The Polls in Week 8: Who’s on Top?
AP Top 25 & USA Today Coaches Poll
1.Conneticut (12-0)
2.Notre Dame (10-0)
3.Duke (12-1)
4.Stanford (10-1)
5.Tennessee (10-1)
Records Changing the Polls
-Tennessee: The Lady Vols took their first loss to Stanford this past week, 76-70. Early in the season, the Volunteers have a ways to go and a tough schedule ahead. To kick-off January, Tennessee will take on top-ranked LSU and Georgia. The fellow SEC schools will put up a good fight for the big orange, but the Lady Vols already breezed through a win from top-ranked North Carolina earlier in the year.
-Kentucky: Kentucky is trailing behind Tennessee at no. 6 in both polls this week. The Wildcats took their first loss from Duke this past week, 69-61. The big blue will certainly be a team to be reckoned with the rest of the season. Kentucky will take on top-ranked South Carolina in early January.
UCONN and Tennessee: a Rivalry of the Past
From Diana Taurasi to Swin Cash, the UConn Huskies have taken eight National Championships, had 14 Final Four appearances and 37 Big East Championships. Taking the National Championship title this year, Geno Auriemma is in his 29th year of coaching and has transformed this program.
However, UConn isn’t the only one with eight national titles.
Pat Summit took Tennessee to the top and the Lady Vols have had 22 Final Four appearances. These girls may have taken a loss to Stanford but will have some fire built up by the end of the season.
These two tipped-off in 1995 and the rivalry began. That year, the Huskies took their first National Championship Title. UConn defeated Stanford and Tennessee for the win.
1996 posed as Tennessee’s fourth National Title and they took it straight from the Huskies in the final game. The Lady Vols would go on to take two more national Titles in 1997 and 1998.
UConn struck back in 2000 to take its second national title from Tennessee and wouldn’t stop there. The Huskies reign lived on over the Vols, stealing their chances at taking another state title in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
Summit ended the series in 2007 because of complications between the two programs and coaches. Regardless of the differences, these two programs have become almost a link of history into the past of elite sporting events.
With new head coach Holly Warlick on the scene, there is talk of opening that door once again. People will talk and years will go on, but this tradition is one that goes down in the history books for women’s basketball.
Here’s a look at your SEC Women’s Basketball Schedule
Saturday, December 28th
-Alabama vs. Princeton in Charlottesville, VA at the Cavalier Classic: 11 a.m.
-Arkansas vs. Mississippi Valley State: 2 p.m.
-Florida vs. Georgetown: 1 p.m.
-Georgia vs. Illinois: 3 p.m. on CSS
-South Carolina vs. Savannah State: 11 a.m.
-Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech: 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 29th
-Alabama vs. Virigina/Coppin State in Charlottesville, VA at the Cavalier Classic: 11 a.m./1:30 p.m.
-Kentucky vs. Grambling State: 1 p.m.
-Tennessee vs. Lipscomb: 1 p.m.
Monday, December 30th
-LSU vs. Jackson State: 8 p.m.
-Ole Miss vs. Austin Peay: 11:30 a.m.
-Mississippi State vs. Mississippi Valley State: 7 p.m.
-Texas A&M vs. Arkansas State: 7 p.m.
-Vanderbilt @ UAB: 7 p.m.
