Big Ten women's basketball report: League plays begins this weekend
Eight conference games are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday to start the 2024-25 league season
Where do things stand in the world of Big Ten women’s basketball after the Thanksgiving holiday tournaments:
• UCLA remains the favorite, at least from my perspective. USC was the choice in the preseason poll - based on JuJu Watkins - but the Bruins hold a slight edge. The two programs won’t face each other until February, and they’ll play twice. Those games will likely decide the regular season champion. UCLA beat then-No. 1 South Carolina and ascended to the top spot nationally. The Bruins won their next three games by an average of 45.6 points.
• Injuries have sidelined some of the league’s top players. Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon has missed the last four games due to a lower leg injury but could return this weekend. … Nebraska’s Natalie Potts suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season. Potts shared Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors last season. … Minnesota’s Mara Braun broke the same bone in her right foot for the second time in 12 months. The latest injury happened in November, and she’s out indefinitely after surgery. The Golden Gophers didn’t fare well last season when Braun suffered her first injury, but they’re still undefeated. … Iowa won twice in Cancun without Villanova transfer guard Lucy Olsen, the team’s leading scorer. Olsen could return Saturday against Tennessee, and Iowa also faces in-state rival Iowa State and Michigan State in the next 10 days. … Indiana’s Sydney Parrish is sidelined until mid-December after suffering a knee injury in the Battle 4 Atlantis. … USC starting guard Kennedy Smith is out indefinitely after undergoing a surgical procedure late last month. She’s expected to return.
• How many Big Ten teams will remain undefeated after the opening of conference play? Minnesota, Maryland, Ohio State, and UCLA put unbeaten records on the line. Iowa and Michigan State haven’t lost and face each other on Dec. 15. However, the Hawkeyes play twice before starting Big Ten action, and the Spartans take on DePaul on Sunday. Maryland, Minnesota, and UCLA open conference play on the road, and Ohio State hosts Illinois.
• Which Big Ten team has the best non-conference win? Easy. UCLA over South Carolina, which was ranked No. 1.
• Early pick for transfer of the year: Penn State’s Gracie Merkle. Other high-profile players switched programs, but the 6-foot-6 transfer from Bellarmine is averaging 20.2 points in 21.3 minutes and shooting 65.3% from the field. She was Kentucky’s 2022 Miss Basketball.
• Freshman of the Year could come down to Michigan’s Syla Swords and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge. Swords totaled 27 points and 12 rebounds in her debut against South Carolina. She’s the youngest Canadian basketball player to compete in the Olympics. Meanwhile, Cambridge has helped the Buckeyes stay unbeaten without McMahon, averaging 16.1 points. Her numbers will likely drop once McMahon returns, giving Swords the inside track.
• The best Big Ten game of the opening weekend of conference play: Illinois at Ohio State. The Fighting Illini’s lone loss came against Kentucky. Kendall Bostic leads six players averaging in double figures.
• The top two teams hitting 3-pointers face off Sunday. Minnesota, which has made 81 3-pointers, travels to Nebraska, which has 75. The Huskers are shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc.
POWER RANKINGS
UCLA: Don’t see any losses until mid to late January. Upcoming: Sunday at Washington, 5 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 14 at Long Beach State, 5 p.m; Dec. 16 Cal Poly, 10 p.m. (B1G+).
USC: JuJu Watkins scored 40 points, hitting 9 of 11 from 3-point range against Cal Baptist last week. Watkins was WNBA-ready last season. Upcoming: Saturday at Oregon, 4 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 10 Fresno State, 10 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 15 Elon, 3 p.m. (B1G+)
Maryland: Six of the seven transfers who are playing keep pushing the Terrapins forward. Upcoming: Saturday at Purdue, 2 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 19 William & Mary, 11 a.m. (B1G+); Dec. 29 Michigan State, 1 p.m. (B1G+).
Ohio State: Might challenge for the top spot once McMahon returns. Upcoming: Sunday Illinois, 4 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 10 Ball State, 6 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 14 Youngstown State, noon (B1G+).
Iowa: Interesting three-game stretch over the next 10 days. Upcoming: Saturday vs. Tennessee (Brooklyn), 7 p.m. (Fox); Dec. 11 Iowa State, 9 p.m. (Fox Sports 1); Dec. 15 at Michigan State, noon (BTN).
Michigan State: Averaging 91.8 points against a soft schedule. Upcoming: Sunday DePaul, 2 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 15 Iowa, noon (BTN); Dec. 19 vs. Montana (West Palm Beach), 2 p.m.
Illinois: The matchup against Ohio State will reveal a lot. Upcoming: Sunday at Ohio State, 4 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 12 Bradley, 7 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 15 Southern Indiana, 2 p.m. (B1G+).
Michigan: Won seven straight since losing to South Carolina by six points in the opener. Upcoming: Sunday Northwestern, 2 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 14 Detroit Mercy, 3 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 17 vs. Oklahoma (Charlotte), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2).
Nebraska: The injury to Potts removes a valuable piece. Upcoming: Sunday vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 11 Tarleton State, 8 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 15 Chattanooga, 1 p.m. (B1G+).
Minnesota: Will be surprised if the Gophers can keep it together against Big Ten teams without Braun. Upcoming: Sunday at Nebraska, 2 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 11 Jackson State, 8 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 20 Prairie View, 3 p.m. (B1G+).
Oregon: Losses to Georgia Tech and South Dakota State aren’t bad, and the Ducks knocked off Baylor. Upcoming: Saturday USC, 4 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 17 Air Force, 9 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 19 UC Irvine, 9 p.m. (B1G+).
Penn State: Had its eight-game winning streak snapped by St. John’s. Upcoming: Saturday Indiana, 1 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 11 at Providence, 7 p.m; Dec. 15 at Kansas, 3 p.m. (ESPNU).
Indiana: Losing to Harvard, Butler and getting waxed by 30 points by North Carolina isn’t what we’re used to seeing. IU trailed Southern Indiana most of the game Wednesday but won. Upcoming: Saturday at Penn State, 1 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 15 Bellarmine, 7 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 22 Oakland, noon (B1G+).
Purdue: With six newcomers - seven if you count redshirt freshman Amiyah Reynolds - seeing action, the Boilermakers are still working through rotations, roles, and lineups. They need to show improvement against elite teams, and the next two games (Maryland and Kentucky) provide that opportunity. Upcoming: Saturday Maryland, 2 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 14 Kentucky, 5 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 17 at Miami (Ohio), 7 p.m. (ESPN+).
Washington: Lost to LSU on a last-second shot in the Bahamas. Upcoming: Saturday UCLA, 5 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 14 Utah, 9:30 p.m. (BTN); Dec. 18 North Dakota State, 5 p.m. (B1G+)
Wisconsin: Serah Williams is one of four Big Ten players averaging 10 or more rebounds. Upcoming: Sunday Rutgers, 3 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 11 at Butler, 7 p.m; Dec. 20 UAlbany, noon (B1G+).
Rutgers: A three-game losing streak to Virginia Tech, Princeton, and Marquette slowed the early season momentum. Upcoming: Sunday at Wisconsin, 3 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 11 FDU, 7 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 21 Lafayette, noon (B1G+).
Northwestern: Started 1-2 with losses to Illinois State and Lehigh but is currently riding a three-game winning streak. Upcoming: Sunday at Michigan, 2 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 15 Bradley, 3 p.m. (B1G+); Dec. 18 UNLV, noon (B1G+).