The Weekly Roundup: November 30
With the first weekend of the season behind us, we recap some top performers, big upsets, and the HHS Top 25
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The first week of college basketball is in the books, and while there wasn’t a shortage of ranked matchups, upsets, and impressive performances, 65 games on the books for last Wednesday through Sunday were scheduled or postponed in Division I. COVID-19 cancellations and safety protocols have led to coaches reshuffling their schedules in-season. Louisville head coach Jeff Walz took to Twitter to find a new non-conference opponent after four of five non-conference games were canceled. Arizona is also looking to add more games to the schedule as Northern Arizona is currently their only game against someone outside of the Pac-12.
The Best Upsets:
Ohio upsets Notre Dame (86-85): Ohio’s first win against a ranked team in program history came after an exciting game that came down to the last minute. Becky Hammon Award watch list members Cece Hooks and Erica Johnson combined for 56 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
South Dakota State upsets Iowa State (76-69): Ashley Joens dropped 36 points, but the Cyclones trailed the Jackrabbits all game after losing an early lead in the first quarter.
Missouri State upsets Maryland (81-72): Missouri State overcame a 16-point deficit, and Brice Calip led with a game high 26 points.
HHS Top 25
At this point in the season, it’s hard to rank the top 25 fairly with so little data — some teams have played four games and others yet to debut. The HHS Top 25 will rank teams as if they played today on a neutral court.
South Carolina (3-0)
Stanford (1-0)
Baylor (1-0)
UConn (0-0)
Oregon (1-0)
Louisville (2-0)
NC State (2-0)
Mississippi State (1-0)
Arizona (1-0)
UCLA (1-0)
Kentucky (2-0)
Indiana (1-0)
Texas A&M (2-0)
Maryland (2-1)
Arkansas (3-1)
Northwestern (0-0)
Oregon State (1-0)
Missouri State (2-1)
DePaul (0-1)
Gonzaga (0-1)
Rutgers (1-0)
Texas (2-0)
Michigan (2-0)
South Dakota (0-1)
South Dakota State (1-0)
UConn won’t play until at least December 15 and canceled marquee matches against Mississippi State and Louisville, so we’ll have to wait until January (for now) to see the Huskies play outside the Big East. However, with no real change to the team’s outlook aside from the time off, our outlook on them hasn’t changed materially.
Oregon had an impressive debut with a revamped and reloaded roster. The Ducks put up a program record 71 points in the first half against Seattle, and recorded the top offensive rating all week at 150.6. If we’re judging on first season impressions, Kelly Graves’ squad is a top five team.
Spots 20 through 25 could be more of a tier than a ranking this early with many deserving teams up for consideration. C. Vivan Stringer’s Rutgers squad didn’t make the cut for the preseason top 25 (although they received some votes), but I think they deserve a spot after their impressive debut over Monmouth. The Scarlet Knights held Monmouth to 38 points on 31% shooting, and stole the ball 18 times (a 22% steal rate).
With South Dakota State’s win over No. 15 Iowa State, the Jackrabbits deserve a spot in the top 25. Having the Cyclones falling out of the top 25 entirely might be a stretch so early on, but they’ll have chances to prove their potential (including a scheduled game against South Carolina on Sunday). South Dakota didn’t make the preseason list and lost to South Carolina, but I think overcoming a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter and trailing by only seven with a minute in the game is promising for the Coyotes.
By The Numbers
Two players started their season off with a big statement on the stat sheet with a triple-double:
Indiana’s Grace Berger had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against Eastern Kentucky.
Saint Peters’ Taiah Thornton recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 steals against NJIT in overtime.
There have been 143 points/rebounds double-doubles since Wednesday, two points/assists double-double, and one points/steals double-double.
33 players scored a 20-point double double. Charli Collier (Texas), Madison Siegrist (Villanova), and Taylor Soule (Boston College) have done this twice.
Kierstan Bell, an FGCU transfer from Ohio State, learned she received immediate eligibility on Sunday and suited up for the Eagles against Davidson that afternoon. Her debut ended in the season’s first 20-20 game (and the first in FGCU history). Bell recorded 24 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Game Leaders
Points: Charli Collier (Texas) 44 points vs. North Texas (Box Score)
Rebounds: Abby Wahl (Eastern Illinois) 21 rebounds vs. UIC (Box Score)
Assists: Grace Berger (Indiana) 10 assists vs. E. Kentucky (Box Score); Nia Clouden (Michigan St.) 10 assists vs. Saint Francis (Box Score); Emma List (FGCU) 10 assists vs. Davidson (Box Score)
Steals: Taiah Thornton (St. Peters) 11 steals vs. NJIT (Box Score)
Blocks: Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana) 7 blocks vs. E. Kentucky; Kseniya Malashka (VCU) 7 blocks vs. Arizona St. (Box Score); Jenna Staiti (Georgia) 7 blocks vs. Georgia Tech (Box Score)
Games to watch: Pac-12 play begins this week, so there should be some great games! Here are three marquee matchups that are currently on the calendar:
NC State at South Carolina: 7 p.m Thursday, Dec. 3 on ESPN2 (Lobo’s Look)
UCLA at Arizona: TBD Friday, Dec. 4 (Lobo’s Look)
Baylor at Arkansas: 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 on ESPN2 (Lobo’s Look)
What We’re Working On
Florida State interim head coach Brooke Wyckoff and redshirt sophomore Izabela Nicoletti joined John Liddle on the Her Hoop Stats Podcast to discuss their unique stories and new team roles.
Jenn Hatfield broke down seven candidates who could have breakout seasons. Most of them are already off to a good start.
Jacob Mox reviewed the expanded WNBA modes in 2K21, including career mode, online play, the roster sandbox feature, and WNBA Leagues.
Other recommended reading:
An interesting perspective from Charlie Creme for ESPN: How a single-site women's NCAA tournament impacts Bracketology.
Jeff Metcalfe wrote about Fama Thiam, a junior college commit for Arizona State, fulfilling her American dream for the Arizona Republic.
Jenn Hatfield adds another spectacular article to her family series for The Next, this one about identical twins and TikTok stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder at Fresno State.
Sean Hurd profiles Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard for The Undefeated.
Before you go
Were you able to watch any games on FloHoops this weekend? If not, catch up on this thread with a video breakdown of South Carolina sophomore Laeticia Amihere against Gonzaga yesterday.
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.