South Carolina climbed to No. 2, LSU and TCU jumped into the top 10, and the Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 got a big shuffle Monday after another week that saw four of the top 10 teams lose.
UConn was the unanimous No. 1 choice for the first time this season, receiving all 32 first-place votes. The Huskies continue to cruise through Big East play, winning by an average of nearly 47 points per game. They were the only team in the top 10 to stay in the same place as the week before.
South Carolina moved up to second, followed by UCLA and Texas, which dropped two spots after LSU handed the Longhorns their first loss of the season. No. 5 Vanderbilt, one of three unbeaten teams along with UConn and No. 17 Texas Tech, has its highest ranking since the final poll of 2002, when the Commodores were fourth.
Kentucky, Michigan, Louisville and TCU rounded out the top 10.
In and out
Maryland and Oklahoma both lost last week and fell out of the top 10 for the first time this season, dropping to 12th and 13th, respectively.
Alabama (21st), Notre Dame (23rd) and Illinois (25th) all entered the poll this week. The Crimson Tide, who beat Kentucky last week, have just one loss (South Carolina).
Washington, USC and North Carolina all lost at least one game last week and fell out of the poll. The Trojans had been ranked in 51 consecutive polls and the Tar Heels in 30 straight.
Falling Cyclones
After winning its first 14 games this season, Iowa State has dropped three straight, and it fell nine spots in the poll to 20th this week. The Cyclones are on the road at Colorado and Oklahoma State this week.
Conference supremacy
The SEC has nine teams in the Top 25, including five of the first seven. Only the Big Ten has also had nine teams ranked in a single week this season; it has eight ranked teams this week. The Big 12 has four ranked teams, the ACC two. The Big East and Ivy League each have one.
Game of the week
No. 4 Texas at No. 3 South Carolina, Thursday. The Longhorns look to rebound from their first loss when they face the Gamecocks for the second time this season. When the two teams played in a tournament over Thanksgiving, Texas came away with a two-point win.
