Big 12 women's basketball power rankings: West Virginia claims top spot

Big 12 women’s basketball power rankings: West Virginia claims top spot

Posted by Admin December 2, 2024 Basketball

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The top spot in the Big 12 hierarchy is up for grabs.

That has become clear with recent losses by No. 12-ranked Kansas State and No. 15 Iowa State. And with six teams still boasting no more than one loss, there’s no shortage of contenders for the Big 12 crown.

Let’s get into this week’s conference power rankings:

Last week: 2

This week: vs. Texas (Sunday) in Estero, Florida; vs. East Tennessee State (Friday)

No. 10 West Virginia (8-0) ranks second in the nation in scoring margin (41.6). The Mountaineers have elite guard play, led by JJ Quinerly, and a suffocating defense.

Last week: 3

This week: vs. Florida Atlantic (Wednesday)

No. 21 TCU (8-0) has shown no signs of slowing down thanks to the stellar play of Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith. It earned a 76-68 win over No. 3 Notre Dame on Friday, which marked its second ranked victory of the season.

Last week: 1

This week: vs. Central Arkansas (Sunday); vs. Eastern Illinois (Tuesday)

No. 12 Kansas State (6-1) suffered a 73-62 loss to No. 13 Duke last Monday in Henderson, Nevada. But it’s far from a bad loss, considering the Blue Devils then beat No. 8 OU on Wednesday.

Last week: 4

This week: vs. USC Upstate (Tuesday)

No. 15 Iowa State (6-2) couldn’t get its offense going during a 76-36 loss to No. 4 South Carolina on Thursday. The Cyclones only scored double-digit points in one quarter against the defending national champions.

Last week: 5

This week: vs. Louisiana Tech (Sunday); vs. Texas Southern (Wednesday)

Nonconference play has been tough for No. 22 Baylor (6-2), but it has to be encouraged by the recent play of Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh. The senior center is averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last two games.

Last week: 6

This week: vs. Houston Christian (Wednesday); vs. Alabama State (Friday)

Oklahoma State (7-1) is no longer undefeated following its 57-53 loss to Richmond on Saturday. The hope is that the poor shooting performance is just a hiccup for the Cowgirls, who still rank 29th in the nation in points per game (82.6).

Last week: 7

This week: vs. Stephen F. Austin (Tuesday)

Juniors Jasmine Shavers and Bailey Maupin surpassed 900 career points during Texas Tech’s 72-69 win over Missouri State on Saturday. The two guards have led the way for the Lady Raiders, who are 8-1 to start the season.

Last week: 10

This week: vs. Utah State (Wednesday)

After suffering a 66-62 loss to Mississippi State on Thursday in the opening game of the Cayman Island Classic, Utah bounced back on Saturday with a 78-67 win over No. 3 Notre Dame. The Utes (6-2) have been led by Gianna Kneepkens, who’s averaging 17.1 points on 42.6% shooting from deep.

Last week: 13

This week: vs. Wichita State (Thursday)

Kansas (7-1) looked sharp as it went 3-0 to win the Paradise Jam Island Division Championship. S’Mya Nichols was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for averaging 24.3 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Last week: 11

This week: vs. Tennessee Tech (Tuesday); vs. Southern Utah (Saturday)

Colorado (6-2) fell short of an upset in its 79-71 home loss to Louisville on Saturday. That snapped a four-game win streak for the Buffaloes.

Last week: 8

This week: at UTEP (Thursday)

After going 5-0 to start the season, BYU (6-2) has lost two of its last three games. Fortunately, the Cougars have a five-day break to rest up before they face UTEP on the road Thursday.

Last week: 9

This week: at Texas Southern (Saturday)

UCF (6-2) is on a two-game skid with losses to UNLV and Montana State. But it should be able to build some momentum heading into Big 12 play with upcoming games against Texas Southern and High Point.

Last week: 14

This week: vs. Central Connecticut (Tuesday); vs. Western Illinois (Friday)

Cincinnati (4-2) has lost two of its last three games. Jillian Hayes is averaging 20.2 points, but the Bearcats still rank 15th in the Big 12 in points per game (66).

Last week: 15

This week: at Coppin State (Thursday); vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (Saturday) in Washington, DC.

Despite missing all of last season due to a knee injury, Tyi Skinner hasn’t missed a step. The graduate guard is averaging a career-high 19.4 points on 45.5% shooting from deep for Arizona State (4-3).

Last week: 12

This week: vs. Seattle (Monday); vs. Grand Canyon (Thursday)

After a strong start to the season, Arizona (6-3) has lost three of its last four games. It starts with taking care of the ball for the Wildcats, who are averaging a conference-high 20 turnovers per game.

Last week: 16

This week: at UT Arlington (Wednesday)

Houston (2-6) is the only team in the Big 12 with a negative scoring margin (minus-4.8). The Cougars will try to turn things around with a road game against UT Arlington on Wednesday.