Preseason Top 15

[triaddukefan]

Those transfers hurt S. Carolina. I think it’s baylor Oregon and stabdford.

fixed

 

[bballnut90]

Updated again
Tier 1 teams (title favorites):
1. Oregon-Ionsecu is back so they should be the prohibitive front runners alongside Baylor. Everyone is back aside from Cazorla, plus they bring in the younger Sabally. Ionescu will be the heavy favorite for all POY awards next year and anything less than a title will be a disappointment for Oregon.

2. Baylor-they'll be loaded once again with their sophomore class plus Cox who avoided an ACL. Big losses are Brown and Jackson, but the development of players like Smith, Landrum, Egbo and Decosta should help offset that. At first glance I'd expect Ursin to step in for Jackson and share PG duties with Landrum. I think there's a drop off there but if the freshmen develop and Cox is operating out of the high post, Baylor is going to be deadly. So much talent on the roster and Kim has done a stellar job developing her current players.

Tier 2 Team (title contender)
3. Connecticut-they lose 2 greats but still have a very good core of Dangerfield, Williams and Walker. Look for ONO to make strides in the offseason. Aside from that, the cupboard is very thin but UCONN is UCONN. Coaching staff is top notch and they still have 2 former HS POYs on the roster, Dangerfield who was a top PG recruit and ONO a top post recruit. They'll likely add a good grad transfer (or 2) in the offseason.

Tier 4 (could be a Final Four team or could struggle)
4. Oregon State-up and down year for OSU that finished with a disappointing Sweet 16 showing. They have almost everyone back and should get a boost from Aquino.

5. Texas A&M-everyone is back for the Aggies. Question is will they run a more balanced offense or will it be the Carter show?

6. Maryland-everyone is back for the Terps including potential POY candidate Kaila Charles. Better scheduling is needed.

7. South Carolina-after an up and down season they should be back in Final Four form 2 years post A'ja. They return good backcourt play but will be thin in the post without MHH. #1 class is huge but expecting the freshment to make a big impact from the get go may be ambitious.

8. Stanford-they lose Smith but will be strong with a great cast of players returning in addition to Jones and Belibi. Could easily rise up and be a top 4 team.


Tier 5-doesn't appear to be Final Four threat. Likely a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 squad:

9. NC State-they have a good roster back and should get a boost from their injured players returning. Leslie is a big loss.

10. Mississippi State-can't see them dropping too far down with Schaefer at the helm. They lose 4 starters but returning 2 stud outside shooters in AEH and Bibby. Also had some good contributions from Scott this year and look for Promise Taylor to make an impact in Starkville.

11. Florida State-a lot depends on who is coaching them, but no question Tennessee has top 10 talent on its roster. A starting 5 of Horston, Westbrook, Green, Davis and Collins could be outstanding.

12. Louisville-massive losses with Carter, Durr and Fuerhing. Much depends on if Walz stays and how the team adjusts without Asia.

13. Miami-all key contributors are back aside from Hoff.

14. Tennessee-made a smart choice to part with Holly. Appear to be losing Westbrook though and Holly's replacement is unknown. Really hard to say how this team stacks up with so many unknowns going into next season. Could be top 10 or fringe top 25. Talent is there, should be better than this year though.

15. UCLA-good talent returning, although lose Drummer and Burke. Onyenwere could lead UCLA into top




Others to keep an eye on:
MTSU-bring in 2 former top 10 players in Rellah Boothe (coming off ACL) and Anastasia Hayes...probably not a top 15 threat but worth keeping track of
Syracuse-stud PG is back
Notre Dame-Muffet is great but she has so little talent on this roster compared to every ND squad the past decade. Could be a rough year in South Bend.
Kentucky-Howard is back and Patterson is eligible. Could definitely rise higher.
Texas-really talented roster with Holmes/Sutton/Collier/Higgs all back. Horrendous coaching though.

Teams that may suffer the biggest drop offs include:
-Notre Dame
-Mississippi State
-Louisville
-Connecticut

 

[bballnut90]

You're extremely generous to put UConn in a Tier 2 all by themselves.

Past success gives them a bonus over teams that have more ppg returning. Plus their young trio of CW/ONO/MW looked stellar in the tournament and I'm banking on the fact that they'll make big improvements next year taking on larger roles. Comparing that to Maryland, a team looks good on paper and has everyone back from an underwhelming year, I'd predict UCONN will be the better team.

 

[Undercovervol]

Past success gives them a bonus over teams that have more ppg returning. Plus their young trio of CW/ONO/MW looked stellar in the tournament and I'm banking on the fact that they'll make big improvements next year taking on larger roles. Comparing that to Maryland, a team looks good on paper and has everyone back from an underwhelming year, I'd predict UCONN will be the better team.

CW may be the best player on next year's team. I don't think Walker and CD can carry that team like KLS and Collier did this year (Walker did make some big shots against Notre Dame but CD struggled). Teams can clamp down on CD because of her size.
I don't think ONO is enough of an offensive threat to bring UConn to a real top four team. However, they may make final four simply because the rest of WCBB next year is down.
The most important position for Baylor next year (like this year) is PG. Who will step in? I have no doubt Mulkey will find someone.
Smith is a baller. She'll step in very well for Brown. She made some great shots against Notre Dame, and Cox can get her the ball very well.
Baylor remains elite with Oregon.

 

[bballnut90]

CW may be the best player on next year's team. I don't think Walker and CD can carry that team like KLS and Collier did this year (Walker did make some big shots against Notre Dame but CD struggled). Teams can clamp down on CD because of her size.
I don't think ONO is enough of an offensive threat to bring UConn to a real top four team. However, they may make final four simply because the rest of WCBB next year is down.
The most important position for Baylor next year (like this year) is PG. Who will step in? I have no doubt Mulkey will find someone.
Smith is a baller. She'll step in very well for Brown. She made some great shots against Notre Dame, and Cox can get her the ball very well.
Baylor remains elite with Oregon.

There just dont appear to be any truly elite teams next year outside of Baylor/Oregon. Connecticut has the most potential and could make noise, but I don't see any other squad rising up and threatening the top 2. Potentially Stanford if their freshmen are the real deal. UCONN could be a 4 headed monster next year with Walker, Williams, ONO, and CD.

 

[IrishTiger]

Updated again
Tier 1 teams (title favorites):
1. Oregon-Ionsecu is back so they should be the prohibitive front runners alongside Baylor. Everyone is back aside from Cazorla, plus they bring in the younger Sabally. Ionescu will be the heavy favorite for all POY awards next year and anything less than a title will be a disappointment for Oregon.

2. Baylor-they'll be loaded once again with their sophomore class plus Cox who avoided an ACL. Big losses are Brown and Jackson, but the development of players like Smith, Landrum, Egbo and Decosta should help offset that. At first glance I'd expect Ursin to step in for Jackson and share PG duties with Landrum. I think there's a drop off there but if the freshmen develop and Cox is operating out of the high post, Baylor is going to be deadly. So much talent on the roster and Kim has done a stellar job developing her current players.

Tier 2 Team (title contender)
3. Connecticut-they lose 2 greats but still have a very good core of Dangerfield, Williams and Walker. Look for ONO to make strides in the offseason. Aside from that, the cupboard is very thin but UCONN is UCONN. Coaching staff is top notch and they still have 2 former HS POYs on the roster, Dangerfield who was a top PG recruit and ONO a top post recruit. They'll likely add a good grad transfer (or 2) in the offseason.

Tier 4 (could be a Final Four team or could struggle)
4. Oregon State-up and down year for OSU that finished with a disappointing Sweet 16 showing. They have almost everyone back and should get a boost from Aquino.

5. Texas A&M-everyone is back for the Aggies. Question is will they run a more balanced offense or will it be the Carter show?

6. Maryland-everyone is back for the Terps including potential POY candidate Kaila Charles. Better scheduling is needed.

7. South Carolina-after an up and down season they should be back in Final Four form 2 years post A'ja. They return good backcourt play but will be thin in the post without MHH. #1 class is huge but expecting the freshment to make a big impact from the get go may be ambitious.

8. Stanford-they lose Smith but will be strong with a great cast of players returning in addition to Jones and Belibi. Could easily rise up and be a top 4 team.


Tier 5-doesn't appear to be Final Four threat. Likely a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 squad:

9. NC State-they have a good roster back and should get a boost from their injured players returning. Leslie is a big loss.

10. Mississippi State-can't see them dropping too far down with Schaefer at the helm. They lose 4 starters but returning 2 stud outside shooters in AEH and Bibby. Also had some good contributions from Scott this year and look for Promise Taylor to make an impact in Starkville.

11. Florida State-a lot depends on who is coaching them, but no question Tennessee has top 10 talent on its roster. A starting 5 of Horston, Westbrook, Green, Davis and Collins could be outstanding.

12. Louisville-massive losses with Carter, Durr and Fuerhing. Much depends on if Walz stays and how the team adjusts without Asia.

13. Miami-all key contributors are back aside from Hoff.

14. Tennessee-made a smart choice to part with Holly. Appear to be losing Westbrook though and Holly's replacement is unknown. Really hard to say how this team stacks up with so many unknowns going into next season. Could be top 10 or fringe top 25. Talent is there, should be better than this year though.

15. UCLA-good talent returning, although lose Drummer and Burke. Onyenwere could lead UCLA into top




Others to keep an eye on:
MTSU-bring in 2 former top 10 players in Rellah Boothe (coming off ACL) and Anastasia Hayes...probably not a top 15 threat but worth keeping track of
Syracuse-stud PG is back
Notre Dame-Muffet is great but she has so little talent on this roster compared to every ND squad the past decade. Could be a rough year in South Bend.
Kentucky-Howard is back and Patterson is eligible. Could definitely rise higher.
Texas-really talented roster with Holmes/Sutton/Collier/Higgs all back. Horrendous coaching though.

Teams that may suffer the biggest drop offs include:
-Notre Dame
-Mississippi State
-Louisville
-Connecticut

I think ND maybe better then some think. Will see they still got talent they’ll just be a very young team and don’t be shocked if Muffet goes after a Grad transfer or 2. Or even just a transfer in general.

 

[bballnut90]

I think ND maybe better then some think. Will see they still got talent they’ll just be a very young team and don’t be shocked if Muffet goes after a Grad transfer or 2. Or even just a transfer in general.

We shall see. Vaughn looked pretty rough in the tournament and Prohaska works hard but looks more like a glue player than someone who will put up 10+ ppg. ND would've been a top 5 team on paper headed into next year if they didnt lose all 3 2015 recruits.

 

[IrishTiger]

We shall see. Vaughn looked pretty rough in the tournament and Prohaska works hard but looks more like a glue player than someone who will put up 10+ ppg. ND would've been a top 5 team on paper headed into next year if they didnt lose all 3 2015 recruits.

Prohaska I think could be a player who does get around 10 ppg. I think Vaughn will step up along with some others.

 

[LoTrader]

Oregon State will be much improved next year if Kat Tudor returns healthy. OSU coaching Staff will have their post rotation locked down by the time PAC-12 play begins. Rueck has a lot of quality candidates for his post rotation, but Rueck will select his post rotation based upon: 1. Individual & Team Defensive skills, 2. Rebounding, 3. Post to Post & Post to Perimeter passing, 4. Screening, 5. Scoring the ball. And I am not worried about OSU's post players scoring the ball next season.

If Kat Tudor returns healthy, the PAC-12 race, and, the NCAA Portland Regional, is between Oregon & Oregon State. I believe Stanford (without Alana Smith) is 3rd in PAC-12. There is not a team in the PAC-12 who has 4 guards/wings like Oregon State: Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Destiny Slocum, and Aleah Goodman. Oregon's loss of Cozorla is a very BIG loss. Cozorla was the heartbeat of Oregon. Granted, Stanford has solid guard play as well, but losing Alana Smith is a very large loss. Oregon State's roster is full of experience, and skills. It will come down to the post rotation that Rueck and his staff are able to configure. This next season, I believe Oregon State's post play will return to the OSU post play of the past. GO BEAVS

BTW: I think most everyone has Texas A&M under-ranked in 2019-2020 season. I would have Texas A&M in the top 6, and UCONN in the top 10, but not in the top 5.

 

[Boxerpups4me]

UConn finished the regular season as the 4th-6th best team, and it loses its two -by far- best players. But yet it's gonna be #3?

Ya, id def have uconn in the top 4 and they will be a team competing for yet another final four and chanpionship next year as well. Uconn is losing its top 2 players so what, they still have geno..they lost nurse, Stephens and Williams the season before, but still had tremendous success this season.

As long as this team has geno on the sidelines, they will be in the mix for national championships. Thats just the way it is.

 

[biobioprof]

Past success gives them a bonus over teams that have more ppg returning. Plus their young trio of CW/ONO/MW looked stellar in the tournament and I'm banking on the fact that they'll make big improvements next year taking on larger roles. Comparing that to Maryland, a team looks good on paper and has everyone back from an underwhelming year, I'd predict UCONN will be the better team.

It took me a while to realize why something was bugging me about the grouping.

No tier 3?

 

[Vowelguy]

Updated post SC transfers

1. Oregon
2. Baylor
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Texas A&M
6. Oregon st
7. UConn
8. Miami
9. NC St
10. Fla St

Kentucky, Syracuse, Miss St, ND

 

[DefenseBB]

I think ND maybe better then some think. Will see they still got talent they’ll just be a very young team and don’t be shocked if Muffet goes after a Grad transfer or 2. Or even just a transfer in general.

 

[IrishTiger]

View attachment 42160

Idk why You used this meme but okay.

 

[triaddukefan]

Updated post SC transfers

1. Oregon
2. Baylor
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Texas A&M
6. Oregon st
7. UConn
8. Miami
9. NC St
10. Fla St

Kentucky, Syracuse, Miss St, ND

You are high on Miami Loosing Cornelius will hurt them though...... She may have been their 3rd leading scorer???? She definitely was their best outside shooter by far.

 

[willtalk]

Oregon State will be much improved next year if Kat Tudor returns healthy. OSU coaching Staff will have their post rotation locked down by the time PAC-12 play begins. Rueck has a lot of quality candidates for his post rotation, but Rueck will select his post rotation based upon: 1. Individual & Team Defensive skills, 2. Rebounding, 3. Post to Post & Post to Perimeter passing, 4. Screening, 5. Scoring the ball. And I am not worried about OSU's post players scoring the ball next season.

If Kat Tudor returns healthy, the PAC-12 race, and, the NCAA Portland Regional, is between Oregon & Oregon State. I believe Stanford (without Alana Smith) is 3rd in PAC-12. There is not a team in the PAC-12 who has 4 guards/wings like Oregon State: Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Destiny Slocum, and Aleah Goodman. Oregon's loss of Cozorla is a very BIG loss. Cozorla was the heartbeat of Oregon. Granted, Stanford has solid guard play as well, but losing Alana Smith is a very large loss. Oregon State's roster is full of experience, and skills. It will come down to the post rotation that Rueck and his staff are able to configure. This next season, I believe Oregon State's post play will return to the OSU post play of the past. GO BEAVS

BTW: I think most everyone has Texas A&M under-ranked in 2019-2020 season. I would have Texas A&M in the top 6, and UCONN in the top 10, but not in the top 5.

Baring injuries and major transfers, I would totally agree with Lotrader in respect to his take on the teams and predictions for the Pac12. Oregon St major problem this season was a lack of scoring from their post position and their decline in 3pt percentage. Gremek, while not as slow as she was made out to be, had bad hands which contributed to her lack of scoring.

People totally did not recognize how much the loss of Kat would affect the teams outside scoring. She has one of the quickest catch and shoot releases in basketball. When she is one teams have to face guard her at all times. This opened up not only lanes but open shots for other players. In is no coincidence that the 3pt shooting percentage of her teammates dropped once she was injured. She was also one of the teams better on the ball defenders.

The other aspect-- lack of point production from the post should also provide more open looks for the outside shooters. Aquino is a really good passer along with mid-range and beyond shooter who' height should be able to get the ball into whomever, they have playing center. Brown has similar height and skill set so they can both play the same role. They will be very difficult to defend in the high post. Very much like Cox and Brown were. I along with LoTrader also believe their lack of low post scoring will be a thing of the past.

Speaking of Baylor. Though they have plenty of talent returning they will not be the same type of team they were the last few years. Smith will not replace Brown, she is an entirely different type of player. As Mulkey state in the Natty Game. Smith relies on the O boards for her points. She does not get them via position and muscle like Brown but slashing to an open space- she out quicks her defenders for O boards and points in the paint. The player who resembles Brown is Egbo. Unless they play small she will play center. With Brown gone they will have to get those low post points from somewhere else. She attracted a lot of attention and the dynamics should be quite different. Those O rebounds for Smith and others should not be so easily gotten as they were when Brown attracted a lot of help defense from her low post position. They will miss Jackson, but perhaps they can attract a grad student transfer again. With no Brown in the low post, they will need outside scoring more than ever.

Oregon can also increase their chances quite a bit if they can also attract a grad transfer point ot guard. With the number of players either announcing their intent to transfer or placing their names in the Portal the odds of that happening are vastly increased. Especially since they are one of the favored teams and the chance to play for a contender seems to be a real attraction.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Updated post SC transfers

1. Oregon
2. Baylor
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Texas A&M
6. Oregon st
7. UConn
8. Miami
9. NC St
10. Fla St

Kentucky, Syracuse, Miss St, ND

I think Maryland, Stanford, Texas A&M and Oregon State are all in the same grouping. You can put them in any order and you'll be correct. Each teams have obvious strengths and weaknesses they need to address.

Maryland (inability to win big games)
Stanford (replacement for Smith)
Texas A&M (can they address their quality depth issues)
Oregon State (bigs development)

Whoever can address these issues the best will be in the Final 4 with Oregon and Baylor. UConn will have to address their depth issues as well but they're trying.

 

[Vowelguy]

Updated post SC transfers

1. Oregon
2. Baylor
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Texas A&M
6. Oregon st
7. UConn
8. Miami
9. NC St
10. Fla St

Kentucky, Syracuse, Miss St, ND

OR - 1 Ore | 8 Mia_ |
SC - 3 Md_ | 7 UCn_ |
IN - 4 Stn | 5 TxAM |
TX - 2 Bay | 6 OrSt |

 

[SECbbfan24]

Maryland (inability to win big games)

More like play defense. In the bigger games I have watched Maryland play over the years, defense and the ability to not turn the ball over has been a big issue. Although rebounding was a big issue against UCLA.

Maryland clearly has the talent to be an elite team. I would like them to play more sound on the defensive end and stop the sloppiness on offense. Y'all got some great shooters and a lot of athleticism. Hopefully with Owusu coming in, Mikesell can slide over more to the SG position which I think she will benefit a lot more. Austin showed a lot of promise to end the year and is a monster shot blocker/rebounder. Her offense needs to polish up but she did show some range at time and the ability to put the ball on the floor. For someone her size she can do almost anything with the ball which is cool to see.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Sports Illustrated's Top-10:

Women's way-too-early top 10 ranking for 2019–20