Coaches and a media panel picked Notre Dame because the preseason favourite within the ACC. So far that is holding strong. The Irish are once more No. 3 in ESPN’s girls’s faculty basketball Power Rankings this week and are a No. 1 seed in Bracketology.
The ACC has had a consultant within the girls’s Final Four in eight of the previous 10 NCAA tournaments — a stretch that (not coincidentally) started the 12 months Notre Dame joined the league. The Irish are the one ACC workforce in that span to win the nationwide championship (in 2018) and look like a prime contender as soon as once more this season.
Which different groups are anticipated to get a double-bye into the ACC match quarterfinals and set themselves up for a excessive NCAA match seed? That’s two months away, and rather a lot can occur to vary that reply. But earlier than this season began, Georgia Tech wasn’t seemingly thought of one of many potentialities.
Yet the undefeated Yellow Jackets are within the Power Rankings for a fourth straight week. They had been tenth within the ACC preseason ballot however are off to a 15-0 begin. They presently mission as an NCAA match No. 4 seed, which might permit them to host the early rounds. Georgia Tech has by no means hosted an NCAA match recreation however made the Sweet 16 in 2012 and 2021. (The Yellow Jackets had been a No. 4 seed in 2012, however the match then had predetermined websites for the early rounds, and Georgia Tech performed these video games in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. All video games within the 2021 match had been within the COVID-19 bubble in San Antonio.)
The guard trio of freshman Dani Carnegie and juniors Kara Dunn and Tonie Morgan paved the way for the Yellow Jackets, who host Virginia Tech on Thursday. Georgia Tech’s greatest take a look at ought to be Jan. 16 at Notre Dame.
The different ACC workforce presently slated to be an NCAA top-four seed is Duke, which has the primary of its two rivalry showdowns with North Carolina on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network) in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils are off to a 3-0 begin in ACC play, together with Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia Tech and NC State. The Tar Heels have two losses in league play (vs. Georgia Tech and Notre Dame).
While Georgia Tech has been one of many greatest surprises this season, ACC newcomer Stanford has been an uncharacteristic disappointment. To be truthful, the Cardinal are coping with a lot that’s new: their first season in nearly 40 years with out Tara VanDerveer as head coach, the lack of key gamers to the WNBA draft and the switch portal, and the transfer to a convention that is positioned throughout the nation from the Cardinal’s campus.
Stanford is 0-3 in league play and has misplaced 5 of its previous six video games, together with back-to-back defeats on its first true ACC street journey: to SMU and Clemson final week. (The brief drive to longtime Pac-12 rival Cal for these groups’ ACC opener on Dec. 13 in Berkeley would not actually matter.)
It is so odd to see Stanford in a gaggle of groups on the backside of the ACC; the Cardinal are three-time NCAA champions and received 27 Pac-10/Pac-12 regular-season titles. But like Cal, which is 2-1 to start out ACC play, Stanford should regulate to a really completely different — unimaginable till it occurred, truly — expertise in convention play.
Previous rating: 1
The Bruins visited legendary UCLA coach John Wooden’s house state of Indiana and obtained wins over Indiana and Purdue. Wooden would love how heart Lauren Betts performs: She had a mixed 42 factors and 19 rebounds and shot 70.8% from the sector in these victories.
Next seven days: vs. Northwestern (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 2
The Gamecocks obtained horrible information Tuesday: junior ahead Ashlyn Watkins is gone for the remainder of the season with an ACL harm suffered within the Gamecocks’ victory over Mississippi State on Sunday. She finishes her season averaging 7.2 factors, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks; South Carolina particularly will miss her defensive presence rather a lot. A optimistic is how a lot depth the Gamecocks have, with Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards and Sania Feagin at ahead.
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 9), vs. Texas (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 3
The Irish received their solely recreation of the previous week 76-66 at North Carolina. Fifth-year senior ahead Maddy Westbeld made her season debut after being delayed by a foot harm and performed 13 minutes. Notre Dame will profit from her expertise and may afford to ease her again into motion. The Fighting Irish have been an excellent rebounding workforce even with out her.
Next seven days: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 9), @ Clemson (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 4
The Trojans dominated Rutgers 92-42 on Sunday in an anticipated matchup between USC sophomore star JuJu Watkins and promising Scarlet Knights freshman Kiyomi McMiller that did not occur. McMiller was benched for disciplinary causes and expressed her displeasure on social media. USC, which has three wins over Top 25 groups, goes for one more at Maryland.
Next seven days: @ Maryland (Jan. 8), vs. Penn State (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 5
The Longhorns opened SEC play towards former Big 12 foe Oklahoma, successful 80-73 in a foul-marred recreation during which the officiating sadly took heart stage. There was no such drama in Texas’ subsequent 90-56 dismantling of Arkansas. The Longhorns’ scoring versatility continues to face out. Numerous eyes will probably be on Texas’ matchup towards South Carolina in a top-five battle.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (Jan. 9), @ South Carolina (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 6
The Huskies breathed a sigh of aid as guard Paige Bueckers’ knee harm suffered Sunday at Villanova is a sprain and should not maintain her out lengthy. The Huskies received 83-52, the kind of rating you may count on of their Big East video games.
Next seven days: vs. Xavier (Jan. 8), @ Georgetown (Jan. 11)
Previous rating: 8
The Terps obtained victories over Rutgers and Iowa final week, led by senior Shyanne Sellers (39 factors, 14 rebounds, 7 assists). Kaylene Smikle additionally had a mixed 39 factors in these video games. Now can Maryland get what could be its greatest win of the season thus far, towards USC?
Next seven days: vs. USC (Jan. 8), @ Wisconsin (Jan. 11), vs. Minnesota (Jan. 14)
Previous rating: 7
The Tigers stay undefeated after victories over Arkansas and Auburn. Kailyn Gilbert, a junior switch from Arizona, led LSU in scoring for the primary time this season with 16 factors towards the overmatched Razorbacks. Now, how will the Tigers fare towards a Tennessee Volunteers workforce that can attempt to press all of them recreation?
Next seven days: @ Tennessee (Jan. 9), vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 13)
Previous rating: 9
Like Texas, Oklahoma was pissed off by the 54 fouls referred to as in its loss to the Longhorns. But the Sooners bounced again from that to provide Tennessee its first lack of the season (87-86), led by Payton Verhulst‘s 16 factors in Knoxville. Oklahoma led many of the approach, then held off the Lady Vols regardless of committing 31 turnovers within the recreation and being outscored by 15 within the fourth quarter. The giveaways are the most important space during which the Sooners will proceed to attempt to enhance.
Next seven days: @ Mississippi State (Jan. 9), vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 10
Ohio State is certainly one of three Big Ten groups, together with UCLA and Maryland, that’s nonetheless undefeated. That might be examined Wednesday at Michigan. The Buckeyes are coming off a 92-62 trouncing of Northwestern, led by freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge‘s 20 factors and 6 rebounds.
Next seven days: @ Michigan (Jan. 8), vs. Oregon (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 11
TCU obtained 29 factors and 7 assists from guard Madison Conner in an 81-66 victory towards Cincinnati, with heart Sedona Prince including 21 factors and 9 rebounds. The Horned Frogs are 3-0 within the Big 12, their finest begin in league play since becoming a member of the convention for the 2012-13 season.
Next seven days: @ Kansas (Jan. 7), @ Texas Tech (Jan. 11), vs. UCF (Jan. 14)
Previous rating: 14
Freshman Dani Carnegie had a season-high 28 factors — together with six 3-pointers — in an 85-68 win over Syracuse. She has scored in double figures in all however two video games for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech has by no means been ranked within the prime 10 in The Associated Press ballot, but when the Jackets maintain successful, they are going to get there.
Next seven days: vs. Virginia Tech (Jan. 9), @ Louisville (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 13
The Wildcats have cruised thus far within the Big 12 and are coming off a 20-point win over Texas Tech. Center Ayoka Lee had 19 factors and eight rebounds in simply 17 minutes in that recreation, capturing 9-of-11 from the sector to spice up her capturing proportion to 66.9. Next up is Utah, which as of the present ballot is the one ranked workforce Okay-State will play in January.
Next seven days: @ Utah (Jan. 8), @ BYU (Jan. 11)
Previous rating: 12
The Blue Devils bounced again from a pre-Christmas loss at South Florida to dominate Boston College and Pittsburgh by a mixed 65 factors. Their rivalry towards North Carolina goes again to 1976; the Tar Heels lead the collection 55-53. The groups cut up their matchups final season, with every successful at house.
Next seven days: @ North Carolina (Jan. 9), @ Virginia (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 16
The Wildcats opened SEC play with decisive victories towards Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, topping 90 factors in each video games. Kentucky set a faculty file with 18 3-pointers towards the Bulldogs, seven every from Georgia Amoore and Dazia Lawrence. Amoore had a mixed 51 factors and 18 assists within the two video games.
Next seven days: @ Florida (Jan. 9), vs. Auburn (Jan. 12)
Previous rating: 15
The Lady Vols began SEC play with a win over Texas A&M and a near-miss towards Oklahoma during which they rallied big-time within the fourth quarter however fell brief by some extent of their first lack of the season. Jewel Spear had a mixed 48 factors in these video games. The Sooners are the hardest foe Tennessee has performed thus far; powerhouse LSU is subsequent.
Next seven days: vs. LSU (Jan. 9), @ Arkansas (Jan. 12)
Fell out: None
