After an impressive win, Indiana has vaulted to its best ranking ever: No. 4 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
The veteran Hoosiers had their best ranking ever at No. 8 in the preseason Top 25 and then had a week that included a rout of then-No. 13 Kentucky, 88–67. Indiana returned all five starters from last season’s team that went to the Elite Eight and had its sixth consecutive 20-win season.
“I’d like to think the band’s back together,” coach Teri Moren said. “This team has a tremendous chemistry and plays well together. There’s something to be said for experience as they have a really good feel for one another.”
South Carolina remained the top team in the poll, receiving 25 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Gamecocks had an impressive nine-point win at No. 5 North Carolina State to tip off the season.
The Gamecocks were followed by UConn, which garnered the other five No. 1 votes, and Maryland.
All five of the top teams will head to the Bahamas over the next two weeks to play in two tournaments. There is the potential for a 1–2 matchup between the Gamecocks and Huskies if both teams win their first two games in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
The Hoosiers, Terrapins, Wolfpack, and No. 7 Stanford play in another round-robin tournament on the island over Thanksgiving. The Cardinal dropped four spots after losing to then-No.25 Texas, which jumped to No. 12.
“It’s a great field. I think it’s going to be an interesting year for women’s basketball,” Moren said.
