January 1, 2025
The Weekly Fast Break: Hardwood resolutions
Triple doubles, Bear crossings and a Red River preview
As a we take time to reflect on all the things we have seen in sports in 2024, the list gets longer with each memory of ‘what about that play!’ or ‘remember that game?’ College sports has given us some amazing moments and individual performances in the past 12 months and a mixture of crazy things we seem to spend a good amount of time navigating on a daily basis. From name, image and likeness (NIL) to court settlements, transfers to seventh-year seniors, coaching retirements, conference realignments and everything in between, the landscape has never been so complicated. Yet, it has also never been so entertaining.
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Every player, coach and fan will usher in the new year with their own set of resolutions — everything from being a better defender in the half court to spending less time listening to pundits tell us why we are not winning. But in the end, what we know to be true, regardless of your resolution to cheer louder or exercise every day, is that college basketball is destined to be that much better in 2025.
We here at The Weekly Fast Break are bouncing into 2025 with a new set of Nikes and a promise to do whatever it is we can do to help our team win. The great Pat Summitt said, “offense sells tickets; defense wins games; and rebounding wins championships.” It’s time we do not drop the ball on the first day of 2025 but value the possession because we are all in for a wild ride in the new year.
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Tip-off
Bear crossing
No. 20 Cal has matched its best start since the 2016-17 season at 13-1 and is riding a seven-game winning streak into the heart of ACC play. The only blemish on the Bears’ record is a six-point loss to now No. 21 Michigan State back on Nov. 26 in Palm Springs, California, and since then they have beat No. 19 Alabama and ACC foe Stanford 83-63. Cal is averaging 78.3 points per game on the back of a three-point shooting system that is proving to work. Head coach Charmin Smith’s team is top 10 in the nation at 38.6% from deep and ranks fifth nationally with 10.5 made threes per game. Two of the top three-point shooters in the country are leading the way for Cal — guards Lulu Twidale and Ioanna Krimili — both of whom are top 10 in the country in total three-point shots made on the season. Krimili, a graduate student originally from Greece, ranks eighth nationally with 3.36 makes per game from behind the arc. In their 13 victories, the Bears have beaten opponents by a margin of 19.1 points per game this season. They resume ACC play on Jan. 2 at Clemson — the Tigers may want to put up some Bear-crossing signs this week.
You can always go home
Sometimes in this crazy world of college basketball, we forget how hard it is to be away from home. When players get the opportunity to play close to home in front of family and friends, old teammates and coaches, it can be a very special experience. In early Dec. 2024, Arizona State traveled east for a pair of games at Coppin State (Dec. 5) and Maryland Eastern-Shore (Dec. 7), bringing four players and their head coach back to the Baltimore-Washington area where each has ties that run deep.
Head coach Natasha Adair served as an assistant coach at Georgetown from 1998-2004 and then returned to Washington, D.C., when she was named the head coach at Georgetown in 2016. She led the Hoyas’ program for three seasons. Junior guard Jalyn Brown, a Louisville transfer, hails from Baltimore and played high school basketball at Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. Originally from Upper Marlboro, junior Kennedy Fauntleroy played at New Hope Academy in Maryland. She spent one season at Georgetown before transferring to ASU where she was unanimously named the 2023 Big East Freshman of the Year. Junior Kadidia Toure, a Silver Spring, MD native, started her career at James Madison before heading west to Tempe.
Graduate student Tyi Skinner is originally from Washington D.C. and after starting her career at Delaware under Adair, she transferred to ASU. She missed last season due to an ACL injury and so her return to the court and the East Coast this season have been memorable. “I haven’t been home in a year after I tore my ACL last year because I had to stay in Arizona and recover. Going back home to my family, I noticed that many people hadn’t seen me in quite some time or others had never seen me play before. It’s a great experience and was special to see while feeling all the love and support from everybody,” she told The Next.
While it may not happen often, there truly is no place like home. *Special thanks to Rob Knox of The Next
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Poll watch
It was a slow week before and after the Christmas holiday which has left the AP Poll in as quiet of a spot as it will be all season. The top 18 spots remain unchanged with UCLA cemented at No. 1 with their 13-0 record. Alabama rose one spot to No. 19 and Cal is up one as well to No. 20. Michigan State and Michigan each fell two spots but remain in the Top 25. Eight SEC teams dot this week’s poll with Vanderbilt receiving 26 votes. Utah garners 24 and is on the outside looking in at No. 27. Harvard (3 votes) and Portland (1 vote) represent the mid-majors this week as everyone hits the ground running in conference play.
Star power
This week, triple-double star power is fully directed at South Bend, Ind. Point guard Olivia Miles was named ACC Player of the Week after a historic performance in Notre Dame’s win over Virginia on Dec. 29. Miles’ triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists was her third triple-double of the season and sixth of her career. The 5’10 junior is now tied with former Maryland All-American Alyssa Thomas for most career triple-doubles in ACC history. Miles is also the first-ever ACC player to notch back-to-back triple-doubles after she posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Loyola Maryland on Dec. 22. This is the second ACC weekly award for Miles this season.
Southern Miss freshman guard Trinity Rowe earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after she posted a career-high 25 points in the Golden Eagles’ conference-opening win over Georgia State on Dec. 29. The reigning 2024 Miss Kentucky Basketball and Pikeville, Kentucky, native drilled seven three-pointers, which tied for second on the all-time single-game records for Southern Miss women’s basketball. So far this season Rowe is shooting 43.9% from behind the arc, which ranks 27th nationally and leads the Sun Belt Conference.
For the fourth time this season, Georgia Tech guard Dani Carnegie was named ACC Rookie of the Week. The freshman guard had 24 points, including four 3-pointers, along with five rebounds and two steals in Georgia Tech’s 100-61 domination of Pitt on Dec. 29. The Mount Vernon, New York, posted her fourth game this season with 20 or more points, including her last two outings. Carnegie currently leads all ACC freshmen in scoring at 15.1 points per game.
Film session – Game preview
With game action on the light side the past 10 days, we decided to steer our analysis not at the result, but to preview what lies ahead. On Thursday, Jan. 2, the newest members of the SEC will square off in their first game in a new conference, but they are by no means strangers. No. 5 Texas will travel to Norman, Okla., to take on the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners, keeping the Red River Rivalry alive this season. This will be the only meeting between the two teams this year and it has all the storylines for a monster SEC opener. Oklahoma won both matchups in their final season in the Big 12 last season. The Sooners claimed the regular season title (clinching it with that 71-70 win over the Longhorns on Feb. 28) while Texas won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament crown in Kansas City, Missouri, defeating Iowa State in the final.
These long-standing rivals seem to have more in common this season than what sets them apart. Both teams have just one loss (ironically each to an ACC team) and are averaging 91.6 points per game. Both rosters are a mixture of veteran returners and new faces from the portal, along with standout freshmen who are getting quality minutes on the floor. Each team welcomed back key players who missed last season due to injury — guard Rori Harmon of Texas and forward Liz Scott for OU.
If you are looking for offense and a game played with serious pace, this one will be for you. Head coaches Vic Schaefer (Texas) and Jennie Baranczyk (OU) will each dial up a game plan to make this one of the season’s best games. Here are four keys to watch for that may very well determine who claims the one and only Red River Rivalry game in the 2024-25 season:
- Possessions: The Sooners want to play fast and get as many possessions as possible in 40 minutes. They will look for transition three-point shots (senior guards Payton Verhulst and Lexy Keys are their top threats) and will push in transition every chance they get. Texas knows they must be solid in their transition defense to contain OU in the open floor and once the ball crosses halfcourt, you must find shooters who are spotted up.
- Post presence: OU has a post weapon it did not have last season — 6’4 junior Raegan Beers, the all-conference transfer from Oregon State. She is leading the Sooners in scoring (17.9 points per game) and rebounding (9.7 per game). Texas will need to create matchups that force her out of the paint and limit her touches. Look for Longhorn seniors Taylor Jones and Aaliyah Moore to attack Beers on both ends. The more time she spends on the bench in foul trouble the better it is for Texas.
- Contain Booker: Sophomore sensation Madison Booker leads Texas at 16.3 points per game. With the return of Harmon at the point position, Booker is back to her natural off-guard spot. She is thriving with her mid-range game but has added a new weapon to her scoring arsenal — she has knocked down 13 threes so far this year. The Sooners will need to not only contain the 6’1 forward off the dribble but now you must honor the deep threat.
- Turnover margin: Texas is forcing 25.4 turnovers per game on the year while Oklahoma has given it up 17.5 times per game. The defensive pressure from Texas will be relentless and physical for 40 minutes. The good news for OU is they have seen it before — Verhulst, Keys and point guard Nevaeh Tot are no strangers to the non-stop pressure that will come at them. Limiting the live ball turnovers will be critical for the Sooners — giving Texas runouts and points off turnovers is a recipe for disaster.
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Full court press
Many of you have set forth a resolution in 2025 to exercise more and eat healthier. This is a goal we absolutely support and are trying our best to do as well. However, if there is one thing we do know, most of the human population has the same thought and many of them will be at your local health club or community center this week. The crowds will be insane and there will not be an open treadmill in sight. So here is our solution — start your resolution plan next week, and spend the next few days eating and drinking what you want while you watch some top-shelf basketball (check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability):
Jan. 1
No. 23 Iowa at Penn State
UCF at No. 18 West Virginia
No. 7 UConn at Marquette
R/V Nebraska at No. 4 USC
UNLV at San Jose State
No. 24 Michigan at No. 1 UCLA
Air Force at Boise State
Colorado at No. 11 TCU
Jan. 2
Fairfield at Rider
Richmond at Fordham
Lindenwood at Eastern Illinois
Florida at No. 19 Alabama
No. 20 Cal at Clemson
No. 2 South Carolina at Missouri
Gonzaga at R/V Portland
No. 5 Texas at No. 9 Oklahoma
South Dakota State at Oral Roberts
No. 6 LSU at Arkansas
Idaho at Montana State
Jan. 3
Stony Brook at Drexel
Cleveland State at Oakland
Jan. 4
No. 1 UCLA at Indiana
Murray State at Missouri State
NDSU at St. Thomas (MN)
Harvard at Yale
Belmont at Southern Illinois
Kansas at R/V Oklahoma State
Wisconsin at Oregon
Liberty at Middle Tennessee
BYU at No. 18 West Virginia
Texas Tech at No. 12 Kansas State
Jan. 5
Buffalo at Kent State
No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 17 UNC
Pitt at No. 14 Duke
No. 2 South Carolina at R/V Mississippi State
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 15 Tennessee
No. 16 Kentucky at R/V Vanderbilt
R/V Illinois at Minnesota
R/V Utah at Iowa State
Auburn at No. 6 LSU
Jan. 6
Norfolk State at Delaware State
Jan. 7
No. 1 UCLA at Purdue
No. 11 TCU at Kansas
SIUE at Eastern Illinois
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference-provided statistics
Written by Missy Heidrick
I am a retired Kansas State shooting guard and spent almost 20 years working in Higher Education and Division 1 athletics. I am currently a basketball analyst for television and radio, contributing correspondent at The Next, Locked on Women's Basketball podcast host, WBB Naismith Award board of selectors member and run my own consulting business. I am a proud mother of two and wife to a patient husband who is almost as big of a sports junkie as I am!
