Even Connecticut might have to worry a little, with a game at Rutgers coming up. A loss there, an upset in the Big East tournament, and suddenly the Huskies might be looking at a number two seed instead of facing the worst two seed in the Elite Eight.
Keep those calculator batteries fully charged …
(Record through Monday) Points -- Last week's rank (first-place
votes)
1. Connecticut (21-0) 775 -- 1 (31)
The Huskies will be tested against Rutgers, and this could be the game that their lack of depth finally catches up to them. C. Vivian Stringer has been pulling out the psychological stops, so expect the Scarlet Knights to give UConn all, and maybe more, than it can handle.
2. Tennessee (20-1) 744 -- 2
The Volunteers only play one game this week, at Missisippi State, which has lost five of seven. If the Huskies stumble, the Volunteers will jump to number one (where the RPI has them already).
3. North Carolina (20-2) 711 – 3
The Tar Heels are pretty clearly the third-best team in the country, and Clemson, in Chapel Hill, is not going to change anyone’s opinion about that.
4. Maryland (24-2) 666 -- 4
Virginia on the road was a 12-point win, so how much of a test will the Cavs be at home? Then there’s a break so everyone can focus on Brenda Frese’s twins.
6. Baylor (20-1) 647 – 6
The Bears patiently keep climbing the ladder into No. 1 seed territory – but now draw Oklahoma State (1-2 since winning at Texas A&M) on the road. Texas Tech comes to Waco Saturday, and that should complete the sweep for Kim Mulkey’s superbly coached team.
6. Stanford (19-3) 612 – 7
Tara VanDerveer feels its her obligation to promote the sport, so she always plays local schools – this week it’s Santa Clara, which has surprised up to this point. Broncos’ leading scorer Chandice Cronk may be hurt, though, which would make this neighborly visit even less intimidating.
7. Rutgers (18-3) 600 – 4
As noted, C. Vivian Stringer is all over her team right now (last year, she didn’t let them in the locker room for a month), but then again, she’s got UConn and Tennessee coming up. If not now, then when?
8. LSU (18-3) 566 – 8
Since losing to Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 28, the Tigers have won nine in a row, none by less than double digits. Reeling Georgia (Sunday in Baton Rouge) had better beware.
9. California (19-3) 516 – 9
Cal travels to Oregon this week (Oregon and Oregon State, in typical Pac-10 fashion), and though the northern teams aren’t that strong, don’t expect the Bears to coast. They’re just too thin to dominate, and they need everyone playing well to roll over people. Then again, it’s not by how much, it’s whether.
10. Oklahoma (15-4) 495 – 10
Upcoming road trip Missouri blew a nice first-half lead to lose to Nebraska, and has now dropped six straight (or nine of 11, whichever seems more depressing). Luckily, more formidable Colorado comes to Norman.
11. West Virginia (18-3) 468 – 12
In January, the Mountaineers were 9-1, losing only to Connecticut – and beating Notre Dame, Rutgers, Marquette and St. John’s. They’re 1-0 in February, and Providence Saturday should make it two straight.
12. Duke (16-6) 419 – 11
Losing two out of three is simply not acceptable in Blue Devil country, even if the two are Tennessee and North Carolina. A trip to surprising Boston College is next, with Wake Forest at home following. Anything less than 2-0 and the ‘Fire Joanne’ posters will start blooming.
13. George Washington (18-4) 368 – 13
The Colonials have won 13 of 14, and will make it 14 of 15 by beating up on Richmond Sunday. The rest of the A-10 schedule isn’t much more challenging, so GW’s biggest enemy is boredom.
14. Old Dominion (18-3) 347 – 15
Old Dominion alumna Adrienne Goodson’s first story for FCP will appear soon. In less exciting news, the Monarchs will pummel George Mason and William & Mary this week.
15. Pittsburgh (17-4) 261 – 19
Even losing to Rutgers can’t take the luster off a great season. You’d need a supercomputer to figure the odds of the Panthers being in the top 15 in February.
16. Oklahoma State (17-3) 248 – 18
Winning at Colorado was no easy task, but handling Baylor, even at home, will be even tougher. And looking past the Sunday trip to 16-6 Nebraska would be foolish.
17. Notre Dame (17-5) 244 – 20
The Irish jump three spots on the virtue of beating Providence and Cincinnati, a combined 21-21. Beating Pittsburgh Sunday in South Bend would be a lot more impressive – and the ensuing jump in the poll would certainly be justified.
18. Kansas State (15-6) 217 -- 21
A gut-check win at Nebraska offset the expected loss to Baylor, but the Big 12 doesn’t let up. Kansas visits Saturday, and the Jayhawks are coming off a big win over Iowa State.
19. Ohio State (17-5) 189 – 19
As a West Coast boy, it’s always a pleasure to rip the Big 10 – but the conference is so weak, it’s not even that much fun any more. The best team is 27th in RPI (this one), and if the numbers are to be believed, shouldn’t even be on this list.
20. Texas A&M (16-6) 169 – 23
Only one game this week, at home against Texas. The Aggies need to keep winning conference games (they’ve got three straight now) if they expect to avoid UConn or Tennessee in the second round.
21. Georgia (16-6) 149 – 14
That’s three straight losses, one at home to Kentucky, and five of the last seven. Playing Arkansas and LSU on the road are not the best remedies for a slump, but the Bulldogs need to right themselves, and quickly.
22. Wyoming (18-3) 123 – 16
It speaks to the paucity of top 25 candidates that two teams that dropped two games in a row to unranked teams, Wyoming and Georgia, are still in the rankings. New Mexico, even in Laramie, has a very good chance to make in three straight losses for the Cowgirls.
23. Utah (18-3) 103 – NR
One loss is to Stanford (acceptable), and the other two are explainable (Marist and at USC). And here’s a question: Utah just beat Wyoming, at Wyoming, and has the same record – so why are the Utes behind the Cowgirls in the poll?
24. Syracuse (17-4) 71 – 22
Another team with a loss to an unranked opponent sticks around – and Georgetown, which beat up on the Orange, lost to Hampton this year. Marquette and Seton Hall are next, and it would be no surprise if Syracuse slipped quietly from sight.
25. DePaul (16-5) 53 – 24
Losing to Syracuse at home was not an indicator that the Blue Demons are really that strong. Louisville visits Sunday, and the 15-7 Cardinals may be better than the Orange.
Dropped out: No. 25 Texas
So Texas, ranked 25th, losing to Baylor and Oklahoma, two top ten teams, and drops out of the top 25. Wyoming and Georgia lose two to unranked teams and stick around. Anyone who understands that logic, please send an e-mail to clayk@fullcourt.com
Others receiving votes: Georgia Tech (18-4) 44; Marist (21-2) 41; Vanderbilt (16-6) 38; Texas 28; Auburn (15-6) 25; Illinois State (18-2) 24; Arizona State (15-7) 17; Hartford (16-4) 17; Liberty (19-2) 16; Western Kentucky (18-5) 15; Nebraska (16-6) 13; Middle Tennessee (14-8) 11; Texas-El Paso (17-2) 11; Minnesota (15-8) 5; Virginia (17-5) 4; North Carolina State (14-8) 3; Wisconsin-Green Bay (16-4) 1; Xavier (16-6) 1..
The RPI calculations, which are never far from the mind of bubble-conscious coaches, show that there are five teams in this group that should be in the top 25: Nebraska, Louisville, Vanderbilt, UTEP and Virginia. The teams that should be gone? Oklahoma State, Georgia, DePaul, Ohio State and Utah, in that order.
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; Kay Yow, North Carolina State.