2024-25 Top 25 Preview

While we have watched student-athletes hop from program to program in the portal during the off-season, we will now watch teams hop multiple time zones throughout the year. Every new season on the floor brings questions we never seem to be able to answer at opening tip – will the impact transfer be someone we have not talked about yet? Who will return from injury better than before? Which head coach is fighting to keep their job and who is set for a breakout year? Will history repeat itself with a second consecutive undefeated season or will we find someone new standing in a confetti shower come April? 

In October, the questions and anticipation of what the new college basketball season will bring are numerous, just like our frequent-flyer miles. Welcome to The Next’s 2024-25 Top 25 Preview. Here we search for answers to our many questions, give thanks to those who manage team travel and see who has what it takes to book their ticket to the Final Four in Tampa.

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A special thank you to our colleagues at The Next for their assistance with data and team information.

1. SOUTH CAROLINA: Every year we begin with a simple rule: if you want to be the best, you must beat the best, which means the reigning national champions begin this season in our top spot. It was far from an ordinary run for the Gamecocks last year, becoming the 10th team to go undefeated and hoisting the national championship trophy in Cleveland with a 38-0 record. Head coach Dawn Staley referred to her team last season on numerous occasions as a “daycare” — young talent, looking to find their way and did they ever. What will it take to join the exclusive list of teams that have won back-to-back titles?

Returning most of your core contributors is a great place to start. Veteran senior guards Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall are back along with junior guard Raven Johnson. 6’2 forward Chloe Kitts, who posted a double-double in the national championship game, was one of the steadiest players on the floor down the stretch last season. Sophomore sensation MiLaysia Fulwiley lived up to the billing as one of the best freshmen in the nation and is the top returning scorer for the Gamecocks at 11.7 points per game. How Staley and her staff find a way to replace WNBA center Kamilla Cardoso, who at 6’6 anchored the middle for South Carolina last season is still to be determined, but bringing in the No. 3 ranked recruiting class (per ESPN.com) is a big addition. If we have learned anything over the years it is not to underestimate how well Staley gets her team to gel together and peak at the right time. The Final Four confetti shower could very well see a repeat customer on the podium. 

2. UCONN: The injury bug has seemed more like an epidemic for UConn the past few seasons, but the health reports are positive in Storrs to start the 2024-25 season. Paige Bueckers is ready for what is probably her final season in a Huskies uniform and having redshirt junior Azzi Fudd, her backcourt mate, back is just what the doctor ordered. Head coach Geno Auriemma relied heavily on young players last season and that experience will only help the likes of sophomore guards KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade. Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen is coming off a stellar senior season, where she averaged close to 16 points per game and will give the Huskies yet another veteran weapon on the perimeter. 

While Bueckers and Fudd will run the show out front, the post game of UConn will need to develop to be consistent offensively and lock down the paint on defense. Redshirt sophomores Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson are matchup problems for many opponents and Auriemma has not lost his touch on the recruiting trail – the No. 2 ranked class comes to Storrs led by 6’2 freshman Sarah Strong. The North Carolina native is a stretch wing with 3-point range and will attack the rim. The Huskies will be tested early with games against North Carolina in November and tussles with Notre Dame, Iowa State and USC all in December. If the injury bug stays outside the borders of Connecticut, the Huskies could get Bueckers the one trophy she does not have on her shelf — a national championship.

3. USC: Last year, we had a season full of outstanding individual performances, including many by a group of fantastic freshmen across the country. JuJu Watkins put USC women’s basketball back on the map, leading the Trojans to a Pac-12 tournament title and their first Elite Eight appearance since 1994. The 6’2 forward averaged 27.1 points per game and logged over 34 minutes per game in her first season for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. While Watkins can effortlessly put her team on her back and carry them to wins, it was apparent that there needed to be more around her on the floor in big game situations.

To the portal and recruiting trail Gottlieb went and as she has done time and time again, she won a host of high-profile battles. Honorable mention All-American Kiki Iriafen, a 6’3 forward from Stanford, landed in LA along with Talia von Oelhoffen, a versatile guard who started every game for Oregon State last season while averaging 10.7 points per game. Add in the No. 1 recruiting class (per ESPN.com) which includes three top 30 players, and the Trojans are looking to make their first season in the Big Ten a memorable one. Early tests against Mississippi and Notre Dame will show not only where Watkins, the unanimous Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, has improved her game, but how USC is handling high expectations. Peaking in April is the ultimate goal.

4. TEXAS: They say “It just means more” in the SEC. As Texas begins its first season in a new conference, the question for the Longhorns is: Do they have the “more” they need to get to the Final Four? The return of all-conference guard Rori Harmon will calm the nerves of head coach Vic Schaefer as she re-joins Big 12 Co-Player and Freshman of the Year Madison Booker (16.5 points per game) in the backcourt. The Mississippi native handled the point guard duties when Harmon was lost last season to an ACL injury, but her return will give Booker a chance to move more to her natural off-guard position. Senior guard Shay Holle was an ironwoman in conference play last season (37 minutes per game) and gives Texas another deep threat on the perimeter as a career 36% three-point shooter.

If you want to find quality minutes playing for Coach Schaefer, you better be ready to rebound and play defense. Frontcourt veterans 6’4 Taylor Jones and 6’1 Aaliyah Moore will anchor the paint along with 6’6 junior Kyla Oldacre, a transfer from Miami who was a 2022 McDonald’s All-American selection. Michigan transfer Laila Phelia (16.8 points per game), an All-Big Ten First Team pick a year ago, brings size and physicality to the floor on both ends. Depth is never a bad thing when you play at the high pace and intensity that Schaefer requires of his teams, so adding the fifth-ranked recruiting class (per ESPN.com) to the fold is a big boost. Guard Jordan Lee (No. 9 in the class of 2024) comes in with a reputation for defense but can also score. They are hunting SEC trophies and national titles now on the Forty Acres – the Longhorns will be tested to see if they have their “more” to get to Tampa.

5. UCLA: There will bright lights on women’s basketball in the City of Angels this season as the LA crosstown rivals are both in the national spotlight. UCLA bowed out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16, but just like USC, they have their sights set on a much deeper run in the Big Dance. Gone is dynamic veteran guard Charisma Osborne from the lineup, but the Bruins return the one-two junior punch of guard KiKi Rice (13.2 points per game) and center Lauren Betts (14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game). 5’4 guard Londynn Jones has proven to be a lights-out threat from behind the arc, setting the program’s single season mark of 87 3-pointers made last year.

The biggest challenge for head coach Cori Close is how do you replace Osborne and give yourself more weapons inside and out. The portal was good to the Bruins, bringing 6’4 Janiah Barker from Texas A&M, where she made 27 starts as a sophomore and averaged 12.2 points per game. Former Pac-12 players Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State) and Timea Gardiner (Oregon State) are key additions to fill the void and more. Leger-Walker will be returning from an ACL injury that cut last year short, but makes things happen with the ball in her hands. Gardiner, a 6’3 forward, was named the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year last season, averaging over 11 points per game with three-point range. Close also welcomes the No. 4 recruiting class (per ESPN.com), which includes 6’2 forward Kendall Dudley, a versatile wing player and former high school teammate of Rice. They say Hollywood is where dreams can come true. The Bruins are most definitely dreaming of big goals for the 2024-25 season.

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6. NOTRE DAME: In her first four seasons at Notre Dame, head coach Niele Ivey has had to ride the wave of injuries impacting her roster. A year ago, the Fighting Irish were wondering what they would do without superstar guard Olivia Miles, but freshman sensation Hannah Hidalgo was just what the doctor ordered. The first team All-American led Notre Dame in scoring at 22.6 points per game and now, together with a healthy Miles, they could become the most electric backcourt in the nation. Junior Sonia Citron who averaged 17.3 points per game last season while battling her own injuries, is one of the top all around players in the ACC. Ivey will begin the season without veteran post Maddy Westbeld – the 6’3 graduate senior is battling a foot injury, but Marquette transfer Liza Karlen (first team All-BIG EAST last year) and 6’0 forward transfer Liatu King (18 double-doubles a year ago at Pittsburgh) will help in the scoring column. Ivey also has 6’5 Kate Koval at her disposal, the No. 1 post player in the class of 2024. Can the luck of the Irish keep this team healthy? If so, watch out ACC and beyond.

7. LSU: Filling voids seems to be a common theme for top programs heading into this season and it is the case in Baton Rouge. Head coach Kim Mulkey will be without the services of the 2024 SEC Player of the Year Angel Reese, but a core group of returners will lead the way. Senior Aneesah Morrow is the top returning scorer for the Tigers at 16.4 points per game and junior Flau’jae Johnson shot over 50% from the field last year at clip of just under 15 points per game. Sophomore Mikaylah Williams, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, was a bright spot at the guard position, dishing out just shy of 100 assists on the season and adding 14.5 points per game. Mulkey will need her four transfers to blend and contribute early, including 5’10 sophomore Mjracle Sheppard (Mississippi State) and 6’5 forward Jersey Wolfenbarger (Arkansas). The non-conference schedule sets up to let the Tigers dip their paws in the water before SEC opponents coming calling.

8. IOWA STATE: A mixture of young guns and veteran leadership put Iowa State right in the middle of the Big 12 race a year ago and the combination returns and then some for this season. Cyclone head coach Bill Fennelly most likely wanted to throw a parade when he found out point guard Emily Ryan, the program’s all-time assist leader, was returning for her fifth year in Ames. Pair her with a super sophomore duo and a host of deep-threat transfers and the Cyclones are right in the middle of the national conversation. Center Audi Crooks was one of the most efficient players in the nation in her first season, averaging 19.2 points per game and shooting 57.7% from the field. 6’2 forward Addy Brown was the second leading scorer for ISU and their top rebounder as a freshman, hauling in 8.2 boards per game. Marquette transfer Mackenzie Hare knocked down 91 made threes last season, while junior Lily Hansford shot 45% from behind the arc on the year at Oregon State. Fennelly’s system gives all five on the floor the green light from deep. With an established frontcourt threat and Ryan running the show, the Cyclones will surprise no one this year.

9. BAYLOR: While a school has a history of success it sometimes takes time for a coach to add their bricks to the foundation of the program. For those that have been watching, Baylor head coach Nicki Collen has been doing just that in Waco. Collen, who received a contract extension in July, begins her fourth season at the helm of the Baylor program with a nucleus of talent that played in the 2024 Sweet 16. Guard Sarah Andrews returns for her fifth season as the team’s top scorer (11.4 points per game) and will be joined in the backcourt by senior Jada Walker, who started all 34 games a year ago. Walker’s scoring ability was on display in the NCAA Tournament, posting a career high 28 points in the win over Virginia Tech. 6’1 junior Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is a matchup problem for most teams in the Big 12 and 6’3 Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh will give the Bears a physical presence inside. Collen snagged a Top 25 recruiting class (per ESPN.com), which includes 6’1 Florida native Kayla Nelms, a stretch wing with great passing skills who can score. Baylor will have ample opportunities to see what they are made of in November, with a trip to Oregon and big matchups at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

10. OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma’s swan song in the Big 12 Conference was winning the 2024 regular season title and now, with a core of returning talent and new faces, the Sooners go east to the SEC. Head coach Jennie Baranczyk returns over 98% of her scoring and 96% of her rebounding from last season, including Co-Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann. The 6’0 forward averaged 15.1 points and seven rebounds per game on the season. When paired with senior guard Payton Verhulst (12.6 points per game) and sophomore Sahara Williams (10.3 points per game), the Sooners have a big and versatile scoring punch. 6’2 forward Liz Scott is back after missing all last season with an injury, giving OU more depth on the interior. Baranczyk brings one of the top transfers in the nation to Norman in 6’4 center Raegan Beers. The All-American junior had two tremendous seasons at Oregon State and brings size, scoring and great touch around the rim to the lineup. She should fit perfectly with the fast-paced Sooner system that averaged over 76 points per game last year. OU will gear up for the SEC with non-conference matchups against UNLV, Duke or K-State, Louisville and Michigan. When the calendar turns to 2025, their inaugural SEC game will be hosting the other new kid on the block — Texas on Jan. 2.

11. NC STATE: Runs to the Final Four give programs momentum into the next year and that should be the case for NC State this season. Head coach Wes Moore heads into his 12^th season at Raleigh with holes to fill in the frontcourt, but his backcourt is ready to run. Senior guard Aziaha James returns as the team’s top scorer at 16.8 points per game and shot 78% from the free throw line last year. Fellow senior Saniya Rivers chipped in 12.5 points per game and speedy sophomore guard Zoe Brooks played in all 38 games, leading NC State with 130 assists on the season. There will be no River Baldwin or Mimi Collins inside, so Moore will need to find answers to score in the paint and back up his pressure defense with rim protectors. The Wolfpack bring in the No. 17 recruiting class (per ESPN.com) and Patriot League Player of the Year Caitlin Weimar to help pick up the slack. At 6’4, Weimar was also named Defensive Player of the Year in her final season at Boston University. Can NC State run with the momentum and get back to the Final Four? Everyone in the ACC and beyond is waiting to find out.

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12. OHIO STATE: Filling voids from graduation is difficult especially when it is replacing WNBA draft picks. Ohio State no longer has All-Big Ten guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor in the lineup, but they are not at a loss for talent.  6’0 Junior Cotie McMahon, one of the best players in the Big Ten, is the top returning scorer at 14.4 points per game and leading rebounder for the Buckeyes. 6’0 senior Taylor Thierry (11.3 points per game) is back, having started every game last year alongside McMahon. Ohio State pushed hard in the portal and came away with junior guard Chance Gray from Oregon and Kentucky’s 6’3 forward Ajae Petty, each with a skill set to fill needs on both ends of the floor. McGuff also brings five freshmen to Columbus, led by the No. 2 player in the nation in the class of 2024, Jaloni Cambridge. The 5’7 point guard from Tennessee is speed and then some with the ball in her hands and is not afraid to get up and defend. That kind of effort will get you a lot of minutes on the floor. How quickly the voids are filled will be key for Ohio State as they battle for the top of the Big Ten.

13. KANSAS STATE: Talk to anyone in the Little Apple and there is one common theme: keep Ayoka Lee healthy and on the floor, no matter what. If Kansas State can have the 6’6 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year stay in one piece for the full season, then things get much better for the Wildcats. Lee is one of the best true post players in the nation who not only can score and rebound (19.7 points and 8.6 boards per game a year ago) but is a fantastic rim protector. K-State returns over 85% of their scoring and 87% of their rebounding from a team that was a No. 4 seed in the 2024 Big Dance. With almost the exact same lineup as last year, what will be the difference? Senior guard Serena Sundell, an All-Big 12 first team selection last season, must be a more consistent threat from deep. 6’2 forward Temira Poindexter, the 2024 AAC Player of the Year at Tulsa, will need her scoring game to translate to the Big 12 and K-State’s system. The theme is simple for the ‘Cats to get out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament this season – as Lee goes, so does K-State.

14. LOUISVILLE: Jeff Walz has always been a master of the portal, but this off-season had a different look to it than in years past. Louisville is the beneficiary of a core group of returners for the 2024-25 season, including 6’3 graduate student Olivia Cochran in the middle. She posted 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last year. Junior forward Nyla Harris is back after having started all 34 games for Walz and registered six double-doubles a year ago. Transfer guard Ja’Leah Williams from Miami, brings three years of ACC experience to the floor and a defensive presence. The Cardinals will be looking at a crop of new faces from their No. 6 ranked recruiting class (per ESPN.com) to contribute early and often. Guard Imari Berry, a McDonald’s All-American from Tennessee, can be an impact scorer and distributor. Two other Top 25 freshmen, 6’0 Mackenly Randolph (No. 23) is a stretch forward who will rebound and 5’10 Tajianna Roberts (No. 24) will give Louisville a three-point threat from deep. The start to the season will have a European flare with a big-time opponent – Nov. 4 in Paris, France against UCLA.

15. WEST VIRGINIA: Not many were talking about West Virginia at the start of last season, but by the end, the Mountaineers were right in the middle of every conversation. Head coach Mark Kellogg led WVU back to the NCAA Tournament and nearly knocked off No. 1 seeded Iowa in the second round. With Texas no longer in the Big 12, the Mountaineers are the top returning defensive team in the league (57.8 points per game.). They also bring back one of the best backcourts led by senior JJ Quinerly, the 2024 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, who poured in 19.8 points per game last year. Junior Jordan Harrison made an immediate impact in her first season in the Big 12 (after transferring from Stephen F. Austin), averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 assists per game. Kellogg will have plenty of experienced returners to go along with his dynamic guard duo, including 6’3 forward Kylee Blacksten and 5’10 Kyah Watson, one of the most versatile small forwards in the league. Junior transfer Sydney Shaw started 25 games a year ago at Auburn and was their second-leading three-point shooter. The new-look Big 12 will take the Mountaineers to some different time zones, but John Denver’s Country Roads should lead to a lot of Ws in Morgantown.

16. DUKE: The one thing that helps keep a coach a bit calmer is knowing their young players get older and more experienced from one year to the next. Duke head coach Kara Lawson is banking that the experience her young players and transfers got a season ago, including a trip to the Sweet 16, translates into a more consistent 2024-25 season. 5’11 junior Reigan Richardson returns as the top scorer in Durham (12.4 points per game) and will lead an offense that has over 82% of its production back. Junior guard Taina Mair dished out 123 assists last season along with averaging just shy of 10 points per game. Graduation leaves Lawson without the services of 6’6 center Kennedy Brown and will look to sophomores Delany Thomas and Jordan Wood to log more significant minutes in the post. Five-star sophomore transfer Riley Nelson should be available for Duke this season – the 6’2 forward suffered an ACL injury in January during her one season at Maryland. The Blue Devils have a top 10 recruiting class filled with athletic size but were dealt a big blow in September. 6’4 Arianna Robinson, the No. 19 player in the class of 2024, was lost for the season due to injury. November will help us see if this young Duke team is growing up and a Dec. 5 trip to South Carolina will be a big-girl test.

17. MARYLAND: The merry-go-round that is the transfer portal has seemed to spin faster at Maryland than other places the past few seasons. Head coach Brenda Frese has had numerous players exit her program, but other come in and fill the needs. The 2024-25 season will need to be one of those again. The Terrapins return their leading scorer from a season ago, All-Big Ten selection Shayanne Sellers. The 6’2 guard posted 15.6 points per game and dished out 5.5 assists per game last season, but with only 50% of the team’s scoring and 48% of the rebounding back, Sellers will need help from new faces. 6’2 guard Saylor Poffenbarger led Arkansas in rebounding last season (11.2 boards per game) and averaged just over 10 points per game. 5’5 guard Sarah Te-Biasu was the 2024 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year at VCU, averaging just shy of 16 points per game. She can give Maryland a veteran ballhandler out front which will move Sellers off the ball more in different scoring sets. 6’2 forward Christina Dalce had 18 double-figure rebounding games last year and was named Co-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year at Villanova. A Top 20 recruiting class (per ESPN.com) also comes to College Park to add depth in multiple positions. Circle Nov. 10 when Duke comes to town — it will be throwback ACC battle that will tell us a lot about both teams.

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18. NORTH CAROLINA: While talent left Chapel Hill via the portal and graduation, head coach Courtney Banghart had to be celebrating when she got two fifth-year seniors back for the 2024-25 season. 6’0 guard Lexi Donarski and 6’2 wing Alyssa Ustby return for their final season at North Carolina to lead a team with many new faces. Ustby is the top returning scorer and rebounder, while Donarski knocked down 74 three-pointers last season, chipping in 10.5 points per game. 6’3 senior Maria Gakdeng started 32 games a year ago and will be a key force in the paint. Highly touted 6’4 redshirt freshman Ciera Toomey is healthy after sitting out last season with an injury. Banghart went to the portal for depth in her backcourt and found it in Richmond’s Grace Townsend, a first team All-Atlantic 10 selection last year. The Tar Heels add a crop of talented freshmen with a top 15 recruiting class (per ESPN.com) that includes 6’5 center Blanca Thomas and a pair of deep-threat guards in Lanie Grant and Jordan Zubich. The tests will come early and often for UNC, starting with a Nov. 15 matchup with UConn in Greensboro, N.C. and three challenging opponents at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. 

19. NEBRASKA: While losing All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley to the WNBA is a big blow to Nebraska, the Cornhuskers are not at a loss for returning talent. Head coach Amy Williams has a solid nucleus of players to put on the floor as she starts her ninth season in Lincoln. The frontcourt will be anchored by returning 6’3 senior Alexis Markowski, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, who averaged a double-double with 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Natalie Potts, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, started every game last season for the Huskers and poured in 10.2 points per game. Potts and fellow sophomore Logan Nissley are a great scoring duo for Williams. The 6’ guard shot 40% from behind the arc last season. The backcourt will need an immediate boost from Florida transfer Alberte Rimdal, a scoring guard with great court vision. The native of Denmark brings three years of SEC experience to the Huskers. Look for Nebraska native Britt Prince, a top 25 recruit in the 2024 class (per ESPN.com) to contribute minutes for Williams. There will be tough opponents in November to get them ready for Big Ten play. Their first conference game is Dec. 8 against Minnesota and then a monster trip to LA for UCLA and USC to ring in 2025.

20. INDIANA: Now that Indiana women’s basketball is part of the national conversation every year, it only cements the fact that the Hoosier state is a basketball state. In the past three seasons, head coach Teri Moren has led her program to 24, 28 and 26 wins respectively. While All-American center Mackenzie Holmes is no longer in an Indiana uniform, the Hoosiers have weapons to compete in the Big Ten. Fifth-year seniors Sydney Parrish (10.8 points per game and 40% from three) and Chloe Moore-McNeil (10.2 points and five assists per game) are back for one final season in Bloomington. 6’3 junior Yarden Garzon is a stretch forward with range (42% from three last season) and causes matchup problems for every opponent. Look for Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin to help fill the void in the paint. The 6’3 center played in all 33 games a year ago and shot 49% from the field. Junior guard Shay Ciezki transfers in from Penn State where she was their top three-point shooter, knocking down 74 makes as a sophomore. Moren will find out a lot about her team in the first month of the season as they host Stanford on Nov. 17 and then it is off to the beach for three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis. 

21. CREIGHTON: Consistency has been the name of the game for Creighton the past several years, and they are looking at 2024-25 to be no different. The Bluejays are fresh off their third straight NCAA bid, one that saw them take UCLA to the wire in the Round of 32 (a 76-63 loss.) Four of five starters return from a year ago and they just so happen to be head coach Jim Flannery’s top four returners on the stat sheet. Senior Lauren Jensen posted 17.4 points per game as a junior and was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection. The 5’10 guard from Minnesota shot 91% from the free throw line last season so foul at your own risk. 6’1 senior Morgan Maly averaged 15.2 points and 6.5 boards per game and was also named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Guard Molly Mogenson led the team in assists and is another deep threat for Creighton at 42% on the season. Flanery enters his 23rd season in Omaha and has racked up 12 20-win seasons in that time. His veterans will help keep ruffled feathers at a minimum when they tipoff big non-conference matchups – South Dakota State, K-State, Nebraska and a Dec. 20 rematch with UCLA.

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22. UTAH: When the four new teams of the Big 12 were announced last year, everyone in the women’s basketball sphere was looking right at Utah. The Utes have averaged just under 24 wins in the past three seasons and are ready to compete in a new league for titles. There will be no Alissa Pili to anchor Lynne Roberts’ squad this year, but even without the All-American, Utah will be up to the challenge. Junior Gianna Kneepkens is back after missing all but eight games a season ago due to injury. The 6’ guard can score at all three levels and is a 42% career three-point shooter. Senior Kennady McQueen returns after having the best season of her career statistically, averaging 10.7 points/ game in over 30 minutes per game. Fellow senior Jenna Johnson shot over 50% from the field and hit double-figures 13 times for the Utes. Two 6’3 transfers, Chyra Evans from Michigan and Mayè Tourè from Rhode Island, will help give Roberts’ system a boost on both ends. Utah held teams to 62 points per game last season and will need to defend at a high-level again as they start fresh in the Big 12. November matchups in the Cayman Island Classic against Mississippi State and Notre Dame will be big ones, as well as a Dec. 8 home game against Princeton.

23. ALABAMA: Big Al is one of the happiest mascots in college athletics and he is skipping like crazy at the recent success of Alabama women’s basketball. Back-to-back NCAA appearances have the Crimson Tide consistently moving up in the SEC standings. Head coach Kristy Curry led Alabama to a 24-10 record, including 15-3 at home last year and they bring a core group back this season. Graduate student Sarah Ashlee Barker returns as the top scorer at 16.8 points per game, which was almost a 10-point-per-game improvement from her junior year. Barker started every game and earned a spot on the All-SEC First Team. 6’0 guard/forward Aaliyah Nye posted 14.1 points per game and set the Alabama single-season record with 108 made three-pointers. 6’4 sophomore Essence Cody started every game as well for Curry as a freshman, leading the team in rebounding (6.5 per game) and was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. New faces include a trio of transfers and three freshmen, including 5’11 guard Eris Lester, a top 50 recruit from Florida (per ESPN.com) who can score. How well ‘Bama can defend, especially in SEC play, will determine how happy Big Al is next March.

24. MISSISSIPPI: As the talent level has risen in Oxford, so have the expectations each season. A year ago, even with untimely injuries, Mississippi finished 24-9 and 12-4 in the SEC. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has a strong core of veterans back for the 2024-25 season, including guard KK Deans, who played in just six games before a knee injury ended her year. 6’2 graduate student Madison Scott is the Rebels’ top returning scorer (12.8 points per game) and led the team in assists. 6’ senior guard Kennedy Todd-Williams and 6’2 junior Kharyssa Richardson also return and bring veteran minutes to the floor. While defense sets the tone for the program and is key to helping them compete in the SEC, their lack of perimeter shooting is a concern. Last season, they shot just 27% as a team from the 3-point line. There will be no easing into the schedule this year as they travel to Paris to take on USC in the City of Lights on Nov. 4.

25. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: Ask any Summit League coach and they will tell you that a fully healthy and stocked South Dakota State roster is cause for alarm. Head coach Aaron Johnston saw multiple players be sidelined last season but still led SDSU to its second-consecutive undefeated conference season (16-0), their fifth regular season conference title in six years and second straight conference tournament championship. The Jackrabbits get all-conference veterans in 5’11 guard Haleigh Timmer and 6’1 forward Kallie Theisen back from injury to pair with one of the best guard-forward duos in the game. Reigning Summit League Player of the Year, 6’2 junior Brooklyn Meyer averaged 16.8 points and 7.6 boards per game while senior point guard Paige Meyer (15.2 points per game) racked up 121 assists last season, many at the hands of the other Meyer on the floor. Yes, we did ask what everyone wants to know – the two are not related. Keep your eye on 6’2 senior Mesa Byom who had a breakout junior year and gives depth to the Jackrabbit frontcourt. Not only is the Summit League on notice to try and stop SDSU, but a host of tough non-conference opponents in November and December as well.