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After a week of women’s college hoops that featured multiple matchups between high-ranked and high-profile teams, some moving and shaking was certain to happen in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Here’s how voters assessed that state of things for Week 3, with first-place votes denoted in parentheses and movement from last week’s poll tracked in brackets:
And here are four takeaways from the latest top 25 poll, beginning with a bit of disrespect for the defending champs:
After a dominant win over Ohio State, which was the first team outside of last week’s poll with 27 votes and received 12 votes this week, No. 1 UConn lost first-place votes?
A few voters decided to credit No. 2 South Carolina and No. 3 UCLA for wins over ranked opponents, with the Gamecocks collecting an extra first-place vote and UCLA earning their first first-place bid of the season. Still, even though South Carolina impressed in taking down then-No. 8 USC in Los Angeles while UCLA scored a pair of relatively comfortable ranked victories over then-No. 6 Oklahoma and then-No. 11 North Carolina, it seems a bit of a stretch to elevate them above the defending champs.
If the Huskies secure their first top-10 win of the season on Friday, will they steal those votes back from the Gamecocks and Bruins?
The top-10 team UConn will meet on Friday? No. 6 Michigan.
The Wolverines were rewarded for their obliteration of the Fighting Irish with an eight-spot jump in poll. That seems a bit aggressive. Yes, Michigan looked great, but, as they entered the matchup already ranked ahead of Notre Dame (No. 14 vs. No. 18), a win shouldn’t have been that unexpected. Likewise, the Wolverines had no wins over opponents of consequence before beating an Irish side that also had played a light schedule.
However, when they face UConn, Michigan certainly can prove that they are worthy of voters’ high regard.
Big 12 teams moved up a combined 13 spots in the AP poll, while West Virginia debuted at No. 23. No conference member slid from their prior spot, either.
Does the Big 12 deserve more respect as a women’s basketball conference? Share your thoughts on The Feed.
TCU joined Baylor the top 10, with the Bears holding at No. 7 and the Horned Frogs claiming No. 10. Iowa State is just outside at No. 12, despite still playing a relatively soft schedule.
Oklahoma State also inched up two spots to No. 18.
The ACC ain’t cutting it
The Big 12’s boon came at the expense of the ACC, which now has no teams ranked in the top 10.
Duke, after beginning the season ranked No. 8, has tumbled out of the top 25, earning a harsh assessment from the voting population after their still-incomprehensible incompetence against under-womanned West Virginia. Notre Dame barely remains ranked, settling in at No. 24 after their aforementioned annihilation by Michigan.
While North Carolina and NC State lost more respectably, they still experienced slides, with the Tar Heels standing as the ACC’s highest-ranked team at No. 14 and the Wolfpack just behind at No. 16.
Louisville did sneak up a spot to No. 21, while Stanford, sitting outside the top 25, is steadily accumulating a few more votes week by week, with last week’s four votes increasing to eight for Week 3.
