Top 5

[TerpWomenFan]

The thing with UConn is outside of ONO where is the rebounding coming from? The talent is there but that is my one question with them.

 

[jennyo70]

I will reserve commentary on my Cardinals until I know if Balogun and Dixon get their waivers. We will be a much different ( and better team) with them.

 

[Dwilliams02]

I will reserve commentary on my Cardinals until I know if Balogun and Dixon get their waivers. We will be a much different ( and better team) with them.

Shouldn't they have a high chance of receiving playing this season.

 

[jennyo70]

Shouldn't they have a high chance of receiving playing this season.

I would certainly think so, but we are dealing with the NCAA.

 

[triaddukefan]

If Louisville gets those 2 former yellow jackets eligible to play this year..... then I would move them into the top 5.

 

[DefenseBB]

If Louisville gets those 2 former yellow jackets eligible to play this year..... then I would move them into the top 5.

Wait, what? Refresh my memory but where did Tech finish in the ACC last year with these 2 players? So now you want us to believe by putting them with Jeff, that team becomes a top 5 team? I am sorry my old friend but we are parting ways on this hypothesis. For the sake of interest Who are you other 4 in your top 5?

 

[DaBball]

Wait, what? Refresh my memory but where did Tech finish in the ACC last year with these 2 players? So now you want us to believe by putting them with Jeff, that team becomes a top 5 team? I am sorry my old friend but we are parting ways on this hypothesis. For the sake of interest Who are you other 4 in your top 5?

Georgia Tech finished with an identical conference record to Tennessee (despite being in a much tougher conference), and Louisville is adding arguably their two best players (a combined 25.6 PPG).

Much like adding Evina from a team that was bad in conference will have an impact on where UConn is ranked, adding two top freshmen (with a ton of experience for freshmen) would change where Louisville is ranked.

 

[Jmsdawg]

I guess Geno will have to once again show you all why UConn is the best basketball program in the country. While I don’t believe they will be as good as years past they still will be top 5 imo. Year after year we expect them to fall off but they always exceed expectations and I don’t think this year will be any different.

UConn schedule is a killer next season. They play Baylor, Oregon, South Carolina plus a lot of other tough games. I think UConn will lose to all 3 of those teams and could easy lose a couple more games. Going to be tough to finish top 5.

 

[triaddukefan]

Wait, what? Refresh my memory but where did Tech finish in the ACC last year with these 2 players? So now you want us to believe by putting them with Jeff, that team becomes a top 5 team? I am sorry my old friend but we are parting ways on this hypothesis. For the sake of interest Who are you other 4 in your top 5?

Louisville returns some good pieces... Evans, Dunham, Shook, Jones, and they get Diop back healthy...... if they add these two All-ACC Freshman team members..... thats a good team. I dont blame the freshman for Tech's troubles last year

1) Oregon 2) Baylor 3) Connecticut 4) Maryland 5) Stanford .. Oregon State would be the next on the list.

Georgia Tech finished with an identical conference record to Tennessee (despite being in a much tougher conference), and Louisville is adding arguably their two best players (a combined 25.6 PPG).

Much like adding Evina from a team that was bad in conference will have an impact on where UConn is ranked, adding two top freshmen (with a ton of experience for freshmen) would change where Louisville is ranked.

I will add that Balogun and Dixon would help shore up Louisville's biggest questions marks (in my opinion) ... a scoring guard and in the Post. Plus I see that Diop will play this year for them.. and if she is healthy and plays like she did at Pitt.... thats another dimension

 

[bballnut90]

Top 5:
1. Oregon, easy pick here with almost everyone back and Moore sliding in for Cazorla. Look out for the younger Sabally to make an impact off the bench too, not to mention Prince if she is healthy. This team is loaded and is my early preseason pick to cut down the nets.

2. Baylor, another team with a ton of talent back and a young core that should get bigger minutes next season. Adding Cooper is a massive wildcard here, especially if she is your PG. She doesn't have the best rep so her impact on the team on and off the court is a big unknown at this point. Kim is an excellent coach though and Cox might be the most impactful 2 way player in the country. Baylor will be good.

3. UCONN, they don't have a ton of depth and weren't able to land a big presence in the off season but still have an extremely top heavy roster that has gotten them to 3 straight Final Fours. Look for Williams and Walker to emerge as big time players for Geno. Westbrook's eligibility is the big offseason question.

4. Maryland, tons of talent back plus a strong freshman class. They've underachieved the last few years but there's no question they have the talent to be a very dangerous team.

5. Stanford, they lost Smith but have a good core coming back plus the nation's top recruit who should make an impact right away.

Potential top 5 teams:
A&M-Carter is a gamer and her teammates stepped up last year after the 2 big transfers. They'll be a force.

Mississippi State-talent looks relatively bleak but they have a good deep roster and Vic gets the most out of his kids.

South Carolina-talented roster on paper with a deep freshman class. Note sure how many minutes most kids will see though starting out.

Oregon State-underachieved last year but bring most big contributors back. I think they're a Final Four darkhorse.

Notre Dame-9 straight #1 seeds and more title game appearances than any other school this decade.....top 5 may be a stretch but they may end up being a lot better than most expect.

Keep an eye on:
Tennessee-Horston is a top notch recruit and they have a good roster returning with a brand new coach. Tennessee could be solid.

UCLA-they were underrated a year ago and return Onyenwere who had a breakout sophomore season.

Kentucky-a surprisingly strong team a year ago returns their star freshman and brings in a former top 5 recruit. Kentucky could be a very good team this year.

Middle Tennessee State-top 5 or even top 10 may be out of question, but they have 2 former top 10 players suiting up this year in Hayes and Boothe.

Texas-no one expects them to be good but they still have a ton of talent coming back. In the fold is Joyner Holmes who could be dangerous if she returns to freshman form, Higgs who would've been a go to player this year prior to the ACL, Collier who was a former #2 recruit, and Sutton who quietly did a very good job last year for Texas. That is a remarkably strong core to build your team around. Can Aston get more out of this talented bunch?

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Top 5:
1. Oregon, easy pick here with almost everyone back and Moore sliding in for Cazorla. Look out for the younger Sabally to make an impact off the bench too, not to mention Prince if she is healthy. This team is loaded and is my early preseason pick to cut down the nets.

2. Baylor, another team with a ton of talent back and a young core that should get bigger minutes next season. Adding Cooper is a massive wildcard here, especially if she is your PG. She doesn't have the best rep so her impact on the team on and off the court is a big unknown at this point. Kim is an excellent coach though and Cox might be the most impactful 2 way player in the country. Baylor will be good.

3. UCONN, they don't have a ton of depth and weren't able to land a big presence in the off season but still have an extremely top heavy roster that has gotten them to 3 straight Final Fours. Look for Williams and Walker to emerge as big time players for Geno. Westbrook's eligibility is the big offseason question.

4. Maryland, tons of talent back plus a strong freshman class. They've underachieved the last few years but there's no question they have the talent to be a very dangerous team.

5. Stanford, they lost Smith but have a good core coming back plus the nation's top recruit who should make an impact right away.

Potential top 5 teams:
A&M-Carter is a gamer and her teammates stepped up last year after the 2 big transfers. They'll be a force.

Mississippi State-talent looks relatively bleak but they have a good deep roster and Vic gets the most out of his kids.

South Carolina-talented roster on paper with a deep freshman class. Note sure how many minutes most kids will see though starting out.

Oregon State-underachieved last year but bring most big contributors back. I think they're a Final Four darkhorse.

Notre Dame-9 straight #1 seeds and more title game appearances than any other school this decade.....top 5 may be a stretch but they may end up being a lot better than most expect.

Keep an eye on:
Tennessee-Horston is a top notch recruit and they have a good roster returning with a brand new coach. Tennessee could be solid.

UCLA-they were underrated a year ago and return Onyenwere who had a breakout sophomore season.

Kentucky-a surprisingly strong team a year ago returns their star freshman and brings in a former top 5 recruit. Kentucky could be a very good team this year.

Middle Tennessee State-top 5 or even top 10 may be out of question, but they have 2 former top 10 players suiting up this year in Hayes and Boothe.

Texas-no one expects them to be good but they still have a ton of talent coming back. In the fold is Joyner Holmes who could be dangerous if she returns to freshman form, Higgs who would've been a go to player this year prior to the ACL, Collier who was a former #2 recruit, and Sutton who quietly did a very good job last year for Texas. That is a remarkably strong core to build your team around. Can Aston get more out of this talented bunch?

Very good analysis of your team rankings. The hardest team to pick in the top 5 is UConn because of the Westbrook situation. If Westbrook is not eligible, they are not a top 5 team imo.

 

[Jmsdawg]

Very good analysis of your team rankings. The hardest team to pick in the top 5 is UConn because of the Westbrook situation. If Westbrook is not eligible, they are not a top 5 team imo.

I do not see Westbrook as essential to UConn success. Westbrook strength is not where UConn is weak. Rebounding will make or break UConn in so far as top 5 but even if ONO has a great season, the UConn schedule is really tough. I admire Geno for that schedule and wish the other elite coaches would have the moxie to challange their team to play other elite teams, would be great for the sport!

 

[SCspur]

UConn schedule is a killer next season. They play Baylor, Oregon, South Carolina plus a lot of other tough games. I think UConn will lose to all 3 of those teams and could easy lose a couple more games. Going to be tough to finish top 5.

While I agree I still think UConn will be it's usual tough team. The Baylor and Oregon games will be at home for them and I don’t expect those to be easy wins for either team. UConn hasn’t lost at home in six years so it’ll be interesting to see if someone will end that streak.

 

[MSUFan2003]

1. Oregon and Baylor
2. ???

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I admire Geno for that schedule and wish the other elite coaches would have the moxie to challange their team to play other elite teams, would be great for the sport!

For teams in the Big 10 (Maryland) and Big 12 (Baylor), I would like to see them play a couple of more tough OOC games. Maybe each other? For the ACC, SEC and PAC 12, they play enough tough games in conference that two tough OOC games would be enough for them. Ohio State tried this when Mitchell was there and it appears it didn't do them much good in the NCAA tournament.

Maryland's OOC schedule will have an uptick next season with UConn and South Carolina on the schedule. Add in a good ACC team and a good team for Thanksgiving weekend and they will have their toughest schedule in awhile.

 

[Jmsdawg]

While I agree I still think UConn will be it's usual tough team. The Baylor and Oregon games will be at home for them and I don’t expect those to be easy wins for either team. UConn hasn’t lost at home in six years so it’ll be interesting to see if someone will end that streak.

Both Texas A&M and MSST play SC at SC home court and I do believe home court is a definite advantage but I do not see SC as an overwhelming favorite for either of these games, however iMHO, Baylor and Oregon are the teams to beat for the NC next year. I think UConn does not match well with either of these teams, not sure any team does, and it will be an upset if UConn wins either of these games.

 

[DallasBUFan]

For teams in the Big 10 (Maryland) and Big 12 (Baylor), I would like to see them play a couple of more tough OOC games. Maybe each other? For the ACC, SEC and PAC 12, they play enough tough games in conference that two tough OOC games would be enough for them. Ohio State tried this when Mitchell was there and it appears it didn't do them much good in the NCAA tournament.

Maryland's OOC schedule will have an uptick next season with UConn and South Carolina on the schedule. Add in a good ACC team and a good team for Thanksgiving weekend and they will have their toughest schedule in awhile.

How many SEC teams will be top 10 teams this next season? Most have several question marks.

 

[Jmsdawg]

For teams in the Big 10 (Maryland) and Big 12 (Baylor), I would like to see them play a couple of more tough OOC games. Maybe each other? For the ACC, SEC and PAC 12, they play enough tough games in conference that two tough OOC games would be enough for them. Ohio State tried this when Mitchell was there and it appears it didn't do them much good in the NCAA tournament.

Maryland's OOC schedule will have an uptick next season with UConn and South Carolina on the schedule. Add in a good ACC team and a good team for Thanksgiving weekend and they will have their toughest schedule in awhile.

I think you misunderstood my post, I believe ACC, SEC, and PAC 12 are the toughest conferences and I do believe teams in those conferences will be given credit for the strength of conference games, however I believe OOC games that elite teams play against cream puff opponents is a detriment to WBB. If OOC games played by elite teams do not attract fans, in my opinion, those games lessen acceptance of WBB by new fans, no one wants to watch total mismatch games. I am a WBB fan but I certainly will not waste my time watching Baylor OOC games other than SC and UConn.

 

[SCspur]

Both Texas A&M and MSST play SC at SC home court and I do believe home court is a definite advantage but I do not see SC as an overwhelming favorite for either of these games, however iMHO, Baylor and Oregon are the teams to beat for the NC next year. I think UConn does not match well with either of these teams, not sure any team does, and it will be an upset if UConn wins either of these games.

In the case of Miss St and A&M playing at SC you stated that SC will have an advantage and that will be the case when UConn plays Baylor and Oregon. Yes, they will be the underdogs at home but that doesn’t mean a thing when you consider UCONN hasn’t lost 20 games at home in a decade or more.

 

[SECbbfan24]

How many SEC teams will be top 10 teams this next season? Most have several question marks.

The only realistic options would be A&M, South Carolina, and maybe Miss St but that is pushing it given what they lost and relying heavily on the underclassmen. Tennessee has a lot of talent but not sure about being a top 10 team. Kentucky will be solid but not top 10.

The rest of the conference has a lot of holes and deficiencies, both in talent and the coaching department.

 

[DallasBUFan]

The only realistic options would be A&M, South Carolina, and maybe Miss St but that is pushing it given what they lost and relying heavily on the underclassmen. Tennessee has a lot of talent but not sure about being a top 10 team. Kentucky will be solid but not top 10.

The rest of the conference has a lot of holes and deficiencies, both in talent and the coaching department.

So would it still be considered top next year?.....PAC 12 is will be tough, but the rest are questionable until games are played.

 

[MSUFan2003]

The only realistic options would be A&M, South Carolina, and maybe Miss St but that is pushing it given what they lost and relying heavily on the underclassmen. Tennessee has a lot of talent but not sure about being a top 10 team. Kentucky will be solid but not top 10.

The rest of the conference has a lot of holes and deficiencies, both in talent and the coaching department.

I agree the only realistic ones to consider will be TAMU, South Carolina, and MSU. One thing about MSU is that Vic probably won't have a strong OOC schedule, so there likely won't be an opportunity to prove they are top 10 unless they beat TAMU and South Carolina. So I agree it's even less realistic for MSU to be ranked top 10 than TAMU or South Carolina. I see this year as a learning year for MSU. I will be happy if we get to the Sweet 16.

 

[SECbbfan24]

So would it still be considered top next year?.....PAC 12 is will be tough, but the rest are questionable until games are played.

SEC is not as strong as what it use to be unfortunately. That isn't to say there aren't some very good programs currently. It has gone through some big changes over the years and a few teams are not as good as it use to be. We will have to wait and see but outside the top 4-5, its not exactly very good top to bottom.

Not my top conference

 

[SECbbfan24]

I agree the only realistic ones to consider will be TAMU, South Carolina, and MSU. One thing about MSU is that Vic probably won't have a strong OOC schedule, so there likely won't be an opportunity to prove they are top 10 unless they beat TAMU and South Carolina. So I agree it's even less realistic for MSU to be ranked top 10 than TAMU or South Carolina. I see this year as a learning year for MSU. I will be happy if we get to the Sweet 16.

I think Miss St will be really good next year after they work through some growing pains early and develop some continuity with some many new faces. I think top 10 would be pushing it with a lot of question marks. They are certainly a deep and talented team. They are definitely a top 15 team for me and will be capable of playing with many top 10 teams by the end of the year, I believe Vic will get the most out of his group. Its just gonna be a rebuilding year. Next year will be their run (on paper).

 

[DeeHusky]

I guess Geno will have to once again show you all why UConn is the best basketball program in the country. While I don’t believe they will be as good as years past they still will be top 5 imo. Year after year we expect them to fall off but they always exceed expectations and I don’t think this year will be any different.

Agreed they will never not be in the Top 5, hell I’d even say top 3 as long as Geno is the coach. I think one 6’5 player is enough for a team like UConn. She just needed a year of tutelage under her belt to understand how things work. And we haven’t had a consistent starter over 6’2 in the post since 2016 and still been in the final four every year. So umm yea ......