in the East regional.

As is typical of this squad's famously precocious leader, UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma had plenty to say about his team's atypical status.

"I guess we were horrible this year," he said to reporters on Sunday.

Still, the Huskies have a great draw; they can play at home to win their region. UConn's best player is two-time National Player of the Year Diana Taurasi. For teams to be successful against the Huskies, they will have to make the senior guard work hard on defense, as more than a few opponents have used this strategy successfully this season.

No. 3 seed Houston (27-3)

The Cougars are much like the women's hoops version of St Joseph's and Gonzaga on the men's side for two reasons: they're from one of the non-power conferences and they are always fighting for respect. Houston felt snubbed when, despite its No. 7 RPI and No. 9 ranking, it wasn't given a higher seed.

The Conference USA champs were a little miffed, as they had their eyes on a two seed. This time of year, the starters tend to carry the load. But with a shallow bench, that's nothing new for Houston's main five. However, the Cougars do have one of the nation's best in Chandi Jones -- the nation's leading scorer in 2003, who is not afraid to jack it up from anywhere on the court. Jones is the third-leading scorer in Div. I, tossing it in the hoop at an average of 22.5 points per game.

No. 4 seed North Carolina (24-6)

While the Tar Heels are coming off a 26-point drubbing by Duke, they still finished the season No. 12 in the country. They are led by two outstanding freshmen, Ivory Latte and Camille Little, who are both averaging more than 14 points per game.

Little also leads the conference averaging eight rebounds per contest. Carolina may be the fastest team in the tournament, but that running has hurt the Heels at times this season as they average 18 turnovers per game, compared with just 15 assists. The ladies of Chapel Hill are battle tested, having played the No. 1 team in the country, Duke, three times this season, all of which resulted in North Carolina losses.

The Tar Heels did, however, dismantle Penn State earlier in the season.

No. 5 seed Notre Dame (19-10)

The Irish are led by 6-foot-2 junior Jacqueline Batteast, who leads the team with averages of 15 points and eight rebounds per game. While Batteast has played her best basketball in big games this season, including a win over Connecticut, she is not alone. There are members of the 2001 National Championship team still on the squad, and their leadership on and off the court has helped carry Notre Dame to where it is right now. Senior captain Le'Tania Severe grabs close to four rebounds per game and averages almost eight points for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw lives by the motto that defense wins championships, something that will show itself early and often when the Irish change defenses quickly.

No 6 seed Colorado (22-7)

The bottom half is of the bracket, for the most part, devoid of dominant post players. Advantage: Colorado. The Buffaloes are led by their post play -- something that is becoming more of rarity in a women's game that seems to be dominated by outside shooting and backcourt play.

Tera Bjorkland, who is averaging 18.5 points and 7.8 rebounds, is the best the Buffs have in the pivot, and she might best interior player in the bracket. At 6-foot-5, the senior isn't likely to be intimidated by other post players.

No. 7 Auburn (21-8)

Everyone knows Tennessee is the class of the Southeastern Conference. That status, however, was challenged this year by several teams, and the Volunteers even lost to Vanderbilt in the semi-finals of the conference tournament.

But who finished third in the conference regular season standings this year? Surely, if it wasn't Vandy, it must have been a team like Georgia -- who many think could challenge Purdue and Texas for a Final Four birth out of the West -- or Florida.

No, it was Auburn, who shocked those very two teams in the stretch run of the season. The Tigers could have a tough outing in the second round, playing UConn in Bridgeport, Conn., but they are still a strong seven seed in the tournament's toughest bracket.

No. 8 seed Virginia Tech (22-7)

The Hokies may have gotten the best draw in the East as they host the first two rounds of the tournament. That advantage could be crucial because a first round win would most likely put the Hokies up against the No. 1 seed Lady Lions.

Similar to the Irish, Virginia Tech is known for its defense, holding opponents to just under 57 points per game this season.

Ieva Kublina leads the Hokies, as the lethal Latvian is averaging 13 points per game to go along with an average of six rebounds a contest. She's not just an offensive threat, with her 2.5 blocks per contest ranking as the best in the Big East.