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Ohio State women’s basketball moves to No. 8 in AP poll
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After two close wins, and some help around the NCAA, the Buckeyes move up in weekly polling
Last week of NCAA women’s basketball was interesting, to say the least. For Ohio State women’s basketball, it faced two teams it struggled against during the 22-23 campaign. While the Buckeyes had struggles again against the Illinois Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side still came out on top in both. The wins, and a lot of shakeups around the country, move the Buckeyes up to No. 8 in Monday’s AP poll.
How much help did Ohio State get exactly? Of the top 25 teams in the poll, 12 lost last week. Of those 12 sides, six were ranked ahead of the Buckeyes No. 12 spot. Including two teams that the scarlet and gray lost to already this season.
The then No. 2 and No. 11 UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans each suffered defeats in Pac-12 play. UCLA lost to the 16-5 Washington State Cougars 85-82, although the defeat was without center Lauren Betts. For the Trojans, it was a 62-59 loss at the hands of the 14-5 Washington Huskies.
Elsewhere in the top 11 teams, the then No. 10 Texas Longhorns fell to its Oklahoma Sooner rivals. Plus, ranked defeats for the No. 9 LSU Tigers against the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks, No. 8 UConn Huskies losing to No. 15 Notre Dame (who also lost to No. 22 Syracuse midweek) and the No. 3 Colorado Buffaloes losing to the No. 25 Oregon State Beavers.
Basically, pure havoc from top to bottom across Power Five conferences and beyond. That put the NCAA voters in quite the predicament in choosing the latest top 25 ranking.
In the Big Ten, the three teams who’ve consistently represented the conference are all still part of the conversation. The Iowa Hawkeyes moved up to No. 3 after dropping to No. 5 following last Sunday’s defeat to the Buckeyes. The Indiana Hoosiers, who played once, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 100-59, also benefited from the chaos ahead of them, moving from No. 14 to No. 10.
Although no other Big Ten teams made the top 25, attention is starting to trickle down to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Reinvigorated with the addition of a now-healthy guard Ashley Owusu, the Nittany Lions are on a five-game winning streak, including a 112-76 win over the Maryland Terrapins, earning the Pennsylvania side a vote.
The NET rankings, also released Monday, put six Big Ten teams in the top 30. Along with the Buckeyes, Hawkeyes and Hoosiers are the Michigan State Spartans at No. 20, Nittany Lions at No. 26 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers right behind Penn State at No. 27.
Both weekly rankings are likely to change in the coming week for the Buckeyes. Following a home game against the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday, the scarlet and gray welcome the crimson of No. 10 Indiana Sunday at noon.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After two close wins, and some help around the NCAA, the Buckeyes move up in weekly polling
Last week of NCAA women’s basketball was interesting, to say the least. For Ohio State women’s basketball, it faced two teams it struggled against during the 22-23 campaign. While the Buckeyes had struggles again against the Illinois Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side still came out on top in both. The wins, and a lot of shakeups around the country, move the Buckeyes up to No. 8 in Monday’s AP poll.
How much help did Ohio State get exactly? Of the top 25 teams in the poll, 12 lost last week. Of those 12 sides, six were ranked ahead of the Buckeyes No. 12 spot. Including two teams that the scarlet and gray lost to already this season.
The then No. 2 and No. 11 UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans each suffered defeats in Pac-12 play. UCLA lost to the 16-5 Washington State Cougars 85-82, although the defeat was without center Lauren Betts. For the Trojans, it was a 62-59 loss at the hands of the 14-5 Washington Huskies.
Elsewhere in the top 11 teams, the then No. 10 Texas Longhorns fell to its Oklahoma Sooner rivals. Plus, ranked defeats for the No. 9 LSU Tigers against the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks, No. 8 UConn Huskies losing to No. 15 Notre Dame (who also lost to No. 22 Syracuse midweek) and the No. 3 Colorado Buffaloes losing to the No. 25 Oregon State Beavers.
Basically, pure havoc from top to bottom across Power Five conferences and beyond. That put the NCAA voters in quite the predicament in choosing the latest top 25 ranking.
In the Big Ten, the three teams who’ve consistently represented the conference are all still part of the conversation. The Iowa Hawkeyes moved up to No. 3 after dropping to No. 5 following last Sunday’s defeat to the Buckeyes. The Indiana Hoosiers, who played once, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 100-59, also benefited from the chaos ahead of them, moving from No. 14 to No. 10.
Although no other Big Ten teams made the top 25, attention is starting to trickle down to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Reinvigorated with the addition of a now-healthy guard Ashley Owusu, the Nittany Lions are on a five-game winning streak, including a 112-76 win over the Maryland Terrapins, earning the Pennsylvania side a vote.
The NET rankings, also released Monday, put six Big Ten teams in the top 30. Along with the Buckeyes, Hawkeyes and Hoosiers are the Michigan State Spartans at No. 20, Nittany Lions at No. 26 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers right behind Penn State at No. 27.
Both weekly rankings are likely to change in the coming week for the Buckeyes. Following a home game against the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday, the scarlet and gray welcome the crimson of No. 10 Indiana Sunday at noon.
Continue reading...