South Carolina women's basketball reclaims top spot in NET rankings
South Carolina women’s basketball might not be No. 1 in the AP poll, but the Gamecocks are No. 1 in the NET. After dropping down from No. 1 to No. 2 for two weeks, USC is back on top of the NET rankings. As of Monday evening, Carolina had jumped fellow SEC squad Texas for the top spot.
The NET, for those unfamiliar, is the most important ranking metric used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. It factors in Team Value Index (essentially a team’s on-court results, location of games, and strength of schedule) and adjusted net efficient ratings (how well a team plays in those games, adjusted for the quality of opponent and location of games).
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The jump up in NET prestige comes following a 2-0 start to SEC play. The Gamecocks won big over both Missouri and Mississippi State in the last week. Now 14-1, Dawn Staley’s team has the most impressive resume in the country. One can make an argument for undefeated teams like UCLA (who beat the Gamecocks), LSU, Maryland, Ohio State, or Georgia Tech, but none of those teams have played a schedule nearly as difficult as South Carolina has played.
With one of the top strengths of schedule in the country, if USC keeps winning, they will hold onto the NET’s No. 1 spot. The SEC might be the best overall league in the country, and Carolina has an out-of-conference game against UConn remaining.
That schedule uniquely prepares the Gamecocks for March (and helps with the NET in the process). South Carolina leads women’s college basketball with a 5-0 record in neutral site contests. Conference championship games and most of the NCAA Tournament happen at neutral sites.
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The Gamecocks also have six wins already against Quad 1 competition. No other team in the sport has more than four.
[USC-Texas WBB: Win tickets, parking]
This week, South Carolina has two games at home.
First, Texas A&M (fresh off a win over ranked Ole Miss) will come to town for a 5:00 p.m. contest on Thursday. ESPN2 and the ESPN app will cover the game.
Then, on Sunday, the No. 5 Texas Longhorns will battle with the Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena. ESPN will broadcast the 1:00 p.m. contest while the ESPN app streams the game.
