ESPN this week power ranking: UConn #2

[Kaizen]

Team of the Week: UConn​

2. UConn Huskies (20-2)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: at Providence (Wednesday), vs. South Carolina (Sunday)

The Huskies earned our team of the week honor with their three victories, and this week will bring the 2022 national championship rematch to Hartford. It will highlight how deep South Carolina is and how thin UConn is, but this is what the Huskies are used to by now. While Boston is making a good case for repeating as national player of the year, UConn's Aaliyah Edwards (17.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG) at least deserves to be on the short list in that conversation.

Women's Power Rankings: Iowa State up, Ohio State down, Texas returns

Three consecutive losses plunged Ohio State eight spots. But it was a very good week for the likes of UConn, Indiana, Iowa State and Iowa.

www.espn.com

 

[Bone Dog]

Quite a hero testimonial to Ashley Joens — some of M.A.’s best writing in a while. It’s good to see the Huskies getting some recognition, and a little scary to think just how thin we are. When the national press notices it, the situation becomes more real.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Boston is making a good case for repeating as national player of the year???

 

[funkraider]

They are also #2 on Bleacher Report. The reputation of Tenn, the narrative of our "Magnificent 7", and gutting out a win over a tough and ranked 'Nova team is carrying a lot of weight with those who vote. I can't wait to see how we stack up against South Carolina!!!

 

[Boreifs]

They are still number two on Massey as well.

 

[Next 12]

This season so far, will go down as one of the greatest Uconn has achieved in it's history and they are not done yet. Can Uconn pull off one of the greatest season's ever played this year? I believe the possibility is there, we just have to grab it. GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[Kaizen]

So far,
ESPN power ranking, Bleacher Report, NET ranking and Massey ranking, all have UConn as #2.

RPI ranking has UConn #1. (RealTimeRPI.com Women's College Basketball Rating Percentage Index (RPI) Ratings - A leading sports ratings and resources community on the Internet).

 

[Jokerman619]

Boston is making a good case for repeating as national player of the year???

Agreed

 

[Rowdy831]

Team of the Week: UConn​

2. UConn Huskies (20-2)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: at Providence (Wednesday), vs. South Carolina (Sunday)

The Huskies earned our team of the week honor with their three victories, and this week will bring the 2022 national championship rematch to Hartford. It will highlight how deep South Carolina is and how thin UConn is, but this is what the Huskies are used to by now. While Boston is making a good case for repeating as national player of the year, UConn's Aaliyah Edwards (17.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG) at least deserves to be on the short list in that conversation.

Women's Power Rankings: Iowa State up, Ohio State down, Texas returns

Three consecutive losses plunged Ohio State eight spots. But it was a very good week for the likes of UConn, Indiana, Iowa State and Iowa.

www.espn.com

Boston is a difficult player to defend. To me this will be the real test for Aaliyah as far as her defense is concerned. For UCONN the one team that is a tough match up is South Carolina because of the size and weight of Boston. The UCONN bigs can match up great with Stanford and they can defend the likes of Indiana and LSU but how will they fare against Boston?

I do agree that UCONN has had the most impressive season of all teams thus far.

 

[visitingcock]

Boston is a difficult player to defend. To me this will be the real test for Aaliyah as far as her defense is concerned. For UCONN the one team that is a tough match up is South Carolina because of the size and weight of Boston. The UCONN bigs can match up great with Stanford and they can defend the likes of Indiana and LSU but how will they fare against Boston?

I do agree that UCONN has had the most impressive season of all teams thus far.

I would disagree and say that undefeated trumps all when it comes to “impressiveness” of a season. However, I must admit that UConn’s season is impressive given their SOS.

Of course, we can go round and round, but wait til we both get one more game under our belts.

 

[Charliebball]

I would disagree and say that undefeated trumps all when it comes to “impressiveness” of a season. However, I must admit that UConn’s season is impressive given their SOS.

Of course, we can go round and round, but wait til we both get one more game under our belts.

Going undefeated is certainly the number one criterion but the strength of schedule should mean something too.......I'm not sure where South Carolina stands when it comes to the difficulty of their schedule.............a number of perennially ranked teams play pretty unimpressive schedules and then complain then they don't get ranked as highly as they think they deserve..... I think LSU is in that category this season and historically Baylor was often accused of playing a soft schedule too........

 

[Zarathustra]

Agreed

I know Boston is very good. I'm rooting for Caitlin.

 

[HuskyNan]

Going undefeated is certainly the number one criterion but the strength of schedule should mean something too.......I'm not sure where South Carolina stands when it comes to the difficulty of their schedule.............a number of perennially ranked teams play pretty unimpressive schedules and then complain then they don't get ranked as highly as they think they deserve..... I think LSU is in that category this season and historically Baylor was often accused of playing a soft schedule too........

Massey sorted by strength of schedule

 

[fomalhaut]

So far,
ESPN power ranking, Bleacher Report, NET ranking and Massey ranking, all have UConn as #2.

RPI ranking has UConn #1. (RealTimeRPI.com Women's College Basketball Rating Percentage Index (RPI) Ratings - A leading sports ratings and resources community on the Internet).

I couldn't find a poll on Bleacher Report, just links to M.A. Voepel's power ranking on ESPN and Autumn Johnson's on NCAA.

 

[Bone Dog]

Sorry @visitingcock. I have to disagree. An undefeated season is huge, but only after the season is over. Trying to invoke one in January is hubris. And all SoS gripes are typically erased by an NC. Early season rankings are best assessed by SoS and RPI Late season assessments make more sense in terms of NET. But finally, it all comes down to who wins it all.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I would disagree and say that undefeated trumps all when it comes to “impressiveness” of a season. However, I must admit that UConn’s season is impressive given their SOS.

Of course, we can go round and round, but wait til we both get one more game under our belts.

The impressiveness isn’t about wins but the resilience show by the team in the face of extreme adversity.

 

[visitingcock]

Sorry @visitingcock. I have to disagree. An undefeated season is huge, but only after the season is over. Trying to invoke one in January is hubris. And all SoS gripes are typically erased by an NC. Early season rankings are best assessed by SoS and RPI Late season assessments make more sense in terms of NET. But finally, it all comes down to who wins it all.

While I cannot disagree completely, I cannot agree either. At 20-ish wins it starts to show consistency. While y’all have played more Quad One teams, we have the same number of Quad one wins - not that those games matter that much when two proven winners hit thee hardwood.

 

[visitingcock]

The impressiveness isn’t about wins but the resilience show by the team in the face of extreme adversity.

I will agree with this.

 

[wingsfan055]

SoS really helping UConn's case for a #1 seed. A good showing against SC (doesnt have to be a win, just a solid game), and if UConn runs the rest of the table, they should get a #1-seed.

 

[Bone Dog]

When we talk about teams mid season, we typically are trying to judge what they’ve already done and what they might go on to accomplish. Being undefeated is indicative of the latter, but SoS is key to this. A resilient team is also indicative, depending on what they’re responding to. Neither is a perfect indicator of accomplishments to come. But late in the season, being undefeated is the best indicator.

 

[Oracle9]

This season so far, will go down as one of the greatest Uconn has achieved in it's history and they are not done yet. Can Uconn pull off one of the greatest season's ever played this year? I believe the possibility is there, we just have to grab it. GO HUSKIES!!!!

Agree with your sentiments. My intuition has been ringing the possibility am cautious thinking it. Trying not to think too far ahead, baby steps I keep telling myself. Mind blowing just thinking about it though. Man O man.

 

[Cuango]

Only in the fevered brain of ESPN pundits is Boston a favorite for player of the year! She is having a solid season no doubt, but her scoring (never overly impressive to begin with) has dropped from 16.8 to 12.9, her rebounding from 12.5 to 9.8. To be fair, she has raised her shooting percentage from 54.2 to 60.5. She obviously remains a very good player and a strong candidate to be the number one draft choice in this year’s WNBA draft but surely even ESPN, which worships Dawn Staley and South Carolina like a French Cathedral, can see she’s behind several players in that race? Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Maddy Seigrist, and probably our own Aaliyah Edwards are all having better years than Boston.