Three Thoughts on the AP Women’s Top 25 Poll for January 30
Three Big 12 teams are among the nation’s best as the AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll, released on Monday after Week 12 of the season.
Here are our three thoughts on the poll from a Big 12 perspective.
A Cyclone Surge
Iowa State experienced the biggest surge of any team in the poll this week, as the Cyclones moved up six spots to No. 12. Iowa State’s week started with an easy victory over TCU, followed by a home win over Oklahoma. The Cyclones previously lost to the Sooners this season. Now tied with Texas at the top of the Big 12 standings, the Cyclones have a chance to win the Big 12 regular season title outright. The Cyclones look like they have finally gotten over the hangover of losing Stephanie Soares. While they’re leaning heavily on Ashley Joens, they’re getting more of a contribution from forward Morgan Kane inside. The next goal for the Cyclones is to move into the Top 10.
A Sooner Drop
Oklahoma had it there for the taking last week. With games against Texas and Iowa State, the Sooners had a chance to distance themselves from the field in the Big 12. The Sooners were unable to win either game and it cost them six spots in this week’s poll. Oklahoma is now No. 20 and the second-highest ranked Big 12 team in the poll. The Sooners are by no means out of the Big 12 regular season race, but those losses hurt from a tiebreak standpoint. Now that Taylor Robertson has the 3-point record, the Sooners can fully concentrate on the back half of their Big 12 schedule. This team is deep enough and strong enough to make a run in March. But they need a bounce back week in a hurry.
Texas is Back … Again
Last week’s AP poll was a first. It was the first time a Texas-based college team wasn’t ranked in the Yop 25. This poll made its debut in the late 1970s. So it was a big deal for schools like Texas and Baylor to not be ranked. That streak lasted all of one week, as the Longhorns worked their way back into the poll after victories over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. I’m still not entirely sure what to make of this team. Texas is undeniably talented and almost impossible to beat at home. But on the road? That’s where the Longhorns have had difficulties. And the Longhorns have two road games ahead this week. If there was a time to begin showing that they’re ready for March this is it. Thanks to the chaos above them, the Longhorns have a shot at winning the Big 12 regular season crown.
This Week’s AP Top 25 Poll
No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Indiana, No. 5 UConn, No. 6 Iowa, No. 7 Utah, No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 12 Iowa State, No. 13 Virginia Tech, No. 14 UCLA, No. 15 North Carolina State, No. 16 Duke, No. 17 Gonzaga, No. 18 Michigan, No. 19 Villanova, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 21 Middle Tennessee, No. 22 Arizona, No. 23 Florida State, No. 24 Texas, No. 25 South Florida. Big 12 Teams Receiving Votes: Baylor, 1.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
