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

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

Aside from South Carolina at the top — stop me if you’ve heard that before — every other expected candidate has taken a hit. As the Gamecocks roll through their opposition, most teams in the country are taking some time to figure out new rosters and systems. Growing pains were expected, like LSU and Virginia Tech integrating new transfers, or Maryland and Indiana dealing with the outcome of the WNBA’s first round.

Nevertheless, overall, the quality of play across the country is better than expected. But given my regional preferences, and the fact that this is the last year of the Pac-12 as we know it, these initial rankings will focus out West on the conference that is in the midst of an epic farewell celebration.

Almost Famous: Duke, Princeton, Maryland

Will the promise of Stanford’s frontcourt come true?

The Cardinal had an embarrassment of riches at the forward positions last season, but there were too many options for individual players — other than Cameron Brink — to score enough points, especially since Stanford went small so often with Haley Jones at the four. Now the rotation is shorter and the main beneficiary is Kiki Iriafen, who is doing well with the increased minutes.

Carolyn Peck called Iriafen a mix of Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike with a touch of A’ja Wilson during the Stanford-Duke broadcast Sunday, and while the praise seems hyperbolic, Iriafen’s start has been remarkable. The junior is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds per game through four games, crushing her per-minute average from the previous two seasons. The Cardinal were already a good paint offense in 2022-23, converting 63 percent of their shot attempts at the rim; Iriafen’s success rate to date is almost comically impressive, as she has made 25 of 31 shots at the basket. Brink’s ability to spread the floor as a shooter and high-low passer gives Iriafen room to operate, and that frontcourt tandem is the main reason why Stanford remains undefeated despite welcoming two strong opponents (Indiana and Duke) in Maples Pavilion to start the year.

One of the most confusing storylines of Stanford’s 2022-2023 campaign was the way the Cardinal used (or perhaps didn’t use) Lauren Betts. The nation’s No. 1 recruit was an afterthought in Stanford’s rotation, averaging less than 10 minutes and DNP-ed twice, so it wasn’t exactly surprising that Betts moved elsewhere for the remainder of her collegiate career was looking for.

Betts’ move to Los Angeles made the frontcourt situation clearer for the Cardinal, and it was a boon for the Bruins as well. UCLA plays an active defensive style, swarming ballhandlers and applying heavy ball pressure, but that can create openings on the perimeter if the opponent gets behind the defense, especially when the Bruins spent much of the season without a traditional center on the field. That’s no longer a problem with Betts, who serves as an eraser in the paint but often deters opponents from even shooting in her area. Opponents are taking fewer than 15 percent of their shots at the rim against UCLA, better than 97 percent of defenses, according to CBB Analytics.

What’s interesting is that Betts’ impact is actually more pronounced on offense. Through four games, UCLA is 38 points per 100 possessions better with Betts on the floor, with 25 of those points coming on offense. She works hard to close down her defender so the Bruins can get her the ball inside, but when that doesn’t work, she is a willing and effective screener who creates space for her guards to get to the basket. Against Princeton, Betts made all nine of her field goal attempts through three quarters, but didn’t get a single shot attempt in the fourth as the Tigers did everything they could to deny her the ball. She responded by playing pick-and-roll with Charisma Osborne, and with a defender stuck to Betts, Osborne had open jumpers and driving lanes.

The most complete offensive player in the Pac-12

Iriafen, Brink and Betts have brought everything they have to start the season, and while the Utes were the first Pac-12 team to record a loss in the 2023-24 season, that doesn’t detract from how good the reigning Conference player from the year has passed. . The only way to stop Alissa Pili is to take her off the field, because Pili can do almost anything in attack. She entered Sunday having made nearly 79 percent of her field goals on the season; her jumper was on point, an almost unfair complement to her beautiful footwork in the post.

This Pili reverse finish against Baylor high above the glass was difficult to comprehend in real time.

At a later date, we’ll delve deeper into the defensive improvements Utah needs to make and how they can stay afloat when Pili is in foul trouble. For now, it’s more fun to simply appreciate what a unique, skilled attacking player Pili is.

Why the Buffs are in the national conversation

We’re still weeks away from conference play and I’m already giddy about the potential Pac-12 Player of the Year race. The league is filled with dominant frontcourt players, but for two weeks I can’t take my eyes off Jaylyn Sherrod. At 6-foot-4, she completes 60 percent of her shots in the restricted area and gets there nearly five times per game. It takes a rare combination of speed and strength to reach the basket so often and so effectively, especially when her long-distance jumper is essentially nonexistent. Even if Sherrod’s defense goes down because she isn’t a threat coming off a screen, they can’t stop her in her path to the hoop.

The most impressive thing about Sherrod is her ability to adapt to any pace. Colorado is comfortable executing in the half court, whether that’s letting Sherrod dictate the action from the top of the key or using the forward movements as hand-off hubs on the elbows. Sherrod can also force the ball down opponents’ throats with her speed in transition. Against LSU in the opener, the Buffaloes excelled in open court, and against SMU Saturday, Colorado was forced to execute against a set defense. Both matches resulted in comfortable victories.

Notre Dame’s one-woman demolition crew

From a fifth-year prospect to a daring rookie, the game of college basketball is at an all-time high. It’s hard to believe Hidalgo is in her first year at Notre Dame, as she has led that team on both ends of the floor like a seasoned veteran. The injuries to Olivia Miles and now Sonia Citron (although coach Niele Ivey was relieved to reveal that Citron should be back in a few weeks) have given Hidalgo more responsibility for the Irish, but it seems that – with her confidence – would have taken over. a bigger role anyway.

Hidalgo was a one-man wrecking crew for Notre Dame, and it’s fitting that the player who sealed a steal for Team USA at the FIBA ​​U-19 World Cup this summer has brought that level of defensive prowess to South Bend . She averages nearly seven points per game — for context, 117 teams in Division I record fewer — and had a 12-steal night to tie a program record with fellow New Jersey fireball Marina Mabrey.

It’s baffling to see opponents trying to bring the ball in against the pressure of the full court, or going straight at Hidalgo in defense without trying to shield her from the ball. She has endless motor as a point-of-attack defender and tremendous instincts on defense. Notre Dame is 22.1 points per 100 possessions better on defense alone when Hidalgo is on the field, which seems like a misstep until you realize that opponents turn the ball over 11 percent more often in those minutes. Two weeks into her college career, Hidalgo may be the most exciting defensive playmaker in the country.

Is the distribution of shots in Iowa the problem?

Monika Czinano made 10.6 field goals per game last season, while McKenna Warnock made another 7.7. That’s about 18 shots per night that Iowa had to reallocate for the season. The ideal outcome would be for Hannah Stuelke to shoulder the majority of that workload, but she has only added four tries per game. Sharon Goodman and Addison O’Grady each added three more shot attempts to their average, but that still leaves about eight field goals per game, 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 bit 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 made that point even further when she said of her post players, “We have to have more confidence in them.”

The magic that Clark created with Czinano cannot be easily replicated, even though it seems like Iowa is constantly putting out one great 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 of Te-Hina Paopao: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

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