We are at the point in the season where the country’s top teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. UConn and Texas both look like title contenders, while South Carolina and UCLA could join them — with a few tweaks. Meanwhile, Michigan and TCU have the goods to compete for a Final Four.
The one question mark at the top is LSU, because the Tigers have only played one power four team (Duke) and haven’t even scheduled a solid midmajor. That means we have to wait until SEC play begins to really find out what the Tigers are made of.
Outside of the top 10, there continues to be significant movement in my AP Poll ballot. This week, I have two new squads, with an SEC team dropping from No. 11 to No. 19.
Let’s get to the votes, shall we? Since the top remains intact, this week’s analysis will focus on teams in the bottom half. Here’s how I voted, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
4. South Carolina (4)
Dropped out: NC State (24), West Virginia (23)
Almost famous: Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Stanford, Colorado State, Texas Tech, Seton Hall, Arizona State
Notes on the votes:
Maryland: The Terrapins stay in my top 25 after an incredible double-overtime win over Minnesota. Down nine points with 44.4 seconds left, Maryland completed the comeback thanks to four points from senior guard Saylor Poffenbarger (including the game-winning shot), and an and-1 from both Kyndal Walker and Oluchi Okananwa.
Poffenbarger was particularly impressive in the win, finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. The Terrapins are going to need more big performances from Poffenbarger as they continue to rack up injuries. Senior guard Kaylene Smikle, who led Maryland in scoring last season, is officially out for the season after announcing that she will undergo knee surgery. Fellow guards Lea Bartelme and Kyndal Walker also endured season-ending injuries, and Maryland is awaiting the return of senior guard Bri McDaniel, who tore her ACL in January of last season.
Despite those challenges, the Terps have remained one of the country’s top teams, starting the season 11-0. But things are about to get a whole lot tougher in Big Ten play; Maryland has a stretch of games in January where it plays five ranked opponents in a row.
USC: Speaking of the Big Ten, USC won its conference opener against a tough Washington squad that features a former Trojan in sophomore guard Avery Howell, who transferred after her freshman season at USC.
This game was won on defense, with USC holding Washington to 27-percent shooting and outrebounding the Huskies 50-38. Offensively, USC wasn’t much better than Washington, making 38 percent of its shot attempts, including just 12 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman Jazzy Davidson and sophomore Kennedy Smith did the bulk of the scoring, finishing with 22 and 13 points, respectively.
USC’s offense stalls from time to time, like in its 69-52 loss to South Carolina earlier in the year, when the Trojans shot 33 percent from the field and 7 percent from beyond the arc. Davidson has been a consistent scorer for USC, but the Trojans are going to need more going forward if they want to compete in the Big Ten.
Louisville: Despite losing this week, I moved the Cardinals up because I was impressed with their play against South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been my measuring stick for the last few seasons because of how skilled, athletic and long they are. Any team who can compete with them can probably compete with any one in the country.
Louisville gave South Carolina serious trouble on Thursday before losing 79-77. Sophomore guard Taj Roberts finished with 20 points and even had a look from three to win the game that didn’t go down. There is serious potential with this team, and especially in a relatively weak ACC, the Cardinals could make a run and win their conference.
Ole Miss: The Rebels are another team with tons of potential, but they aren’t quite delivering at the moment. Senior Cotie McMahon, who transferred from Ohio State, is a legit All-American and WNBA candidate, but the Rebels have lacked consistency around her. In their loss to a struggling Kansas State team – who has losses to South Dakota, Texas A&M, Green Bay, North Carolina and South Dakota State – McMahon finished with 22 points, while no other starter scored in double-digits.
Defensively, the Rebels are solid. Against Kansas State they forced 21 turnovers and converted 22 points off of those turnovers, but their halfcourt offense is still coming together. Ole Miss also had close calls against Memphis and Wisconsin earlier this season. As it stands, I don’t see the Rebels competing with the SEC’s top teams.
Princeton: I’ve had my eye on the Ivy League squad since the season began and so far, they’ve impressed. With just one loss (to a top 10 team in Maryland), the Tigers have wins over Seton Hall, Penn State, Villanova and Georgia Tech. Personnel-wise, the Tigers have players who could play on power four teams, like crafty, athletic guard Madison St. Rose, who is averaging 17 points per game, and 6-foot-1 Fadima Tall, who is both a sharpshooter (44.1 percent from beyond the arc) and a solid rebounder (8.1 per game).
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers earn their first appearance in my top 25 after starting the season 9-0. Guard Britt Prince is shining in her sophomore season, averaging 21.2 points and 4.1 assists per game – both team highs – and Nebraska has plenty of weapons around her, with six other players scoring at least 6.0 points per game.
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