Women's Power Rankings: North Carolina on the rise after Feast Week

Holiday tournaments tin nutrient astonishing results and connection wins. This twelvemonth was nary different, but it besides included a fewer unusual happenings. Before we get to the play awards and women's assemblage hoops Power Rankings, present are 5 things you request to cognize oregon mightiness person missed astir "Feast Week."

1. Big wins successful Portland: UConn and North Carolina some had noteworthy wins successful taking the championships astatine the Phil Knight tournaments successful Portland, Oregon. Even with Dorka Juhász presently sidelined and Paige Bueckers retired for the season, it's not excessively aboriginal to accidental the Huskies erstwhile again person the pieces needed for different Final Four run.

The Tar Heels' past Final Four quality was 2007, but this junior-led squad hopes it is gathering backmost to that level. The ACC is going to beryllium a gauntlet, arsenic usual, but getting 2 victories implicit ranked teams successful Portland is cardinal nonconference mentation for UNC.

2. A 'major miss' successful Vegas: The Las Vegas Invitational was, successful the words of its beleaguered tract manager, a "disaster." Basketball tournaments tin beryllium played successful edifice ballrooms, but they indispensable person the close accoutrements and infrastructure, and this lawsuit didn't. It looked embarrassingly atrocious connected societal media photos and enactment a spotlight connected the necessity of specified events being thoroughly vetted earlier teams amusement up. Indiana won 2 games there, but standout defender Grace Berger suffered a genu injury. Indiana manager Teri Moren said the tribunal and surroundings had thing to bash with Berger getting hurt, but she was disappointed -- arsenic were the different teams and coaches -- successful the setup and called it a "major miss." Additionally, paramedics took much than 40 minutes to get to the tribunal erstwhile Auburn's Kharyssa Richardson was injured aft hitting the level hard portion scrambling for a escaped shot successful a crippled Saturday.

3. Georgia ejections: At the Paradise Jam successful the Virgin Islands, Georgia defeated VCU connected Friday contempt having 5 players ejected and different foul out. Four were tossed successful the archetypal 4th erstwhile guardant Jordan Isaacs objected to the Rams' defence by shoving 2 VCU players. After that fracas, the Rams changeable 8 method escaped throws. In the 3rd quarter, a 5th Lady Bulldog, Chloe Chapman, was ejected aft kicking astatine a VCU subordinate erstwhile some were connected the floor.

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, successful her archetypal play a Georgia's coach, didn't program to suspend the 5 for Saturday's crippled against Seton Hall. The SEC, however, stepped successful and suspended Chapman for that crippled based connected "the NCAA explanation of fighting," a league spokeswoman said. Georgia mislaid its archetypal crippled of the play to the Pirates.

4. Razorbacks resurgence? Another SEC squad astatine the Paradise Jam, Arkansas, didn't person specified drama, but moved to 8-0 with 3 wins successful the Virgin Islands, including implicit antecedently unbeaten Kansas State. Obviously, it's aboriginal and the Razorbacks person faced lone 1 ranked squad successful K-State. But they person the astir victories frankincense acold of SEC teams, a beardown commencement for the squad picked to decorativeness 4th successful the conference.

5. Strong showing for the Pac-12: Stanford is the overwhelming Pac-12 favorite, but it's inactive going to beryllium a precise absorbing league race. The 8-1 Cardinal comfortably won their 3 Rainbow Wahine Showdown games successful Hawaii. UCLA (Battle 4 Atlantis), Utah (Baha Mar) and Arizona (San Diego Thanksgiving tournament) besides won vacation events. Those 3 schools are inactive undefeated, arsenic is USC, which didn't play successful a Feast Week lawsuit but won 2 games astatine home.

Player of the Week: Maddy Siegrist, Villanova Wildcats

The Wildcats are 6-1, and not amazingly Siegrist has led them successful scoring each game. She totaled 76 points and 18 rebounds arsenic Villanova went 2-1 successful the Gulf Coast Showcase. In Sunday's triumph implicit South Florida, Siegrist became the 3rd subordinate successful programme past to apical 2,000 vocation points. The elder present has 2,007, which means archetypal spot -- Wildcats fable Shelly Pennefather's 2,408, acceptable from 1983 to '87 -- is good wrong Siegrist's sights. She is presently averaging 27.4 PPG.

Team of the Week: North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina bushed ranked teams Oregon and Iowa State for the Phil Knight Invitational title, edging person to a top-five ranking successful the AP poll. The Tar Heels haven't been determination since November 2009. Deja Kelly was the tourney MVP; she and chap juniors Alyssa Ustby and Kennedy Todd-Williams combined for 60 of UNC's 73 points successful the title crippled triumph implicit the Cyclones.

Win of the Week: Michigan 84, Baylor 75

The Wolverines mislaid Naz Hillmon disconnected past season's Elite Eight team, but with 4 of their top-five scorers back, they are disconnected to a 7-0 start. At the Gulf Coast Showcase successful Florida, Michigan defeated Air Force and antecedently unbeaten South Florida earlier gathering Baylor. The No. 22 Wolverines had 5 players people successful treble figures -- Emily Kiser led the mode with 26 points and 13 rebounds -- successful topping No. 21 Baylor.

Coach of the Week: Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, Virginia Cavaliers

In her archetypal play astatine Virginia, "Coach Mox" has brought backmost anticipation to the Cavs, who person made the NCAA tourney erstwhile successful the past 12 seasons. Their 8-0 commencement is the program's champion since 1992-93, the play aft Dawn Staley graduated with 3 Final Four trips. That opening streak 30 years agone was ended by back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Ohio State, which some reached the Final Four that season. The existent Cavs won't look immoderate opponents of that caliber until they conscionable the ACC's best. But the Virginia autochthonal Agugua-Hamilton is disconnected to a beardown beginning, with wins this past week implicit Campbell, Minnesota and East Carolina.

Power Rankings

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South Carolina cruises to an 85-38 triumph implicit Hampton to stay undefeated.

1. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-0)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: vs. UCLA (Tuesday), vs. Memphis (Saturday)

After their large comeback triumph past week against Stanford, it was a beauteous casual week for the Gamecocks with ascendant victories implicit Cal Poly and Hampton. They held some teams beneath 40 points. The interest is prima Aliyah Boston, who was in a walking boot connected her close ft aft a autumn successful Sunday's game. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however besides undefeated UCLA matches up against South Carolina, particularly if Boston is out.

2. Stanford Cardinal (8-1)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: vs. Santa Clara (Wednesday), vs. Gonzaga (Sunday)

The Cardinal mightiness person felt a lingering sting from their overtime nonaccomplishment to South Carolina connected Nov. 20, but a palmy travel to Hawaii helped. They defeated Florida Gulf Coast, Grambling and Hawaii, with a antithetic starring scorer -- Haley Jones, Hannah Jump and Ashten Prechtel -- successful each game.

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Azzi Fudd leads the Huskies with 24 points arsenic UConn outlasts Iowa to triumph the Phil Knight Legacy Championship.

3. UConn Huskies (5-0)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: vs. Providence (Friday), astatine Notre Dame (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

The Huskies had nary occupation with Duke and were capable to rally against Iowa to triumph the Phil Knight Legacy tourney championship. Sophomore Caroline Ducharme, who has been slowed by wounded and totaled conscionable six points successful her archetypal 3 games, scored 15 against Iowa, which bodes good for the Huskies' matchup Sunday astatine Notre Dame.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: astatine Louisville (Wednesday), astatine Rutgers (Sunday)

Guard Jacy Sheldon missed the Buckeyes' victories implicit Wright State and North Alabama with a lower-leg wounded that manager Kevin McGuff says is day-to-day. The bully quality for the Buckeyes is they scored 105 points successful each of those games adjacent without Sheldon, arsenic Rebeka Mikulášiková led the mode with a combined 41 points. Obviously, it would beryllium adjuvant to person Sheldon backmost to look Louisville successful the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: vs. Maryland (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), vs. UConn (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

Center Lauren Ebo, who is finishing her vocation astatine Notre Dame aft stops astatine Penn State and Texas, had her champion crippled with the Irish frankincense acold Saturday. Her 20 points and 9 rebounds led them implicit Arizona State successful the Goombay Splash tourney successful the Bahamas. This week provides 2 challenges, some astatine home.

6. Indiana Hoosiers (7-0)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: vs. North Carolina (Thursday), vs. Illinois (Sunday)

The Hoosiers hold to perceive the presumption of injured Grace Berger, but they are getting stellar play from guardant Mackenzie Holmes. In Indiana's 2 victories successful Las Vegas, implicit Auburn and Memphis, Holmes made a beardown tally astatine subordinate of the week honors, making 22 of 25 shots from the tract for a combined 53 points, and grabbing 17 rebounds. And present there's a large top-10 matchup with the Tar Heels coming to town.

7. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-0)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: astatine Indiana (Thursday)

The Tar Heels person a accidental to bushed their 3rd consecutive ranked squad erstwhile they question to Indiana this week. In their wins implicit Oregon and Iowa State astatine the Phil Knight Invitational, they attempted 23 and 28 escaped throws -- the benignant of assertive discourtesy they want. North Carolina besides finished beardown successful some those games, scoring its astir points successful the 4th quarter.

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Stephanie Soares gets up for the rejection

8. Iowa State Cyclones (5-1)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: vs. SIU Edwardsville (Tuesday)

The Cyclones are surely steamed to person mislaid their archetypal crippled of the play aft gathering a 17-point pb against North Carolina. They mightiness instrumentality retired their vexation connected the winless Cougars this week. Still, determination were respective positives successful the Phil Knight Invitational for Iowa State -- the federation got to spot however bully NAIA transportation halfway Stephanie Soares is -- but the Cyclones' conflict against the Tar Heels' carnal defence needs to motivate them.

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Caitlin Clark makes creaseless jumper vs. UConn Huskies

9. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: vs. NC State (Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), astatine Wisconsin (Sunday)

We saw immoderate stretches of the Hawkeyes' champion against UConn, and that's the squad that is scary to face. Can Iowa bring that against NC State this week successful the ACC/Big Ten Challenge? Most opponents won't beryllium capable to clasp Monika Czinano to single-digit scoring similar the Huskies did, though Kate Martin going 6 of 6 from 3-point scope made up for it. Caitlin Clark had a combined 53 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists against Oregon State and UConn, numbers that are fundamentally regular for her.

10. NC State Wolfpack (6-1)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: astatine Iowa (Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

The Wolfpack and the Hawkeyes, who conscionable Thursday successful the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, person a nonaccomplishment to UConn successful common. NC State struggled much against the Huskies, but regrouped this past week with victories implicit Vanderbilt and West Virginia successful the Cancun Challenge. Center River Baldwin, a transportation from Florida State, had her champion crippled truthful acold for the Wolfpack with 18 points and 11 rebounds against West Virginia.

11. LSU Tigers (7-0)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. SE Louisiana (Thursday), astatine Tulane (Sunday)

At the Goombay Splash lawsuit this past week successful the Bahamas, the Tigers' tally of 100-point games ended astatine five, arsenic they scored 80 against George Mason and 99 against UAB. Angel Reese had a combined 46 points and 29 rebounds successful those 2 games arsenic the Maryland transfer's modulation to LSU continues to spell smoothly.

12. Creighton Bluejays (6-0)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: astatine Villanova (Friday), astatine St. John's (Sunday)

Creighton has claimed authorities bragging rights with victories implicit some Nebraska (Nov. 15) and Omaha (last Tuesday). The Bluejays had their closest crippled yet with a six-point triumph against Xavier past Friday, and present they caput into a cardinal league crippled astatine Villanova connected Friday.

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Longwood Lancers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies: Full Highlights

13. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-0)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: vs. Nebraska (Thursday), astatine Tennessee (Sunday)

The Hokies got victories against SEC teams Kentucky and Missouri astatine the Baha Mar Hoops tourney successful the Bahamas, past came location to crunch Longwood. Elizabeth Kitley averaged 21.7 PPG and 12.3 rebounds successful those games, and should person absorbing matchups astatine halfway this week against Nebraska's Alexis Markowski and Tennessee's Tamari Key.

14. Louisville Cardinals (5-2)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: vs. Ohio State (Wednesday), astatine Middle Tennessee (Sunday)

The Battle 4 Atlantis didn't spell arsenic the Cardinals hoped, arsenic they mislaid doubly successful the Bahamas, including Monday to South Dakota State. They followed that with a 63-point blowout of Longwood. The Jackrabbits outrebounded Louisville by 17, and the Cardinals volition person to beryllium wary of that if they anticipation to upset Ohio State this week successful an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game.

15. Utah Utes (6-0)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: astatine Mississippi Valley State (Thursday)

At the Baha Mar tourney successful the Bahamas, the Utes bushed SEC teams Alabama and Ole Miss. Alissa Pili, the 2020 Pac-12 freshman of the twelvemonth who transferred from USC, had a combined 39 points successful those 2 games.

16. UCLA Bruins (7-0)
Previous ranking: NR
This week: astatine South Carolina (Tuesday), astatine UC Santa Barbara (Saturday)

The Bruins leap into the Power Rankings conscionable successful clip to look the No. 1 Gamecocks. UCLA won the Battle 4 Atlantis rubric with an overtime triumph against Marquette past Monday. Senior Charisma Osborne leads UCLA successful scoring and rebounding, portion freshman Kiki Rice is tops successful assists and steals.

Fell out: Maryland