Connecticut picked up right where it left off last season: unanimous No. 1 in the women’s basketball poll.
The Huskies received all 40 first-place votes Friday from a national media panel. It’s the seventh time in school history UConn has held the top preseason ranking by The Associated Press.
Connecticut was the unanimous choice atop the poll the final 15 weeks last season, winning its sixth national championship to cap a 39-0 run. Huskies coach Geno Auriemma returns four starters from that team, including player of the year Maya Moore.
“It’s a great honor,” Auriemma said of the No. 1 ranking. “They worked hard last season and we got a bunch returning who earned it.”
Stanford was voted second and Ohio State third, with Notre Dame and North Carolina rounding out the first five. The Big East and ACC each have five teams in the Top 25.
Duke and Baylor start the next five, followed by Tennessee — the only team with more No. 1 preseason rankings than UConn. It’s the Lady Vols’ lowest preseason mark since 1985, when they were voted ninth.
The Huskies topped the poll all last season, and have been there for 25 straight weeks. It’s the fourth-longest stretch all-time, and UConn could break the record this season; Louisiana Tech was No. 1 for 36 straight weeks from 1980-82.
Connecticut, which was also No. 1 in the preseason in 1995, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’03 and ’08, opens Nov. 14 against Northeastern. Since the 1989-90 season, the top team in the preseason has won the NCAA championship six times, including the Huskies last season.
“We tend to finish close to where we’re picked,” Auriemma said.
LSU is ninth with Michigan State rounding out the top 10.
Xavier is No. 11 — the Musketeers’ highest ranking ever. Expectations are high with Amber Harris back after sitting out last season with a knee injury.
“I’m happy people recognize our players and the work we put in,” Xavier coach Kevin McGruff said. “I’m very optimistic this could be a special season.”
Xavier is followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Florida State, while Arizona State, DePaul, California, Georgia Tech and Kansas complete the first 20.
The Jayhawks, who return four starters from last season’s 22-14 team, are ranked for the first time since Feb. 21, 2000. They lost in the WNIT finals in front of more than 16,000 fans after winning four of their final five league games.
“There’s a nice buzz. It’s a tribute to the kids we have returning in our program,” Jayhawks coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We’ve already tripled season-ticket sales from last year.”
Georgia, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Middle Tennessee State and Rutgers finish off the Top 25.
Middle Tennessee State returns Alysha Clark, who led the nation in scoring last season, and is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time.
LSU is one of eight teams in the poll not ranked at the end of last season. The others are Michigan State, DePaul, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Georgia, Middle Tennessee State and Rutgers.
The Women’s Top Twenty Five
The top 25 teams in the The Associated Press’ preseason 2009-10 women’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final 2008-09 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last year’s final ranking:
Record Pts Fin
1. Connecticut (40) 39-0 1,000 1
2. Stanford 33-5 ¦951 2
3. Ohio St. 29-6 ¦862 10
4. Notre Dame 22-9 ¦799 23
5. North Carolina 28-7 ¦798 11
6. Duke 27-6 ¦772 6
7. Baylor 29-6 ¦744 5
8. Tennessee 22-11 ¦676 18
9. LSU 19-11 ¦600 ¦—
10. Michigan St. 22-11 ¦521 ¦—
11. Xavier 25-7 ¦492 20
12. Texas 21-12 ¦487 25
13. Oklahoma 32-5 ¦444 4
14. Virginia 24-10 ¦394 24
15. Florida St. 26-8 ¦385 12
16. Arizona St. 26-9 ¦317 19
17. DePaul 23-10 ¦301 ¦—
18. California 27-7 ¦294 13
19. Georgia Tech 22-10 ¦262 ¦—
20. Kansas 22-14 ¦241 ¦—
21. Georgia 18-14 ¦201 ¦—
22. Vanderbilt 26-9 ¦165 14
23. Louisville 34-5 ¦156 7
24. Middle Tennessee 28-6 ¦143 ¦—
25. Rutgers 21-13 ¦138 ¦—
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 137, Maryland 114, Mississippi St. 110, San Diego St. 78, S. Dakota St. 70, Pittsburgh 48, Purdue 45, Kansas St. 33, Gonzaga 30, Marist 26, UCLA 26, Michigan 16, Iowa St. 14, Minnesota 14, Boston College 12, Louisiana Tech 11, Tulane 9, Bowling Green 8, Arkansas 7, TCU 7, Wis.-Green Bay 7, Auburn 6, Nebraska 6, Texas Tech 6, Southern Cal 5, Florida 3, Fresno St. 3, Oklahoma St. 3, Delaware 1, Florida Gulf Coast 1, Temple 1.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Notre Dame beats Tennessee 72-44…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 27
huntined#565710 writes:
I would pick the Huskies number 1 too but maybe Baylor higher. We will get to see them early in the year.
GreerVol22 writes:
If you're a female player would you rather be called Lady Vol or.....Husky? ...reminds me of the old days at Sears refering to jeans for chubby little boys.... Go Lady Vols!
98reax writes:
long_vol writes:
[BTW, I think it would be great if we stayed away from the 'I hate Uconn' garbage.]
I don't hate "that team." I just don't want to see them, hear or read about them. I would like never to hear the coach's name mentioned until the day he admits and makes amends for the sorry attitude he has, the underhanded recruiting methods he's used, and the atrocious things he's said to and about Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols program.
As far as I'm concerned, it would be great to not have their so-called fans come on this site and rub husky mess in our faces as if we give a flying flip about anything they have to post.
I enjoy chatting about the Lady Vols which is why I do not log onto the aforementioned team's sites. I could not care less about them.
The official site of Lady Vols Basketball deserves to be and once was a sacrosanct environment, now it has become more badmouth than brain. We need to ride the Lady Vol bandwagon and be supportive fans. Come on everyone who loves Tennessee Big Orange, get on board and rid GVX of the intruders who come here to stir up strife.
LadyHusky writes:
Sorry Vols fan, you will hear about UConn for years to come. They will not go away and will ALWAYS be better than UT. Geno knows how to recruit legally which is why he has talent in, as talent graduates. Unlike your PS who lost an entire team in one year. That is the difference between these coaches. Sorry, vols, but that is the way it is. See you (probably not) in San Antonio!!!!!
go_vols writes:
Why are we so concern and obsessed with Uconn. I respect their program and we should give credit where credit is due. However, they are still trying to catch up to us. We are still the standard bearer of excellence in womem's basketball. We are as good as our recruits, and let's face it, our recruits has not been that great lately. We just need better recruits and Pat will mold them into a great team. Besides, everything goes in cycle. Maybe it's just their turn. Our turn will come again and we will be back
CTOWNICON writes:
Recruit legally! You done lost your head as well as your mind! Maya Moore and that Doty girl who said she made up her mind after being in Geno's office unoffically with Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi eating Wendy's, you have got to be kidding! What do you think they were talking about in there ,the weather, I think not! He has talent because he buys it. When Uconn gets nine rings, come back! Until then they will forever be beneath TENNESSEE!
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
It must really suck to be a Uconn fan. Nothing better to do than worship the UT program and it's fans...why else would they constantly be checking GVX? A true Uconn fan wouldn't set foot on the GVX website, much less post on it. It would be a cold day in hell before I would go to theirs...
uconnfan1 writes:
#1 DOESN'T MATTER AT THE START OF THE SEASON.IT'S AT THE END WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
jr2miles writes:
Go Lady Vols!!!!! I am so happy there are other websites for REAL Lady Vols fan......
CTOWNICON writes:
LOL AgentOrange! As much as I love to throw daggers at Uconn I won't be tempted this time. I could have had a field day with your post because I know you know what Wendy's is. But on another note, Caroline Doty said that was the meal that was in Geno's office that she and Diana and Sue enjoyed while she was there on an unofficial visit. At least the article that I read quoted her as saying that. And after that particular meeting and eating she said that is when she made up her mind to attend Uconn because that moment in that office is what stuck in her mind!
ladivolfan writes:
It's not the Lady Huskies that create the dislike. It's Geno and his lack of values. While the Lady Huskies can outshine the Lady Vols in a season, Geno couldn't even hold a candle to Pat's class.
xvolx writes:
Baylor was 29-6 without Griner and #1 recruiting class. UConn can hang it up this year. I'm a Vol fan, but there is a new kid on the block.
volfan2002 writes:
I have a lot of confidence in our players being twice as good as they were last season. We did have seven freshmen playing last season. This year we'll be a lot better. If Baugh can get back we'll be right there for the National Championship.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
It will be interesting to see if Griner lives up to the hype. I know Baylor has had a good program for several years now, but maybe they really break out into the national consciousness as a relatively fresh face after seeing the same teams on top for so long. The Lady Vols should be much improved over last year, but are probably at least a year away from seriously contending nationally again.
jr2miles writes:
For a group of people who constantly talks about a particular team they must mean something to you guys.I don't waste my time to talk about people that don't mean a DAMN thing to me. I will continue to support my Lady Vols no matter what the situation is. Go Lady Vols!!!
98reax writes:
Yea, mikey, take your annoying self over and log onto the Ball State site. Hang out in there for a few months and get to know the team that beat the Lady Vols. If you would stay the heck out of GVX, you might learn there are other great teams out there. One of them will keep your favs from claiming another ring. You might even discover the truth. It is out there, you know.
On the other hand, you just can't remove yourself from this site, can you? The truth just might be, "Mikey has a passion for orange!" Well, I can't blame you and huskylady for that. I love Tennessee too, but you need to get your heart right, change your screen names and cease your pejorative remarks toward the team you obsess about, The Esteemed Tennessee Lady Vols. Come on, mickeyVol and bighuskyVol, get onboard the Big Orange bus. You'll be glad you did.
CTOWNICON writes:
But you are chasing! It's elementary my dear, 8 is more than 6! What you fail to realize is that Tennessee was good enough to make it 4 out of the 6 times Geno won his rings. Where was Uconn when Tennessee won their 8? At home looking and wishing they were playing! Uconn will always be inferior to Tennessee! If Uconn wants to be on Tennessee's level tell Geno to start with that weak schedule he plays year after year. For Uconn to be this so called creme de la creme,tell Geno to play more schools that can challenge his program and not just cupcakes! Outside of the few top 25 teams Uconn plays the rest of them are cupcakes and ranked well below the caliber of schools Uconn should be playing. Pat may have never beaten Geno in a championship game but she has beaten him to keep him from getting to one! And who has won the last three times the schools met, Tennessee! But you know that because I am sure you remember the dunk Candace gave Uconn on their homecourt along with the azz whooping! Stay in Connecticut Mike, you can't win here!
uconnfan1 writes:
UCONN has won in tennessee.
CTOWNICON writes:
Tennessee has won in Uconn, so you said that to say what?
KeithfromSweden writes:
Hey Mike In CT. Did you know that Big R Man and C TOWNICON think we are one in the same! Good to see your posts, at least now I know who I'm being compared with.
CTOWNICON writes:
You have lost your mind! Posting to yourself! I never said Uconn wasn't a good team, I said I don't like the coach. And Tennessee is a good team and don't you forget it!
go_vols writes:
You know Mike, you're right. we're not a good team right now, but we will. Pat recruit really good players, but always the same players. We need to recruit really good position players and have them jell as a team. I hate to admit it, but Uconn seems to have this system in place. They are like a machine. Their team seems to always be ready and prepared every year. They keep churning out top 5 team every year. Maybe the NCAA needs to do an investigation for impriorities. Pat will be back, but it starts with recruiting. I can't say enough about it. Go vols
abnermc writes:
Mike, if I were you I would make sure none of the uconn players attend a dance @ your favorite school. When I heard about the killing I immediately thought of geno.thug
go_vols writes:
Why are we giving Mike_In_Connecticut so much attention? That's what he wants: our reactions, and he's getting it. Forget Mike, he is an idiot. All is doing is starting strife on our board, sit back, laugh at us, and we're taking the bait. Just ignore him and concentrate on the possibilities of our team. He needs to get a life in stead of living on our board. Go Vols
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
I agree with every word you said...I couldn't have said any of it better myself....Although I have plenty more to add about "their coach", but I am not gonna resort to that because I don't want to stup to that level...
Anyway, look at the comment beneath yours...she is doing exactly what you are speaking of that their fans come on here and do..I will not even respond to her because she's not worth my time.
To all Lady Vol Fans: Let me ask u a question:WHO HAS WON MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS??? PAT SUMMIT OR GENO AURIEMMA???
ENOUGH SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
AMEN!!!!
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
I'll just refer you to my earlier because as witht he other Uconn Fans on here trying to pick at us, you aren't worth my time!!!
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