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On Monday afternoon, No. 20 Nebraska fell from the ranks of the undefeated, losing their Big Ten home opener to No. 17 USC, 74-66. It was the lowest-scoring output of the season for the previously high-scoring Huskers. No. 7 Maryland, however, maintained their perfection by pounding visiting Wisconsin 97-59, propelled by junior guard Oluchi Okananwa’s career-high 28 points.
On Wednesday, five more unbeatens put their unblemished records on the line, all in in-conference contests. Four of the still-sparkling squads come from the Big 12: No. 8 TCU, No. 10 Iowa State, No. 21 Texas Tech and Arizona State. The other? The beast of the Big East in No. 1 UConn.
Here’s a look at all five teams’ chances of entering 2026 still undefeated.
No. 1 UConn vs. Providence (3 p.m. ET, Peacock)
Credit to Providence and head coach Erin Bath for taking on possibly the toughest two-game set of the season.
Even with a conference date against UConn on the calendar, they traveled to South Carolina for a non-conference contest with the No. 3 Gamecocks last Sunday. That trip ended with a 41-point defeat for the Friars, and they’re likely to meet a similar fate against the Huskies.
As was the case in their victory at Butler on Sunday, UConn should cruise to 14-0 behind a balanced, full-roster effort.
And if the Friars do cause more trouble than expected, sophomore forward Sarah Strong and super senior guard Azzi Fudd will be there to ensure that the Huskies do not have to navigate any real adversity.
No. 8 TCU vs. BYU (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
This is TCU’s first game since Dec. 20, and a trip to Provo might not be the easiest way to knock off nearly two weeks of rust. Should the Horned Frogs be on upset-watch?
BYU has lost just one game, beaten by Vanderbilt at the Paradise Jam over Thanksgiving weekend. The 71 points scored by the Commodores is the most given up by the Cougars this season. They own a top-25 defensive rating, effectively inducing poor shooting performances from opponents.
TCU has more than enough fire power to test the tensile of BYU’s defense, especially if they’re restored, rather the rusty, after their extended break from game action.
Super senior point guard Olivia Miles orchestrates the Horned Frog offense, averaging 7.6 assists per game as she pings the ball to the likes of super senior forward Marta Suraez, super senior guard Maddie Scherr and junior guard Donovyn Hunter for 3-pointers. That trio all averages at least four 3-point attempts per game, led by leading-scorer Suarez’s 5.9 attempts and 44.2 conversion rate.
And if the Horned Frogs’ shots don’t fall, they have their own stingy defense, ranked second in the nation, that can deliver them to a 14-0 record.
No. 10 Iowa State vs. Houston (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Iowa State’s perfection has had some precarious moments, requiring 47 points from Audi Crooks to outlast Indiana before needing the junior center to pour in 41 points to survive against Kansas.
Although another 40-ball from Audi would be tons of fun, the Cyclones likely hope that their trip to Houston does not demand a Crooks’ masterpiece. An easier avenue to 14-0 likely is preferred.
Also, for as excellent as Audi is, the Cyclones are not just Crooks. Junior forward Addy Brown is almost averaging a double-double, registering 14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as she shoots 45 percent from 3. Junior guard Jada Williams has not been an efficient scorer during her first season in Ames, but she has embraced her point guard role, tossing 7.5 dimes per game.
Their contributions, on top of Crooks’ nation-leading 28.9 points per game, have elevated Iowa State to the nation’s second-best offense.
No. 21 Texas Tech vs. UCF (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
A pre-Christmas win at then-No. 15 Baylor verified Texas Tech’s undefeated bona fides. Accusations of a soft schedule could no longer be deployed to dismiss their perfect mark.
Defense has been the foundation for the Red Raiders, rated the fourth-best in the country.
Texas Tech has been particularly effective at preventing opponents’ 2-point attempts, often sacrificing offensive rebounding opportunities in order to get back and set their defense. That prepared, discipline defense also has successfully stalled out opponents’ ball movement, forcing teams into isolation attempts. As UCF is a team that doesn’t shoot many 3s, aims to score inside the arc and looks to get to the free throw line, the Knights will put pressure on the Red Raiders’ principles.
Offensively, the trio of super senior and former Ole Miss forward Snudda Collins, senior guard Bailey Maupin and junior forward Jaylnn Bristow have been doing the heavy lifting for Texas Tech, combing for almost 43 of the Red Raiders’ 76 points per game.
Arizona State vs. Utah (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
With a win at Utah, undefeated-yet-still-unranked Arizona State can make their strongest case yet to enter the top 25.
As with the Red Raiders, defense has driven the Sun Devils’ early-season success. Their defensive formula, which prioritizes packing the paint and not fouling at the expense of allowing tons of 3s, will meet an interesting match in a Utah team that prefers to shoot 3s, even if this version of the Utes is not the high-scoring offensive outfit of recent vintage.
For offense, Arizona State relies on sixth-year junior guard Gabby Elliot, who is scoring a career-high 16.3 points per game after stops at Clemson, Michigan State and Penn State. Sophomore forward McKinna Brackens, who arrived at ASU from UNLV, contributes 14.7 points and 7.7 boards per game.
