It was another week of chaos in women’s college basketball. At this point, what do you expect? No one, other than the ever-dominant UConn Huskies, seems safe. Texas was the latest casualty, falling to LSU for its first loss of the season.
Meanwhile, Duke finally earns its way back into the top-25 and Princeton and Rhode Island hold it down for the midmajors. Here’s how I voted in this week’s AP Poll, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
2. South Carolina (3)
Dropped out: North Carolina (20), Stanford (24)
Almost famous: West Virginia, Illinois, Villanova, Georgia, NC State, Fairfield, Minnesota, Richmond, South Dakota State
Notes on the votes:
Texas: The Longhorns suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday against an LSU squad that desperately needed a big victory. Junior guard Mikaylah Williams put on a show, finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and nailing a game-clinching three-pointer. Meanwhile, Texas got away from all of the things that have made the Longhorns great. The typically steadfast offense committed 17 turnovers (well above its average of 10.2). Meanwhile, senior point guard Rori Harmon struggled, finishing with just 2 points and 3 assists. Coach Vic Schaefer, who has great trust in Harmon, kept her off the floor in the fourth quarter.
But despite playing its worst basketball of the season, Texas still kept things close, losing 70-65. I’m not worried about the Longhorns.
Kentucky: After defeating LSU, Kentucky suffered an uncharacteristic loss to Alabama, and then bounced back with a 63-57 win over Oklahoma. Beating both of those teams is enough for me to count the Alabama game as a fluke. Especially since Kentucky topped Oklahoma without 6-foot-5 senior Teonni Key, who is out with a dislocated elbow. Key is crucial to Kentucky’s success, so beating a top team without her is huge.
Ole Miss: After losing to Texas by just 3 points and defeating Oklahoma 74-69, Ole Miss is finally reaching the potential it has had all season. Cotie McMahon, a 6-foot senior guard, is playing excellent basketball, averaging 19.1 points per game, which is a career high. Meanwhile, sophomore Sira Thienou is finding her offensive game after opening the season in a bit of a slump. Ole Miss is currently sixth in the SEC, but I expect the Rebels to be one of the conference’s top teams come March.
LSU: After losing to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky to open SEC play, LSU secured its first conference win against Georgia. But the Tigers still needed a signature win, especially after their weak nonconference slate. Beating Texas was exactly what LSU needed to get back on track. Williams led the charge, but LSU had balance, with five players finishing in double figures. Next up, LSU takes on Oklahoma. If the Tigers secure another win, the early conference losses will be all but forgotten.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes boast one of the country’s most exciting guards in 5-foot-7 sophomore Jaloni Cambridge. She delivered once again in an 89-76 upset win over Maryland with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. The Big Ten is the country’s strongest conference, so every win counts. Ohio State has won four games in a row and sits in second place behind UCLA.
Iowa State: After starting the season at 14-0, Iowa State has suffered three losses in a row. A Jan. 7 defeat at the hands of 6-10 Cincinnati was particularly head-scratching. The Cyclones are clearly missing Addy Brown, a versatile 6-foot-2 forward who averages 13.1 points and 9 rebounds per game, who is out with a back injury. They are also without top defender Arianna Jackson, who suffered a knee injury against Cincinnati.
Duke: After a terrible start to the season, Duke is back in the top 25 after defeating Stanford 67-60 on Sunday. The Blue Devils have won eight in a row behind the play of 6-foot-2 sophomore Toby Fournier, who is averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.
Rhode Island: The A-10 is an underrated league, with four teams – Rhode Island, George Mason, Richmond and Davidson – who are all March Madness-caliber squads. The Rams are atop the standings at 5-0, earning them a spot in my poll. One of the country’s top mid-majors, Rhode Island is a team I wouldn’t want to see in March.
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