In Reply to: There are basically 5 teams in WBB and everyone else. posted by mh on December 20, 2025 at 23:07:09
UConn is the paragon of smooth; they are coached to a fairtheewell and, as Cori Close commented yesterday, their close-outs on defense are brilliant - the very best. Plus they have some superstars of their own. They certainly deserve to be favorites - defending NCs and all.
S Carolina is well coached (and feel they owe us one), universally ranked 'way up there.
But UCLA has star personnel at every spot on the floor and is deeper in terms of serious talent than anyone. And we are growing and improving. After the loss to Texas - who left us flat footed in the first half with enough of a margin to survive after we adjusted and made our way back into the contest - the team took a major step forward. And that's a major step from where we stood already one of the top three regarded teams in the nation.
LSU is always a top team. I think the three above are better but LSU could easily beat one of them. I just don't think they win the NC; I think the quarter finals is their logical ceiling with a semi-final possible if things break right for them.
Texas I think has shot their wad. They shocked both UCLA and South Carolina but we've seen that now, and no doubt Geno has scouted it out also. If they can't jump on us for a 20 point early lead, they don't beat us. I think semi-finals is their ceiling.
Depending on the seedings - avoiding that dreaded #4 seed that puts you head to head with UConn in the semis, I think UConn's ceiling is NC, semi-finals to NC but I also think our ceiling is logically semi-finals (if we face UConn there, but also a potential NC. South Carolina's ceiling is similar to ours.,
But if I were ranking favorites for this season's NC I would put UConn first, UCLA second, South Carolina third and leave Texas and LSU to fight it out for fourth