Women’s college basketball power rankings: South Carolina returns to a familiar place

Women’s college basketball power rankings: South Carolina returns to a familiar place

Posted on November 22, 2023

If the hope was that two weeks of basketball would give a clearer picture of the hierarchy in women’s college basketball this season, that hasn’t been the case. In fact, most of my conversations since November 6th have featured some variation of “Wait, Team X is good?”

Aside from South Carolina at the top — stop me if you’ve heard this before — all the other projected contenders have taken their lumps. As the Gamecocks outpace their opponents, most teams across the country need some time to figure out new rosters and systems. Growing pains were expected, such as LSU and Virginia Tech integrating new transfers, or Maryland and Indiana dealing with the graduation of WNBA first-round picks.

However, overall, the quality of gaming across the country was better than expected. But given my regional biases and the fact that this is the last year of the Pac-12 as we know it, these inaugural rankings will focus west on the conference that finds itself in the midst of an epic farewell party.

Almost famous: Duke, Princeton, Maryland

Is the promise of Stanford’s frontcourt being realized?

The Cardinal had an embarrassment of riches at the forward positions last season, but there were too many options for any single player — other than Cameron Brink — to get enough running, especially since Stanford so often went small with Haley Jones at the four. Now the rotation is shorter and the main beneficiary is Kiki Iriafen, who is thriving with the bigger minute load.

Carolyn Peck called Iriafen a mix of Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike with a dash of A’ja Wilson on Sunday’s Stanford-Duke broadcast, and while the praise seems hyperbolic, Iriafen’s start has been remarkable. The junior is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds per game in four contests, blowing away his per-minute averages from the previous two seasons. The Cardinal were already a good paint attacker in 2022-23, converting 63% of their rim attempts; Iriafen’s success rate so far is almost comically impressive, as he has made 25 of 31 field goal shots. Brink’s ability to space the floor as a high-low shooter and passer allows Iriafen space to operate, and that frontcourt tandem is the primary reason Stanford remains undefeated despite welcoming two strong opponents (Indiana and Duke) at Maples Pavilion to start the year.

One of the more confusing storylines of Stanford’s 2022-23 campaign was how the Cardinal used (or perhaps failed to use) Lauren Betts. The No. 1 recruit in the country was an afterthought in Stanford’s rotation, averaging under 10 minutes and twice DNP-ed, so it wasn’t exactly surprising that Betts sought a different position for the rest of his college career.

Betts’ move to Los Angeles clarified the frontcourt situation for the Cardinal, and was also a boon for the Bruins. UCLA plays an active type of defense, swarming ball carriers and applying heavy ball pressure, but that can create openings at the rim if the opponent gets behind the defense, especially when the Bruins have spent much of the season without a traditional center on the pitch. This is no longer an issue with Betts, who serves as an eraser in the paint, but more often dissuades opponents from even attempting shots in his vicinity. According to CBB Analytics, opponents take fewer than 15% of shots at the rim against UCLA, better than 97% of defenses.

What’s interesting is that Betts’ impact was actually more pronounced on offense. Through four games, UCLA is better than 38 points per 100 possessions with Betts on the court, including 25 on offense. He works hard to signal his defender so the Bruins can get the ball inside, but when that doesn’t work, he is a willing and effective screener who creates space for his guards to get to the basket. Against Princeton, Betts made all nine of her field goal attempts through three quarters, but didn’t get any shot attempts in the fourth as the Tigers did everything they could to deny her the ball. She responded by playing pick-and-rolls with Charisma Osborne, and while one defender remained glued to Betts, Osborne had open jumpers and driving lanes.

The most complete offensive player in the Pac-12

Iriafen, Brink and Betts delivered to start the season, and while the Utes were the first Pac-12 team to record a loss in 2023-24, that doesn’t diminish how good the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year was. conference . The only way to stop Alissa Pili is to take her off the field, because Pili can do just about anything offensively. She entered Sunday having made nearly 79 percent of her field goals on the season; her jumper was perfect, an almost unfair complement to her beautiful post footwork.

This reverse shot by Pili against Baylor high off the glass was difficult to even comprehend in real time.

At a later time, we’ll delve into the defensive improvements Utah needs to make and how it can stay afloat when Pili is in trouble. For now, it’s more fun to simply appreciate what an extraordinarily skilled offensive player Pili is.

Why the Buffs are in the national conversation

We’re weeks away from the conference and I’m already elated about the potential Pac-12 race for Player of the Year. The league is full of dominant offensive players, but I haven’t been able to take my eyes off Jaylyn Sherrod for two weeks. At 5-foot-7, he finishes 60 percent of his shots in the restricted area and gets there nearly five times a game. It takes a rare combination of speed and strength to get to the basket so often and effectively, especially when his long-range jumper is virtually nonexistent. Even when Sherrod’s defenses collapse, since he poses no threat to pull up from a screen, they can’t block her on her path to the basket.

The most impressive thing about Sherrod is his ability to adapt to any pace. Colorado is comfortable executing in the half court, whether it’s letting Sherrod dictate the action from the top of the key or using its forwards as passing hubs at the elbows. Sherrod can also push the ball down opponents’ throats with his speed in transition. Against LSU in the first game, the Buffaloes excelled in the open field, and against SMU on Saturday, Colorado had to execute against a set defense. Both games resulted in comfortable victories.

Notre Dame’s one-woman demolition crew

From a fifth-year senior to a bold rookie, the guard’s playing status in college basketball is at an all-time high. It’s hard to believe that Hidalgo is in her first year at Notre Dame, because she commanded that team on both ends of the floor like a seasoned veteran. Injuries to Olivia Miles and now Sonia Citron (although coach Niele Ivey was relieved to reveal that Citron is expected to return in a few weeks) have given Hidalgo more responsibility for the Irish, but it appears that – with his confidence – she would have landed a larger role regardless.

Hidalgo was a one-woman team destroyer for Notre Dame, and it’s fitting that the player who sealed a gold medal for Team USA at the FIBA ​​Under-19 World Cup this summer with a steal led that level of defensive prowess at Curva Sud. He averaged nearly seven takeaways per game — for context, 117 teams in Division I record fewer — and had a 12-steal night that tied a program record with the fellow New Jersey fireball Marina Mabrey.

It’s disconcerting to see opposing teams try to lift the ball against his full-court pressure or go straight at Hidalgo on defense without attempting to shield her from the ball. He has a never-ending motor as a point-of-attack defender and tremendous instincts in help defense. Notre Dame is only 22.1 points per 100 possessions better on defense when Hidalgo is on the floor, which seems like a misprint until you realize that opponents turn the ball over 11% more often in those minutes. Two weeks into his college career, Hidalgo might be the most exciting defensive playmaker in the country.

Is the distribution of shots in Iowa the problem?

Monika Czinano attempted 10.6 field goals per game last season, with another 7.7 coming from McKenna Warnock. That’s about 18 shots per night that Iowa has had to reallocate for this season. The ideal outcome would be for Hannah Stuelke to take on most of the workload, but she only added four more attempts per game. Sharon Goodman and Addison O’Grady each added three more shot attempts to their average, but that still leaves about eight more field goals per contest, with most of those going to Caitlin Clark.

In theory, giving more shots to the best offensive player in the country isn’t a problem, but Clark’s workload is a little overwhelming for Iowa right now. And the reigning national player of the year admitted after the Hawkeyes’ loss to Kansas State that she needs to be better at getting everyone involved. Coach Lisa Bluder further reiterated this point when she said of her players in her post: “We need to have more faith in them.”

The magic Clark created with Czinano can’t easily be replicated, even though it seems like Iowa constantly churns out one standout post after another. But the only hope for that to happen is for Clark to at least give Stuelke, Goodman and O’Grady a chance.

(Photo by Te-Hina Paopao: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)