It was a tough weekend for the ACC’s top two teams, with both Louisville and Duke suffering upset losses. Elsewhere, Iowa jumped Michigan for second place in the Big Ten with a huge win over the Wolverines, while UCLA continued its dominance, beating Wisconsin to stay undefeated in the Big Ten.
North Carolina and Columbia also make their way into my top 25, while UConn, UCLA and South Carolina maintain their long-held positions as the top three teams. Here’s how I voted in this week’s AP Poll with last week’s rankings in parentheses:
3. South Carolina (3)
Dropped out: Washington (24), Richmond (25)
Almost famous: Iowa State, Illinois, Fairfield, NC State, Princeton, Richmond
Notes on the votes:
UCLA: It will be a shock if the Bruins don’t make it to the Final Four again this season. They haven’t lost since Nov. 26, when they fell 76-65 to Texas. And on Sunday, the Bruins improved to 17-0 in the Big Ten, a gauntlet of a conference. Senior center Lauren Betts has been sensational once again this season, leading her team in points, rebounds and blocks. But it’s the ability to share the ball that makes this team special. Four Bruins average 13 points or more, while three others score seven or more points per game.
Oklahoma: The Sooners are in the midst of an excellent stretch of basketball, defeating Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee (all AP-ranked teams) in consecutive games. The stretch comes after back-to-back losses to Texas and Vanderbilt. Against Tennessee, the Sooners showcased what they look like when playing their best basketball. They played through senior center Raegan Beers, who finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds and got a lift from junior forward Sahara Williams, one of the country’s most underrated stars. She finished with 22 points, while all five starters also scored in double-figures.
Iowa: The Big Ten’s No. 2 team secured a major win, 63-44, against Michigan on Sunday. The Hawkeyes defended well, holding sophomores Syla Swords and Olivia Olson under their scoring averages (seven and 13 points, respectively). Meanwhile, Iowa sophomore big Ava Heiden continues her emergence as a star. The Wolverines had no answer for Heiden, who finished with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting, with 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The Hawkeyes are playing their best basketball at the right time.
Duke: After winning 15 straight games to take first in the ACC, Duke suffered its first conference loss this weekend at the hands of Clemson. The Blue Devils struggled to find offense outside of sophomore forward Toby Fournier, who finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. In the grand scheme of things, this won’t affect the Blue Devils much. Plus, Fournier’s continued dominance bodes well for their tournament hopes.
Louisville: Another top ACC team that suffered an upset, the Cardinals fell to Virginia 74-72 for their second conference loss of the season. The biggest concern for Louisville is an injury to star sophomore guard Taj Roberts. She left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury.
TCU: The Horned Frogs got out of a tough stretch of games against Baylor, West Virginia and Iowa State with three wins. The victory over Iowa State on Sunday was indicative of how TCU has played all season long, leaning on senior forward Marta Suarez and senior guard Olivia Miles. Suarez had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Miles recorded a triple-double – her fifth of the season – with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
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