Too early top ten

[stwainfan]

What teams should be top 10? Starting next season. I will give it a try. In no order. A few teams lost a lot to the transfer portal or graduation.
Uconn
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Duke
TCU
LSU
NC State
Oklahoma
UCLA

 

[TerpWomenFan]

The only one I would add is UCLA. I would omit Maryland until I see who their veteran PG will be.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Um…quick glance….UCLA?

 

[JstVisiting]

UCLA returns 4 of 5 starters from a team that was the best in the nation for 80% of the season. They have to be close to the top if not #1.

 

[triaddukefan]

Hold off on Duke until further notice. I'm mentally preparing myself for the WNIT

 

[CAbballfan2]

Hold off on Duke until further notice. I'm mentally preparing myself for the WNIT

That seems a bit dramatic lol Okananwa was not the best player on that team. They’re still top 10 without her.

 

[stwainfan]

Thanks guys I updated to add UCLA.

 

[triaddukefan]

That seems a bit dramatic lol Okananwa was not the best player on that team. They’re still top 10 without her.

If I mentally prepare for the WNIT but we end up winning the ACC again.... Makes the celebration that much better

 

[triaddukefan]

Probably best to wait until rosters are set to predict the 10... Especially 5-10

 

[Bone Dog]

UCLA returns 4 of 5 starters from a team that was the best in the nation for 80% of the season. They have to be close to the top if not #1.

I think UCLA will be in the top ten as a preseason ranking, but I don’t know how near the top. Same for Tennessee. UCLA’s final four result is ambiguous for me: on the one hand it’s a high water mark for the team; on the other hand the size of the blowout suggests that they were overrated. They were ranked #1 for most of the season, but may not have been best for much of it.

It looks like 1 & 2 should be SC and UConn in one or the other order. After that, it looks like a mosh pit with UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, NC St and Duke all in the mix. TCU, LSU and Tennessee are likely bringing up the rear.

 

[JstVisiting]

I think UCLA will be in the top ten as a preseason ranking, but I don’t know how near the top. Same for Tennessee. UCLA’s final four result is ambiguous for me: on the one hand it’s a high water mark for the team; on the other hand the size of the blowout suggests that they were overrated. They were ranked #1 for most of the season, but may not have been best for much of it.

It looks like 1 & 2 should be SC and UConn in one or the other order. After that, it looks like a mosh pit with UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, NC St and Duke all in the mix. TCU, LSU and Tennessee are likely bringing up the rear.

Before the portal chaos, I had UCLA, UConn, and South Carolina on a top tier, slightly ahead of everyone else. Didn’t hold the blowout against them because (1) it was their first time in the FF and (2) UConn the last dozen games was on a different level than everyone. For reference, once it became clear “there’s no regression coming; this is their new mean!” I’d switched from hoping to avoid Betts to somebody please stop UConn.

After UCLA unexpectedly losing a starter and their rising SO class, have the top tier down to just UConn and Carolina.

 

[huskeynut]

I would question UCLA being in the top 10.

Jones and Barker are in the portal as well as all 4 of this year's freshman class. That is 6 players. Cori Close has a lot of work to do.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Before the portal chaos, I had UCLA, UConn, and South Carolina on a top tier, slightly ahead of everyone else. Didn’t hold the blowout against them because (1) it was their first time in the FF and (2) UConn the last dozen games was on a different level than everyone. For reference, once it became clear “there’s no regression coming; this is their new mean!” I’d switched from hoping to avoid Betts to somebody please stop UConn.

After UCLA unexpectedly losing a starter and their rising SO class, have the top tier down to just UConn and Carolina.

lol@....somebody please stop UConn.

 

[Baller29]

I think UCLA will be in the top ten as a preseason ranking, but I don’t know how near the top. Same for Tennessee. UCLA’s final four result is ambiguous for me: on the one hand it’s a high water mark for the team; on the other hand the size of the blowout suggests that they were overrated. They were ranked #1 for most of the season, but may not have been best for much of it.

It looks like 1 & 2 should be SC and UConn in one or the other order. After that, it looks like a mosh pit with UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, NC St and Duke all in the mix. TCU, LSU and Tennessee are likely bringing up the rear.

NC state?

 

[my2cents]

Polls, Rankings, Predictions, Seedings....all hooey.
My call, 100% that UConn will be in the Final 4. Why?
They always are. PERIOD.

 

[Bone Dog]

I would question UCLA being in the top 10.

Jones and Barker are in the portal as well as all 4 of this year's freshman class. That is 6 players. Cori Close has a lot of work to do.

I think UCLA has to be in a pre-season top ten. With the Betts sisters, Gardiner, Dugalic, Jaquez and Rice there’s just too much talent not to include them. All the seniors in the rotation are likely to be drafted, maybe even in the first round. That’s a lot of star power.

However, as with every previous season, they have yet to prove that the coaching can get them all the way. Still, Cori has proven she can get a wildly overstocked team to the final four. That has to be respected, at least early on.

What’s more, the polls will not be able to resist putting them at the top at various points in the season even if they stumble once or twice. And, who knows, they might not even stumble at all before the tournament next season. I mean, who in the Big10 is likely to beat them in January and February? USC? Iowa? Wisconsin? Nebraska?

Heck, even if they play SC or UConn in their OOC schedule, they might win those games, especially if they happen early. Stacked teams tend to look like world beaters early on. The polls can’t ignore that. But they don’t always develop into truly great teams and can peak too soon. A few of the writers and coaches may reflect this in their votes next time around, at least more than they did this season.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

The only one I would add is UCLA. I would omit Maryland until I see who their veteran PG will be.

The Terps just signed an international PG from Slovenia. Not sure it moves the needle a whole lot.

 

[JstVisiting]

lol@....somebody please stop UConn.

We cannot get out: we cannot get out
they have taken the Regional and second
top seed. Raegan & Kiki & Lauren fell
bravely while the rest retreated to
The Offseason. We still holding
but hope isdyin[g.] Zyions party
went 5 games ago but only
4 returned: the threes are up to the wall
at Horne: the watcher in the glasses too
- we cannot get out: the end com
es soon we hear drums drums in the deep.
They are coming

 

[WBBTakeover]

I would question UCLA being in the top 10.

Jones and Barker are in the portal as well as all 4 of this year's freshman class. That is 6 players. Cori Close has a lot of work to do.

They're bringing back a first team AA center (the NDPOY), a first-team All-Big Ten guard, and two other starters from last season's Final Four team--all seniors. That alone would be enough for them to be a Top 10 team in the preseason. While they do lose Jones and Barker, they still have Gardiner and will be bringing in Sienna Betts (#2 overall recruit in 2025). They can find enough players in the portal to build a decent bench.

 

[nwhoopfan]

However, as with every previous season, they have yet to prove that the coaching can get them all the way

This is true of about 99% of the programs in the country, isn't it? Not many active coaches with a natty. You get past Geno, Mulkey and Staley and there's not much else out there currently.

edit--Frese has one, I honestly can't even think of anybody else who has cut down the nets as a HC other than these 4

edit 2--confirmed, there are only 4 active coaches with a Championship; let that sink in for a minute

 

[Bone Dog]

This is true of about 99% of the programs in the country, isn't it? Not many active coaches with a natty. You get past Geno, Mulkey and Staley and there's not much else out there currently.

edit--Frese has one, I honestly can't even think of anybody else who has cut down the nets as a HC other than these 4

edit 2--confirmed, there are only 4 active coaches with a Championship; let that sink in for a minute

True enough. But Cori really stands out for the level of talent on her roster this year and likely next year too.

 

[nwhoopfan]

True enough. But Cori really stands out for the level of talent on her roster this year and likely next year too.

I'd put Niele Ivey right there with her.

 

[triaddukefan]

True enough. But Cori really stands out for the level of talent on her roster this year and likely next year too.

West Coast McCallie

 

[jdote33]

South Carolina up, UCLA down: How the transfer portal impacts the women's Way-Too-Early Top 25

Big transfers have put South Carolina at No. 1 and propelled the likes of LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee higher.

www.espn.com

I thought this was interesting. Obviously still a couple of huge dominoes to fall. I was surprised with SC being number 1 though I think Latson was probably the best player in the portal. I was also surprised to see TCU not ranked. I get they lost a lot (I saw Conner got drafted, congrats to her as for some reason I thought she was going to play one more season). Maryland was fairly low at 12 imo and unc seemed pretty high considering all they lost.

 

[mudcat]

West Coast McCallie

Not THAT bad