STI/Hoopfeed Poll: UConn remains on top entering 2020; Stanford returns to top five; Princeton enters for first time
UConn stays No. 1; Stanford begins Pac-12 play with two wins
While UConn (12-0) remained atop the Sport Tours International/Hoopfeed poll, Oregon (12-1) and Oregon State (14-0) made a strong showing among voters for the top spot. Oregon was just one vote shy of being in a tie for No. 1. Oregon State comes in at a solid No. 3.
Time will tell what team can survive conference season and tournament play to remain unscathed and poised for the overall top seed in the NCAA tournament bracket. In the meantime, South Carolina (14-1) and Stanford (13-1) round out the top five in this week’s poll.
With no games played during the weekdays of the Christmas holiday, the last poll came out before 2020. Overall, no major shifts occurred but some teams did experience exciting outcomes at the turn of the decade.
No. 5 Stanford began the year with two conference wins. The Cardinal dominated Washington State Friday night, besting the team with this week’s Pac-12 Player of the Week, WSU senior guard Chanelle Molina. Two days later, Stanford crushed Washington in the second half for a77-56 win over the Huskies.
Oregon crept to No. 2 after two games where the Ducks demolished their opponents. They began with an absolute rout of Colorado 104-46 before dispatching Utah 88-51 two days later.
No. 7 Louisville (14-1) moved up two places after beating ACC foes Clemson and Duke. Mississippi State (14-2) advanced three places to No. 13 after topping two SEC teams, Florida and Georgia.
UCLA (14-0) had a great weekend with an impressive win over Arizona State Friday night before beating previously undefeated Arizona on Sunday. Led by Michaela Onyenwere, the Bruins overcome a halftime tie to take the contest from the grip of the Wildcats by outscoring them 28-13 in the third quarter. With the triumph, UCLA extended its best-ever start and now has three straight conference wins.
In the Big East, DePaul (13-2) solidified its No. 1 position in the league with victories over Providence and Creighton.
While Maryland (10-3) bested Ohio State Monday night, the Terps stumbled into 2020 after a defeat at the hands of unranked Northwestern, leading to a drop of seven places in the poll to No. 18. NWU received poll votes but didn’t crack the top 25.
Back in the SEC, No. 15 Kentucky (12-2) took down Tennessee (11-3). The Lady Vols fell three spots in the poll to No. 23.
Michigan (11-3) re-entered the poll after falling out in late December. The Wolverines reappeared at No. 24 after beating Penn State on New Year’s Eve and in-state rival Michigan State this past Sunday.
Princeton (12-1) earned a spot in the rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 25. The Tigers are on an eight-game win streak and have only one loss out of 12 games so far. They begin Ivy League play Saturday at Pennsylvania. The Quakers are 12-1 and will be a tough matchup for Princeton star Bella Alarie and her teammates.
- Teams that dropped out: Texas, Miami.
- Other teams that received votes: Rutgers, Texas, Northwestern, Florida Gulf Coast, Iowa, Syracuse, Nebraska, TCU.
| Rank | School | Record | Last | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 12-0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Oregon | 12-1 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Oregon State | 14-0 | 2 | -1 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 14-1 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Stanford | 13-1 | 7 | 2 |
| 6 | Baylor | 11-1 | 5 | -1 |
| 7 | Louisville | 14-1 | 9 | 2 |
| 8 | NC State | 14-0 | 6 | -2 |
| 9 | UCLA | 14-0 | 8 | -1 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 13-1 | 12 | 2 |
| 11 | Florida State | 14-1 | 10 | -1 |
| 12 | Indiana | 12-2 | 14 | 2 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 14-2 | 16 | 3 |
| 14 | DePaul | 13-2 | 18 | 4 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 12-2 | 15 | 0 |
| 16 | Gonzaga | 14-1 | 17 | 1 |
| 17 | Arizona | 13-1 | 13 | -4 |
| 18 | Maryland | 10-3 | 11 | -7 |
| 19 | West Virginia | 11-1 | 21 | 2 |
| 20 | Missouri State | 12-2 | 19 | -1 |
| 21 | Arkansas | 13-2 | 22 | 1 |
| 22 | South Dakota | 14-2 | 23 | 1 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 11-3 | 20 | -3 |
| 24 | Michigan | 11-3 | NR | N/A |
| 25 | Princeton | 12-1 | NR | N/A |
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
