This is a look at the week ahead in women's college basketball. Each week Skim Milkey will be providing five players to keep an eye on, five teams to watch this week, five stats, five games you wouldn't think to keep tabs on, and five tweets.
5 Players I Have My Eye On
Kenleigh Woods
Woods has been a key piece for Eastern Kentucky this season as they march towards an Atlantic Sun regular season conference title. Woods has been an instant impact player this season, as she has scored 10.7 points per game and has dished off 2.7 assists per game.7 points a game and has dished off 2.7 assists per game. She defends well around the perimeter and brings a dynamic on the floor that Eastern Kentucky has been able to use all season long. One more regular season win gives them the #1 seed in the conference tournament and locks up a share of the conference title.
Amourie Porter
Porter has been one of the best players in the Big South this season. She is relied on quite a bit by Winthrop and has seemingly been able to answer the call nearly every time. She has by far the best offensive rating on the team at 107.0 and leads the team in nearly every statistical category. She's the best shooter on the team at 31% and has shown her ability to get to the line and score. Porter has scored 59 points combined over her last two games.
Zennia Thomas
Thomas has been a major reason for Howard's excellent season to date. They sit at 20-7 on the season and are 10-1 in the MEAC with an inside track to win the conference title. Thomas has the highest offensive efficiency on the team and has rebounded the ball extremely well this season, as evidenced by her 7.7 rebounds per game. Howard is currently on an eight-game win streak, and Thomas has put up double-digit points in every game. She's the main cog for a team that looks like they'll be heading for an NCAA tournament berth.
Caia Elisaldez
Elisaldez is uncanny with the ball in her hands as she sets the table for this Chattanooga team. She has 14 games this season with five or more assists and has pulled off a points-assist double-double three times this season. She isn't going to scare you around the perimeter, but she does a great job of scoring around the basket for being so small. She and Gianna Corbitt have made an excellent duo this season, and Elisaldez has done an excellent job of setting the tone with the ball in her hands.
Imani Perez
Perez has come into her own this season as a force to deal with for Hawaii. She is a big presence who shows the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, as she is shooting it at a 45.2% clip on about three shots per game. She stands at 6-foot-4 and has a block rate of 6.8%, proving that she is a solid interior defender. She has had her moments when she has struggled this season, but as long as she stays out of foul trouble, then she has been very good. Perez is a player who Hawaii will likely struggle to replace next season on the inside.
5 Teams to Watch This Week
Tennessee
Tennessee has fallen to 16-10 after a 14-3 start to the season. They are 2-7 in their last nine games, but that doesn't tell the entire story. Five of those losses are Quad 1 losses, while Tennessee has picked up a Quad 1 win in that time. Nearly all of the losses can be attributed to the defensive side of the ball, as their offense has actually been quite good from an adjusted offensive efficiency standpoint. Tennessee has built a resume to where they are firmly in the tournament, and they have LSU and Vanderbilt coming up this week. If they are able to snag a win in one of those two games, it could do wonders in setting them up for a postseason run.
Richmond
Richmond is squarely on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, and they will need to win both games this week to avoid falling off the bubble altogether. First, they are hosting Rhode Island in a game that will be extremely tough. Rhode Island beat them once this season by 12 points, and Richmond likely cannot sustain another loss to them. They will also travel on the road to take on Saint Joseph's. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Richmond is playing with fire and will need to stack a pair of wins this week.
Mississippi State
Mississippi State is similarly a team that is in the bubble conversation and will need to make a statement this week. They play LSU over the weekend, and a win in that game would likely secure an NCAA tournament bid for Mississippi State. The most important game of the week is the Thursday game on the road at Texas A&M. Texas A&M is on a roll as of late with four wins in their last five games, including over two ranked opponents. Mississippi State will need to get through the week and avoid going 0-2, or that might force them to go on a run in the SEC tournament to make the NCAA tournament.
Clemson
Clemson secured a huge win on Sunday as they knocked off Duke and pushed themselves into the NCAA tournament with a signature win. Now, they have their West Coast trip to Cal and Stanford and cannot trip up and lose both games. If Clemson is able to split the two games, then they are very likely safely in the tournament. Things might get dicey if they go 0-2, as they would essentially erase the big win that they just had.
Kansas
Kansas is yet another bubble team that needs to win games this week. In fact, Kansas will need to win both of their games to have a chance to make their way into the NCAA tournament. They might even need to add two wins in the Big 12 tournament to feel secure. Their WAB is at -1.0 right now, and two wins would get it to 0.4. After that, they need to go on a run in the Big 12 conference tournament and rack up as many solid wins as possible.
5 Stats to Know
39.8%
Boise State now leads the country in 3-point percentage, as UConn fell out of the top spot. If they are able to maintain this shooting pace, then they will finish with the highest 3-point percentage since Gonzaga in the 2022-23 season.
7
This is the number of wins that Binghamton has after trailing by 10 points in the game. No one else in women's college basketball has more than six such wins.
11.6
This is the number of fouls committed per game by Dartmouth. They lead the country in the least number of fouls per game, and they are extremely smart with how they attack defensively.
10.3
Cristina Jones of Cal State Fullerton is attempting this many shots at the basket to lead the country in shots within 4.5 feet of the basket. She is doing a great job of getting herself in position down low to make things tough on the opposing team.
1
This is the number of winless schools still remaining in college basketball. After Niagara and Central Connecticut both won this past week, that leaves Valparaiso as the last winless team in the country. To be clear, the chances of a Valparaiso win are not extremely high.
5 Games to Monitor
2/25 - Michigan @ Ohio State
This is a huge rivalry game but also a game that will hurt or help each team with seeding purposes. If Michigan wins, then they are still alive for the #2 seed in the conference tournament, and they also have a fantastic shot at getting a top #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Ohio State is looking to solidify their hosting resume in the NCAA tournament, and a win over Michigan could go a long way in doing so.
2/25 - South Dakota State @ North Dakota State
This is a huge game for both the Summit League and the at-large possibility of each team. A North Dakota State win would clinch an outright Summit League title over their rivals at home. A win might also give them enough juice, if needed, to make the tournament if they need an at-large selection. South Dakota State is already firmly on the bubble, and a loss here would remove them from the at-large consideration.
2/28 - Princeton @ Harvard
Princeton is still able to win an Ivy League title, but they are likely going to have to share it with Columbia, unless Columbia loses another game. This is Princeton's toughest game remaining, and they will need to win it to have a chance to share the Ivy League championship. A win here would also give them quite the momentum going into postseason play, as despite being 22-3 currently, they are not guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament with two more losses this season.
3/1 - Minnesota @ Illinois
This game will be the last chance that Minnesota can show to the country that they can potentially host during the NCAA tournament prior to the Big Ten tournament. Illinois will be looking for a win to improve their seeding in the NCAA tournament themselves and might need this win to stay as a single digit seed.
3/1 - Virginia @ Virginia Tech
This is a huge rivalry game, but also it will be a game that either helps or hurts chances to make it into the NCAA tournament. Both of these teams are fighting for a bid, and each still needs to likely win this game to feel safely in the tournament. There is nothing better than the feeling of hurting your rivals' chance to make it into the tournament.
5 Tweets
