February 5, 2025
The Weekly Fast Break: Honoring royalty
Conference showdowns, record-setting games and clean sweeps
The word “honor,” when used as a verb, is defined as regard with great respect. Throughout sports, we honor individuals for their accomplishments, teams for winning and organizations for setting the standard of success, on and off the court. During Black History Month, we honor trailblazers, advocates and activists who spoke truth to power when few were listening and led with their convictions through actions and words.
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There have been moments in recent years when we think that no one is listening when we talk about how women’s basketball is gaining traction on every level. But then we see how many young girls have been inspired to play the game while new fans flock to gyms and arenas to be part of all of it. The game has grown to new heights because of those who led with their talents and convictions decades before to blaze a trail for the household names we know today.
In recent weeks, we have seen the jerseys of Elizabeth Kitley, A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark rise to the rafters in the arenas where they captivated fans and won too many games to count. These three women had an immense impact on their respective schools and programs, yet we know they are just the tip of the iceberg in this next generation of great talent. To see their hard work and efforts honored is a testament to their accomplishments and to the visibility of women’s basketball today. We are inspired this season here at The Weekly Fast Break by Pat Summitt’s quote “offense sells tickets; defense wins games; and rebounding wins championships.” As a trailblazer of the women’s game, how fitting that her wise words honor these recent talents for all those things on the court and more.
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Tip-off
Big 12 battle
With four teams in the AP Top 25 and one receiving votes, the Big 12 has positioned itself as one of the best leagues, top to bottom, in the nation. The conference has five teams in the top 30 of the NET Rankings (as of Feb. 4) and with the talent on all 16 rosters, there was no way anyone was going to run the table this season in conference play. On Wednesday, Feb. 5 it will be a showdown of the top two teams who are looking to stake their claim to sole possession of first place. No. 9 TCU will play their second straight road game when they travel to No. 12 K-State. The Wildcats are still without the services of 6’6 Ayoka Lee who is out with a foot injury, giving a considerable advantage to the Horned Frogs as they will rely heavily on their 6’7 post Sedona Prince. Prince was held scoreless in less than 19 minutes of play in TCU’s 82-69 win at Iowa State on Feb. 2 and is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance. Hailey Van Lith has been on fire of late (28 points in Ames) but K-State has the second-best defense in the Big 12 and will be ready to handle Van Lith and TCU in the pick-and-roll. One key matchup to watch – sophomore Donovyn Hunter of TCU going up against fellow sophomore guards Zyanna Walker and Taryn Sides of K-State. Youthful experience will be a factor in this Big 12 battle.
Hot shots
There are games when shooters can become unconscious, where everything they put up goes in, range is not a factor and two or three defenders with their hands in her face do not matter. We have had a string of big-time scoring performances over the past week, including the record-setting 53-point performance by Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes. The 5’8 guard went 16-for-24 from the field and 16-for-18 from the free throw line in the Commodores’ 99-86 win at Florida on Jan. 30. Her point total is the second-most points by a freshman in Division I history behind Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne, who scored 54 in a loss to James Madison as a redshirt freshman in 2010. Blakes is the only Division I player — men’s or women’s — to score at least 50 points in a game this season. She is currently averaging 22.1 points per game for No. 24 Vandy.
There have been too many games to count in her All-American career where the talents of Georgia Amoore have been on display. The Virginia Tech transfer lit up the Oklahoma arena with 43 points to lead now No. 11 Kentucky to a 95-86 win in Norman, Okla., on Feb. 2. The 5’6 guard went 15-for-22 from the field, including 7-for-12 from beyond the arc and 6-for-8 at the line to tie the program record for points in a game. Previously, Jennifer O’Neill had 43 points against Baylor on Dec. 6, 2013, and Rhyne Howard matched that effort with 43 against Alabama on Jan. 9, 2020. Amoore’s performance was the first time a Wildcat has scored 40 or more in a game since Howard did it in 2020. She is averaging 19.4 points per game this season and already has over 150 assists.
(Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Poll Watch
The top three teams in this week’s AP Top 25 poll remain the same, including the only undefeated team left in the nation at No. 1, UCLA. The Bruins handled last week’s Big Ten opponents to stay firmly in the top spot. No. 2 South Carolina and No. 3 Notre Dame are now joined in the Top 5 by Texas and UConn respectively. The magic number this week in the poll is three – USC dropped three spots to No. 7 after their 76-69 loss to Iowa. Four teams each rose three spots – No. 14 NC State, No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 18 West Virginia and No. 22 Florida State. Michigan State drops four places to No. 20 and two Ivy League teams received votes this week – keep your eyes on Harvard and Columbia.
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Star power
This week’s Co-Big 12 Players of the Week faced off in a conference battle on Feb. 2 when No. 9 TCU visited Iowa State. Guard Hailey Van Lith led the Horned Frogs to an 82-69 win over the Cyclones, posting a season-high 28 points with eight assists and five rebounds. The 5’9 graduate student led TCU to their first victory over the Iowa State in the last five years This was the first career weekly Big 12 honor for Van Lith. Iowa State’s Addy Brown posted a career-high 31 points against No. 9 TCU to go along with six boards and five assists. The 6’2 sophomore sensation also had 20 points, her eighth 20-plus point performance of the season, on the road against then-No. 11 K-State on Jan. 30. The Derby, KS native averaged 25.5 points per game during the week while shooting 70.4% from the field and 77.8% from behind the arc. This is Brown’s first conference Player of the Week recognition.
It was a clean sweep by one outstanding young talent of the MAAC Player and Rookie of the Week awards. Quinnipiac freshman Gal Raviv, who hails from Kadima, Israel, continues to lead the way for the Bobcats. In two games last week, Raviv averaged 26.5 points per game, while setting a new career-high with 32 points in the 77-74 win against Siena on. Feb.1. In two games, including a 72-63 loss at Fairfield on Jan. 30, the 5’9 guard shot 55.9% from the floor, 71.4% from three-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line.
For the second time this season, Michigan’s Olivia Olson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. The 6’1 guard had her first career 30-point game, going 13-for-19 from the floor along with four rebounds and three steals in the Wolverines’ 82-75 loss at Wisconsin on Jan. 29. Olson, a native of New Hope, Minn., had a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) the next game out in 26 minutes in the 80-48 win over Oregon at home on Feb. 2.
The brooms were out at UT-Arlington as it was a sweep of the WAC weekly awards for the Mavericks. Avery Brittingham was named WAC Player of the Week for the second time this season after averaging a double-double with 20.5 points and 14 rebounds per game in two victories. The 6’1 forward registered a season-high 25 points against Southern Utah on Jan. 30 in the 62-58 win and then tied her season-high in rebounds with 17 boards in the 86-67 victory over Utah Tech on Feb. 1. She leads the WAC with 11 double-doubles on the season and is the top rebounder in the league at 9.7 rebounds per game. Koi Love, a Vanderbilt transfer, claimed her seventh WAC Newcomer of the Week honor this season. The 6’ forward averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game last week, all while shooting just shy of 48% from the field. Love scored 19 points against Southern Utah on Jan. 30 and currently sits second in the WAC in scoring at 18.3 points per game.
Film room
This week we are going to put our laser pointers in the desk drawer and shine the spotlight on a set of upcoming games that will showcase two mid-major conferences going head-to-head in heated battles. After recommendations from the Sun Belt Conference’s strategic planning committee for men’s and women’s basketball, a scheduling alliance was created, forming the MAC-SBC Challenge. The second season of this alliance will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 8 with 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) women’s basketball programs hosting 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams and the 12 MAC men’s basketball teams welcoming 12 SBC programs.
It is difficult to get coaches to put a pause on their in-season conference routines to venture outside their comfort zone of travel and opponents. But these types for challenges not only can help teams get a bump in their NET rankings but also to reset your game preparation amid a conference gauntlet. Case in point, each league’s preseason favorite on the women’s side will collide when James Madison hosts Ball State. This will be a rematch of the February 2024 matchup where Ball State from the MAC outlasted James Madison at home 72-57. Here is a rundown of all the matchups:
Northern Illinois at App State
Bowling Green at Arkansas State
Buffalo at Coastal Carolina
Akron at Georgia Southern
Eastern Michigan at Georgia State
Ball State at James Madison
Miami (Ohio) at Louisiana
Central Michigan at Marshall
Toledo at Old Dominion
Ohio at Southern Miss
Western Michigan at Texas State
Kent State at Troy
Full court press
The shortest month feels like the longest one of the season for every college player, coach and support staff member. In February, you may get off a bus at midnight only to get back on it again that afternoon for the next road trip. Coaches are hoping that a new shipment of logo apparel magically appears in the office so that the unfinished laundry at home can stay where it is – in the basket. If you see an overworked trainer ordering an extra shot of espresso in their coffee at the local Starbucks, just smile and wave – they will appreciate your kindness. As we count the days until March, get these games on your radar during Super Bowl week (check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability):
Feb. 5
No. 9 TCU at No. 12 K-State
Toledo at Buffalo
Kansas at No. 18 West Virginia
No. 7 USC at Wisconsin
R/V South Dakota State at North Dakota
No. 8 Ohio State at UCLA
Feb. 6
Maine at NJIT
No. 5 UConn at No. 19 Tennessee
No. 23 Alabama at Florida
Northwestern at R/V Illinois
Fairfield at Marist
R/V Michigan at Nebraska
Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 24 Vanderbilt t No. 4 Texas
Idaho at Portland State
Gonzaga at St. Mary’s
Feb. 7
Belmont at Valparaiso
Charleston at NC A&T
Drexel at Monmouth
Feb. 8
Oral Roberts at R/V South Dakota State
Army at Bucknell
UTSA at Wichita State
Wofford at Furman
Lindenwood at Tennessee St.
FGCU at Eastern Kentucky
No. 12 K-State at No. 25 Oklahoma State
Colorado State at Boise State
Washington State at Gonzaga
Colorado at Iowa State
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 7 USC
UCSB at Hawaii
Feb. 9
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Stanford at Louisville
No. 2 South Carolina at No. 4 Texas
R/V Michigan at No. 20 Michigan State
Miami at No. 10 Duke
No. 14 NC State at No. 22 Florida State
No. 19 Tennessee at No. 6 LSU
Indiana at R/V Minnesota
Feb. 10
No. 11 Kentucky at Mississippi
Iowa at Nebraska
Feb. 1
BYU at No. 9 TCU
No. 18 West Virginia at R/V Baylor
*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!
