Women's basketball AP poll, takeaways: Madison Booker steps up as Texas keeps sights set on national title
Madison Booker bent backward awkwardly under the basket, leaned against the stanchion and covered her face. The concern was brief.
The Texas star, as if flipping a switch, snapped into a smile and flashed the "Hook 'em Horns" at the baseline camera pointed toward her before rising to her feet to shoot a free throw. It was as stark of a contrast as her performances against South Carolina this season.
Playing teams twice in a season is rare now that realignment has created overly packed major conferences. Booker and Texas took advantage of it Sunday, learning from a 17-point dismantling to hand South Carolina its first regular-season conference loss since December 2021.
The result jostled the upper crust of teams in the Associated Press Top 25 and opened up the race for the SEC regular-season championship. South Carolina, winners of the last five conference titles, lost ground and is tied with LSU and Texas at 10-1. Kentucky is one game back at 8-1.
The Big 12 is also a three-way race after TCU upset Kansas State with Baylor joining them at 10-2. The Big Ten could tighten by the weekend, while the ACC runs through Notre Dame. With three weeks to go, every game and performance matters a little more.
The Gamecocks successfully limited Booker to seven points in their first meeting, a 67-50 South Carolina victory on Jan. 12. It was the fourth time in six games she had scored in single digits, a mini skid that wasn't going to cut it for Texas in a defensively heavy SEC.
The Longhorns overcame the drop in production against Summit League leader South Dakota State, former Big 12 rival Oklahoma and SEC climber Alabama. They couldn't when it came to South Carolina, the standard-bearer in not only the conference, but the country. To contend for a national title, Texas needs Booker's best.
Since that loss, the sophomore is averaging 20.1 points with three double-doubles in eight games, including a 66-62 win over No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday. She had to work hard for it, shooting 31.8% (7-of-22) in a performance that was, efficiency-wise, only marginally better than her 3-of-19 outing in their first meeting. But she kept at it, going 6-of-7 at the free-throw line when she was 1-of-2 in the first game. She averages 4.5 free-throw attempts per game.
The adjustment was similarly strong for Taylor Jones, who scored 11 points in the first half Sunday after going scoreless in the first matchup. She played four minutes in the second half, handing the post duties to 6-foot-6 junior forward Kyla Oldacre (13 points). Texas outscored South Carolina, 40-26, in the paint.
LSU's offense runs primarily off a Bayou Big 3: Flau'jae Johnson (19.6 ppg), Aneesah Morrow (18.2 ppg) and Mikaylah Williams (17 ppg). Twice in 25 games heading into Sunday has a player other than those three led the team in scoring, prompting head coach Kim Mulkey to call for more from her bench.
Junior guard Kailyn Gilbert answered the call, scoring 23 points and shooting 46.7% (3-of-4 from 3) in an 82-77 win over Tennessee. She had 21 in the second half while Williams and Johnson dealt with foul trouble.
Gilbert, a transfer from Arizona, scored 22 in the first meeting a month ago and a season-high 25 in an overtime win over Stanford. She's the only other LSU player averaging double digits in scoring (10.1) and provides Mulkey a punch off the bench.
The Tigers' bench outscored the Lady Vols, 36-6, no small feat against a Vols team that runs hockey lines to maintain a high pace. The game never moved to more than a 10-point margin and came down to the final minutes, where LSU soars and Tennessee typically falters.
The margin for error shrinks by the day. There are fewer opportunities to build or boost NCAA tournament résumés as the games go by, and the bracket can shift on one result. It did for UConn and Tennessee this week on each end of the top-16.
The Huskies (22-3, 13-0 Big East) fell behind in their quest for a No. 1 seed when they lost to Tennessee, 80-76, on Thursday. It was their first loss in the rivalry since 2007. They dropped to 3-3 in Quad 1 competition, giving ground to Texas (8-2) with USC (6-2) still in the mix. UCLA (6-0), South Carolina (10-1) and Notre Dame (5-2) are near locks for the top three seeds.
The final minute of the game turned on a minor miscue with the Huskies trailing by a bucket. Freshman forward Sarah Strong committed an unnecessary foul on Tennessee's Zee Spearman near the sideline with 30.1 seconds left. UConn had a foul to give, but it reset the shot clock from nine seconds to 20. Tennessee killed the extra time and Spearman scored at the end of the possession for a four-point cushion with 15 on the clock.
The foul alone didn't determine the game for UConn. Neither Paige Bueckers nor Azzi Fudd broke through offensively, combining for 24 points on 8-of-25 shooting and hearing about it afterward.
'I think we've talked a lot about the perception that when we play a really good team, you need contributions from your best players, and it's hard if you don't get that,' UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said. '… The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players, and they gotta play better.'
The duo answered with 37 points on 12-of-24 shooting against Providence on Sunday. Fudd went 5-of-6 from 3-point range. UConn can improve its chances with one final Quad 1 contest against South Carolina.
For the Lady Vols (17-6, 4-6 SEC), the win over UConn was a boost in their chase for a No. 4 seed, which would bring first-round tournament games back to Rocky Top. They continued their season-long yo-yo, losing to LSU on Sunday to put that seed in question once again. The opportunities for Tennessee are more plentiful with Kentucky, Alabama and Ole Miss on the schedule.
Stanford is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987. The Cardinal (11-12, 3-9 ACC) have struggled in a new era and blew two chances this week to improve their stock. There are few left to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The Cardinal entered Thursday's game at Notre Dame (21-2, 12-0) as steep underdogs and took another blow five minutes in when offensive leader Nunu Agara left with an injury. She did not return in the 96-47 blowout. It was the worst defeat in Stanford program history, besting a 45-point loss (96-51) to Long Beach State in 1983. The sophomore forward did not play in a 74-65 road loss to Louisville (17-7, 10-3) on Sunday.
Stanford (NET 51) is 1-9 in Quad 1 games with only one potential game left on their inaugural ACC schedule. Stanford hosts Georgia Tech, on the bubble of Quad 1 contention in this matchup, in the regular-season finale on March 2.
Things are obviously much tougher without Agara (16.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg), a key returner in a season of change at Stanford. Cameron Brink left for the WNBA, Kiki Iriafen bounced for USC, head coach Tara VanDerveer handed the reins to longtime assistant Kate Paye and the program officially joined the ACC.
VanDerveer led Stanford to the NCAA tournament in all but her first two seasons (the 2020 tournament was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic). The Cardinal earned a No. 1 seed 13 times (winning titles in 1990, '92 and 2021) and missed out on a top-four seed six times in 37 tournaments.
UCLA (22-0, 10-0 Big Ten) at USC (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten), Thursday at 10 p.m. ET (Peacock): All eyes are back on Los Angeles, where USC's JuJu Watkins and UCLA's Lauren Betts lead a reinvigorated crosstown rivalry. Their two matchups will determine the Big Ten regular-season champion.
UConn (22-3, 13-0 Big East) at South Carolina (22-2, 10-1 SEC), Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (ABC): South Carolina is on a four-game winning streak in the series that began with eight straight victories by UConn. The Huskies are 9-5 all-time in the series.
LSU (24-1, 9-1 SEC) at Texas (24-2, 10-1 SEC), Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ABC): Another top-10 SEC battle in Austin that could decide the regular-season title.
1. UCLA2. Notre Dame3. Texas4. South Carolina5. LSU6. USC7. UConn8. Kentucky9. Ohio State10. North Carolina State11. TCU12. North Carolina13. Duke14. Kansas State15. Tennessee16. Oklahoma17. Maryland18. West Virginia19. Georgia Tech20. Oklahoma State21. Alabama22. Michigan State23. Florida State24. Creighton25. Baylor
1. UCLA2. Texas3. Notre Dame4. South Carolina5. LSU6. UConn7. Kentucky8. TCU9. USC10. Ohio State11. North Carolina12. Kansas State13. N.C. State14. Duke15. Tennessee16. Oklahoma17. Maryland18. Georgia Tech19. West Virginia 20. Alabama21. Oklahoma State22. Baylor23. Creighton24. Michigan State25. Ole Miss
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M is reportedly the 'frontrunner' for elite 2026 4-star wide receiver
Texas A&M is reportedly the 'frontrunner' for elite 2026 4-star wide receiver Two of Texas A&M's priority prospects in the 2026 recruiting class will take an official visit to College Station this weekend, as five-star wide receiver Ethan "Boobie" Feaster and five-star OL/DL Lamar Brown represents the two most essential prospects for coach Mike Elko and his staff that will make their final decision early next month. In terms of predictions, nothing has been clear regarding both prospects 'favorite landing spots over the past month, as Brown's recent OVs to Miami and Texas have shaken things up, while Feaster's recent OV to USC could complicate things moving forward. Still, it's impossible to ever keep the Aggies out of contention after several 2026 commits shut down their recruitment, combined with landing 2026 four-star safety Chance Collins over Texas Tech. However, according to On3, Texas A&M is now the front-runner to land Feaster and remains in great shape to secure four-star running back KJ Edwards, four-star linebacker DaQuives Beck, and three-star quarterback Kaeden Johnson. The fact that Feaster is still a favorite to land in College Station speaks volumes regarding Elko's ability to recruit elite wide receiver prospects compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher. Yes, OC Collin Klein and WR coach Holmon Wiggins also deserve credit, but it starts at the top, especially battling the likes of LSU, USC, Texas, and Alabama. From a production standpoint, Featster has delivered impressive statistics that align with his recruiting expectations. He wrapped up his 2024 sophomore season with a personal best of 57 receptions, 855 yards, and 14 touchdowns. Throughout two varsity seasons, Feaster has amassed 1,489 yards and 23 touchdowns. According to On3, Feaster is currently positioned as the 44th-ranked prospect in the 2026 class, the 5th-ranked wide receiver prospect, and the 5th-ranked prospect in Texas. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
College football's hopes to rein in transfers with one portal window gaining momentum
With the House v. NCAA settlement finally approved, the people in charge of college football are turning quickly to the sport's next potential rules changes. At the top of the list: moving to a single transfer portal window for football, instead of the current two in December and April. At SEC meetings last month, Georgia coach Kirby Smart called it 'the biggest decision that has to be made in college football right now, by far, to me.' Advertisement During a call next Monday, its first meeting since the House settlement's approval, the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee is expected to have a deep discussion on a single portal window. The hope is to come out with a recommendation and begin a path to solidify a change before the upcoming season. 'I'm confident we'll get there,' committee chair and Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt told The Athletic. But when would that single window be? And what would it mean for players and teams? According to several people involved in the process, granted anonymity in order to describe the state of discussions before a formal decision, early January is the option with the most momentum; one person described it as an 80-20 split. At its annual convention this January in Charlotte, the American Football Coaches Association proposed the window run Jan. 2-12 beginning in 2026, following a unanimous vote of dozens of FBS head coaches in attendance. That date would allow most schools to finish the season with their full team, a response to rising numbers of opt-outs from bowl games and even College Football Playoff teams losing players off their roster. It would also help set teams in place heading into spring practice, especially as rosters begin to shrink with the House settlement roster limits. 'I want January,' Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said. 'I want to get my team, and I want to roll and get ready for winter conditioning, spring football, and take that team into the fall.' The institution of a transfer window only restricts when players can enter the portal. They aren't required to pick a new school in that time, though their prospective schools' academic calendars may create a deadline. One player agent, granted anonymity to discuss his work with players, told The Athletic he prefers January and tells his clients to avoid the spring portal anyway unless they're an elite athlete. The agent was concerned that a later portal could cause kids to check out and create a limbo period, or that it would open up even more opportunities for springtime tampering. Advertisement 'Kids are going to know they're leaving before they even talk with their coaches,' the agent said. 'With January, kids are home for the holidays, talk it over with your circle, people you trust, and if you leave, you can find a school and enroll in time for class. If it's spring-only, you may have kids fall into a mental ditch.' Not everyone is on board with a January portal window. Multiple people involved in the process said some power conference schools prefer spring, especially those whose academic calendars run on a quarter system and start class earlier in January, before the portal closes. There's also the issue of the portal opening and closing before the College Football Playoff ends. This past season's national championship game took place on Jan. 20. Current rules give players an extra five-day portal window if their season runs long. Another player agent told The Athletic a client of his couldn't schedule a transfer visit to Columbus in January because the CFP schedule bumped events around. 'If we didn't have the second transfer portal window, it's very, very difficult,' Ohio State coach Ryan Day said in February on 'The Joel Klatt Show.' 'We're trying to make decisions about next year, yet our year isn't even done yet. So that affects your current roster, and it's just messy. I think you've gotta have two portals unless you're finishing the season sooner.' Smart, who supports a January window, said top programs would just have to handle it for the sake of everyone. 'It's really hard to be playing in a championship setting and having to deal with that,' he said last month. 'When I brought that up as a complaint or a problem, I was told there's no crying from the yacht.' A move to a single portal would be the latest in a long list of rule changes since 2021, when NCAA committees approved a one-time transfer with immediate eligibility in football and basketball. When players began entering the portal during the season, coaches asked for windows to restrict their movement. Fall and spring sports got two windows, while winter sports got one because they take place over two semesters. All sports' windows lasted 60 days. Advertisement Then in late 2023, a series of lawsuits and court rulings forced the NCAA to allow players an unlimited number of transfers without sitting out, sparking a surge of player movement and leading to calls from coaches to shrink the windows they'd asked for. NCAA committees changed the windows from 60 to 45 to now 30 days over the past few years. A single 10-day portal in football would be the most dramatic change yet. Athlete advocacy groups have pushed back on moving to a single portal window. Oversight committee members have tried to emphasize the benefits of stability. Messages left with multiple players on the Football Student-Athlete Connection Group were not returned. 'A single portal window likely reduces players' leverage by limiting transfer timing options,' said Darren Heitner, a lawyer who represents numerous players. 'Two windows allow more negotiation flexibility. One could rush decisions, especially for non-stars.' There has also been discussion on the oversight committee about removing the automatic 30-day portal window for players who have a head coaching change, the theory being it would give a new coach an opportunity to convince players to stay before the regularly scheduled portal opens. But there is some concern that going too far in shrinking the portal could invite a legal challenge and create more problems than it solves. Some also question whether portal windows matter. There is nothing to stop players from unenrolling at one school and enrolling at another like a normal student. In January, former Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas, represented by Heitner, enrolled at Miami after Lucas said Wisconsin refused to let him in the portal. Wisconsin alleged Miami had impermissible contact with Lucas because he hadn't gone in the portal and that he'd signed a two-year name, image and likeness deal with the school based on the pending House settlement. 'Enforcement is shaky, schools can block portal entry, even if it is against NCAA rules, as seen with Lucas,' Heitner said in an email to The Athletic. 'Wisconsin appears to have escaped punishment, at least for the time being, despite the clear rules violation. He is eligible at Miami and practicing with the team.' The oversight committee is also discussing changing spring football around that window, with a focus on an AFCA proposal of NFL-style OTA practices that would add six non-padded practices to the existing 15 practices, with the ability to spread the 21 workouts over two different flexible periods from January to June. If a single portal were instituted in the spring, this change would allow schools to hold more practice after the spring window closed. But other members of the committee told The Athletic they're concerned about the mental strain of putting players through multiple spring practice sessions. Advertisement It's also not yet clear who the oversight committee's portal recommendation would go to. The Settlement Implementation Committee (made up of 10 athletic directors) handles post-House rules, and the NCAA is undergoing a larger governance change. One person involved in the discussions said the process is still under discussion. Previous attempts to move to a single portal window have been stopped by athlete pushback, but the approval of the House settlement has college football's leaders trying to regain control of the sport. Uncontrolled player movement is the most visible issue with the current system in the eyes of many coaches and fans. Momentum for a single window is strong, wherever on the calendar it lands. 'Do I think it's better for a player? Not necessarily,' said the second agent. 'But it makes logical sense for the sport.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Why does college baseball use metal bats? Aluminum bats are more cost-efficient for schools
Why does college baseball use metal bats? Aluminum bats are more cost-efficient for schools Show Caption Hide Caption College baseball player forms sweet bond with coach's daughters While playing for Coach Frank Avilla Jr., Brady Crabtree formed a special, sibling-like bond with his daughters - a connection that continued well after graduation. The crack of a ball hitting off a wooden bat and echoing throughout a stadium is central to the ethos and mythology of baseball, the kind of sound that conjures images and memories of picturesque summer nights at a ballpark. At the college level, that soothing soundtrack of the sport is infused with a little more metal — literally. Unlike their professional counterparts, the overwhelming majority of college baseball players don't use wooden bats, instead carrying metal ones when they step into the on-deck circle and batter's box. Whenever contact is made with the ball in an NCAA game, that famous and eternally gratifying crack is replaced with something closer to a sharp ping. REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball tournament winners and losers: College World Series full of surprises For a casual viewer tuning into college baseball for the first time this season as the chase for an NCAA championship winds down, it can be a bit jarring. This week, eight teams will arrive in Omaha, Nebraska for the 2025 College World Series, where jello shots will be consumed at an alarming rate, weather delays will inevitably occur and, yes, the pings of metal bats will reverberate around Charles Schwab Field as thousands of fans hoping to see their team advance look on, living and dying with every pitch. While metal bats have become synonymous with college baseball and differentiated it from the major and minor leagues, why are they used instead of wood? Here's a closer look at why college baseball has metal bats, along with their history in the sport and NCAA rules regulating their use: Why does college baseball use metal bats? A frequently asked question has a relatively straightforward answer — it's cheaper. While college baseball is one of the most popular sports at many universities — including at some, many of which are in the SEC, that dump significant resources into their programs — it typically doesn't bring in close to the same revenue as football and even men's basketball programs at most schools. Because of that, colleges often look to save money and cut expenses where they can. Which brings us to bats. Though metal bats generally have a higher initial purchase price than wooden bats, they're far more durable. They're subject to wear and tear over time and have to eventually be replaced, but there's not the same threat with every pitch like there is with a wooden bat that it will break or splinter if the ball strikes the bat in the right spot (or, on rare occasions, when a player snaps it over his leg in frustration). Because of that durability, a college baseball player can go through his entire career using a single bat and schools don't have to spend nearly as much money replacing bats. The bats pose advantages for more than just athletic departments looking to save on equipment costs. The ball travels farther and faster off an aluminum bat, helping give players a little extra oomph at the plate. The metal bats have been found to have a larger sweet spot than their wooden counterparts. A ball hit near the handle of a wooden bat, which could break the bat or lead to an easy out, can be a hit with a metal bat. A player could choose to use a wooden bat to better prepare themselves for the major and minor leagues, but doing so could also make their stats less gaudy compared to the rest of their college peers – the overwhelming majority of whom use metal bats – and potentially devalue them as professional prospects. REQUIRED READING: Diversity in College World Series field reminds us what college sports is all about Has college baseball ever used wooden bats? It has. Wooden bats were once common in college baseball, but in 1974, as a way to increase offense and address cost concerns, a widespread switch to metal bats was made. Though wooden bats are rare in modern college baseball, they're still occasionally seen. In 2023, Oregon infielder Rikuu Nishida used a wooden bat in what would be his only season with the Ducks. He performed well with it, too, batting .312 with five home runs and 37 RBIs while starting all 63 of his team's games. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. NCAA rules on bats Like its predecessors, the NCAA baseball rule book for the 2025 and 2026 seasons has a section addressing wooden and non-wooden bats and the parameters they must meet in order to be used for competition. The specifications for non-wooden bats are:
