Utah
UNC out of the women’s AP top 25, as Utah enters the top 10 for the 1st time ever :: WRALSportsFan.com
South Carolina completed 2022 the way it began the 12 months at No. 1 in The Related Press High 25 ladies’s basketball ballot. Stanford, Ohio State, Notre Dame and UConn rounded out the highest 5. Indiana misplaced final week and dropped to No. 6, leaving South Carolina, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Utah and Twenty fourth-ranked St. John’s as the one undefeated groups left. Utah is within the prime 10 for the primary time ever. Duke entered the ballot at No. 19 whereas Arkansas fell out.
South Carolina completed 2022 the way it began the 12 months: No. 1 in The Related Press High 25 ladies’s basketball ballot.
Whereas the top-ranked Gamecocks cruised to a win of their lone sport final week, then-No. 4 Indiana, No. 6 N.C. State and No. 7 Virginia Tech all misplaced as they scrambled to switch injured gamers.
There have been 22 losses by groups within the AP prime 10 this season earlier than Jan. 1. That was tied for probably the most prior to now 23 years earlier than January, matching the 2014-15 season, in accordance with ESPN. Seven of these losses got here to unranked groups, tied with 1999-2000 and 2004-05 for probably the most ever.
The New Yr didn’t begin off any higher for prime groups as then-No. 10 UCLA misplaced to Oregon State.
“Probably the most difficult week placing collectively my ballot in my 12 years as a voter,” ESPN analyst Deb Antonelli mentioned after all of the ranked-team losses final week. “I’m data, accidents, NET and my skilled eye as a basketball analyst, and it’s troublesome. We needed parity and we acquired it! It’s an ideal measurement of progress in sport.”
Stanford, Ohio State, Notre Dame and UConn spherical out the highest 5 groups within the ballot launched Monday. With the Hoosiers’ defeat, that left solely 5 unbeaten groups, together with the highest ranked Gamecocks, who have been as soon as once more a unanimous alternative at No. 1.
No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Utah and Twenty fourth-ranked St. John’s are the opposite undefeated groups heading into 2023. Utah is making its first look within the prime 10.
Indiana dropped to sixth with Virginia Tech and North Carolina State ending off the highest 10.
Duke was one of many the groups to knock off a top-10 squad final week, beating the Wolfpack. The Blue Devils entered the ballot at No. 19. They’re off to a 13-1 begin with the lone loss coming in opposition to UConn. Kara Lawson’s crew is 3-0 in convention play for the primary time since 2013-14 and is off to its finest in six years.
Arkansas fell out of the ballot.
Rising Utes:
Utah prolonged its season-opening profitable streak to 14 video games, the second longest at school historical past and solely two victories wanting the crew that went 16-0 to start the 1997-98 season.
Falling Tar Heels
North Carolina has misplaced three straight video games and fallen to No. 22 within the ballot after dropping contests to Florida State and Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels, who have been sixth within the High 25 two weeks in the past, will attempt finish the slide in opposition to Miami on Thursday.