USC soars to No. 4, past UCLA, in USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll
The USC women’s basketball team is moving up in the world. The Trojans are No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll for January 16.
We wrote about USC’s projected NCAA Tournament seed after the gigantic win over previously unbeaten UCLA on Sunday:
“This win moves USC to 13-1 with a win over an elite opponent. The Trojans are almost certain to be a top-three seed at the NCAA Tournament. Only a collapse would prevent them from doing so. Provided that no collapse occurs, USC is firmly in the hunt for a No. 2 or No. 1 seed.
USC has fully arrived. Last season, the Trojans were an 8 seed. Now they’re in the big leagues and showing they can beat other top opponents.”
ESPN has USC as a projected No. 2 seed. The No. 4 ranking in the USA TODAY poll suggests the Trojans have a real shot at a No. 1 seed.
There are several other highlights to mention from the poll. Let’s go through them and mention how they relate to USC and the Pac-12:
SOUTH CAROLINA IS UNANIMOUS NO. 1
The Gamecocks are unbeaten. They received all 32 first-place votes in the poll. USC might be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans want to avoid South Carolina in their region. All of the No. 2 seeds would rather play someone else.
IOWA AND CAITLIN CLARK MOVE UP TO NO. 2
Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated South Carolina in a memorable Final Four game last spring. The Hawkeyes moved up to No. 2 after USC beat previously second-ranked UCLA.
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COLORADO, STILL UNBEATEN IN PAC-12 GAMES, IS NO. 3
Colorado just beat Stanford in a top-10 showdown. The Buffs lead the Pac-12 outright and are the only team in the conference which hasn’t lost a league game yet. CU leads Stanford, UCLA, and USC by one game in the loss column. USC and UCLA both face Colorado — and Utah — this coming weekend, a huge moment for all teams involved.
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UCLA FALLS BEHIND USC TO NO. 5
USC’s win over UCLA pushed the Trojans ahead of the Bruins in the poll. UCLA has only one loss and is still viewed as a No. 1 seed right now. The Bruins can solidify themselves as a top seed if they beat Colorado and Utah in the coming week. USC is hoping to do the same thing.
STANFORD AT NO. 8
The Cardinal won at Utah and lost at Colorado. USC and UCLA now will make that same road trip. Frankly, a split would be fine for both the Trojans and Bruins.
Stanford is 15-2 on the season. The Cardinal are the fourth Pac-12 team — alongside Colorado, USC, and UCLA — in the top eight of the poll.
UTAH AT 20
The Utes have been slowed by injuries, but they’re still tough, and they’ll get a crack at USC and UCLA this coming weekend.
OREGON STATE MOVES UP
Oregon State had the most votes of any team outside the top 25. OSU is essentially No. 26 in the poll.
PAC-12 BRACKETOLOGY
In ESPN’s latest bracketology, eight Pac-12 teams are in the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament: USC, UCLA, Colorado, Stanford, Oregon State, Utah, Washington State, and Arizona. The U of A is in the First Four.
PAC-12 WITH FOUR PROJECTED TOP-2 SEEDS
UCLA (1), Colorado (2), USC (2), and Stanford (2) are all projected top-two seeds in the NCAA Tournament by ESPN’s Charlie Creme. These teams are going to beat each other up in the coming weeks, so we’ll see if they can all hold their positions.
