We’re only a few days into 2023, and the second half of the women’s college basketball season is already off to a chaotic start. There were upsets galore last week, the ACC is all over the place, and there was fluctuation in the Top 25. South Carolina remains at No. 1, but Indiana, North Carolina, NC State and Iowa have dropped. Duke made its first appearance of the season in the rankings, and Illinois might not be too far behind.
The holiday break is officially over. Let’s get back to it.
1. Why wasn’t Duke ranked earlier in the season?
The Blue Devils entered the Top 25 this week at No. 19, after a string of wins against tough ACC opponents. But Duke’s most impressive win came against formerly ranked No. 6 NC State. The Blue Devils held the Wolfpack to 58 points (they average 77 per game). Duke’s defense has been stellar this season. They rank second in the nation in scoring defense, holding teams to 50.3 points per game, and fifth in field-goal percentage defense (33.2) while averaging 9.6 steals and 4.9 blocks per game. Duke’s nonconference schedule and a 20-point loss to UConn in late November had the Blue Devils flying under the radar. But recent wins against FGCU, Virginia and Louisville were too significant to ignore. They are playing well and deserve to be…
