South Carolina has navigated its challenging conference schedule with relative ease, maintaining the No. 2 position in the women’s basketball rankings as published on Monday. The Gamecocks collected a first-place vote, thus closing the gap on the top-ranked UCLA Bruins.
Currently, South Carolina is on a tough five-game stretch opposing ranked teams. They have already claimed victories over Texas by a margin of 17 points, Alabama by 18, and Oklahoma with a substantial 41-point advantage this past Sunday. The Gamecocks are set to contend against No. 5 LSU on Thursday and No. 17 Tennessee on January 27.
This week, UCLA secured 27 first-place votes while Notre Dame received two. The University of Southern California (USC) retained its position at No. 4. Following LSU are UConn, Texas, and Maryland, as the Longhorns prepared to face the Terrapins Monday in the Coretta Scott King Classic. TCU and Kansas State saw a rise to ninth and tenth place, respectively, after downfalls for Ohio State and Oklahoma. Kansas State’s future is contingent on updates regarding their star center, Ayoka Lee, who sustained an injury during Sunday’s game against Arizona State.
In other news, Tennessee faced defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt, marking its first loss to them since 2014. Furthermore, Penn State achieved a significant milestone by defeating Ohio State, marking its first victory against a ranked opponent since February 2021. Additionally, Michigan re-entered the rankings at No. 24.
When it comes to conference representation, the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten each showcase seven ranked teams this week, followed closely by the ACC with six. The Big 12 has seen a decrease to four ranked teams with Utah and Oklahoma State dropping out, while the Big East now boasts only one ranked team.
In an exciting development, Baylor made its return to the rankings for the first time since early in the season. The Bears have recorded five consecutive victories, including a win over then-No. 23 Utah last week. As Nicki Collen’s team gears up for a challenging week ahead, they are set to face No. 1 UCLA later on Monday at the Coretta Scott King Classic and will proceed to visit No. 9 TCU on Sunday.
Highlighting the must-watch games of the week, No. 5 LSU will challenge No. 2 South Carolina on Thursday. The undefeated Tigers aim to topple the Gamecocks in what promises to be an exciting SEC showdown. Another notable match includes No. 8 Maryland visiting No. 12 Ohio State on Thursday. The Buckeyes seek to recover from their first season loss as they host the Terrapins, who also face No. 1 UCLA on Sunday.
