Just an idle thought: what do folks think the next program to win their first title will be?
Or next coach to win their first?
UCLA or USC is certainly in conversation. I'd add Duke and Lawson as a possibility.
Duke isn't happening this year but soon perhaps.
Ivey is a possibility.
Walz and Moore seem like candidates for close but no cigar, though I guess the portal never says never.
Dark horse might be Ralph at her next job (UConn?)
UCLA with Betts would be my choice as someone not remotely affiliated with UCLA. There's a real chance that they win this year (and next), but it also depends on Kiki Rice. If she continues playing the way she's been playing lately, good luck to the rest of the field (including my faves)! Cori Close will reel in a national championship.
Southern Cal's best chance, strangely enough, was this year with those homegrown bigs (and that suffocating defense) and a healthy JuJu. Since they're all graduating and JuJu's injured (still can't believe this!), I'm not sure how they recover in the short term. I won't completely rule them out if they're able to reel in a few young, talented bigs who can run with JuJu (who'll be fully healed as a senior), Heckel, Smith (my fave), and Howell.
Of the ACC teams, Kara's might be the one best positioned to win. We would have to see how the best players (Fournier, Jackson, and Okananwa) develop offensively. If that becomes a legit Big Three (combined with the relentless defense supplied by players like Jadyn Donovan), then that's the basis for a Final Four team. One can tell that Kara loves this year's sophomore class. If they stay together, they're getting to at least one Final Four.
It feels as though Niele may have missed the window. Will another one open? Hard to say. The ND brand is
Walz and Moore aren't winning anything outside of the conference. Final Four is their ceiling, and they've both reached it (in Jeff's case, multiple times). This is why I would hesitate to put Mark Campbell on this list.
Shea Ralph needs to win something in-conference before I'm convinced she should be in this discussion. With Blakes, Pierre and a healthy Washington (and maybe Moore), there are HIGH expectations for her team in the conference in which she's currently coaching. The seniors/grads she and the staff brought in this past year did not cut it (outside of maybe Oliver). Not only were those girls not talented, they also didn't pass the smell test when it came to leadership. As someone who watched a lot of Leilani Kapinus leading up to this season, I could've told them that that wouldn't work.
