Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2025-26

#44,551
#44,551
Rooster1 said:
If the best WBB players from Minnesota ever decide to start staying home and play for the gophers that program would be on the map. The state puts out a lot of D1 talent that has historically signed out of state. A few recent 5 star examples:

Paige Bueckers: Uconn
Tessa Johnson: SC
Ayoka Lee: KSU
Alyssa Utsby: UNC
Olivia Olson: Mich
Maddyn Greenway(2026 class): KY

I noticed that Minn has 3 players in the early rankings for top 50 players in the 2028 class including #3 Chloe Johnson who favors the Gophers early. They also lead for the top Minn player in the 2027 class. The article I read was out of Minn and was confident those high-end type players were finally seriously considering staying home to build the program into a contender. I would think that is a good thing for the sport.
Click to expand...

Aaliyah Crump: Texas
 
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#44,553
#44,553
Rooster1 said:
If the best WBB players from Minnesota ever decide to start staying home and play for the gophers that program would be on the map. The state puts out a lot of D1 talent that has historically signed out of state. A few recent 5 star examples:

Paige Bueckers: Uconn
Tessa Johnson: SC
Ayoka Lee: KSU
Alyssa Utsby: UNC
Olivia Olson: Mich
Maddyn Greenway(2026 class): KY

I noticed that Minn has 3 players in the early rankings for top 50 players in the 2028 class including #3 Chloe Johnson who favors the Gophers early. They also lead for the top Minn player in the 2027 class. The article I read was out of Minn and was confident those high-end type players were finally seriously considering staying home to build the program into a contender. I would think that is a good thing for the sport.
Click to expand...

I wish more kids would “stay home” in general. Always means more when you’re playing for your state school. Always love to see it.
 
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#44,556
#44,556
The next few days bring the always interesting ACC/SEC challenge games for women and men. It is a great event and brings some interesting matchups. Looking fwd to all the games.

espnpressroom.com

Third annual ACC/SEC men’s and women’s basketball challenge takes center stage on ESPN networks, Dec. 2-4​

ESPN announced the commentator teams for the third annual ACC/SEC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenge, a multi-night event...

I think the SEC women will go something like 11-5. (Aub,Fla and Ark are underdogs)(Ga, aTm and Mizz are 50/50 games imo). Ky needs to be careful at Miami.

"Using ESPN’s matchup predictor, the SEC is favored to win 13 of the 16 games this season. The only ACC programs favored to win are Syracuse (over Auburn), Virginia Tech (over Florida), and SMU (over Arkansas, which is ranked nearly 100 spots higher in the NET). The leagues each won seven games in 2023, and the SEC won 10-6 last season. "

Wednesday
Virginia (6-2) @ #15 Vanderbilt (8-0) (5:00 ET, SEC Network) Vandy – 79.6%
#17 Kentucky (8-1) @ Miami (5-2) (5:00 ET, ESPN2) UK – 91.4%
Auburn (8-1) @ Syracuse (6-1) (5:00 ET, ACC Network) SU – 72.9%
Georgia (9-0) @ Florida State (4-5) (5:00 ET, ESPNU) UGa – 56.9%
NC State (5-3) @ #9 Oklahoma (7-1) (7:15 ET, ESPN2) OU – 76.4%
Georgia Tech (3-5) @ Texas A&M (5-1) (7:15 ET, SEC Network) TAMU – 81.8%
#19 Tennessee (5-2) @ Stanford (8-1) (9:15 ET, ESPN2) Tenn – 56.9%

Thursday
Florida (8-1) @ Virginia Tech (6-2) (5:00 ET, ESPN2) VT – 56.5%
#3 South Carolina (7-1) @ #22 Louisville (7-2) (7:00 ET, ESPN) USC – 81.8%
#11 North Carolina (8-1) @ #2 Texas (8-0) (7:00 ET, ESPN2) Tex – 87.0%
Pitt (6-4) @ Mississippi State (7-1) (7:00 ET, SEC Network) MSU – 97.2%
Arkansas (7-2) @ SMU (3-5) (7:00 ET, ACC Network) SMU – 60.7%
Clemson (5-3) @ Alabama (8-0) (7:00 ET, ESPNU) Bama – 84.0%
#5 LSU (8-0) @ Duke (3-5) (9:00 ET, ESPN) LSU – 86.0%
#18 Notre Dame (5-1) @ #13 Ole Miss (7-0) (9:00 ET, ESPN2) OM – 56.6%
Cal (6-2) @ Mizzou (7-2) (9:00 ET, SEC Network) Mizzou – 61.3%
 
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#44,557
#44,557
maple said:
Agree with you. It worries me as well. Some of the players we've brought in have not lived up to the hype just yet. I am hoping we can see some improvement between then and now. I guess the one "benefit" of playing in a conference like the BE is that you have plenty of time to experiment and work out lingering issues. I was thinking the other day about how we basically play a reverse LSU schedule .... (Still going to hate Mulkey, though. 😉)

GL to you as well. I'm looking forward to watching a lot of P4 conference play.
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I am surprised you agree with that Maple. Last season, UConn had the same post problem and blew both teams away in the Final Four. It is a weakness but I believe they have a remedy for it. The question I have is, just how good would Tennessee be if the coach would keep the players on the court who are playing well and not take them out because it is their time to sit? They could be a lot more dangerous than they are.
 
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#44,559
#44,559
Mr. Doo Wop said:
The question I have is, just how good would Tennessee be if the coach would keep the players on the court who are playing well and not take them out because it is their time to sit? They could be a lot more dangerous than they are.
Click to expand...

I’d sure love to find out. The lack of rhythm and the style that does not allow momentum to build is, IMO, preventing a potentially dangerous group of talented players from being the best versions of themselves either individually or as a team.

Yes, I’m feeling unusually pessimistic right now. Also yes, I am ride or die with this team no matter what. The potential is there. Hope they reach it.
 
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#44,562
#44,562
1reVOLver said:
Good question. Also, who had the LVs ranked #9?

I don't see any detail here:

NCAA Women’s College Basketball Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports

Weekly results from the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Women’s College Basketball coaches poll, conducted weekly using a panel of head coaches at Division I schools.
sportsdata.usatoday.com
Click to expand...
I just figured it out from the link you provided. At the bottom it says:

"*The highest and lowest ranking each team has held during the designated season. Any team that starts the season unranked and/or falls out of the top 25 during the season will reflect a "NR" (not ranked) designation as its lowest rank."

So those are not the highest and lowest votes, rather the highest and lowest spots each team has occupied in the top 25 this season.
 
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#44,565
#44,565
Mr. Doo Wop said:
I am surprised you agree with that Maple. Last season, UConn had the same post problem and blew both teams away in the Final Four. It is a weakness but I believe they have a remedy for it. The question I have is, just how good would Tennessee be if the coach would keep the players on the court who are playing well and not take them out because it is their time to sit? They could be a lot more dangerous than they are.
Click to expand...
You make good points, but ...

There was a time, back when UConn won their 2016 title, when I was sitting with someone and boasting about how great UConn was that they could win 5 (or more!) in a row. And the team was on cruise control for most of the 2016-2017 season, with only 1 or 2 close calls. But then the Final Four happened ... and with it came a long title drought. And with each year I became more and more superstitious! So now I tend to err on the side of "we have flaws and anyone could beat us given the right circumstances". :)
 
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#44,566
#44,566
Rooster1 said:
If the best WBB players from Minnesota ever decide to start staying home and play for the gophers that program would be on the map. The state puts out a lot of D1 talent that has historically signed out of state. A few recent 5 star examples:

Paige Bueckers: Uconn
Tessa Johnson: SC
Ayoka Lee: KSU
Alyssa Utsby: UNC
Olivia Olson: Mich
Maddyn Greenway(2026 class): KY

I noticed that Minn has 3 players in the early rankings for top 50 players in the 2028 class including #3 Chloe Johnson who favors the Gophers early. They also lead for the top Minn player in the 2027 class. The article I read was out of Minn and was confident those high-end type players were finally seriously considering staying home to build the program into a contender. I would think that is a good thing for the sport.
Click to expand...
Gianna Kneepkens: Utah, UCLA
 
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#44,567
#44,567
The best thing that could happen for Uconn would be to get an invite into the ACC. Their FB program has been the problem in the past, but at this point they are decent enough to play in that conference. They beat Duke who is in the ACC championship as an example. The ACC has always been a BB conference anyway, and the Huskies have top notch men’s and women’s programs that would be huge additions. If SMU can get into the ACC why not Uconn? I imagine if there are any defections from the ACC Uconn would be one of the first phone calls.
 
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#44,568
#44,568
Terrells Bay88 said:
Gianna Kneepkens: Utah, UCLA
Click to expand...
So basically if all of those Minn gals stayed home the Gophers could roll out a lineup of Kneepkens, Tessa Johnson, Olson and Crump this year along with some of their better current players. Not to mention last season would have included Bueckers, Utsby and Lee. Woulda been a contender….They obviously have an excellent HS system for WBB in Minnesota to put out so many high quality players with such a low population realatively.
 
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#44,570
#44,570
maple said:
You make good points, but ...

There was a time, back when UConn won their 2016 title, when I was sitting with someone and boasting about how great UConn was that they could win 5 (or more!) in a row. And the team was on cruise control for most of the 2016-2017 season, with only 1 or 2 close calls. But then the Final Four happened ... and with it came a long title drought. And with each year I became more and more superstitious! So now I tend to err on the side of "we have flaws and anyone could beat us given the right circumstances". :)
Click to expand...
Hmm… Battered Husky Syndrome. 😉🤙🏼🧡
 
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#44,572
#44,572
maple said:
Auburn @ Syracuse about to heading into overtime. 52-52.

The crowds here are usually bad but with a 5pm weekday start time this showing is particularly lackluster.
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I hate these early weekday games. I know tv schedules dictate a lot, but it is a really subpar experience for fans and probably players too.
 
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