How Lady Vols writer Cora Hall voted in the AP Top 25: You should be paying attention to Oregon State

The curse of the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25 lives on.

For five straight weeks, the No. 2 in the AP Top 25 has lost. Iowa fell victim to the curse for a second time after getting upset by Nebraska on Sunday. It happened to Kansas State last week and UCLA the two other times – whichever team lands at No. 2 this week will have a streak to break.

Something that streak reveals, though, is just how good South Carolina is. Last season before the NCAA Tournament, it often felt like the No. 1 Gamecocks and then everyone else. This season, it feels the same way – but somehow the gap feels even bigger, which is incredible to say with four players from last season’s team now on WNBA rosters.

But Dawn Staley has built a program to last, and she’s the frontrunner for Coach of the Year.

With both NC State and Colorado losing, Stanford has risen back up to No. 2. The Pac-12 is the best conference in the country, and the Cardinal are sitting alone at No. 1. NC State, Ohio State and Texas round out my top five.

Teams on the rise you should be paying attention to

Oregon State should be at the top of your list of teams you should be paying attention to. The Beavers have steadily risen in my ballot since the entered my top 25 in Week 10.

After wins over Utah and Colorado – which gives them a sweep over both teams in Pac-12 play – the Beavers are No. 10 on my ballot this week. Oregon State has a young star in sophomore forward Raegan Beers, who’s averaging a double-double while playing against a handful of the top post players in the nation.

The Beavers are rank in the the top 25 in offensive and defensive rating, according to Her Hoop Stats, and they’re currently No. 3 in the Pac-12 standings. At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them hosting the NCAA Tournament.

BOULDER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 11: Raegan Beers #15 of the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lady-vols-writer-cora-hall-170043360.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-02-12 17:00:43

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.