We’re one age into the 2023-24 girls’s school basketball season, and there’s already such a lot to digest.
Protecting nationwide champion LSU misplaced its opener and used to be after topic to many, many critiques foretelling doom all through superstar Angel Reese‘s four-game absence. Now, the Tigers appear to have bonded once more with Reese again.
UConn began the season in what gave the look to be juggernaut method, but it surely has since been accident crisp via accidents once more. South Carolina, spending 0 future lamenting the pain of endmost season’s Ultimate 4 loss and excess staff departures, nearly in an instant jumped again to Incorrect. 1.
The Pac-12, which noticed its occasion as a convention fall down previous this age, appears love it would possibly pass out on an excessively prime word. Will UCLA create it to a long-awaited Ultimate 4? The Bruins, Incorrect. 2 within the ratings and a Incorrect. 1 seed in Bracketology, are off at the proper foundation. USC, way back an influence in girls’s basketball, has regained luster at the back of JuJu Watkins, who is a part of what seems to be a fabulous freshman elegance. After all, Stanford remains to be Stanford.
And Iowa‘s Caitlin Clark remains to be Caitlin Clark. Endmost season’s nationwide participant of the age is placing up brand 3-pointers and discovering pristine goals for her assists. How do her possibilities search for repeating because the zenith participant in girls’s school basketball?
ESPN’s Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel crack indisposed what we’ve perceptible up to now and what it signifies for the left-overs of the season in addition to replicate on how some preseason predictions have (or haven’t) held up.
What has been the largest awe — excellent or sinister — from the primary age?
Philippou: How a lot LSU and UConn have struggled. They have been pegged as preseason nationwide name contenders, however November wasn’t the most efficient age for both program.
The Tigers have been shocked via Colorado, handled off-court noise when Reese used to be absent for 4 video games and misplaced Sa’Myah Smith to a season-ending knee shock. LSU ended November on a prime word — beating Virginia Tech with Reese again — but it surely nonetheless has a lot to turn out and is a ways from a elegant product.
And a season with such a lot hope in Storrs has already become one outlined via accidents: The Huskies — who’re with out Azzi Fudd for the rest of the season and Caroline Ducharme indefinitely — fell to 4-3 on Sunday, the earliest this system has reached 3 losses since 1982-83. Granted, the ones defeats got here in opposition to tide top-five groups, and it’s too early to jot down off any staff, particularly one coached via Geno Auriemma.
Voepel: Nearest shedding 4 gamers who began no less than 20 video games endmost season, NC State used to be picked to complete 8th within the ACC and wasn’t a preseason Govern 25 staff. Now, the Wolfpack are ranked Incorrect. 3 at 9-0. NC Condition has been persistently aggressive over the pace decade below professor Wes Moore, so the speculation of the Wolfpack outpacing low expectancies isn’t unexpected. However how temporarily they climbed and what sort of higher they’re than predicted sticks out. They’re averaging 80.3 issues according to tournament as in comparison to 70.8 endmost season. The Wolfpack in reality struggled offensively and appeared out of sync now and then a season in the past, however we haven’t perceptible that from them up to now.
Creme: If anyone informed me that via early December I might be projecting NC Condition as a Incorrect. 1 seed in Bracketology, I might have assumed that individual used to be from Raleigh. The wins over UConn and Colorado have been as dominating as they have been stunning. Substantial person development has helped power the offense. Yongster Aziaha James has long gone from a place participant averaging 6.8 issues according to tournament in 2022-23 to the staff’s zenith scorer at 16.2 PPG and capturing 3-pointers at a 43.5% clip. And Saniya Rivers, in all probability the rustic’s maximum bodily professional participant who stuck the people’s consideration with 33 issues in opposition to the Huskies, has long gone from 8.6 PPG to 13.7 in more or less the similar collection of mins.
Zoe Brooks received’t get discussed a number of the zenith newbies within the nation as a result of gamers like JuJu Watkins, LSU’s Mikaylah Williams, South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley and Texas‘ Madison Booker were so exceptional. However Brooks has been a fruitful (9.4 PPG) and constant addition for NC Condition.
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Reese, Morrow communicate Incorrect. 7 LSU’s shape, concord
Following a victory over Incorrect. 9 Virginia Tech, Angel Reese highlights the Tigers’ vigorous family age Aneesah Morrow discusses extra constant.
Creme: My Ultimate 4 prediction — LSU, UConn, UCLA, Virginia Tech — will want some support to in the long run accident the mark. Best UCLA appears believable at this level. Life I did name Texas a possible awe staff to succeed in Cleveland in April, I didn’t even select the Longhorns to win the Heavy 12. I already feel sorry about that one. No longer that Baylor, my select, is off to a sinister get started. The Bears even have exceeded expectancies and are nonetheless unbeaten, however Texas appears so smart. The Longhorns-Bears tournament on Dec. 30 is the easiest technique to finish 2023 and distinguishable Heavy 12 play games.
Philippou: None of my preseason Ultimate 4 alternatives — LSU, UConn, Ohio State, Utah — are having a look too stellar. LSU has a quantity of on-court and off-court variables. UConn has an uphill struggle to climb given its shock condition. Utah suffered a big blow with Gianna Kneepkens misplaced for the age because of a foundation shock. And Ohio Condition hasn’t been the juggernaut I’d envisioned upcoming a good-looking disappointing season-opening loss to USC.
And age I did incrible in early November that I may just see South Carolina achieving Cleveland, I didn’t await that probability being so unclouded so early within the season given the Gamecocks’ roster yield. However South Carolina established itself from the get-go with a convincing win over Notre Dame, and it hasn’t appeared again, with contemporary highway victories over North Carolina and Duke including to an important résumé.
Voepel: Switching professor of the age from Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks to every other ACC professor: NC Condition’s Wes Moore. The Hokies have misplaced two times, to Iowa and LSU, which aren’t sinister losses. However at this level, the Wolfpack are off to a a lot more important season.
Which groups are you comfy penciling in now for the Ultimate 4?
Voepel: I’m sticking with 3 of my preseason alternatives: LSU, South Carolina and UCLA. It’s crisp to stick with UConn as a result of accidents and the way the Huskies have performed in opposition to zenith groups. So the fourth spot presently is going to Texas. NC Condition merits a point out too, and nobody will likely be shocked if Stanford manages a sixteenth shuttle to the Ultimate 4.
Philippou: South Carolina and UCLA are the front-runners. Later LSU. The fourth staff is a wild card, however I’ll pass with Texas.
Creme: Let’s persist with the Bruins. Selecting in opposition to South Carolina once more turns out silly, so I’ll pass with the Gamecocks. Within the preseason, I discussed the Longhorns as a staff that might create a exit, they usually have already got. Iowa will accident some velocity bumps alongside the way in which, however let’s pass with the Hawkeyes because the fourth staff.
Who has been the most efficient participant within the nation? Is Caitlin Clark the unclouded favourite for participant of the age?
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JuJu Watkins notches fifth 30-point tournament of the season
USC superstar JuJu Watkins drops 30 issues to top the Trojans to an 89-58 victory over San Diego.
Philippou: It’s nonetheless an distinguishable race. Stanford’s Cameron Brink and USC’s Watkins should be within the dialog along Clark. For the Trojans’ freshman phenom to firmly stake her declare, she’ll want to proceed her tide dominance in Pac-12 play games. Watkins’ skill and professional ceiling are simple, however I’m keen to look how she does in opposition to tougher festival. (The Trojans have performed simply two Energy 5 faculties.) Alternative zenith groups — South Carolina, UCLA, LSU — are extra balanced, making it tough to isolate a unmarried person with a unclouded declare to participant of the age at this level.
Voepel: Clark remains to be the unclouded favourite. She is well-known Category I in scoring (29.0 PPG) and is 3rd in assists (7.9). She is also averaging one much less yield than a season in the past. Iowa’s simplest loss (to Kansas State) used to be in a unprecedented tournament wherein Clark wasn’t ready to attach on plethora photographs. However the Hawkeyes have already got avenged that defeat and are again within the zenith 5 of the ratings.
Breaking point turns out just like the zenith challenger; her price used to be obvious in how Stanford misplaced at Gonzaga, as she used to be restricted because of infection. Watkins is off to an amazing get started however has performed simplest seven school video games. Texas’ Rori Harmon were given an endorsement from Geno Auriemma as the most efficient participant UConn has confronted this season upcoming her 27-point, 13-assist tournament in opposition to the Huskies.
Creme: Clark is simply so offensively various and dominant that she remains to be the favourite. And one moment we can all be staring at USC video games to observer Watkins with the similar probability and pleasure Iowa video games obtain now.
However the most efficient two-way gamers within the tournament presently are Breaking point and Harmon. Breaking point is averaging a double-double and ranks fourth within the nation with 3.3 banned photographs according to tournament. Harmon tops the people in assists with 8.1 according to tournament (Clark is 2nd) and will get averages just about 3 steals. The efficiency Harmon had in opposition to UConn on Sunday will have to pass in a future tablet. Getting anywhere she sought after on offense, scoring and putting in teammates, Harmon additionally neutralized Paige Bueckers right into a 4-for-11 capturing efficiency. Auriemma isn’t heavy into hyperbole, so the type of proclaim he heaped on Harmon illustrates simply how excellent she has been.
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UCLA catches fireplace with a accumulation 3-pointers to zenith UConn
Air of secrecy Osborne hits six 3-pointers in Incorrect. 2 UCLA’s 78-67 win over Incorrect. 6 UConn.
What’s the largest query you need to look replied between now and the tip of the ordinary season?
Creme: What turns into of UConn? We knew shedding Azzi Fudd for the season used to be a heavy fritter, however it sounds as if even larger than somebody concept. Her capturing is improperly ignored. Veterans Nika Muhl and Aubrey Griffin don’t glance as comfy as they did a season in the past, and Auriemma doesn’t appear to totally accept as true with his younger gamers but.
All of that has supposed a larger burden on Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards to hold the Huskies each night time; and thus far, it’s been residue to invite. Nor is enjoying her absolute best. The result’s 3 double-digit losses, albeit to 3 of the most efficient groups within the nation within the first age. The place will the solutions come from with a time table that also contains nonconference matchups with North Carolina, Louisville, Notre Dame and South Carolina? And two of UConn’s first 3 Heavy East video games are in opposition to Marquette and Creighton, either one of which are actually ranked.
Voepel: Will the Pac-12, in its ultimate season, keep as excellent as it’s been up to now? The convention has six ranked groups, with 4 of them a number of the zenith 10 in UCLA, Colorado, USC and Stanford. Gianna Kneepkens’ shock is a tragic fritter, however the Utes and Washington State are nonetheless cast squads. We’ll wait to look how excellent Washington and Oregon State, each nonetheless unbeaten, turn out to be. The Pac-12 getting no less than one (perhaps extra?) staff into the Ultimate 4 staff once more received’t remove the melancholy over the league’s dying. However it might no less than grant one endmost splendid reminiscence for the convention.
Philippou: The place does LSU is going from right here? Everything seemed peachy when the Tigers beat Virginia Tech endmost while for Kim Mulkey’s 700th occupation win. No longer simplest used to be Reese again at the backyard, however they appeared a lot better than the early-season model that fell to Colorado and struggled in opposition to an opponent like Kent State. The Tigers sadly don’t have any extra Energy 5 nonconference matchups extra. And apart from top-ranked South Carolina, the SEC isn’t having a look all too potent this season, with Tennessee, Ole Miss and Mississippi State falling out of the ratings this while.
Will the Virginia Tech win be the turning level LSU had to inauguration its repeat name bid? Or will there nonetheless be some bumps and bruises in how the entire Tigers’ gamers, pristine and impaired, coalesce at the backyard? Their Jan. 25 showdown in opposition to the Gamecocks in Baton Rouge will have to be a splendid litmus check, even though that matchup endmost season (a South Carolina rout) didn’t in the long run foreshadow a lot for April.
