Week 18 - AP Poll

[BRS24]

Well folks, here's the last regular season poll. UConn up two spots to #3. South Dakota State finally makes an appearance at #25. UNC -6, Tenn -7, KSU -6,

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA women's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.

apnews.com

 

[triaddukefan]

Duke isn't #10?

 

[Centerstream]

From the previous Top 10, UCLA and LSU dropped 2 spots each, Notre Dame dropped 3 and UNC dropped 6.

 

[Centerstream]

Duke isn't #10?

View attachment 107426

No but at least they have the largest jump of the Top 25.

 

[Bone Dog]

This is unexpected -- #3. I thought maybe #5. But #3 is quite a move.

 

[Rowdy831]

UCLA hasn't really had a good win in a while and the Big Ten has one team that might make it to the final 8 and that is not a given. UConn has played themselves into this place and deserve it and anything less than a 1 seed in the tournament will be a real motivator for the team.

 

[jaydee602]

I realize that the AP poll does not affect the selection committee seedings. But do you think the rash of upsets catapults the Huskies to a #1 seed?

 

[BRS24]

I realize that the AP poll does not affect the selection committee seedings. But do you think the rash of upsets catapults the Huskies to a #1 seed?

There would have to be a significant number of upsets in conference tourneys, along with huge score disparities for this to happen. UConn is expected to win the BET. The ACC, SEC, B10, and B12 could all be up for grabs.

 

[hookshot]

I realize that the AP poll does not affect the selection committee seedings. But do you think the rash of upsets catapults the Huskies to a #1 seed?

If SC wins the SEC tournament thy will likely

 

[jaydee602]

There would have to be a significant number of upsets in conference tourneys, along with huge score disparities for this to happen. UConn is expected to win the BET. The ACC, SEC, B10, and B12 could all be up for grabs.

I agree.
UCONN should be comfortable with the #2 seed, considering that the #3 seeds include inferior Duke, Kentucky, & Oklahoma.

 

[Tonyc]

You know what. They way UConn is playin I dont fear anybody. They will be fearing UConn.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I expected to be #4, but I'm sure they'll take #3.
Geno can use that as a motivator and a testament to hard work paying off, especially on defense.

 

[maple]

#3 is nice to end the regular season on.

 

[triaddukefan]

No but at least they have the largest jump of the Top 25.

You do make a good point

 

[jabstep]

All of the announcers and analysts after the South Carolina win, the Creighton win and us being as so much healthier are seeing that we are a final 4 team. I agree with them. Our defense is very good with effort and intensity. We also have enough scorers. Look at what Aubrey adds on defense rebounding and scoring now. Azzi is showing her ability to score as well as Paige and Sarah. Jana is making some of the bunnies and Ice looked great on Sunday. Shade and KK are great off the bench. This could be our year. The top 5 or 6 could win it all. I can't wait gonna be exciting Go Huskies!!!!!!!!

 

[oldude]

I’m going to channel my inner Tonyc. UCONN WILL WIN IT ALL!!! The Huskies are playing beautiful basketball on offense and relentless defense.

The one question mark for the Huskies has been their ability to match up with teams with size. But recently, everything is falling into place. Jana has improved considerably, Aubrey is healthy and as active as ever and Ice came back from injury to have her best game of the season.

So IMO UConn can hold their own with the big front courts of teams like TX & UCLA while the Huskies deep and talented guards carve them up.

My final point. Geno hasn’t had a team this talented or deep in a long time, and there is no coach and coaching staff in WBB better at preparing a team for a title run than UConn’s.

 

[HuskyNan]

You do make a good point

Can’t you just enjoy that UNC fell 6 spots?

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[mhshuskies]

UCLA hasn't really had a good win in a while and the Big Ten has one team that might make it to the final 8 and that is not a given. UConn has played themselves into this place and deserve it and anything less than a 1 seed in the tournament will be a real motivator for the team.

UCLA and USC are in the Big Ten.

 

[Bone Dog]

Geno hasn’t had a team this talented or deep in a long time,

This has a been a question for me, as well. This year's rotation is 9 deep and arguably all of them could start.

• 2021-22 was more or less healthy and stocked with future draft picks. It was similar to 2020-21 with the addition of Azzi Caroline and Dorka. Sadly, injuries best this team with Paige missing the heart of it, and Azzi and Caroline slowed by foot and hip injuries, and ultimately Dorka breaking her wrist in the Elite Eight game. This was a deep team, but also a hobbled one.
• 2020-21 looked good going into the tournament, but was unable to get past Arizona in the final four game. Paige lifted the team over SC with a heroic effort. But that may also have been when the team peaked. That game also exposed the team's over dependence on Paige. They played well against Iowa thanks to great games from Evina and Christyn. But in the Baylor game, as long as they were able to key of Paige, the rest of the team floundered. As soon as their defensive specialist, DiDi Richards, went down with an injury, Paige took over and put the game out of reach. In the next game, Aari McDonald was able to hold Paige in check and the ret of the team couldn't manage to force Arizona out of that defense, even with Christyn's 20 pts.
• 2022-23 was again hobbled by injury and everything looked like it would depend on Azzi, until she went down with injury. Lou stepped up in a big way, and Aaliyah and Dorka were great that season, and Nika had a career season and emerged as the heart soul and brains of the team. But fundamentally, this was a very thin squad.
• 2023-24 was even more intensely hobbled by injury -- 'nuff said.

What about before the Paige era?

• 2018-19 had a shallow bench, but the first 5 were pretty and the first two off the bench were solid: Phee, Katie Lou, Walker, Crystal, Christyn, and Liv and Kyla.
• 2017-18 was arguably deeper than the next season with Gabby, Phee, Katie Lou, Azura, Crystal and Kia with Megan and Kyla off the bench, but not by much.
• 2016-17 was a similar situation. After this year, we're in the Stewie era, and I'm not sure what sort of comparison to make to those teams.

 

[DennieEddy]

The Stag(etts) of Fairfield University got 2 votes.

 

[Jonathan14]

You do make a good point

And you can always comfort yourself that you have the perfect GIF for every mood.

 

[robert]

Well folks, here's the last regular season poll. UConn up two spots to #3. South Dakota State finally makes an appearance at #25. UNC -6, Tenn -7, KSU -6,

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA women's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.

apnews.com

Well that’s a good compliment for UConn to be in #3, my wild guess is South Carolina and Notre Dame will surpass UConn after the conference tournament if both of them will win in their respective conferences even if UConn wins the Big East tournament. I’ll be ok with number 5 and seed number 2 in the NCAA tournament … Hoping to be in the same bracket either way Texas or Southern California , and be back to the Final Four and the championship game … hopefully we will get number 12…

 

[hookshot]

Well that’s a good compliment for UConn to be in #3, my wild guess is South Carolina and Notre Dame will surpass UConn after the conference tournament if both of them will win in their respective conferences even if UConn wins the Big East tournament. I’ll be ok with number 5 and seed number 2 in the NCAA tournament … Hoping to be in the same bracket either way Texas or Southern California , and be back to the Final Four and the championship game … hopefully we will get number 12…

would think ND has two many bad losses now to be passing anybody in the top 5, although their roster is the equal of any of them