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Message: [QUOTE="bballnut90, post: 5264935, member: 2117"] Initial thoughts on rankings are: -There's a clear drop off after the top 4. The top 4 teams look relatively balanced in terms of post play and perimeter scoring, but after those squads there are question marks for most teams. Arguments can be made for the top 3 teams to be ranked #1 but Texas is the clear #4 team. They're good enough to be better than everyone else, but their lack of offense likely prevents them from being a true title contender unless their system improves big time next year. -I'd probably keep UCONN #1 considering they were basically 30 points better than SC last year in both showings and have 2 of their 3 major weapons back. Latson is an upgrade over Fulwiley but even with Paige gone I'd still keep UCONN #1. [B][U]Teams too high:[/U][/B] -Oklahoma. They look good on paper but were not a very good team this year. They weren't competitive with better teams and I'm not sure bringing in freshman Chavez elevates them to #6. I'd probably put them closer to 10. -North Carolina is way too high losing 3 really key players. I'm not sold on them being top 15. Maybe top 20? -Iowa State. Crooks is an excellent post and Brown is solid but I don't think they have the overall talent to be a top 15 team. This year they were not very good and lost a great PG in Ryan. I think they're fringe top 25. [B][U]Teams too low:[/U][/B] -Maryland is a true Final Four threat IMO. Okananwa/Garzon are fantastic additions and if Merkle can get in better shape they can compete with the top of the Big Ten. Top 10. -Michigan. Their terrific freshman class all become sophomores and Kim Barnes-Arico consistently does more with less. I think Michigan could teeter around top 10, though they're likely a year away. -TCU. How is a team with Olivia Miles unranked? Also did everyone just forget the job Mark Campbell did this past year? They're going to be a top 20 team with Silva getting adjusted and having Suarez in the lineup. -Kentucky. A combo of Tonie Morgan/Clara Strack should keep Kentucky a top 20 team. Plus Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett are both back. -Ohio State should also be ranked. Cambridge was one of the better freshmen in the country last year and McGuff's teams are always decent. [B][U]Uncommitted Transfers to Keep and Eye On:[/U][/B] -Milaysia Fulwiley, she's being rumored as interested in LSU but I think she'd make a much bigger splash at a different program. -Gianna Kneepkens, adding her to UCLA, South Carolina or Texas could elevate them to #1 status. I'd remove Oklahoma as being labeled too high if she ends up a Sooner. She's relatively unheralded on the national scale but might be the most significant recruit in the portal this year. -Serah Williams, she'd solve any question marks in the post for both LSU and UCONN. She'd also be a big upgrade inside for North Carolina. -Allie Kubek, she could solve post depth issues for a lot of top 10-15 teams as a face up 4 with good skills. -Kayleigh Heckel, if she lands at Vanderbilt it solves their PG problems and gives them an elite core of sophomores and juniors for the next 2 years. If she goes to Notre Dame (another school she's visiting), I don't think it changes their status. [/QUOTE]

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