Subscribe to Full Court PressFull Court Top 25: Week of December 28, 2009
Credit: Original Artwork by Lee Michaelson/Full Court Press©
By Christopher Thompson
Correspondent
Last week Connecticut finally showed what everyone suspected. By beating Stanford 80-68 the Huskies confirmed the No. 1 ranking they have enjoyed all season. Stanford played well and led by two at the half but UConn kept up the pressure and pulled away in the second half. These two teams may very well meet again in San Antonio at the Final Four, just as they have the last two seasons.
Connecticut and Stanford are two of the 15 teams that have been ranked every week by Full Court Press as well as the two major national polls. For all of the questions coming into the season, the Top 25 has been relatively stable. This is partially because many of the top teams have chosen to play very little competition non-conference, and as a result have been able to maintain their preseason ratings.
The Big 10 starts their conference schedule in earnest this week and the Big East and Pacific 10 both get going this weekend as well. While there are still a few marquee non-conference match-ups, it is primarily conference play after this week.
This week’s Top 25 may look very familiar because it is the same as last week’s Top 25. Stanford was the only team in the Top 25 to lose last week. Given their previous wins over No. 3 Tennessee and No. 7 Duke however, the Cardinal maintain the No. 2 spot.
| FCP RANK | TEAM | 2009-10 RECORD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
CONNECTICUT | 10-0 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court - No. 1; AP - No. 1; USA Today/ESPN - No.1 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Stanford (W, 80-68) | |||
| Connecticut won its 49th straight game by double digits with a 12-point win over Stanford. This week the Huskies face their toughest road game so far this season against No. 13 Florida State and then start the Big East season. | |||
| Up this week: @ Florida State (12/28); @ Seton Hall (1/2) | |||
| 2 |  |
STANFORD | 9-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 2; AP - No. 2; USA Today/ESPN - No. 2 | |||
| Last week’s action: @ Connecticut (L, 68-80) | |||
| Stanford fans point to the home court advantage and a big no-call on a Maya Moore charge early in the second half that would have been her third foul. But Stanford was clearly the second best team last week in Hartford, just as they are the second best team in the nation. | |||
| Up this week: @ Fresno State (12/30); v. California (1/2) | |||
| 3 |  | TENNESSEE | 10-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 3; AP - No. 4; USA Today/ESPN - No. 4 | |||
| Last week’s action: @ San Francisco (W, 89-34) | |||
| Tennessee has been ranked in the Top 10 all season. Full Court Press started the Lady Vols at No. 5 while the other national polls had them at No. 8 and No. 9. Early season wins over No. 5 Baylor, No. 19 Texas and No. 24 Virginia moved the team into the Top 5. Tennessee looks like the class of the SEC, but Georgia, LSU and perhaps Vanderbilt and Kentucky could provide a challenge. | |||
| Up this week: v. Old Dominion (12/30); v. No. 17 Oklahoma (1/3) | |||
| 4 |  | NOTRE DAME | 10-0 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 4; AP - No. 3; USA Today/ESPN- No. 3 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Notre Dame has been in the Top 10 all season and may well be No. 2 this week in other national polls after Stanford’s loss. The Fighting Irish have wins over No. 14 Michigan State (by one) and No. 17 Oklahoma (by 10). The Big East schedule gives them two chances against Connecticut, on the road January 16 and at South Bend March 1. | |||
| Up this week: @ UCF (12/28); v. Vanderbilt (12/31) | |||
| 5 |  |
BAYLOR | 11-1 |
| Last week’s ranking: Full Court Press - No. 5; AP - No. 5; USA Today/ESPN - No. 5 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Baylor was a bit of a question mark when the season started. Brittney Griner was going to be great but how long it would take was unknown. Baylor lost to No. 3 Tennessee the opening weekend but has been perfect since, and as a result has been in the Top 10 all season. Griner is averaging more than 19 points, nine rebounds and six blocks per game and getting better by the outing. The Big 12 is by far the best conference in the country so the Lady Bears will be tested throughout. | |||
| Up this week: v. Texas-Pan American (12/30); v. Texas State (1/2) | |||
| 6 |  |
TEXAS A&M | 9-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 6; AP - No. 10; USA Today/ESPN No. 10 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Texas A&M wasn’t even in the AP Top 25 at the beginning of the season, though Full Court has ranked them from the get-go. Now the Aggies are co-favorites with Baylor to win the Big 12. | |||
| Up this week: v. Prairie View (12/28); @ New Mexico (12/30). | |||
| 7 |  | DUKE | 9-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 7; AP - No. 8; USA Today/ESPN - No. 8 | |||
| Last week’s action: @ Maine (W, 75-34) | |||
| Duke has been ranked all season long. The Blue Devils started at No. 6 but lost the opening weekend to Texas A&M and temporarily fell out of the Top 10, largely because A&M was not then considered an elite team. Duke proved it deserved its preseason Top 10 ranking by thumping No. 8 Ohio State by 16. | |||
| Up this week: v. North Carolina Central (12/28); @ Temple (12/31); v. Providence (1/3) | |||
| 8 |  | OHIO STATE | 13-1, overall; 1-0 in-conference |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 8; AP - No. 6; USA Today/ESPN - No. 6 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Western Illinois (W, 99-38) | |||
| Ohio State has been ranked in the Top 10 all season long. The Buckeyes have three good wins, over No. 21 Oklahoma State, West Virginia (ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll) and California, a team that was nationally ranked at the time of the game. Michigan State appears to be the only significant challenger in the Big 10. | |||
| Up this week: @ Illinois (12/28); @ Northwestern (12/31); v. Michigan (1/3) | |||
| 9 |  |
GEORGIA | 11-0 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 9; AP - No. 9; USA Today/ESPN - No. 9 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Detroit (W, 66-42) | |||
| Georgia wasn’t in the USA Today/ESPN preseason Top 25. Eleven victories later, including wins over No. 17 Oklahoma, No. 24 Virginia and Georgia Tech (ranked No. 24 in the AP poll), the Lady Bulldogs have made it into everybody’s Top 10. | |||
| Up next week: @ Clemson (12/28); @ Savannah State (12/30); @ Alabama (1/3) | |||
| 10 |  |
NORTH CAROLINA | 9-1 |
| Last week’s ranking: Full Court Press - No. 10; AP No. 7; USA Today/ESPN No. 7 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| North Carolina has been ranked all year long, never lower than 13. Their only game against a ranked opponent was a loss to Michigan State, and the Tar Heels’ best wins were over St. John’s and South Carolina. When the ACC season gets started we will find out if this is really a Top 10 team. | |||
| Up this week: v. Kennesaw State (12/28); v. East Tennessee State (12/31); v. Winston Salem (1/3) | |||
| 11 |  | NEBRASKA | 11-0 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 11; AP - No. 14; USA Today/ESPN - No. 14 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Nebraska wasn’t ranked to start the season, and now the Cornhuskers are undefeated with a win over No. 12 LSU. But it is also true that at least eight of their competitors in the Big 12 are better than anyone else they played. Nebraska’s biggest advantage is that by being in the north they have two games each against Kansas State, Missouri and Colorado, the three weakest teams in the conference. | |||
| Up this week: v. Albany (12/30) | |||
| 12 |  | LSU | 10-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 12; AP - No. 11; USA Today/ESPN - No. 12 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Southeastern Louisiana (W, 72-27) | |||
| LSU has been ranked all season on the strength of their stifling defense. Five times the Tigers have held their competition below 35 points. On the other hand, in LSU’s only game against a ranked team, Nebraska scored 77 and won by 14. This week, LSU has two very tough road games which will show whether their No. 12 ranking is deserved. | |||
| Up this week: @ No. 15 Xavier (12/30); @ South Carolina (1/3) | |||
| 13 |  | FLORIDA STATE | 11-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 13; AP - No. 12; USA Today/ESPN - No. 11 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Hawaii (W, 83-39) | |||
| Florida State has been ranked in the Top 20 all season long, and got as high as No. 6 in the USA Today/ESPN poll before losing to DePaul. The Seminoles have yet to beat a Top 50 team but will get two chances this week. Realistically, they have only one shot (against Temple) because this team won’t beat UConn. | |||
| Up this week: v. Connecticut (12/28); v. Western Carolina (12/30); v. Temple (1/3) | |||
| 14 |  | MICHIGAN STATE | 9-3, overall; 0-1, in-conference |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 14; AP - No. 16; USA Today/ESPN - No. 18 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. St. Bonaventure (W, 67-59) | |||
| Michigan State has been ranked all season in all three ratings, but just barely. The Spartans fell to No. 25 in the AP and coaches’ polls after losing to No. 24 Dayton and No. 4 Notre Dame, but subsequent wins over No. 10 North Carolina, No. 15 Xavier and No. 21 Oklahoma State have solidified their position. Michigan State should finish second in the Big 10 but an early home loss to Indiana did not help their position. | |||
| Up this week: @ Wisconsin (12/28); v. Michigan (12/31); @ Indiana (1/3) | |||
| 15 |  | XAVIER | 9-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 15; AP - No. 15; USA Today/ESPN - No. 13 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Austin Peay (W, 87-41) | |||
| Xavier has been ranked in the Top 15 all season and is the only team from a mid-major conference to be ranked higher than 20. The Musketeers have beaten both No. 16 Kansas and No. 18 Arizona State. Their game against LSU this week is their last opportunity to get another win over a Top 20 school and build their NCAA tournament resume. | |||
| Up this week: v. LSU (12/30) | |||
| 16 |  | KANSAS | 9-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 16; AP - No. 21; USA Today/ESPN - Not Ranked (received 39 votes) | |||
| Last week’s action: @ Houston (89-69) | |||
| Last week, Danielle McCray scored 37 to lead the Jayhawks over Houston. Kansas has been ranked every week in Full Court Press and the AP poll, but the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll has ranked the Jayhawks only once. | |||
| Up this week: v. Pepperdine (12/30); @ New Mexico State (1/3) | |||
| 17 |  | OKLAHOMA | 9-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 17; AP - No. 13; USA Today/ESPN - No. 15 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Oklahoma briefly fell out of the Top 25 after an early loss but has been nationally ranked in all three ratings for most of the season. The Sooners will be strongly tested Sunday at Tennessee, and it won’t get any easier when the Big 12 season starts the following week. So far Oklahoma has been able to win five games without Whitney Hand who tore her ACL in the Virgin Islands at Thanksgiving; they have lost only to Notre Dame in that span. | |||
| Up this week: v. Cal State Fullerton (12/30); @ Tennessee (1/3) | |||
| 18 |  | ARIZONA STATE | 7-3 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 18; AP - No. 18; USA Today/ESPN - No. 17 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Arizona State has been ranked in the Top 20 all season. The Sun Devils have lost three games to Top 15 teams and their best win is over South Dakota State. Unless Arizona State is able to beat Stanford, it is likely that it will be seeded no higher than No. 6 come time for the Big Dance, even though this team could be ranked in the nation’s Top 15. | |||
| Up this week: v. Furman (12/28); v. Southern California (1/1); v. UCLA (1/3) | |||
| 19 |  | TEXAS | 7-3 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 19; AP - No. 17; USA Today/ESPN - No. 22 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games | |||
| Texas has been ranked all season long, but the team is still unproven. The Longhorns lost by 25 to UConn, by 20 to Tennessee and was upset by USC. On the plus side are wins over Mississippi, Mississippi State and Rutgers. Their Big 12 schedule will include 10 games against ranked competition. Even an 8-8 record will be an accomplishment. | |||
| Up this week: v. Central Michigan (12/28 - University of Miami Tournament); v. Quinnipiac/Miami (12/29 - University of Miami Tournament); v. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1/2) | |||
| 20 |  | WISCONSIN - GREEN BAY | 10-0 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 20; AP - No. 22; USA Today/ESPN - No. 23 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is undefeated. With the exception of their two-point win at Wisconsin, every win has been by more than 10 points. Of their remaining games, only Butler appears to have a realistic chance of pulling an upset. | |||
| Up this week: v. Southern Illinois (12/28); @ Cleveland (1/2) | |||
| 21 |  | OKLAHOMA STATE | 9-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 21; AP - Not Ranked (received 43 votes); USA Today/ESPN - Not Ranked (received 24 votes) | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Oral Roberts (W, 90-65) | |||
| Oklahoma State has lost only two games—one to No. 8 Ohio State and the other to No. 14 Michigan State, whom they forced to double overtime. The Cowgirls aren’t ranked in the other national polls primarily because there are six other Big 12 schools that are ranked. But OSU is No. 5 in RPI and in the Top 15 in the various computer ratings. | |||
| Up this week: v. Western Illinois (12/28); v. Texas-Pan American (1/2) | |||
| 22 |  | JAMES MADISON | 8-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 22; AP - No. 25; USA Today/ESPN - No. 25 | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Longwood (W, 85-67) | |||
| At the beginning of the season, James Madison was picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association behind Drexel. Gabriela Marginean was tabbed as the preseason player of the year. Next Sunday, Dawn Evans and James Madison will be able to state the case that they deserved the top rankings. | |||
| Up this week: v. Lafayette (12/29 - JMU Invitational); v. UNC-Asheville/Western Michigan (12/30 - JMU Invitational); @ Drexel (1/3) | |||
| 23 |  |
DAYTON | 10-2 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press- No. 23; AP - Not Ranked (received 42 votes); USA Today/ESPN - Not Ranked (received 25 votes) | |||
| Last week’s action: v. Butler (W, 84-81) | |||
| Dayton struggled to a double overtime victory this week over Butler. The Flyers have struggled since moving into the Top 25 and will have a real test at Vermont. | |||
| Up this week: @ Vermont (12/29); @ Dartmouth (12/30) | |||
| 24 |  | VIRGINIA | 7-3 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 24; AP - No. 23; USA Today/ESPN - No. 20 | |||
| Last week’s action: No games. | |||
| Virginia is the last of the 15 teams that have been ranked every week in all three ratings. The Cavaliers have lost all three of their games against nationally ranked opponents and have their best win at South Dakota State. The ACC could be very interesting this season as only Duke appears to be ahead of a big pack including North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Maryland. | |||
| Up this week: v. Samford (12/28); @ Colorado (1/2) | |||
| 25 |  | PITTSBURGH | 8-1 |
| Last week’s rankings: Full Court Press - No. 25; AP - No. 20; USA Today/ESPN - No. 19 | |||
| Last week’s action: @ Western Kentucky (W, 76-60) | |||
| Pittsburgh rebounded from two sub-par efforts to beat Western Kentucky easily. The Panthers should be in the mix for third place in the Big East. | |||
| Up this week: v. Duquesne (12/29); v. Mt. St. Mary’s (12/31); @ Marquette (1/2) | |||
Dropping out of this week’s rankings: None
Originally published Mon, December 28, 2009
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