It was a relatively light slate of games this week, with the holiday break approaching for college athletes. Still, there was plenty to learn, from UConn’s continued dominance to the rise of Louisville and two new teams making their way into my top 25.
Here is how I voted in this week’s AP Poll, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
4. South Carolina (4)
Dropped out: Washington (19) Baylor (22)
Almost famous: Georgia, NC State, West Virginia, James Madison, Fairfield, Oklahoma State
Notes on the votes:
UCLA: The Bruins won two lopsided games this week against Cal Poly and Long Beach State. Those outcomes aren’t exactly noteworthy, but the country’s No. 3-ranked freshman, Sienna Betts, made her debut, which is worth discussing. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 assists during those first two games, where she logged 12.5 minutes of play. UCLA will ease Betts in, but she is going to be a crucial piece to UCLA’s quest for a national title.
Sienna, who is playing alongside her older sister, 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, offers the Bruins another option at post. She also has guard skills and the ability to extend and shoot in the midrange, meaning UCLA can play the two together in a high-low game. Sienna is going to take the pressure off Lauren in a lot of ways, while adding another dimension to the UCLA attack.
Iowa State: The Cyclones started Big 12 play with a scare, but 5-foot-11 junior guard Kenzie Hare saved the day with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat Kansas 79-76. As usual, 6-foot-3 junior center Audi Crooks was dominant, scoring 41 points. But Kansas unlocked a potential weak spot for Iowa State. The Cyclones, who typically make 8.2 three-pointers per game, only made two. It made their offense one-dimensional, and coupled with Kansas’ 12 made three-pointers, the game ended up being much closer than anticipated. Iowa State relies on Crooks to make things happen, but they need offense from the perimeter as well in order to beat top opponents.
TCU: Transfers Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez are thriving in the TCU offense. Miles, a 5-foot-10 point guard, has already recorded three triple-doubles this season, while Suarez had one of her own on Dec. 16. Suarez is also averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game.
Individually, the Horned Frogs roster has been impressive, but their strength of schedule has been lacking. TCU’s best win came in November when it defeated then-No. 10 NC State 69-59. But the Wolfpack have dropped out of the top 25, and TCU didn’t play another Power Four team during its nonconference slate. Things will get more challenging in January, when TCU plays Oklahoma State, Arizona State and West Virginia consecutively, before matching up with another ranked opponent in Ohio State. If the Horned Frogs get through that stretch unbeaten, then they can strengthen their spot as a top-10 team.
Louisville: After wins over North Carolina and Tennessee, the Cardinals are rising in my rankings. The Vols are a difficult team to play against because of their pace and the chaos they cause on defense. It becomes difficult to get in a rhythm and turnovers are going to happen – the Cardinals had 20. But Louisville showed poise by playing through the difficult stretches and playing tough defense of its own, holding Tennessee to 24-percent shooting from beyond the arc and forcing 17 turnovers.
Iowa: Iowa is not the first top-25 team to be completely dismantled by UConn and it won’t be the last. Like USC, the Hawkeyes lost by nearly 30 points, and UConn was simply better in every facet of the game. That’s going to be a theme this season. It also adds further credence to Michigan’s near-win over the Huskies in November. Ultimately, I can’t drop the Hawkeyes too much for losing to the country’s top team, but I did move them down (as well as USC after some further reflection), because it’s clear there is a sizable gap between these teams and those at the top.
Tennessee: It’s year two and I’m still yet to buy into Kim Caldwell’s style. Every time I watch Tennessee, the team can’t establish a rhythm due to the constant five-player substitutions. Plus, the offense relies on three-point makes, but lacks consistency from beyond the arc. Tennessee is first in the country in three-point attempts with 33.1 per game, but in just the 46th percentile in makes at 29 percent. The SEC is arguably the toughest conference in women’s basketball, so I’m eager to see how the Vols perform.
Stanford: The Cardinal get into my top 25 for the first time after knocking off Washington for their first ranked-win of the season. The victory was particularly impressive, as Stanford was missing top scorer NuNu Agara, who was out with an injury. Lara Somfai, a 6-foot-3 freshman forward from Australia, continues to impress. She led Stanford with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in the win.
Texas Tech: After starting the season 13-0 and knocking off Baylor on Sunday, Texas Tech earns the final spot in my poll this week, while Baylor drops out. The Bears opened the season with a win over Duke, but after the Blue Devils dropped out, they no longer have a signature win. Meanwhile, the Raiders earned their spot by showing consistency throughout the season.
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