AP Top 25 poll week 16

[Cornell Lt]

Mackenzie Holmes ( the center for IOWA) is having a great year for Indiana. 6'3", FG % .696, no three pointers but she is
averaging approx. 18.3 PPG. She is from Maine, my current home state. Note: Indiana vs IOWA on
Sunday 2 PM on ESPN. After that game we will know who the real deal is in the BIG 10. We already
know South Carolina is " real ". South Carolina was pushed into O.T. last night against MISS. St.

Mackenzie Holmes ( the center for IOWA)..INDIANA

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Question for the Boneyard:
If South Carolina lost yesterday, would Indiana have jumped over them into the #1 ranking?
Keep in mind that Indiana's only loss was to Michigan State (13-13) in December while Ole Miss (20-7) is a #8 seed in the tournament.
Do late season losses seem to have a greater impact on the rankings?

Great question. Personally, I wouldn't move SC off the 1 line. If they dropped to #2 how many people really would believe that IU was better? That's not to say there aren't teams who can beat SC. There are, but I can't see any reasonable person seeing them as a measurable underdog.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Saw that; she tried to make an uber quick move around Boston's hip and got ahead of her skis - no obvious foul. The Ole Miss coach was just playing for a tie and likely would have lost in ovt anyway. I think with a little different coaching strategy, they might have won that thing - pretty nice team

No obvious foul? Both of Bostons hands were on her back and extended. What a coincidence that she fell the same moment Boston pushed into her.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Great question. Personally, I wouldn't move SC off the 1 line. If they dropped to #2 how many people really would believe that IU was better? That's not to say there aren't teams who can beat SC. There are, but I can't see any reasonable person seeing them as a measurable underdog.

I think IU is better than South Carolina right now.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

I am amazed the AP writers have a 49 point spread between Stanford in third place and UConn in fourth. Has Stanford had even one person out with a head cold for a game?

 

[fomalhaut]

Connecticut is now at 561 consecutive weeks in the top 25, five away from breaking Tennessee's all-time record of 565. I think there are six weeks of polling left (the last poll is usually the first week of April).

 

[fomalhaut]

I am amazed the AP writers have a 49 point spread between Stanford in third place and UConn in fourth. Has Stanford had even one person out with a head cold for a game?

I ran through the Games Played stats for the top 12 or 13 ranked teams last night. Only three teams besides Connecticut have even had a single starter/regular player miss more than two games, and none of them had more than one player (Notre Dame has a player out for the season, Grace Berger missed 8 games for Indiana, and there was one other player who missed 3 games for someone else which I didn't write down). Connecticut is now at 43 games and counting (with Fudd still out) for their main seven, not even counting Bueckers and DeBerry (other teams may have had preseason injuries). That 43 also doesn't include the postponed game when Edwards was injured.

Oklahoma is at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum: the same starting lineup for all 26 games, and nine players in all who have played in every single game, including their top eight in minutes. They've apparently had injuries to only two players who see any significant minutes.

 

[fomalhaut]

Personally, I wouldn't move SC off the 1 line. If they dropped to #2 how many people really would believe that IU was better? That's not to say there aren't teams who can beat SC. There are, but I can't see any reasonable person seeing them as a measurable underdog.

Even if South Carolina had lost, I don't think they would have dropped from #1, but Indiana would have picked up more than one vote. But the idea that South Carolina is unbeatable is obviously absurd, since Stanford should have beaten them (and maybe Ole Miss too), and Connecticut could have done so if they had cleaned up a few inexplicable mistakes and made a few more free throws.

I actually thought Ole Miss might pull off the upset last night when Boston missed three out of four free throws in the closing minutes.

 

[shiverz45]

I think IU is better than South Carolina right now.

I hope we get to find out. They are the only team in the top 5 we have not beaten yet.

 

[From France]

I think IU is better than South Carolina right now.

Don't think so, IU as UCONN is already on a tournament mode with starters getting 30+ minutes
South Carolina has enough bench to let their players rest and watch what the others have to offer

Comes tournament time, there won't be such minutes for the bench, the rotation will be cut to 8 or so
South Carolina will show what the team is beginning with SEC tournament
I do think Dawn Staley is very good at managing her team's playing time

 

[TC22]

Don't think so, IU as UCONN is already on a tournament mode with starters getting 30+ minutes
South Carolina has enough bench to let their players rest and watch what the others have to offer

Comes tournament time, there won't be such minutes for the bench, the rotation will be cut to 8 or so
South Carolina will show what the team is beginning with SEC tournament
I do think Dawn Staley is very good at managing her team's playing time

Other than against Florida last week, SC starters have been playing 30 mins. for the past couple of weeks. UConn, LSU and Ole Miss have warranted that. Bench has been cut to 7 with a couple of other players getting a couple of minutes at the end of quarters to give starters a blow.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Don't think so, IU as UCONN is already on a tournament mode with starters getting 30+ minutes
South Carolina has enough bench to let their players rest and watch what the others have to offer

Comes tournament time, there won't be such minutes for the bench, the rotation will be cut to 8 or so
South Carolina will show what the team is beginning with SEC tournament
I do think Dawn Staley is very good at managing her team's playing time

Mmm gonna have to fact check this. South Carolina played 5 players over thirty minutes yesterday, two of them over forty. Same against UConn. They are in in NCAA tournament mode whenever they play a decent team at this point too.

 

[From France]

Other than against Florida last week, SC starters have been playing 30 mins. for the past couple of weeks. UConn, LSU and Ole Miss have warranted that. Bench has been cut to 7 with a couple of other players getting a couple of minutes at the end of quarters to give starters a blow.

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[Brewski]

I hope we get to find out. They are the only team in the top 5 we have not beaten yet.

And you are 4-0 against top 10 teams when you add MD. SC is right where they belong in the rankings.

On the other hand, I think UConn's ranking is about right even though we are 1-3 against the top 10. We have beat some good teams and I think the voters are giving us the benefit of the doubt given our very short rotation.

 

[BBallF]

I rarely check the individual voting. I noticed that Deb Antonelli had UConn ranked at #7.

Shocker. Did you ever listen to her?

 

[TC22]

Shocker. Did you ever listen to her?

She doesn't like SC either. She's an NC State girl all the way. She must be sleepless this year.

 

[Rowdy831]

That's a tall task, but then there's Cardoso. Indiana can't guard both of them. You could draw one out on defense, but even then...they block a lot of shots. Not saying they can't beat SC, but they would need to shoot lights out, play zone I suppose and try and keep rebounding to single digits. Pushing tempo might help since SC bigs haven't played a ton of minutes. Lately, they have played more.

That is why I said she wouldn't have to score to make a difference. Boston is so good and if they can stop her then you make people beat you that aren't usually in that situation. Long shot for sure, but a shot.

 

[BBallF]

Sleepless in Raleigh. I think the original came out last year on March 28.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I think IU is better than South Carolina right now.

Everyone says that until they play them.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Connecticut is now at 561 consecutive weeks in the top 25, five away from breaking Tennessee's all-time record of 565. I think there are six weeks of polling left (the last poll is usually the first week of April).

Thanks. It'll be a nice offset to the incredible streak of not losing back-to-back games in almost 30 years.

BTW, anyone know the number of games that streak represented? Surely must be in the 1080s, or more.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Even if South Carolina had lost, I don't think they would have dropped from #1, but Indiana would have picked up more than one vote. But the idea that South Carolina is unbeatable is obviously absurd, since Stanford should have beaten them (and maybe Ole Miss too), and Connecticut could have done so if they had cleaned up a few inexplicable mistakes and made a few more free throws.

I actually thought Ole Miss might pull off the upset last night when Boston missed three out of four free throws in the closing minutes.

Oh...SC is beatable. It's just difficult to do even when you play well. Those offensive rebounds are a dagger and their savior.

 

[TC22]

Sleepless in Raleigh. I think the original came out last year on March 28.

Every single time she's on a broadcast she puts up this graphic to tell people how to beat SC. I'm sure everybody else appreciates her suggestions but dang, she lives IN SC. You'd think she'd be happy for them.

 

[Tonyc]

I am amazed the AP writers have a 49 point spread between Stanford in third place and UConn in fourth. Has Stanford had even one person out with a head cold for a game?

FWIW Stanford struggled against USC the other day and they have #16 UCLA tonite, @#21 Colorado on Thursday and @#5 UTAH on Saturday. So we will see what how Stanford does.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Every single time she's on a broadcast she puts up this graphic to tell people how to beat SC. I'm sure everybody else appreciates her suggestions but dang, she lives IN SC. You'd think she'd be happy for them.

AND...don't forget her campaign to be on the rules committee. Barffffffff!!!!

 

[Gus Mahler]

AND...don't forget her campaign to be on the rules committee. Barffffffff!!!!

Yes. She said she was "efforting" to get on it.