The top four has finally been disrupted. After UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas spent the majority of the season ranked Nos. 1 through 4, Vanderbilt broke up the party with an 86-70 upset of Texas on Thursday.
That wasn’t the end of the chaos, either. Vandy followed up its big win by being on the other side of an upset and losing to Georgia. Still, the victory over Texas was impressive enough to keep the Commodores at No. 4.
Other key games include Maryland mounting a comeback over Ohio State, South Carolina beating LSU and Richmond extending its winning streak to 11 games.
Here’s how I voted in this week’s AP Poll, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
3. South Carolina (3)
Dropped out: North Carolina (25), Princeton (24)
Almost famous: Iowa State, Columbia, Illinois, Fairfield, Tennessee, Nebraska, NC State
Notes on the votes:
UConn: It’s been a while since we checked in on the No. 1 team in the country, since the Huskies continue to dominate the Big East. The committee released its first top 16 rankings of the season on Saturday, with the Huskies in the overall No. 1 spot. UConn is undefeated and first in the NET rankings.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks really have LSU’s number. Despite the matchup being billed as a rivalry, South Carolina has won 18 straight. It’s been much more competitive since Kim Mulkey took over the program, but Dawn Staley’s group has continued to find new ways to win. In South Carolina’s 79-72 victory on Saturday, it was junior guard Tessa Johnson and senior guard Raven Johnson who led the way. Tessa finished with 21 points, while Raven had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block.
Vanderbilt: Vandy started its week with an 86-70 upset of Texas on Thursday, only to lose to Georgia 76-74 on Sunday. The swing showed how difficult the SEC is, with every team other than South Carolina suffering three or more losses. Vanderbilt remains one of the country’s top teams, and a Final Four contender, thanks largely to the play of its guard duo: sophomore Mikayla Blakes, who is in contention for National Player of the Year, and freshman Aubrey Galvan, who could win Freshman of the Year. Blakes leads the country in scoring with 26.2 points per game, while Galvan runs the offense, averaging 12.8 points and 6 assists per game.
Against Texas the two were unstoppable, as Blakes finished with 34 points and Galvan had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Texas: After losing to Vandy, coach Vic Schaefer called his team “the softest team he’s ever had.” Then, the Longhorns narrowly escaped another upset at the hands of Tennessee, 65-63 on Sunday. It’s been a tough stretch for the Longhorns, but they should coast through their next two games against Arkansas and Mississippi State to gain some momentum as the season winds down.
Kentucky: The Wildcats have one of the best post duos in the country in 6-foot-5 junior Clara Strack and 6-foot-5 senior Teonni Key. It’s near-impossible to stop both at once. In a big SEC matchup on Sunday, it was Strack who led Kentucky to a 74-57 win over Ole Miss, finishing with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Junior guard Asia Boone continues to provide balance to the offense with her three-point shooting, making four from long range and finishing with 15 points.
Maryland: No lead is safe when Maryland is around. After being down by 19 to Ohio State, the Terrapins pulled off one of their patented comebacks behind 17 points and 10 rebounds from junior guard Oluchi Okananwa. Maryland has struggled with injuries this season, but they’ve made up for the lack of depth with intense on-court chemistry. Four players scored in double digits, and senior forward Mir McLean played big minutes after starting big Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu left the game after just four minutes with an injury.
Minnesota: The Gophers have more than earned their place in the top 25. They’ve won eight games in a row in the Big Ten, which includes wins over Iowa and Nebraska. Metrics also love the Gophers, who are No. 10 in the NET ranking, something that is a major factor in March Madness seeding.
Richmond: I’ve been impressed with the A-10 this season, and Richmond is the conference’s No. 2 team behind Rhode Island. Both squads should earn NCAA Tournament bids. The Spiders only have one conference loss (to Rhode Island) and they’ve won their last 11 games. Senior forward Maggie Doogan continues to impress, leading Richmond in points (22.5 per game), rebounds (8.1) and blocks (1.0).
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