If you are interested in college hoops, there are several things to consider before making your selection. There are several excellent programs that are worthy of consideration, and a lot of them have solid players. Some of the best programs to consider are North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Maryland.
South Carolina
The Gamecocks’ women’s basketball team has dominated the Southeastern Conference this season. They have been ranked No. 1 every week of the season, and have won the SEC tournament and regular season title. The Gamecocks have only lost one game all season, to Missouri, on Dec. 30. Aliyah Boston averages 16.8 points per game, and her rebounding average is also high. She scored 28 points in a 69-61 win over North Carolina in the Regional Semifinals on Friday. Other top scorers include Destanni Henderson (11.1 ppg), and Zia Cooke (11.0 ppg).
The Gamecocks only lost two games this season – to Missouri in overtime in the SEC tournament and to Kentucky in the Final Four – but they beat all three No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four. They opened the season with a nine-point win over North Carolina State, and beat defending champion Stanford by four points in December. This season, they have managed to beat UConn twice.
North Carolina State
If you’re a fan of women’s college basketball, you’ll want to keep your eye on the North Carolina State women’s basketball team this year. The Wolfpack are off to a solid start in ACC play, and they are one of the best teams to watch for early in the 2021-22 season. NC State women’s basketball played in the triple-overtime tournament against No. 16 Duke last Sunday, and Elissa Cunane led the Wolfpack with 23 points. That was her third 20-point performance this season.
The Wolfpack opened the season against No. 1 South Carolina, and since then, they have won 10 of their last 11 games. They ended up losing to Georgia in the last interconference game, but started 4-0 in ACC play and dominated in-state rival North Carolina. While the Wolfpack are not perfect, they have enough to be dangerous. Diamond Johnson leads the team with 27 points per game, and Elissa Cunane is a key cog in the Wolfpack’s offense.
Central Florida
If you’re looking for some great women’s aros games to watch, Central Florida is where you’ll find them. The Knights play in the American Athletic Conference and compete at the Division I level. They play their home games at the Addition Financial Arena. Their head coach is Sytia Messer, who was named on April 3, 2022.
UCF’s women’s basketball team is currently enjoying its best season in program history. They’re nationally ranked for the first time, and their momentum carried them into the NCAA Tournament. On Saturday, they defeated in-state rival Florida, but now face a familiar foe in Paige Bueckers’ Connecticut Huskies.
Maryland
If you’re looking for women’s hoops that can rival the best in the country, look no further than Maryland. The Terrapins are fourth in the NCAA Tournament, and they’ve won eight straight games. They’ve also finished ranked among the top 15 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. After a season in which they lost twice, they earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament as the fourth seed. In the Big Ten Tournament, the Terrapins were upset by No. 11 Indiana. Despite the loss, Maryland’s stars Angel Reese and Diamond Miller were named third team AP All-Americans, and Diamond Miller earned honorable mention in the NCAA Tournament.
While the Maryland women’s basketball team hasn’t announced its starting lineup yet, the team has several players who have the potential to start in the starting lineup. For example, Diamond Miller is a 6-foot-3 forward, and Allie Kubek is a 6-foot-1 forward who transferred from Delaware. This means that the team has to deal with a lack of verticality, but Frese says the team is working hard to overcome the problem. She said the team is rebounding “by committee” rather than individually.
BYU
If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll enjoy BYU women’s hoops tips. The Cougars didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament last year, but they climbed as high as No. 12 in the AP poll. Coach Craig Pope believes in giving players the freedom to make an impact. For example, freshman guard Gideon George spent the offseason working out for NBA teams. He even briefly enrolled in the NCAA Transfer Portal to look into NBA prospects, but returned to BYU to take advantage of the free COVID season.
BYU’s regular season ends on Feb. 25, but the Cougars will play several road games early in the year. They’ll play two road games in January, against Saint Mary’s and Loyola Marymount. They’ll also face Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., and Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., in February.
