Congratulations to South Carolina for being the No. 1 team in all but one edition of the rankings this season. Just like last year, the Gumcocks proved they are the best team in college basketball in 2023-2024, only this time they were able to cap off a great regular season with a national championship. South Carolina's success was the main validation of these power rankings, but the last poll had 15 of the Sweet 16 teams in the top 18 (sorry to Duke).
If you're interested in how my original power rankings for 2023-2024 held up, take a quick look! Oregon State really came out of nowhere.
Looking ahead to 2024-2025, I would like to remind you that this is an indicator of where each team is at, but WNBA draft decisions and transfers (focus on Oregon and Washington State after the dissolution of the Pac-12) This could have a significant impact. Change the roster structure. I factored in player development, especially the growth of young players with high pedigree, but otherwise tried to evaluate these teams based on how their players finished this season. If you think I've overlooked someone, please let me know in the comments.
almost famous: Kentucky, Michigan, Vanderbilt
Why South Carolina and not UConn?
South Carolina lost Camila Cardoso, but otherwise returns the entire roster of undefeated national champions. Neither Ashlyn Watkins nor Sania Feagin individually have Cardoso's skill set, but Watkins' defensive versatility and Feagin's post touch could come close. Additionally, the Siamcocks have brought in Joyce Edwards to strengthen their post rotation, leaving them with the same depth as before. All players except Edwards have at least one year of experience in their roles. South Carolina will have deep veteran depth in 2024-2025 with institutional knowledge of how to win. Shamcock is definitely number one.
even deeper
A perfect championship season with a new roster? Count Dawn Staley, one of the greats
The toughest candidates for the Gamecocks are College Con, with Paige Bueckers returning, as well as four up-and-coming sophomores (including redshirt sophomore Ice Brady), who are in their first season. He is sure to experience high-stakes matches and grow dramatically. The Huskies also bring in Sarah Strong, the No. 1 recruit in the country, to fill out the frontcourt following the graduation of Aliyah Edwards. UConn's challenge, as has been consistent in recent years, is health. If Aj Fuad, Aubrey Griffin and Yana El Alfi can become meaningful contributors, the Huskies will have the depth to rival any team in the country, but expect that. difficult. Even if everyone plays, South Carolina still has a chemistry advantage.
What will happen to the SEC?
My eternal problem in the two years I've been writing this ranking has been that the third or fourth SEC team is consistently in the top 25. South Carolina and his LSU are obvious entry schools, but cannibalization at the next tier makes it difficult for those teams. Another team advances to the rankings.
This problem has been partially resolved by new entrants Texas and Oklahoma. The Longhorns assume Lauri Harmon will be ready to play by early 2025, putting them ahead of the Tigers and Sooners. At that point, they will have the skeleton of an Elite Eight team plus an elite two-way point guard in Harmon. LSU remains in the top 10 despite losing Angel Reese. That's because Samya Smith could slot in at center next to Aneesah Moreau, Frauge Johnson, and Mikayla Williams. But point guard remains questionable. Oklahoma returns nearly its entire roster from its Big 12 title-winning campaign, but the Sooners' defensive issues keep them from finishing in the top 10.
Operated by SEC 🏆🏆🏆
Congratulations @gamefowl Achieved 3rd consecutive national league victory! https://t.co/AfdKPFuPaR
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) April 7, 2024
Ole Miss and Alabama also have plans to build on their NCAA Tournament seasons. The Rebels will have some turnover, but they have historically been active in the transfer portal and have always defended well. The Crimson Tide had a great offense in a tough defensive conference. Vanderbilt unfortunately missed out on the spot. The Commodores simply weren't as good as Ole Miss or Alabama, so they need to prove consistency in conference play before making this list.
Los Angeles schools keep Big Ten in title contention
The Big Ten has the most programs on the list, but UCLA and USC are two newcomers. The Trojans may be the best team in the conference by the end of the season, or even by the preseason when Lindsey Gottlieb is done with his time in the portal, but for now the Bruins' talent is undeniable. UCLA's guard is a little looser now that Charisma Osborn is gone, but Gabriella Jaques could play down position to alleviate that problem. However, the Bruins have a deep frontcourt led by Lauren Betts, Angela Dugaric, Lina Sontag and Emily Besoir, all of whom can play on the perimeter. Betts should be an All-American this year.
USC has JuJu Watkins. Watkins, along with Raya Marshall, should be enough to keep the Trojans in the top 10, and some are expected to move to Los Angeles. But besides USC, there are other Big Ten schools dotting the bottom of the rankings. Nebraska returns underclassmen Logan Nissley and Natalie Potts. Along with Alexis Murkowski, he will form a core that can challenge to host an NCAA Tournament game. Ohio State's system makes it difficult for the Buckeyes to play during the regular season, requiring Coty McMahon to take on a bigger role on offense while Madison Green and Taylor Thierry energize the press box. . McMahon was relatively stagnant from year one to year two, keeping Ohio State from competing. Move further up.
Iowa State and Indiana have graduated key players, but they have several seniors who have played on the big stage. Caitlin Clark and Mackenzie Holmes will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility following the departures of Taylor McCabe and Lilly Meister, respectively, but Lisa Bruder and Terry Moren are excellent coaches. They need to figure out how to stay competitive with a less star-centric approach.
WBIT champion Illinois slipped into 24th place. This time last year, I was keeping an eye on Illinois, and they didn't quite get it together until March. The talent is there and perhaps the postseason experience will help going forward.
Is Iowa State the Big 12 favorite?
The departure of the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions to the SEC leaves a void in the conference that someone could swoop in. I think it's a year too soon for Colorado and Utah, who will deeply miss Jaylin Sherrod and Alyssa Pirri, but I wouldn't be surprised to see both former Pac-12 schools in the rankings at some point next season.
Iowa State is my top team in the conference, at least for now. The Cyclones finished the year on a strong note, featuring four standout rising sophomores, led by NCAA Tournament breakout star Audi Crooks. Emily Ryan is the veteran glue that holds everyone together. Iowa State is on the precipice of greatness, as evidenced by a double-overtime loss to Stanford.
𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍
Postseason glory continues @AudiCrook, a regional finalist on the WBCA All-American team! 🌪️🏀🌪️
📰: https://t.co/IuN7yisVnF pic.twitter.com/bmko189Ate
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) March 26, 2024
Kansas State brings back a much more veteran roster, and the addition of Ayoka Lee could help the Wildcats return to their No. 2 spot in the polls during the 2023-24 season. They fell just short of the Cyclones as Iowa State swept the season series, and the bet is that Crooks will close the gap on Lee in his first year of college.
As for the rest of the Big 12, I believe West Virginia will dominate opponents with ball pressure as long as they have JJ Kunary and Jordan Harrison. Baylor almost made it to the Elite Eight, but there are some questions in the frontcourt without Dre Edwards and Aija Blackwell. The Arizona youths were thrown into the fire and were successfully acquitted. Esmery Martinez and Helena Pueyo will be absent. But the freshman class, led by Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham, is special. The Horned Frogs were really hitting their stride before being torn apart by injuries, so TCU has emerged as a longshot candidate, and the disappearance of the Pac-12 means Mark Campbell could clean up with a transfer. It means.
Will there be a new ACC Champion?
Kenny Brooks' move to the SEC means Virginia Tech is no longer an immediate threat in the ACC. (Until a full roster is assembled around Georgia Amoore and Clara Strzok, Kentucky is pretty much a household name for now.) Notre Dame has a backcourt of Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, and Sonia Citron. with Maddie Westveld and freshman Kate Koval in the middle, the clear favorites to win. . Perhaps the Irish could use a big stopgap in the portal to help Koval and Natalia Marshall, but the star talent is already ridiculous.
NC State, a Final Four team, will also need frontcourt help in the portal unless Maddie Cox and Mallory Collier can perform as sophomores. Westbelt is a proven starter at forward, so he's currently one spot below Notre Dame, but the Wolfpack has a lot to gain given the strength of their backcourt and the development of players this year.
(Raven Johnson Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)