Stanford Now #1 Seed? Seriously?

[Kaizen]

Those are their current records as of this morning, which begs the question, if UConn has a solid win over a good Marquette team tonight, what does it do to the rankings?

My bad, why I always think We are still 20-1? Yes we are 23-1 and Stanford is 25-2.

 

[Sanka541]

This morning's NET Top 16:

1	1	Stanford	Pac-12	25-2	13-1	6-1	6-0	0-0
2	2	UConn	Big East	23-1	10-1	2-0	11-0	0-0
3	3	South Carolina	SEC	22-4	7-3	5-0	10-1	0-0
4	4	Baylor	Big 12	21-2	10-1	0-0	11-1	0-0
5	5	Maryland	Big Ten	21-2	9-1	2-1	10-0	0-0
6	6	Louisville	ACC	23-3	7-1	3-1	13-1	0-0
7	8	NC State	ACC	20-2	6-2	3-0	11-0	0-0
8	7	UCLA	Pac-12	16-5	5-2	3-1	8-2	0-0
9	9	Indiana	Big Ten	18-4	8-2	0-0	10-2	0-0
10	10	Oregon	Pac-12	13-8	6-2	0-2	7-4	0-0
11	11	Rutgers	Big Ten	14-3	5-2	0-0	9-1	0-0
12	12	Texas A&M	SEC	23-2	9-1	1-1	13-0	0-0
13	13	Georgia	SEC	20-6	8-2	2-1	10-3	0-0
14	15	Tennessee	SEC	16-7	4-4	1-1	11-2	0-0
15	14	Arizona	Pac-12	16-5	4-3	1-1	11-1	0-0
16	16	Gonzaga	WCC	21-3	8-2	4-1	9-0	0-0

I think in a year like this where so many games (particularly big OOC games) have been cancelled it is really hard to base things on NET. Also teams like Oregon are ranked way too highly for how they have done this year which makes Stanfords wins against them look better then they are etc.

 

[King Kong]

Yes, agree. In any case, if UConn plays at its best, it might be UConn Vs Stanford for the championship. At this moment, I would take Stanford -3.

In any case, this morning the difference on Massey between their #1 Stanford & their #2 UConn has narrowed, meaning UConn's margin over Villanova is more impressive than Stanford's margin (or playing) over UCLA. I do look forward to settling this issue on the court, where I think it could go either way, & UConn will need everyone to do very well.
Massey has Stanford at 9.57 points, & UConn at 9.52 points, a virtual tie.

 

[Centerstream]

The PAC-12 Tournament Championship was on the ESPN family of networks, the Big East is on the Fox Sports family of networks, Charlie Creme works for ESPN. That's all folks.
In previous seasons, not counting 2020, in the final weeks of the season, has Charlie changed "his" Number 1 seeds without the team losing???

 

[Bald Husky]

You didn't quite state it clearly, but Stanford has two wins each over Arizona and UCLA. That makes four wins over teams ranked in the committee's most recent top 10. Stanford also has more "Quad 1" wins overall than UConn does. UConn's resume rests very heavily on the one win over South Carolina, and obviously that was a major reason UConn was ahead of Stanford in the most recent reveal, but the gap couldn't have been very large.

Creme may or may not be right about the margin of victory being what pushes Stanford up (or for that matter about whether Stanford moves up at all) but no doubt whatever gap existed between UConn and Stanford, at the very least, got smaller.

If none of the pac12 teams played out of conference games how do we know if their rankings are legit? Oregon started in the top 10 and they proved they weren't worthy. UCONN only rose to #1 because of their performance against Tennessee and SC. Stanford lost to an unranked Colorado team, so the only way any team can be tested is against each other. Just playing conference teams should not decide who is #1, especially in this environment and the way each of the other top teams have been performing against each other. UCONN, NC State, Louisville, Texas A&M, South Carolina have played one another, and among those teams the overall #1 should emerge.

 

[King Kong]

Those are their current records as of this morning, which begs the question, if UConn has a solid win over a good Marquette team tonight, what does it do to the rankings?

If UConn wins with a meek performance over Marquette, like the last game, the margin will widen. If the margin & emphatic victory is like the first game, the difference will narrow. Can UConn retake the polling lead again before they meet? It will oscillate back & forth until they meet, but it wouldn't bother me if Stanford lost in the 2nd round.

 

[Plebe]

If none of the pac12 teams played out of conference games how do we know if their rankings are legit? Oregon started in the top 10 and they proved they weren't worthy. UCONN only rose to #1 because of their performance against Tennessee and SC. Stanford lost to an unranked Colorado team, so the only way any team can be tested is against each other. Just playing conference teams should not decide who is #1, especially in this environment and the way each of the other top teams have been performing against each other. UCONN, NC State, Louisville, Texas A&M, South Carolina have played one another, and among those teams the overall #1 should emerge.

Great point! Given the unknowns, there should be no at-large teams taken from the Pac-12, only Stanford as the automatic qualifier. That'll show 'em! Sending UCLA and Arizona to the WNIT is the only justifiable solution. Heck, while we're at it, let's just kick Stanford out of the tournament just for being so isolationist. Or better yet, make Stanford the #16 seed and put them against UConn in the 1st round.

 

[JellyBean]

I think Geno said it best around 2014-15 range, folks get caught up in the seedings. Hey as long as you are in, that is all that matters. Take care of business once you are in.

 

[visitingcock]

I think in a year like this where so many games (particularly big OOC games) have been cancelled it is really hard to base things on NET. Also teams like Oregon are ranked way too highly for how they have done this year which makes Stanfords wins against them look better then they are etc.

Oregon: That's a problem with net's programming and the PAC's lack of quality OOC games.

Net is a guide to the committee not a mandate.

In my OPINION, the committee will go "political" on this. ie UConn, and three Power 5 conference AQ's as first seeds:
1 Seeds
UConn
Stanford
SCar
NC State

2 Seeds
The next choices will be:
Maryland
Baylor
Then two Non-AQs from P-5 Conferences.
My guesses are Louisville and A&M - However, UCLA could replace one of those two.

 

[Artifact]

I have my reservations with the NCAA concerning matters in dealing with UConn. They showed their colors with allowing incoming transfer players to Notre Dame, to play immediately, yet when it came to a UConn player transfer, it was just the reverse !

 

[Gurleyman]

I’m actually surprised we’ve held on to the No. 1 overall seed this long. We played five losing teams in a row after SC-Seton Hall week, and I figured our computer ratings would plummet and A&M or Stanford would pass us In between the first and second reveals.

I‘d only really worry about the overall #1 if there were 3 dominant teams that were separated from the pack, and then you’d have to face one of them in the semis at the FF. In that scenario, the overall #1 would give you a reprieve until the finals. This year, it isn’t even clear who No. 3 will be between SC, A&M and NC State. Maybe it could be a little bummer if, say, Maryland is 7 and UCLA is 8, and then the Elite Eight game is tougher, but hard to gripe too much about that - just have to beat who you get at that point.

I’m of the mind of just let‘s have a good showing tonight and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[browns]

I would rather the team face Kentucky instead of the Lady Vols for the 2nd time. Baylor with Didi Richards and her defense would cause problems.

Yes Tenn could be very tough plus would rather face L'ville than Baylor and their defense

 

[Zinethar]

Like I have said 1000 times before. Wins in conference this year means very little as many teams played no out of conference games so who knows really what an in conference win means. Maybe Marquette is a top ten team in reality. Maybe UCLA is really a top 25. Who really knows. I know what my eye test says. Some of the Big East teams I have seen are better than some of the ranked teams I've watched. I still remember when Louisville got the #1 and UConn the #2 (of course the NCAA made sure they were in the same bracket). Who emerged to the final 4? Right.

 

[tower1]

Charlie Creme now claims that Stanford is the top seed for the tourney due to their defeat of UCLA. How's that? Did he not have a Fox channel with which to view UConn's dismantling of Villanova?

Something smells here....

Women's Bracketology: First look at 2026 has familiar teams on top line

South Carolina, UConn, UCLA and Texas are the No. 1 seeds in our first projection of the 2026 bracket.

www.espn.com

Don't listen to him he is an idiot! They all hate Uconn and Geno ! Just win the title and shock them !

 

[Plebe]

Like I have said 1000 times before. Wins in conference this year means very little as many teams played no out of conference games so who knows really what an in conference win means. Maybe Marquette is a top ten team in reality. Maybe UCLA is really a top 25. Who really knows. I know what my eye test says. Some of the Big East teams I have seen are better than some of the ranked teams I've watched. I still remember when Louisville got the #1 and UConn the #2 (of course the NCAA made sure they were in the same bracket). Who emerged to the final 4? Right.

Marquette lost at home to Milwaukee. So is Milwaukee also a top 10 team? Marquette also has losses to DePaul and Seton Hall. Not much evidence to support that they're a top 10 team or anything close. An at-large team, certainly. Top 25? Maybe just barely, who knows.

 

[Jim R]

Getting the number 2 overall #1 Seed is not bad. NCAA Net Rankings have Stanford #1 with UConn #2. Massey also has Stanford #1 with a SOS of 13. UConn is #2 with a SOS of 70. IMO Stanford deserves the Overall #1

So, does that mean Baylor is a #1 seed? According to the NET rating, they are #4, and
#3 according to Massey. Or, can we pick and chose the facts that support our case?

 

[browns]

Guess being the only team with just 1 loss means nothing at all too

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

A. This is ONE person's opinion
B. The Committee and Charlie are rarely in total alignment with their brackets.

It will be what it will be. Our Team will play and beat the next opponent in line.

One step at a time.

 

[Rixxx]

Guess being the only team with just 1 loss means nothing at all too

Guess if you are SC, 4 losses don't mean anything. SC = #3

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Guess if you are SC, 4 losses don't mean anything. SC = #3

This is the real head scratcher...

 

[UcMiami]

In a season with so few important OOC games, I think relative strength of conferences games is pretty iffy and the hard bias against ACC and Big10 and Big12 is based on previous years which is suspect. The fact that Pac and SEC teams have beaten up on each other is taken as 'strength' whereas I think it points to weakness at the top.

And AQ as a determining factor between SC and TA&M is tough considering that they played head to head and SC lost. Putting SC ahead of NCSt when they lost at home to NCSt is also tough.

 

[Monte]

I could care less! I don't want UCONN to win the NCAA Tourney because they had an "easy pass" by playing inferior teams on their way to the National Championship.
If they are the BEST team they should be able to beat ANY team no matter when they confront them.

 

[heavyhusky]

Since the beginning of the season I have felt that the best teams in the country, other than possibly UConn, were Stanford, South Carolina, and Baylor. I would now add Maryland, as they have successfully flown under the radar. Watch out for Benzan, who shoots many more 3's than Paige, and hits a higher percentage, in a tougher league.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Like it or not, Stanford has a slightly better resume than does UConn. But fortunately the games will be decided on the court.

 

[stamfordhusky]

According to Massey, here are the projected point spreads for UCONN games vs. the #1 & #2 seeds as of today:
#2 Louisville: UCONN (-10)
#2 NC State: UCONN (-10)
#2 Baylor: UCONN (-3)
#2 Maryland: UCONN (-3.5)
#1 South Carolina UCONN (-4)
#1 Texas A&M: UCONN (-10)
#1 Stanford: STANFORD (-1)
Any surprises?

Massey currently has Stanford ranked ahead of UConn. So how would he have UConn as a favorite over Stanford?