STI/Hoopfeed Poll: Little movement among top teams but tough tests coming up
Top teams face challenges this week
In a week where many teams were finishing up final exams, there was a drop in the number of games played and consequently little to no movement in this week’s poll.
Stanford remained No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Led by freshmen, the Cardinal returned from taking exams to dispatch Ohio State 71-52 Sunday evening. First-year guard Haley Jones finished with a team-high 15 points plus seven rebounds and six assists. Her performance earned her the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor.
Stanford’s 9-0 start is its best since it went 11-0 to begin 2012-13. The Cardinal has a tough test at home this week, hosting No. 23 Tennessee (8-1) Wednesday night, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Bay Area and streamed on Pac-12.com.
No. 2 UConn (9-0) held off an upset-minded DePaul 84-74 Monday night in Chicago. The Blue Demons fell one spot in the poll to No. 17. The Huskies may be without head coach Geno Auriemma for their Mohegan Sun Arena against Oklahoma on Sunday. Auriemma will undergo a minor surgical procedure Wednesday to ease symptoms of diverticulitis. If he is absent, associate head coach Chris Dailey will fill in for him.
Teams that advanced at least two places: No. 12 Indiana and No. 22 South Dakota. Indiana is on a five-game winning streak and took down Butler and Youngstown State last week. The Hoosiers face No. 10 UCLA on Sun. Dec. 22 at noon ET/9 a.m. PT. The game will air on BTN.
South Dakota is on a six-game winning streak. The Coyotes travel to the Southeast to take on No. 5 South Carolina on Sunday afternoon, noon ET/9 a.m. PT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
No teams fell out of the rankings. Other teams that received votes: FGCU, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Miami (FL), and California.
| Rank | School | Record | Last | Change |
| 1 | Stanford | 9-0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | UConn | 9-0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Oregon | 9-1 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Oregon State | 9-0 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | South Carolina | 10-1 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Louisville | 10-1 | 7 | 1 |
| 7 | Baylor | 8-1 | 6 | -1 |
| 8 | Florida State | 10-0 | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | NC State | 10-0 | 10 | 1 |
| 10 | UCLA | 9-0 | 9 | -1 |
| 11 | Texas A&M | 9-1 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | Indiana | 10-1 | 14 | 2 |
| 13 | Maryland | 8-2 | 12 | -1 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 10-1 | 13 | -1 |
| 15 | Mississippi State | 9-2 | 15 | 0 |
| 16 | Arizona | 10-0 | 17 | 1 |
| 17 | DePaul | 9-2 | 16 | -1 |
| 18 | Gonzaga | 9-1 | 18 | 0 |
| 19 | Missouri State | 9-1 | 19 | 0 |
| 20 | Michigan State | 7-2 | 20 | 0 |
| 21 | Arkansas | 10-1 | 21 | 0 |
| 22 | South Dakota | 11-1 | 24 | 2 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 8-1 | 22 | -1 |
| 24 | West Virginia | 7-1 | 23 | -1 |
| 25 | Michigan | 9-1 | 25 | 0 |
The STI/Hoopfeed Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of media members and other women’s basketball professionals.
This week’s AP Poll || USA Today Coaches Poll
Voting Panel
- Mel Greenberg
- Joan Bonvicini
- Prentice Beverly
- Brenda VanLengen
- Charles Hallman
- Rhiannon Potkey
- Kristopher Gardner
- Jacob Mox (for Her Hoop Stats)
- Cindy Brunson
- Kevin Danna
- Jasmine Baker
- Ben Parker
- Viet Nguyen
- Michael Roberson
- Lisa Bodine
- LaChina Robinson
- Cheryl Coward
