Four top-25 matchups will highlight the SEC/ACC Challenge this week, with six games Wednesday and 10 Thursday.
One of those involves yet another clash of elite guards when No. 4 Texas travels to No. 10 Notre Dame on Thursday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).
Both teams are in the top 10 of this week’s ESPN Women’s Basketball Power Rankings but going in opposite directions. Texas moved up two spots to No. 4, while Notre Dame fell seven spots to No. 10.
The 5-2 Irish must regroup after losing twice at the Cayman Islands Classic last week. They blew a 14-point lead in falling to TCU 76-68, then were upset by Utah 78-67. These losses came after a dominant win at USC on Nov. 23.
What happened? A key part of it is that injuries have limited the Irish’s depth, especially in the post. Four-year Irish starter Maddy Westbeld and fellow forward Liza Karlen, a transfer from Marquette, have yet to play this season. Both are fifth-year players with tons of experience, and Notre Dame will be a different team with them on court.
Until then, even more weight is on the Irish guard trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron. That’s where the matchup against Texas is especially interesting.
The 7-0 Longhorns have had just one test, but it came at the right time before playing Notre Dame. Texas beat another team with terrific guards, West Virginia, 78-73 on Sunday at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Florida.
Texas guard/forward Madison Booker (16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and guard Rori Harmon (9.4 PPG, 6.6 APG) can match up well with any perimeter players in the country. Where the Longhorns should have an edge against Notre Dame, though, is in the post. Seniors Aaliyah Moore and Taylor Jones are the starting forwards who combine to average 20 points and 8.7 rebounds. Coming off the bench are two other talented forwards: Miami transfer Kyla Oldacre and freshman Justice Carlton.
Moore was 8-of-11 for 20 points, while Booker had 19 points and Harmon 9 points and 6 assists in the victory over West Virginia. Oldacre and Carlton combined for 23 points and 13 assists. Carlton got a key steal with four seconds left and with Texas clinging to a three-point lead, sealed the game with two free throws.
Texas’ move to the SEC makes the league even more competitive this season. Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer knows the SEC well from his time at Mississippi State, and Texas consistently recruits the talent needed to compete in the conference.
Notre Dame will be the last ranked foe Texas faces until starting SEC play Jan. 2 at rival Oklahoma, which also moved to the SEC from the Big 12 this season. What we see from the Longhorns on Thursday sets the tone for what kind of team it will be when league play begins.
Previous ranking: 1
The Bruins cruised through their first week at No. 1 with three blowout wins at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu: vs. UT Martin, Fresno State and Hawai’i. Center Lauren Betts has had double-doubles in seven of the Bruins’ eight games. Junior guard Kiki Rice also had a season-high 21 points against Hawai’i.
Next seven days: @ Washington (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 2
The Huskies beat Oregon State and Ole Miss in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship in the Bahamas and then topped Holy Cross on Tuesday. Freshman standout Sarah Strong had a season-best 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting against the Crusaders. Two potential tests are upcoming with Louisville and Notre Dame.
Next seven days: vs. Louisville at Barclays Center in New York (Dec. 7)
Previous ranking: 4
The Gamecocks roared back from their loss to UCLA on Nov. 24, clobbering Iowa State (by 40) and Purdue (by 48) at the Fort Myers Tipoff in Florida. South Carolina held Iowa State to 23.1% shooting and forced a combined 39 turnovers in the two games. The Gamecocks will have a chance to make two more statements this week against very good teams.
Next seven days: vs. Duke (Dec. 5), at TCU (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 6
Before beating West Virginia in the Gulf Coast Showcase last week, the Longhorns scored 90-plus points in blowing out New Mexico State and Butler. Justice Carlton had 30 points against the Bulldogs in just her sixth college game.
Next seven days: @ Notre Dame (Dec. 5), @ James Madison (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 8
The Terps beat their lone ranked opponent, Duke, on Nov. 10 and won’t play another ranked foe until the end of December. So while they are a good team, we can’t be sure yet just how good. Maryland won last week at the Navy Classic against George Mason Patriots and Toledo Rockets, then beat Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday.
Next seven days: @ Purdue (Dec. 7)
Previous ranking: 10
The Blue Devils won one of the most entertaining games this season, a 109-99 overtime victory against Oklahoma last week at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas behind Reigan Richardson‘s career-best 35 points. That followed a win two days earlier over Kansas State, giving the Blue Devils back-to-back top-10 wins. Duke defeated Columbia at home Sunday, and now will try to knock off the defending national champions.
Next seven days: @ South Carolina (Dec. 5), vs. Virginia Tech (Dec. 8):
Previous ranking: 5
After falling to Notre Dame on Nov. 23, the Trojans beat Seton Hall and Saint Louis at a tournament in Palm Springs, California. Then they defeated winless California Baptist 94-52 on Tuesday. JuJu Watkins had 40 points, making a program-record 9-of-11 3-pointers. She tied the school record for games with 40 or more points (three) and became the third Big Ten player in the past 25 seasons to score at least 40 points with nine 3-pointers. Iowa‘s Caitlin Clark did it twice and Minnesota‘s Rachel Banham once.
Next seven days: @ Oregon (Dec. 7), vs. Fresno State (Dec. 10)
Previous ranking: 9
The Tigers beat Washington and NC State at the Baha Mar Hoops tournament in the Bahamas. Their 131-44 rout of NC Central was coach Kim Mulkey’s 100th win at LSU in her fourth season at the school. Aneesah Morrow is averaging a double-double (18.2 points, 13.0 rebounds).
Next seven days: vs. Stanford (Dec. 5), vs. Grambling in Bossier City, Louisiana (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: NR
Sometimes the Thanksgiving tournaments produce some big results for teams. That was the case for TCU with its victories in the Cayman Islands Classic over Notre Dame and South Florida, vaulting the Frogs all the way into the top 10. Guard Hailey Van Lith had 44 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in those two games, while center Sedona Prince had 37 points, 33 rebounds and 11 blocks.
Next seven days: vs. Florida Atlantic (Dec. 4), vs. South Carolina (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 3
This is the other side of the coin for the holiday tournament: The results can also ruin some teams’ “vacations.” Such was the case for Notre Dame in the Cayman Islands. The loss to TCU — considering how well the Frogs are playing — was one thing. But falling the next day by 11 points to Utah was more concerning. The Irish can make things right, though, in playing Texas and UConn at home in the next week-plus.
Next seven days: vs. Texas (Dec. 5), @ Syracuse (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 7
The Sooners forced overtime against Duke on Payton Verhulst‘s 3-pointer at the end of regulation Nov. 27 at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas. But they fell 109-99 in the extra session for their first loss of the season. Verhulst finished with a triple-double (29 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists). Next, she faces the school where she started her college career, Louisville.
Next seven days: @ Louisville (Dec. 4), vs. Alabama State (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 11
The Buckeyes beat Old Dominion and Utah State at the Daytona Beach Classic last week, led by transfer forward Ajae Petty‘s combined 41 points and 20 rebounds. Next is their first Big Ten opponent of the season in Illinois.
Next seven days: vs. Illinois (Dec. 8), vs. Ball State (Dec. 10)
Previous ranking: 12
After falling to Duke at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas, the Wildcats beat DePaul there. Then they cruised to wins at home over Central Arkansas and Eastern Illinois. With 15 points in Tuesday’s victory, Ayoka Lee became K-State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,336 points. She passed Kendra Wecker (2,333 in 2001 to 2005), but this is Lee’s fifth season because of the COVID-19 waiver.
Next seven days: vs. South Carolina Upstate (Dec. 5), @ Texas A&M (Dec. 8)
Previous ranking: 15
The Wildcats beat Arizona State and Illinois in the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tennessee, last week. Sophomore center Clara Strack had a combined 49 points and 25 rebounds in those games. The win over the Illini was Kentucky’s second over a ranked team, and it has the chance for a third on Thursday.
Next seven days: @ North Carolina (Dec. 5), vs. Queens University (Dec. 9)
Previous ranking: 13
After victories over High Point and Boise State at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida, the Mountaineers got their first test of the season and nearly upset Texas. They had a chance to tie the score in the closing seconds but lost the ball on a turnover and fell 78-73. Still, it showed how good West Virginia can be. JJ Quinerly had 29 points against the Longhorns.
Next seven days: vs. East Tennessee State (Dec. 6)
Previous rankings: 16
It was a light work week for the Tar Heels, as they blew out North Carolina Central 119-43. There’s nothing to take from that game, but there will be plenty to watch in their matchup with Kentucky, including how the Wildcats’ Teonni Key performs in her return to North Carolina, where she played the past two seasons.
Next seven days: vs. Kentucky (Dec. 5), vs. Coppin State (Dec. 8)
