UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and everyone else. After UCLA defeated Michigan, and Texas avenged its earlier loss to LSU, the top four have only further cemented themselves as the top teams in the country.
Meanwhile, the rest of the top is changing every week. This poll is no different. Here’s how I voted in the AP Poll with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
3. South Carolina (3)
Dropped out: Nebraska (22), Illinois (24), Tennessee (25)
Almost famous: Washington, Utah, Iowa State, NC State, Fairfield, Minnesota, Richmond
Notes on the votes:
UCLA: The Bruins are every bit a national title contender. Last season’s squad made it to the Final Four before being dismantled by UConn, but if the two were to meet again I anticipate a much closer game. Against Michigan, the No. 2 team in the Big Ten, UCLA pulled off a 69-66 victory on Saturday thanks to a balanced scoring effort. Last season the Bruins put too much onto 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, but now they know how to share the scoring burden. Against Michigan, four of five starters finished with 12 or more points.
Louisville: After opening ACC play at 11-0, the Cardinals were dealt a loss by a surging Duke squad. Star guard and leading scorer Taj Roberts was held scoreless, yet Louisville still had a chance to tie on two Imari Berry free throws with a second left in regulation. The 86.7 percent free-throw shooter made one of two and Duke escaped with the win. It was a tough loss, but it says a lot about the Cardinals that they could even make it a game with Roberts struggling.
Duke: On Dec. 4, Duke was 3-6. The Blue Devils are now 18-6 and first in the ACC. Their intense nonconference schedule is paying off as Duke is poised to win its conference – though two games against rival North Carolina are left on the schedule. Sophomore forward Toby Fournier has been excellent, leading the Blue Devils in points (17.6), rebounds (7.9) and blocks per game (2.2).
TCU: With less than one month left in the season, there are major questions about TCU. The Horned Frogs only have two ranked wins this season – over NC State (now unranked) and West Virginia. They’ve also lost to Utah, Ohio State, Texas Tech and, most recently, Colorado. Ohio State and Texas Tech were both losses that can be lived with, but the Utah and Colorado losses were major upsets. Both are March Madness bubble teams. TCU plays Baylor and West Virginia next week; two wins would go a long way for both its resume and its confidence as March approaches.
Maryland: After losing four games in a row and falling out of my rankings, the Terrapins are back in thanks to victories over Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite several key injuries, Maryland has persevered and found balance among its remaining players. Led by junior guard Oluchi Okananwa with 17.2 points per game, the Terrapins have four players who average double-digit points per contest.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are on a seven-game winning streak that includes victories over three potential tournament teams in Syracuse, NC State and Clemson. Senior forward Nyla Harris has been dominant as of late. She had a season-high 21 points in an overtime win over Syracuse on Jan. 25 and has averaged 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds since then.
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