And that mental part is crucial, because the margin between equally matched teams is almost always mental -- it‘s the ability to focus for more of the 40 minutes than the other team, and it’s one of the toughest tasks for any intercollegiate athlete.
But teams go in and out of finals at different times, and most coaches give their players some time off over Christmas, so there are some odd-looking schedules in the next couple weeks. But after the New Year, conference play begins -- and things will get very serious very quickly.
(Record through Monday) Points -- Last week's rank (first-place votes)
1. Tennessee (9-0) 774 -- 1 (30)
Tennessee takes a West Coast road swing against perennial disappointment UCLA (will the school’s administration ever take women‘s basketball seriously?) and perennial power Stanford. The Bruins do have a lot of young talent, and could muster up an upset bid while Stanford is coming off a thumping of Baylor. Still, expect the record to be 11-0 next week.
2. Connecticut (8-0) 745 -- 2 (1)
Beth Burns is proving you can go home again, as her return to San Diego State (the site of her best work as a coach) is going well. She has a young athletic team with lots of promise. But even with the home court advantage, the Aztecs simply aren‘t ready for this kind of competition.
3. North Carolina (11-1) 701 – 3
Western Kentucky isn‘t a bad team, but the Hilltoppers aren‘t in the Tar Heels‘ league. Sylvia Hatchell‘s collection of long, talented athletes is simply too much for all but the very best to stay with for long..
4. Stanford (8-1) 664 – 4
Candice Wiggins put on a show against Baylor, but freshmen Kayla Pedersen (I was wrong about her, for what it‘s worth) and Jeannette Pohlen (her too) played big roles in the beatdown of Baylor. It‘s unlikely Stanford will be able to outlast Tennessee, even at home, but a strong showing might set the stage for a Final Four season.
5. Maryland (13-1) 646 -- 5
If the Terrapins sleep on James Madison, that trip to Virginia could turn into an embarrassing midmajor loss. And you know, Rutgers beat Maryland head-to-head, so how can the Terps be ranked ahead of the Scarlet Knights?
6. Rutgers (8-2) 622 – 6
Rutgers has nearly three weeks off, which is a very long break. But then again, C. Vivian Stringer‘s notoriously long practices (what 20-hour-a-week limit?) won‘t make it much of a holiday for the Scarlet Knights.
7. Georgia (9-0) 596 – 7
It‘s break time for the Dawgs, and apparently that 102-45 win over powerhouse Mercer dazzled the voters enough to move Georgia up a spot. But the best win is over Georgia Tech, and I‘m still not sold on this high a ranking.
8. LSU (7-2) 549 – 8
Speaking of signature wins, where’s LSU’s? Michigan State? Tulane? We‘ll have to wait until the SEC season for the Tigers to be really tested, though the trip to Middle Tennessee Dec. 28 qualifies as a pop quiz.
9. Oklahoma (7-2) 542 – 9
The only game between now and Dec. 30 is against 2-7 Central Arkansas, which is coming off a loss to Harding. Harding? The mind reels at what might happen if Courtney Paris plays 30 minutes against the (I kid you not) Sugar Bears.
10. Texas A&M (9-1) 469 – 11
The Aggies got the big win they needed (Auburn, by two, at home), and the voters rightly rewarded them with a boost into the top ten. But A&M better not take disappointing-so-far George Washington too lightly. The Colonials are playing better, and a win Thursday would be huge, especially at home.
11. Baylor (7-1) 443 – 10
Again, the voters come through. Sure, Baylor lost, and lost badly, but Stanford is number four for a reason, and number 10 is supposed to lose to number four. Now if the Bears find a way to lose to St. John‘s Saturday, then punishment should be administered.
12. California (8-2) 424 – 12
The Bears have only one more game before Pac-10 play starts, but it‘s Friday against resurgent Kansas, where Bonnie Henrickson finally has her Jayhawks on track for a successful season. But then again, Kansas hasn‘t played anyone as good as Cal, so we‘ll learn a bit more about both teams in this one.
13. West Virginia (10-1) 411 – 13
The Mountaineers have played just one home game since Nov. 24 (the 93-26 embarrassment over Presbyterian), and continue the road swing at Indiana Saturday. The Hoosiers haven‘t done much, but they‘re coming off a win over tough Bowling Green, so this one might be tougher than it looks.
14. DePaul (9-0) 326 – 16
So was beating Northern Illinois that impressive? Yes, the Blue Demons are unbeaten, which counts for a lot in my book, but jumping three spots by beating the Huskies just doesn‘t seem justified. Winning at Northwestern Thursday may not seem like a tougher test, but the healthier Wildcats just beat a pretty good Marquette team.
15. Duke (7-3) 308 – 15
Beating Rutgers and Pittsburgh back to back restored a little luster to the Blue Devils‘ reputation and, not incidentally, to that of new coach Joanne McCallie. Bucknell Friday won‘t be much more than an extended practice, but every win is helpful as Duke seeks to regain its equilibrium.
16. Auburn (10-1) 303 – 14
So you lose by two, on the road, to a higher-ranked team -- and get dropped three spots in the rankings? Auburn has those wins at Ohio State and at Arizona State, and DePaul has those wins at, well, Southern Illinois and Illinois State. Nell Fortner‘s still getting dissed.
17. Notre Dame (9-1) 273 – 17t
The only loss is to Maryland, so Friday’s trip to 3-7 IUPUI (an acronym I‘ve never completely unraveled) shouldn‘t be too much of a test. This is a good team.
18. Ohio State (7-2) 265 – 17t
Nebraska has a couple of middling losses (Marist, Utah), and should test the Buckeyes Saturday, even in Columbus. So far, though, freshman Jantel Lavender has done a great Jessica Davenport imitation.
19. Vanderbilt (8-3) 155 – 20
So what exactly did the Commordores do to jump a spot in the rankings? Let‘s see, they‘ve lost two of three, including a 62-51 spanking at the hands of Colorado, which I remind you, lost to Siena. Sure, they play in the SEC, and yes, they‘ve got injuries, but there‘s no justification for them going up in the rankings without at least a win -- even over a Siena.
20. Texas (8-2) 129 – 23
According to the admittedly early, and unreliable, RPI, Texas’ strength of schedule is 205th in the nation. That certainly raises some red flags about that 8-2 record, but the lights will turn green if the Longhorns can go into Tempe and beat Arizona State.
21. Arizona State (6-4) 110 – 19
Charli Turner-Thorn says the Sun Devils are the best 6-4 team in the country. I can go with you on that, Charli, but are you really the 21st best team, regardless of record? Texas Thursday night should answer that question.
22. George Washington (7-3) 103 – 22
Sure, the Colonials beat Loyola Marymount, which comes from the tough West Coast Conference (no team has a losing record) -- but that can‘t make up for that 25-point spanking at the hands of James Madison, or the one-point loss to UNLV. Simply put, GWU doesn‘t belong in the top 25, though a win over Texas A&M Thursday at home would change that in a hurry.
23. Oklahoma State (8-1) 91 -- 19
In fairness, the loss to 5-6 TCU came after the polls closed, but that very soft preseason schedule should have been a clue that the Cowgirls just weren‘t really top 25 material. But two easy upcoming wins over 3-6 North Texas and 336th in RPI Central Arkansas will probably keep Oklahoma State in the rankings.
24. Michigan State (7-3) 91 – 21
The Spartans beat 7-6 Clemson, which is their main claim to fame. The losses to Oklahoma and LSU (by 23) are excusable, but Old Dominion stuck it to Michigan State, and also has only three defeats. So why is Old Dominion not in the rankings, and Michigan State at 24? The late Joe Smith called it ‘result nullifcation,’ which means that voters don‘t care what happens on the court, they just vote for whoever they like.
25. Wyoming (10-1) 72 – 25
Colorado has beaten two teams in the top 25, and also lost to Siena and Southern Cal, so a loss to the Buffs isn‘t exactly a good one. Arkansas is unbeaten, and Georgia Tech has lost only to Georgia -- the Hogs, Ramblin’ Wrecks, or Old Dominion, should be here.
Dropped out: None
And I can‘t figure out why.
Others receiving votes: Arkansas - 50; Texas Tech - 34; Old Dominion - 30; Iowa State - 26; Georgia Tech - 22; Hartford - 22; Florida State - 12; Utah - 11; North Carolina State - 10; Pittsburgh - 9; Colorado - 7; Marist - 6; Louisville - 5; Marquette - 5; Kansas - 4; Penn State - 3; South Alabama - 3; Liberty - 1; Tulane - 1.
Granted, Arkansas has played no one. But the Razorbacks haven’t lost a game. That would be 12 up and none down, and ask any coach, at any level, how hard it is to win 12 in a row. Arkansas should be in the top 25. You could make a case for Texas Tech, which beat Arizona State, but the Red Raiders have that loss to Houston. Arkansas, as you recall, hasn’t lost at all.
The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2007-08 season: Agnus Berenato, Pittsburgh; Pam Borton, Minnesota; Brian Boyer, Arkansas State; Beth Burns, San Diego State; Debra Clark, Florida A&M; Beth Couture, Butler; Leslie Crane, Western Illinois; Dana Eikenberg, Southern Illinois; Tricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac; Sharon Fanning, Mississippi State; Brian Giorgis, Marist; Julie Goodenough, Charleston Southern; Kellie Harper, Western Carolina; Mary Hegarty, Long Beach State; Nate Kilbert, Mississippi Valley State; Melissa McFerrin, American; Kevin McGuff, Xavier; Tina Martin, Delaware; Curt Miller, Bowling Green; Dan Muscatell, Sacramento State; Paul Nixon, Columbia; Rick Reeves, Gardner-Webb; Lee Ann Riley, Stephen F. Austin; Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford; Rhonda Rompola, Southern Methodist; Julie Rousseau, Pepperdine; Brady Sallee, Eastern Illinois; Cindy Stein, Missouri; LaVonda Wagner, Oregon State; Adrian Wiggins, Fresno State.