Big Ten Teams Climb the NCAA Basketball Ranks

After just one week into the 2024/25 season, the Big Ten leads the college basketball charge with several teams pulling off upsets to improve their rankings in Monday’s AP Top 25 update.

Maryland made the biggest leap, moving up seven spots to No. 11 after defeating then-No. 16 Duke 85-80 on Sunday. With four players scoring in double digits, the Terrapins were led by junior guard Kaylene Smikle’s impressive 23 points.

Other Big Ten teams making moves in the rankings include No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon, who secured wins against then-No. 19 Florida State and then-No. 12 Baylor, respectively.

Oregon, led by former UNC standout Deja Kelly’s 20 points, managed to hold off a late surge from Baylor to clinch a 76-74 victory, snapping a 13-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

Stanford also made their debut in the 2024/25 poll, coming in at No. 24. The Cardinal took their omission from the preseason poll as a challenge and dominated their first three opponents by an average of 41 points.

South Carolina maintains stranglehold on No. 1

The top eight teams from the preseason rankings held their ground this week, with defending champions No. 1 South Carolina extending their unbeaten streak to 40 games with a 71-57 win over now-No. 13 NC State.

Despite missing junior forward Chloe Kitts due to an academic issue, South Carolina guards Te’Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley stepped up, scoring 23 and 18 points, respectively.

SEC is still NCAA’s top basketball conference

Despite it being early in the season, conference realignment and a strong transfer portal have bolstered the NCAA’s top teams once again.

The SEC and Big Ten both have seven teams in the rankings this week, with newcomers like USC, UCLA, and Oregon from the Big Ten making an impact. The SEC remains a dominant force in women’s college basketball, with No. 1 South Carolina leading the charge alongside other Top-10 teams like LSU, Texas, and Oklahoma.

AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll

1. South Carolina 2. UConn 3. Southern California 4. Texas 5. UCLA 6. Notre Dame 7. LSU 8. Iowa State 9. Oklahoma 10. Kansas State 11. Maryland 12. Ohio State 13. North Carolina State 14. North Carolina 15. West Virginia 16. Duke 17. Baylor 18. Louisville 19. Ole Miss 20. Kentucky 21. Nebraska 22. Alabama 23. Illinois 24. Stanford 25. Oregon