ASU WBB: Devils in Detail Pac-12 WBB Rankings, 12-9
The Devils in Detail women’s basketball coverage team of Sam Ficarro, Jordan Kaye, Gigi Micketti and Leah Soto put together a Pac-12 poll with conference season beginning this week. Today, teams ranked 12th to ninth is unveiled.
This season has the making of the most competitive season in Pac-12 women’s basketball history. As of December 26, they’re seven ranked Pac-12 teams in the AP Poll and two undefeated teams in California and Utah. The seven ranked Pac-12 teams is the second-most in the country only behind the ACC, who have eight ranked teams. To go along with the seven ranked teams, three Pac-12 teams have also received votes in the AP Poll and are on the cusp of joining the rankings. This is all coming off the Pac-12 having two teams in the Women’s Final Four last season. The Pac-12 have faced a lot of tough opponents, like Baylor, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee. In total, the Pac-12 has 114-19 non-conference record with three non-conference games remaining this week. Every game in the Pac-12 this season will be competitive, and no team can take a night off. No game will be easy. The conference’s depth could prove to be extremely beneficial come NCAA Tournament time.
We will be releasing four teams a day in the lead up to Arizona State’s conference opener versus Stanford Friday. It’s time to buckle up of what could be a chaotic conference season with a lot of close games. Without further ado, our Pac-12 Poll begins in the Pacific Northwest.
12. Washington State Cougars
Feb 15, 2015; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot, Butch, preform during a game against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Cougars enter Pac-12 play with a conference-worst 5-6 record, but have been competitive in what has been a tough non-conference schedule. Washington State lost in overtime at home to Oklahoma State, suffered a 10-point defeat versus then-No. 6 Maryland in Las Vegas and most recently lost a two point game at then-No. 18 Kentucky. Washington State, under head coach June Daugherty, is led by sophomore forward Borislava Hristova. Last season, Hristova finished on the All-Pac-12 Team and on the Pac-12 All-Freshman averaging 16.3 points per game last season. This season, she’s been just as productive averaging 14.7 PPG. The Cougars are also led by forward Louise Brown, who’s averaging 10.4 PPG and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Washington State looking to do better this season in conference play after finishing 5-13 in conference play and losing in the opening record of the Pac-12 Tournament versus USC last season. The Cougars struggled to match the talent of the other Pac-12 teams last season as the depth from the other teams proved to be too much. Washington State will open up Pac-12 play Tuesday at No. 9 and in-state rival Washington before heading to Oregon for games against the Ducks and No. 22 Oregon State Beavers this weekend. Last year’s team was really young, and the experience of last season to go along with a non-conference schedule should set them up for greater success in Pac-12 play.
11. Arizona Wildcats
Mar 21, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Arizona Wildcats mascot performs against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Wildcats are in a transition year. After the Wildcats finished 11th in the Pac-12 with a record of 13-19 and 3-15 in conference play, and a second round exit from the Pac-12 Tournament, the Wildcats parted ways with head coach Niya Butts. Coming in is Adia Barnes, Arizona’s all-time leading scorer. Barnes previously spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with Washington. She’ll look to restore Arizona’s success in women’s basketball and lead the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
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Arizona is currently 8-2 with their last non-conference game to be played Tuesday versus Portland State. The Wildcats are led by a pair of seniors. Forward LaBrittney Jones leads the team with 15.1 PPG and 8.2 RPG. Jones led the team last season in points per game, rebounds, blocks and steals and provides a key presence in the paint. Guard Malena Washington is the other impactful senior for Arizona. Washington is picking up where she left off last year after leading the team in minutes played, made field goals and made three-pointers, averaging 13.5 PPG and 42.2 percent from the field this season.
However, their 8-2 record could be a little deceiving based on the competition Arizona has faced this season. Arizona only faced one Power-5 opponent this season, a road win at Kansas. The Wildcats will be challenged in Pac-12 play because of improved competition and depth in the Pac-12. Barnes has the Wildcats in the right direction, and they won’t be a rollover opponent. Arizona opens up the Pac-12 season at home versus Cal and Stanford this weekend.
10. USC Trojans
Dec 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke in the second half of the game against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 78-73. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
After shocking the nation with a Pac-12 Tournament Championship in 2014, the last two seasons have not gone as planned for the Trojans. USC is coming off a 19-13 season and a loss to eventual Pac-12 Champions Oregon State in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Trojans are 9-2 this season with a win at then-No. 25 Texas A&M and a hard-fought four-point loss versus No. 5 Mississippi State. Outside of those two opponents, it’s a been a pretty straightforward non-conference slate for the Trojans given the teams they faced.
USC is led by junior forward Kristen Simon. After averaging 10.7 PPG and 8.0 RPG last season, Simon has been the focal point of the Trojans averaging a team-high 15.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG. She has become a powerful post presence for the Trojans. Another impactful player is freshman guard Minyon Moore. She has been the Sixth Woman for USC this season averaging 12.4 PPG off the bench and a team-high 61 assists. The third Trojan averaging double-digit points is guard Sadie Edwards. A transfer from UConn, she is experiencing her first full season with USC after joining the team mid-season last season. This season, Edwards is averaging 11.3 PPG and shooting 51.8 percent from the field.
Under head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, USC has always been a gritty and tough team to play against. This season will be no exception and will provide a big challenge to the other Pac-12 teams, but the question will be if they have enough talent to compete with the teams atop of the conference. USC will open up Pac-12 play at No. 20 Colorado and undefeated Utah this weekend.
9. Oregon Ducks
Dec 20, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot watches the game from the student section against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
The Oregon Ducks were fighting for a Top-4 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament before everything went terribly wrong when their star senior forward Jillian Alleyne suffered a torn ACL in mid-February ending her illustrious Oregon career. The Ducks would finish the season losing their final three games, including a Pac-12 Tournament loss versus Arizona. Despite a 20-win season, Oregon did not receive a NCAA Tournament bid and went on to play in the WNIT, where the Ducks fell in the semifinals versus South Dakota.
Under head coach Kelly Graves, Oregon is 10-2 this season with wins at Michigan State and Clemson and losses versus then-No. 7 Mississippi State in Hawaii and at Ole Miss. Oregon are led by exciting freshmen players. Guard Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 13.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 5.2 assists per game. Ionescu has a pair of triple-doubles this season versus San Jose State and Clemson. Ionescu finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists versus the Spartans and against the Tigers, she finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Recently named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, forward Ruthy Hebard has become Oregon’s next great post player. Hebard is averaging a team-high 13.8 PPG on 74.7 percent shooting and 8.7 RPG. In a win versus Portland State December 17, she finished with a double-double recording 28 points and 17 rebounds.
Oregon has a lot of exciting young players because Graves’ excellent recruiting. It’s to be seen if they will be able to take a big step forward and return to the top of the Pac-12 this season, but the arrow is definitely point up for the Ducks as a team who will be hard to match up against. Oregon will open up Pac-12 play this weekend at home versus No. 9 Washington and Washington State.
