Now it's blowout night

Remember how last night was close game night? Tonight resulted in blowouts in several instances.

Routs:

#2 Texas 88, Louisiana Tech 54

#5 South Carolina 101, Western Carolina 43. It was the 400th career win for Gamecock coach Dawn Staley.

#9 Baylor 90, #20 Kentucky 63.

#12 Tennessee 77, Central Arkansas 34.

Interesting:

#14 Duke squandered a 17-point lead and had to step on it in the final minutes to upset #8 Ohio State, 69-60. The Buckeyes can never seem to get to the next level.

There were some close matchups:

Rutgers 57, NC State 53.

Clemson 67, Nebraska 66.

Dreake 83, Iowa State 80.

Northern Colorado, 79, BYU 74 (OT).

St. Mary's 74, Boise State 72.

More results:

Syracuse 81, Northwestern 74. The Orange are 7-0.

Old Dominion and first-year coach Nikki McCray-Penson got their first win over the season as they beat Coppin State, 75-67.

Miami 67, Michigan State 57.

Georgia Tech 68, Purdue 55.

LSU 48, Texas Tech 40.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

College team news:

Youthful Oregon State will use their two losses as learning experience.

Iowa State seeks a second scoring option.

It was a teaching moment for Michigan after their loss to Notre Dame.

College player news:

Notre Dame freshman forward Mikayla Vaughn tore her ACL in practice Tuesday and is out for the season. She averaged 8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Irish are having tough luck this year.

HBCU ballers to watch this season.

Rutgers star Tyler Scaife is thriving after missing a year to fix a heart defect.

Kristin Scott has been a rebounding machine for Iowa State this year.

Tanaeya Boclair is finding basketball at Utah.

Hard work has paid off for Fordham's Lauren Holden.

College coach news:

Around the Rim podcast with both Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw and Atlanta Dream coach Nicki Collen.

WNBA news:

The WNBA has made rule changes for next season.

Suitors are prepped for the New York Liberty sale. The team is expected to stay in town.

The night of the close games

Some "skin of the teeth" survival stories tonight:

#13 Florida State squeaked past Iowa, 94-93. It was the first loss of the season for the Hawkeyes.

#15 Maryland escaped Virginia, 60-59.

#18 Texas A&M held off Rice, 82-76.

#25 Villanova escaped Princton, 62-59.

Surprises:

North Carolina handed Minnesota their first loss of the season, 88-83.

Younger Insell (Ole Miss) handed older Insell (MTSU) their first loss, 65-56.

San Diego State edged San Diego, 77-76, to give them their first loss.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule features #8 Ohio State at #14 Duke, #20 Kentucky at #9 Baylor and red-hot NC State at red-hot Rutgers, among other great matchups.

College team news:

‘Something that our team needed’: South Carolina is set to rebound from its first loss, Dawn Staley says.

The Lady Vols are back from Cancun and focusing on defense.

Unbeaten Kentucky faces their first big test tomorrow. Is ‘positionless basketball’ the key?

Duke hopes to contain Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell tomorrow.

Wright State is awash in game-ready players.

Arizona State's rebounding defines success early in the season.

College player news:

Syracuse has a new starter at the point.

A call to Seton Hall helped get UConn's Gabby Williams home.

Ali Andrews is enjoying sophomore success at Illinois.

Cierra Porter's versatility gives Missouri an edge.

Despite a tough start, sophomore Samantha Widmann shines for Cornell.

The NCAA's top five players for the week.

Mid-major rankings:

ESPNW's mid-major rankings for the week feature some newcomers.

WNBA news:

Overseas update on five players.

Maya Moore is Sports Illustrated's performer of the year.

Naismith Trophy watch list

Some great players on this list:

Kristine Anigwe, California Junior C/F Pac-12
Ariel Atkins, Texas Senior G Big 12
Kenisha Bell, Minnesota Junior G Big Ten
Monique Billings, UCLA Senior F Pac-12
Allazia Blockton, Marquette Junior G Big East
Lexie Brown, Duke Senior G ACC
Kalani Brown, Baylor Junior C Big 12
Tyra Buss, Indiana Senior G Big Ten
Jordin Canada, UCLA Senior G Pac-12
Kaila Charles, Maryland Sophomore G Big Ten
Napheesa Collier, UConn Junior F AAC
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri Junior G SEC
Crystal Dangerfield, UConn Sophomore G AAC
Asia Durr, Louisville Junior G ACC
Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan Senior G Big Ten
Rebecca Greenwell, Duke Senior G ACC
Marie Gulich, Oregon State Senior C Pac-12
Megan Gustafson, Iowa Junior F Big Ten
Linnae Harper, Ohio State Senior G Big Ten
Ruthy Hebard, Oregon Sophomore F Pac-12
Chanette Hicks, Virginia Tech Junior G ACC
Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville Senior F ACC
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon Sophomore G Pac-12
Kaylee Jensen, Oklahoma State Senior C Big 12
Jackie Kemph, Saint Louis Senior G Atlantic 10
Kitija Laksa, USF Junior F AAC
Marina Mabrey, Notre Dame Junior G ACC
Tynice Martin, West Virginia Junior G Big 12
Stephanie Mavunga, Ohio State Senior F Big Ten
Brooke McCarty, Texas Senior G Big 12
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State Senior C SEC
Brittany McPhee, Stanford Senior G Pac-12
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State Senior G Big Ten
Teana Muldrow, West Virginia Senior F Big 12
Jaime Nared, Tennessee Senior G SEC
Kia Nurse, UConn Senior G AAC
Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame Junior G ACC
Caliya Robinson, Georgia Junior F SEC
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee Senior C SEC
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn Junior G/F AAC
Jessica Shepard, Notre Dame Junior F ACC
Azura Stevens, UConn Junior F AAC
Tianna Tarter, ETSU Senior G SoCon
Shakayla Thomas, Florida State Senior F ACC
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State Senior G SEC
Morgan William, Mississippi State Senior G SEC
Danni Williams, Texas A&M Junior G SEC
Gabby Williams, UConn Senior F AAC
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina Senior F SEC
Jackie Young, Notre Dame Sophomore G ACC

Forbes reporter finds that women's sports receive less media attention than animals

Virtually met this writer for Forbes on Twitter. We were tweeting about how little media attention and exposure women's sports receives. He promised two nights ago to look into it, and he delivered fast. The sad results:

Women's sports get less media attention than animals.

More glimpses

Today's results:

Oregon hammered Hampton without Ruthy Hebard.

A lot of routs by ranked teams today. The surprises were in the unranked ranks.

Little Rock took down Oklahoma, 68-56.

Long Beach State got their first win by beating Arizona, 80-72.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

College team news:

Notre Dame is the NCAA's team of the week.

Mississippi State's depth thins with Ameshya Williams no longer enrolled.

Iowa is having fun with their hot start.

Indiana is growing on the job.

College player news:

For Notre Dame's Jackie Young, the waiting is over.

Jen Wellnitz looks to quarterback Green Bay to another winning season.

Minnesota's Destiny Pitts could be Rachel Banham 2.0.

MTSU's Abby Sissom is excelling in her new role as point guard.

Lauren Van Kleunen’s length could solve Marquette's defensive woes.

Mikayla Pivec takes control at the point for Oregon State.

College coach news:

Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne's substitution patterns benefit her players.

WNBA news:

Pokey Chatman is the Indiana Fever's new General Manager, as Kelly Krauskopf will focus on other duties with Pacers Sports and Entertainment.

Twenty-seven seconds with Sue Bird.

Quietly, some big news

College conference news:

UC San Diego will join the Big West Conference.

Cal State Bakersfield will also join the Big West.

College team news:

Nevada is bracing for its toughest test ever: hosting UConn tomorrow.

UConn podcast, covering a variety of topics.

Kansas exposed Rice's lack of depth in their weekend win.

College player news:

Duke may have the best back court in the nation in Rebecca Greenwell and Lexie Brown.

Oregon's Ruthy Hebard is becoming one of the top posts in the nation.

Lashann Higgs is answering the call for Texas.

UConn's Gabby Williams is excited for her hometown game.

Kelsey Mitchell is ESPNW's player of the week.

College coach news:

Oregon coach Kelly Graves is looking for more players to step up in crunch time.

Graves podcast interview.

Toledo coach Tricia Cullop has been named interim vice president of the WBCA.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley can't wait for Destanni Henderson to arrive next year.

Today's scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

Swiveling through this week's AP top 25 poll

Arizona State out, Villanova in for the first time in 13 years, and other changes in this week's AP top 25 poll:

1. Connecticut
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Louisville
5. South Carolina
6. Mississippi State
7. UCLA
8. Ohio State
9. Baylor
10. Oregon
11. West Virginia
12. Tennessee
13. Florida State
14. Duke
15. Maryland
16. Stanford
17. South Florida
18. Texas A&M
19. Missouri
20. Kentucky
21. Oregon State
22. Michigan
23. Marquette
24. California
25. Villanova

Others receiving votes: Green Bay 31, Arizona State 26, Oklahoma 25, New Mexico 19, Iowa 17, Michigan State 16, DePaul 8, Syracuse 6, Minnesota 5, Oklahoma State 5, Kansas State 4, Georgia 3, Southern California 3.

Coach’s Chair: Matthew Mitchell, University of Kentucky

Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell discusses Pat Summitt's influence, how he changed after players left his program two years ago, and much more in this week's Coach's Chair.

Notre Dame topples South Carolina

Upset:

#6 Notre Dame knocked off #3 South Carolina, 92-85. It was the first loss for the Gamecocks since Feb. 19.

More results:

#15 Maryland got past Miami, 79-71.

#17 South Florida topped St. John's, 68-59.

Washington State edged Rutgers, 63-60.

Middle Tennessee is off to a 4-0 start, Navy is 6-0 and New Mexico is 7-0. USC is also 7-0, as is Minnesota.

Niagara, Sacramento State and Wichita State each got their first wins of the year tonight.

All scores.

Only 15 games tomorrow.

College coach news:

BYU coach Jeff Judkins is developing the youth during preconference play.

International news:

Liz Cambage was ejected from a game again - this time for her objections to referee calls.

Taking a look at early-season stats

The season is two weeks and two days old, and Division I statistics leaders are listed below.

Preconference stats usually look a bit different than late-season stats because there tend to be more team mismatches in games than in league play. Right now a lot of mid-major stars are shining - players that fans may not know if they don't live in the part of the country.

But a lot of these non-household names will keep putting up the numbers. Take note:

Points per game

1 Kelsey Mitchell Ohio St. Sr. 5-8 G 8 68 36 50 222 27.8
2 Katelynn Flaherty Michigan Sr. 5-7 G 5 40 17 32 129 25.8
3 Chloe Wanink Wofford Jr. 5-7 G 4 35 9 22 101 25.3
4 Kalani Brown Baylor Jr. 6-7 C 6 59 0 27 145 24.2
5 Randi Brown New Orleans Sr. 5-7 G 5 34 19 33 120 24.0
- Ke'Shunan James Murray St. Sr. 6-1 F 5 37 6 40 120 24.0
7 Kitija Laksa South Fla. Jr. 6-0 F 6 51 28 13 143 23.8
- Teana Muldrow West Virginia Sr. 6-1 F 6 52 7 32 143 23.8
9 Yasmine Robinson-Bacote Pepperdine Jr. 5-11 F 5 43 3 30 119 23.8
10 Shala Dobbins Prairie View Jr. - G 4 32 0 31 95 23.8
11 Ashanti Abshaw Cleveland St. Jr. 5-9 F 4 27 12 27 93 23.3
12 Tanaya Atkinson Temple Sr. 5-9 G 6 48 2 40 138 23.0
- Tia Wooten Tennessee St. Jr. 5-11 F 3 22 2 23 69 23.0
14 Tyra Buss Indiana Sr. 5-8 G 6 46 8 36 136 22.7
15 Lauren Dickerson Miami (OH) So. 5-3 G 5 41 22 9 113 22.6
16 Jovana Nogic Providence Jr. 6-1 G 6 45 22 23 135 22.5
- Chelsea Welch Wright St. Sr. 5-9 G 6 42 8 43 135 22.5
18 Kolby Morgan Tulane Sr. 5-8 G 6 43 23 25 134 22.3
19 Nicole Enabosi Delaware Jr. 6-0 F 5 42 0 27 111 22.2
- Paris Kea North Carolina Jr. 5-9 G 5 44 6 17 111 22.2

Rebounds per game

1 G'mrice Davis Fordham Sr. 6-2 F 4 9 49 58 14.5
2 Tierra McGOWAN Morehead St. --- - 5 41 31 72 14.4
3 Megan Gustafson Iowa Jr. 6-3 C 7 36 58 94 13.4
4 Reyna Frost Central Mich. Jr. 6-0 F 5 30 37 67 13.4
5 Natalie Butler George Mason Sr. 6-5 C 8 34 73 107 13.4
6 Anriel Howard Texas A&M Jr. 6-0 F 4 20 33 53 13.3
7 Nicole Enabosi Delaware Jr. 6-0 F 5 23 43 66 13.2
8 Megan Maahs UNI So. 6-1 F 4 12 40 52 13.0
9 Stephanie Mavunga Ohio St. Sr. 6-3 F 8 43 56 99 12.4
10 Shannon Dufficy Utah St. So. 6-1 F 4 12 37 49 12.3
11 A'Ja Wilson South Carolina Sr. 6-5 F 6 20 53 73 12.2
12 Bayley Plummer Appalachian St. So. 6-2 C 5 15 45 60 12.0
- Sydney Bauman SIUE Jr. 6-3 C 3 11 25 36 12.0
14 Destiny Pitts Minnesota Fr. 5-10 G 6 15 56 71 11.8
15 Madison Hovren Army West Point Jr. 5-11 F 5 22 37 59 11.8
16 Carly Santoro Bowling Green Jr. 5-10 G 6 24 46 70 11.7
17 Tori Schickel Butler Jr. 6-1 F 7 28 53 81 11.6
18 Jill Barta Gonzaga Jr. 6-3 F 5 19 38 57 11.4
- Jenelle Grant Pacific So. 6-0 F 5 19 38 57 11.4
- Stevi Parker SFA Sr. 6-0 F 5 16 41 57 11.4

Assists per game

1 Tiana Mangakahia Syracuse So. 5-6 G 6 71 11.8
2 Carmen Grande Ball St. Jr. 5-8 G 5 48 9.6
3 Emily Clemens Western Ill. Sr. 5-4 G 6 55 9.2
4 Recee' Caldwell Texas Tech Jr. 5-8 G 4 33 8.3
5 Kenisha Bell Minnesota Jr. 5-9 G 6 47 7.8
6 AJ Alix Florida St. Sr. 5-6 G 5 38 7.6
- Sydni Means Mercer Sr. 5-6 G 5 38 7.6
8 Jackie Kemph Saint Louis Sr. 5-7 G 7 52 7.4
9 Charity Brown Samford So. 5-8 G 5 37 7.4
- Paris Kea North Carolina Jr. 5-9 G 5 37 7.4
11 Cherise Beynon New Mexico Sr. 5-10 G 6 43 7.2
- Shay Burnett Elon Sr. 5-9 G 6 43 7.2
- Laia Flores South Fla. Sr. 5-7 G 6 43 7.2
- Sabrina Ionescu Oregon So. 5-10 G 6 43 7.2
15 Maite Cazorla Oregon Jr. 5-10 G 6 42 7.0
- Stephanie Reid Buffalo Sr. 5-6 G 3 21 7.0
17 Tia Kanoa Hawaii Jr. 5-8 G 6 41 6.8
- Mariah Ruff St. Bonaventure Sr. 5-9 G 6 41 6.8
19 Caitlin Davis McNeese So. 5-7 G 4 27 6.8
20 Chastadie Barrs Lamar University Jr. 5-8 G 7 47 6.7
- Chanette Hicks Virginia Tech Jr. 5-6 G 7 47 6.7

Steals per game

1 Chastadie Barrs Lamar University Jr. 5-8 G 7 45 6.43
2 Dominique Newman Prairie View So. 5-7 G 4 20 5.00
3 Cierra Dillard Buffalo Sr. 5-9 G 4 19 4.75
4 Emily Clemens Western Ill. Sr. 5-4 G 6 27 4.50
- Loryn Goodwin Oklahoma St. Sr. 5-9 G 6 27 4.50
6 Jordin Canada UCLA Sr. 5-6 G 6 25 4.17
7 Angela Harris Houston So. 5-6 G 6 24 4.00
- Erica Ogwumike Rice So. 5-9 G 5 20 4.00
- Shala Dobbins Prairie View Jr. - G 4 16 4.00
10 Shakyla Hill Grambling Jr. 5-7 G 5 19 3.80
11 Cierra Hooks Ohio Fr. 5-1 G 4 15 3.75
- Derica Wiggins Jackson St. Sr. 5-7 G 4 15 3.75
13 Chanette Hicks Virginia Tech Jr. 5-6 G 7 26 3.71
14 Alexus Freeman Alcorn Sr. 5-4 G 6 22 3.67
- Kennedy Leonard Colorado Jr. 5-8 G 6 22 3.67
16 Sydni Means Mercer Sr. 5-6 G 5 18 3.60
17 Emma Bockrath High Point Jr. 5-10 G 4 14 3.50
- Mikaela Boyd Toledo Jr. 5-7 G 4 14 3.50
- Dominique Doseck Ohio Jr. 5-8 G 4 14 3.50
20 Delaney Hodgins Eastern Wash. Sr. 6-0 F 5 17 3.40
- Paris Kea North Carolina Jr. 5-9 G 5 17 3.40
- Victoria Reynolds William & Mary So. 5-10 F 5 17 3.40

Blocks per game

1 Abby Rendle William & Mary Sr. 6-4 C 5 30 6.00
2 Alyssa James Binghamton Sr. 6-1 F 6 29 4.83
3 Marie Gülich Oregon St. Sr. 6-5 C 5 22 4.40
4 A'Ja Wilson South Carolina Sr. 6-5 F 6 23 3.83
5 Hannah Green Illinois St. Sr. 6-0 F 3 11 3.67
6 Lauren Cox Baylor So. 6-4 F 5 18 3.60
7 Jordan Moore TCU Jr. 6-3 C 6 21 3.50
8 Lexi Klabo North Dakota Jr. 6-2 F 5 17 3.40
9 Ae'Rianna Harris Purdue So. 6-1 F 6 20 3.33
10 Khadedra Croker Norfolk St. Jr. 6-3 F 5 16 3.20
11 Jeannie Boehm Harvard So. 6-3 F 6 19 3.17
- Ashley Knight Alabama So. 6-5 F 6 19 3.17
13 Promise Taylor Ole Miss Fr. 6-5 F 6 18 3.00
- Ines Mata Boix Chicago St. So. 6-2 F 5 15 3.00
- Courtney Zezza Saint Francis (PA) Jr. 6-3 C 4 12 3.00
- Sydney Bauman SIUE Jr. 6-3 C 3 9 3.00
17 Amber Landing Southern Miss. Jr. 6-4 C 6 17 2.83
18 Delaney Hodgins Eastern Wash. Sr. 6-0 F 5 14 2.80
- Celia Tibbs Gardner-Webb Sr. 6-2 C 5 14 2.80
20 Chyna Ellis South Ala. Sr. 6-1 C 4 11 2.75

Nothing but the scores

Nothing happened in basketball today except for 103 games.

Upset:

#23 Missouri edged #21 Cal, 55-52.

Wow:

Lexie Brown lifted #16 Duke over #18 Oregon State, 72-65.

#10 Oregon pounded Oklahoma, 92-74.

Central Michigan silenced Iowa State, 81-60.

Wisconsin squeaked by Vanderbilt in OT, 73-71.

Ole Miss took care of Temple, 64-48.

Illinois edged Wichita State, 68-67. The Shockers are still winless.

Iowa handed Elon their first loss, 74-61, and remain unbeaten.

Minnesota took down Wake Forest, 93-81, to remain undefeated.

Gonzaga routed DePaul, 88-71.

All scores so far, NCAA version.

All scores so far, ESPN version.

But there are a lot of scores missing off both boards, as well as more games to be played this evening.

I am currently dismayed by the lack of TV coverage and streaming for games, as well as the availability of stats.

Tomorrow's schedule.

The number of unbeaten teams continues to fall

Some of today's scores are thought-provoking, to say the least.

Today's results:

#2 Texas 75, LSU 66.

#3 South Carolina 78, Rutgers 68. It was the first loss of the season for the Scarlet Knights. A'ja Wilson poured in 33 points for the Gamecocks.

#4 Louisville's 115-51 rout of Murray State set a school scoring record.

#5 UCLA 64, Kansas State 55. Some amazing stats by the usual duo of Monique Billings and Jordin Canada.

Mercedes Russell and Jaime Nared led #12 Tennessee past Oklahoma State, 79-69.

Green Bay upset #24 Arizona State, 61-48. It was the second straight loss for the Sun Devils.

Washington outlasted Creighton, 67-64.

South Dakota State topped North Carolina State, 75-67. It was the Wolfpack's first loss on the year.

Chattanooga handed Northwestern their first loss, 61-44.

Butler also gifted Virginia Tech with their first loss, 79-77.

Louisiana Tech beat Penn State, 71-59. It was the first loss for the Lions.

Syracuse has quietly gone 5-0, after an 84-78 win over Vanderbilt.

Loyola Marymount is also 5-0 after an 84-71 win over Miami, Ohio.

USC dropped Purdue, 58-46, to go 5-0.

Villanova and New Mexico are still undefeated.

Elon held off Alabama, 60-55.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule is packed again.

Good lord, I love this time of year for hoops.

College team news:

Versatile Victoria Gaines and Michigan State are entering a tough stretch.

Oregon hosts a big double-header tomorrow: the PK80 Invitational.

College player news:

Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell broke the NCAA record for three-point shots today.

Mikayla Pivec has embraced her point guard role at Oregon State.

Former college player news:

Former Cal star Tierra Rogers' book chronicles her comeback from tragedy and trouble.

Thanksgiving tourneys tip off

No upsets today, but a few teams came close......

Today's results:

#12 Tennessee had to work to edge #20 Marquette in OT, 101-99.

#7 Mississippi State had to stretch to get by #24 Arizona State, 65-57.

#11 West Virginia got past Butler, 75-68.

FGCU topped DePaul in OT, 89-84. Not technically an upset, but feels like one.

Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Buffalo, Green Bay, Iowa, NC State and Georgia Tech are all undefeated after their wins today.

Vanderbilt earned their first win, over George Washington, 69-59.

All scores so far.

Full plate of games on tap tomorrow.

College team news:

Ohio State's defense suffers when their offense goes cold.

College player news:

How Saint Joseph's Avery Marz overcame a devastating stroke to achieve her dream of playing college basketball.

Kristine Anigwe is ready to return Cal to national prominence.

Slow recovery from an ankle injury is creating uncertainty for Notre Dame forward Kathryn Westbeld.

WNBA news:

A WNBA team is on the Golden State Warriors' radar once their new arena is complete.

Sun star Courtney Williams is honoring her late friend while playing in Australia's WNBL.

Touching down

Is it just me, or have the first three weeks felt super long, due to the intensity?

About last night:

No. 1 UConn routs No. 5 UCLA, 78-60, on "big night."

College team news:

The SEC is at a select six teams for now.

Pac-12 teams gaining in tough matchups.

Weekly Louisville notebook.

Some good, some bad in Notre Dame's latest travels.

Kentucky, 5-0, leaves no doubt this time.

Montana State's defense outpaces their offense.

College player news:

The NCAA's top five for the week are Jordin Canada, UCLA; Randi Brown, New Orleans; Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State; Vionise Pierre-Louis, Oklahoma; and Tyra Buss, Indiana.

Louisville's Asia Durr is electric, and on the verge of becoming a household name.

Tennessee's Mercedes Russell and Jaime Nared want their leadership to go a long way.

Purdue's Bree Horrocks is ready to play her game.

Florida's Funda Nakkasoglu was injured in Monday night's game.

South Dakota senior Caitlin Duffy will forego the remainder of the season with multiple lower leg injuries.

WNBA news:

The newly-relocated Las Vegas franchise will retain the "Stars" name.

Maya Moore is speaking out on the criminal justice system.

Ahead of the big showdown

About tonight:

The matchup between UCLA's Jordin Canada and UConn's Crystal Dangerfield tonight will be prime.

The Bruins are set on beating the Huskies after their upset of Baylor.

Husky Katie Lou Samuelson comes home to SoCal, but won't be able to play due to injury.

Holiday tournaments:

Preview of four tourneys.

College team news:

Villanova is the NCAA's team of the week.

The freshmen are taking over at Iowa State.

South Carolina will have a "Star Wars" game theme at one contest next month.

Boston University heads to Harvard to build on their winning streak.

College player news:

Time management is key for Arizona State's Courtney Ekmark.

Alexis Sevillian's redshirt year served her well at Iowa.

Sophomore Bella Alarie's hot start is a sign of things to come for Princeton.

Bonus:

How college athletics is bringing together conservative Christians and the LGBTQ community.

At 76, Patricia Ferguson is nationally one of the best hoopers in her age group.

International news:

Liz Cambage has been suspended for two games in the WNBL for "unduly rough play."

No trifling: a win is a win

Sports has increasingly become my refuge from politics, but sometimes sports are just as maddening.

Yesterday I was deluged with tweets from fans of a couple of teams who were upset that I didn't mention their beloved athletes on a random tweet about undefeated teams. What was really concerning, though, was a small thread of thought that UCLA's upset of Baylor Saturday was diminished because of the absence of coach Kim Mulkey and second-best scorer Lauren Cox from the Bear contingent.

We heard this kind of talk earlier in the year, when some maintained that South Carolina's Championship didn't mean as much because they hadn't had to face UConn to get it. While on paper it might seem like a legitimate beef, in the true spirit of competition, such a line of thinking is nothing but sour grapes.

Sports fans take the biological human tendency of comparison to obscene extremes. They compare athletes and teams from different eras, the same eras, and invent hypothetical situations. They crunch unlikely statistics, make imaginary trades at the pro level, and project results and outcomes far, far in advance.

Obviously, the ideal situation is when all on two competing teams are healthy and able to perform at their peak. But reality is not always ideal.

If UCLA beats Connecticut tonight, there will be a contingent of naysayers who will say it was because Husky guard Katie Lou Samuelson was injured and unable to play. They will more than likely neglect to mention that the Bruins are missing injured guard Lindsey Corsaro, Ashley Hearn and transfer Japreece Dean, who is waiting to be activated. It will be the same people who discounted that Mulkey's right hand, associate head coach Bill Brock, coached Baylor well over the weekend, and that Kalani Brown doubled her scoring average in the game.

Sports, like life, isn't fair. Houses burn down in wildfires, but people still have to go to work. Injuries happen, but teams still have to play. You have to take what you have and make it work.

Plenty of teams in sports history have made bad situations work for them. Perhaps most notoriously in recent memory was the 2012 Indiana Fever, who were missing key players in their Championship run, but still hoisted the trophy at the end. Truly, there are no excuses. True champions step up in the face of adversity and perform. Connecticut fans are famous for saying, "don't hate, just be more like us." The same is true in reverse.

Don't discount an upset just because conditions weren't "ideal." A win is a win. No ifs, and's or buts about it.

In the midst of week two

Today's results:

#12 Tennessee struggled, but got the win over Wichita State, 68-56.

Utah took down Purdue, 81-68.

Chattanooga handed Indiana their first loss of the season, 64-61.

Ball State is undefeated after their 88-79 win over Vanderbilt, which is still winless.

Same situation with Penn State and Central Connecticut and NC State and Old Dominion.

USC put away Long Beach State, 75-60.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule features #1 UConn at #5 UCLA.

College team news:

The Beavers learned lessons in their loss to Notre Dame yesterday.

UConn will visit John Wooden's home before their matchup against UCLA tomorrow night.

A new season and different results for Rutgers.

Ohio continues to improve its offense as it prepares for tougher competition.

College player news:

Asia Durr is ESPNW's player of the week.

The Louisville star is on Around the Rim this week.

ESPN talks with UConn's Gabby Williams.

International news:

Does Liz Cambage try to injure opponents?

Much shifting in this week's AP top 25 poll

Changes abound in this week's AP top 25 poll:

1. Connecticut
2. Texas
3. South Carolina
4. Louisville
5. UCLA'
6. Notre Dame
7. Mississippi State
8. Baylor
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon
11. West Virginia
12. Tennessee
13. Florida State
14. Stanford
15. Maryland
16. Duke
17. South Florida
18. Oregon State
19. Texas A&M
20. Marquette
21. California
22. Kentucky
23. Missouri
24. Arizona State
25. Michigan

Oklahoma out, Arizona State in.

Coach’s Chair: Charlotte Smith, Elon University

This week in the Coach's Chair is Charlotte Smith, Elon University.

Many teams have yet to lose

Upset:

Villanova took down #11 Duke, 64-55.

Almost-upset:

#6 Notre Dame escaped #18 Notre Dame, 72-67.

#25 Kentucky edged Washington State, 73-68.

More results:

#1 UConn hit the boards to defeat #15 Maryland, 97-72.

#5 Louisville locked down #10 Oregon to win the WNIT preseason championship, 74-61.

#9 Ohio State downed Washington, 85-76, but Buckeye coach Kevin McGuff wasn't pleased with his team's effort.

#20 Cal held off Brown, 89-79, behind Kristine Anigwe's 28 points and 25 rebounds.

Among the teams that are still undefeated after today's games: Arizona State, Rutgers, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Villanova, Northern Colorado, Kansas State, North Dakota State, Iowa, Dayton, Stony Brook, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Penn State and Purdue.

Among the undefeated ranked teams after today's games: Connecticut, South Carolina, Texas, Louisville, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, UCLA, West Virginia, Tennessee, Florida State and Kentucky.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule includes some interesting matchups.

College team news:

After losing to UConn, Maryland coach Brenda Frese focuses on the future.

#23 Missouri got past Missouri State, 69-59.

College coach news:

Lady Vol assistant coach Bridgette Gordon feels another emotional twist in her return.

WNBA news:

Winning the draft lottery may not lead to a jackpot for the WNBA's new Las Vegas franchise.

No. 8 UCLA controls the tempo to upend No. 3 Baylor, 82-68.

Check out our game story and photo gallery.

Some takedowns

Upsets:

#8 UCLA upended #3 Baylor, 82-68. My story and photo gallery later.

Green Bay took down South Dakota State, 55-41, to move to 3-0.

Colorado knocked off Miami, 67-61.

Still lots of undefeated teams left......

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule features #10 Oregon at #5 Louisville for the preseason WNIT championship.

College player news:

Marina Mabrey is anxious to put a rough stretch behind her for Notre Dame.

College officiating news:

A conversation with NCAA women's basketball official Dee Kantner.

WNBA news:

Layshia Clarendon recently married her college sweetheart.

No surprises on day seven

Today's results so far:

#1 UConn routed #20 Cal, 82-47.

#17 Florida State handled Florida, 84-54.

#21 Oklahoma outlasted SMU, 87-75.

Tulane topped Vanderbilt, 71-59.

Indiana edged Western Kentucky, 73-71.

Arizona is 2-0 after a 65-49 win over Utah State.

George Mason beat Old Dominion, 66-53, and the Monarchs are off to a tough start.

St. Louis 79, Ole Miss 64.

Still several games in progress at this hour.

Scores thus far.

Tomorrow's schedule features #3 Baylor at #8 UCLA (and I can't wait).

College team news:

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey isn't with the team this weekend after her daughter's miscarriage. Associate head coach Bill Brock will coach the team against UCLA tomorrow.

Final Four contenders? Behind the scenes with Louisville.

Maryland is younger and UConn is still UConn.

UC Davis enters the season with something to prove.

After a strong season last year, Harvard looks to carry on their success.

College player news:

Katelynn Flaherty became Michigan's all-time leading scorer last night.

Chen Yue's journey from China to Cal basketball.

Amber Jamison is taking a season-long leave of absence from Northwestern.

Lauren Prochaska is ready for her senior season at DePaul.

San Diego State's freshmen are ready to make a splash.

College coach news:

Christie Sides has resigned as assistant coach at Northwestern to take an unspecified WNBA job.

Another triple-dub for that Oregon player

Today's results:

#10 Oregon topped #19 Texas A&M, 83-68. But the biggest story was Sabrina Ionescu's triple-double: 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It is the sixth triple-double of her career, as a sophomore, and it ties the Pac-12 record. She is one shy of tying the NCAA record.

#5 Louisville surged past #24 Michigan, 74-49.

Oregon and Louisville will play each other for the preseason WNIT Championship.

#23 Missouri staved off Wright State with late free throws, 82-80.

#15 Maryland overcame Niagara, despite distractions.

#4 South Carolina rolled past Clemson, 66-36.

Nebraska is 3-0 after an 80-69 win over Arkansas.

Georgia's freshmen sent them to a 64-61 win over Virginia.

Rutgers is 3-0 after routing Charlotte, 77-54.

Princeton edged Seton Hall, 85-83.

Northwestern stopped Oakland, 88-70.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

College team news:

South Carolina won't attend an event at the White House honoring several college national champions.

It was too late by the time the Gamecocks were invited.

San Diego State arrived at a compromise over anthem protests.

Missouri is seen as the SEC's rising power.

Drake's social media game is getting it exactly right.

Here's what 'playing at home' looks like for Cincinnati.

College player news:

Q&A with Wisconsin sophomore Kendra Van Leeuwen.

Louisville star Asia Durr on Around the Rim.

The college season:

Kara Lawson previews the season.

Reunion to remember:

Oklahoma State recently remembered the four who died in a plane crash in 2011, including coach Kurt Budke, with a memorial.

WNBA news:

Chris Sienko has been named general manager of the Atlanta Dream.

Overseas update.

Candace Parker and former husband Shelden Williams have dropped the price of the house they are trying to sell.

Sydney Wiese feels the need for speed in the WNBL.

Indications

Today's results:

Northern Colorado is not playin: they beat LSU, 58-50.

Penn State, who held walk-on tryouts two weeks ago, is 3-0 after beating Marshall, 80-65.

Maybe Washington isn't bad after all? They just took down BYU, 80-72.

South Dakota State 66, North Dakota 62.

Green Bay 67, Wisconsin 34.

Binghamton 77, Penn 72.

Purdue 75, Miami Ohio 66.

Iowa 105, Northern Illinois 80.

Colorado 76, Florida Atlantic 69.

Arizona State 81, Fresno State 69.

The ranked teams all blew out their opponents.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule, where the most intriguing match up might be #10 Oregon at #19 Texas A&M.

#24 Michigan at #5 Louisville looks pretty fun, too.

College team news:

Mississippi State is looking for a "shot chaser."

Cal is traveling to Storrs for a showdown with Connecticut Friday.

The growth of their freshmen will be key for UCLA in upcoming games.

A busy five-day stretch will test the Buckeyes.

Georgia will begin a difficult non-conference schedule against Virginia.

Cornell looks to improve after a slow start.

College player news:

The NCAA's first starting five of the season.

A’ja Wilson makes sure her Gamecock teammates know: ‘You just gotta beat Clemson.'

Jessica Shepard is making an immediate impact for the Irish. She has a big role.

Wisconsin freshman Niya Beverley is off to an encouraging start.

Oregon's international players are set for a big season.

You better remember Duck guard Sabrina Ionescu's name.

The Chanelle Molina factor is key for Washington State.

Sophomore Jordan Chavis is providing steady play for Missouri.

College coach news:

First-year coach Natasha Adair has won over Delaware players.

College commissioner news:

Val Ackerman's cool job: Big East Commissioner.

Recruiting news:

No. 5 recruit Olivia Nelson-Ododa has committed to UConn.

Is the recruiting class of Baylor or UConn better?

WNBA news:

What's next for the Liberty?

Jim Dolan parting ways with the Liberty was only a matter of time.

For Katie Smith, central Ohio is home.

The WNBA leads all professional sports leagues in hiring women and minorities.

International news:

Saudi Arabia holds its first women's basketball tournament.

First mid-major rankings

ESPN's first mid-major rankings of the season have South Dakota State at the top spot:

1. South Dakota State
2. Northern Colorado
3. Green Bay
4. Middle Tennessee State
5. Western Kentucky
6. Florida Gulf Coast
7. New Mexico
8. Belmont
9. Hampton
10. Western Illinois

Wonder why they never try to rank mid-majors preseason.

William and Mary’s Misha Jones: Taking the lead

Our writer's journey to being team captain of her squad.

Awesome stuff.

John R. Wooden Award preseason top 30

The candidates:

Kristine Anigwe, California

Ariel Atkins, Texas

Monique Billings, UCLA

Allazia Blockton, Marquette

Kalani Brown, Baylor

Lexie Brown, Duke

Jordin Canada, UCLA

Napheesa Collier, Connecticut

Sophie Cunningham, Missouri

Asia Durr, Louisville

Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan

Rebecca Greenwell, Duke

Ruthy Hebard, Oregon

Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville

Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon

Tynice Martin, West Virginia

Brooke McCarty, Texas

Brittany McPhee, Stanford

Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State

Jaime Nared, Tennessee

Kia Nurse, Connecticut

Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame

Mercedes Russell, Tennessee

Katie Lou Samuelson, Connecticut

Azurá Stevens, Connecticut

Shakayla Thomas, Florida State

Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State

Morgan William, Mississippi State

Gabby Williams, Connecticut

A'ja Wilson, South Carolina

No surprises today

Today's results:

Jessica Shepard led #6 Notre Dame past Western Kentucky, 78-65.

Northern Iowa outlasted Iowa State, 57-53, for their first victory over the Cyclones since 2002.

Cassie Breen's 31 points paced Central Michigan past Vanderbilt, 92-75.

Arkansas State edged Florida, 70-69.

South Dakota 73, Creighton 68.

Santa Clara 68, UC Santa Barbara, 63.

San Diego State 58, CSUN 55.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule.

College team news:

Louisville is the NCAA's first Team of the Week.

After Maryland, here’s what we’ve learned about Tyasha Harris and South Carolina.

Iowa is having a good early start.

College player news:

Jazmine Jones is the true X-factor for Louisville.

Montana State is leaning on Hannah Caudill.

West Virginia freshman Destiny Harden is learning on the fly.

Freshman Isis Young is bringing a jolt of energy to Syracuse.

Shay Colley's selfless, running back style of play is leading deep Michigan State.

College coach news:

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey's unborn grandchild is dealing with a life-threatening heart defect.

WNBA news:

Madison Square Garden Company announced Tuesday that it wants to sell the New York Liberty.

Q&A with new Dream coach Nicki Collen on her move to Atlanta.

Day four indicators: this season will be wild

Upsets:

DePaul beat #21 Oklahoma, 111-108 in OT, on a buzzer-beater shot.

New Mexico upended #16 Marquette, 88-87.

Almost an upset:

#4 South Carolina held off #15 Maryland, 94-86.

Wait a minute:

All these 100-point-plus games by day four of the season??

More eyebrow-raising results:

Loyola Marymount edged St. Louis on a buzzer-beater, 62-60.

Virginia Tech topped Auburn, 72-63.

Rutgers is 2-0 after their 84-67 win over Temple.

Colorado State ran way from Gonzaga, 65-49.

All scores.

There are 46 games on tap tomorrow.

College team news:

Stars and teams shined on opening weekend.

Southern begins a 10-game, two-month road trip tomorrow.

Nebraska signed a recruiting class this fall that better's last year's class.

College player news:

Myisha Hines-Allen and Asia Durr are swelling expectations for Louisville.

The return of Hines-Allen has given the Cardinals title hopes.

Highly-touted Satou Sabally is quickly proving her worth at Oregon.

St. Louis' Jackie Kemph stars with a balance sheet or a basketball.

Crystal Dangerfield is living up to the hype at UConn.

Cal sophomore Mi'Cole Cayton tore her ACL in the season opener and is out for the year.

Missouri freshmen Kelsey Winfrey feature.

College coach news:

Joanne Aluka-White has been elevated to associate head coach.

Recruiting news:

How Baylor got the #1 draft class.

WNBA news:

Las Vegas won the first pick in the 2018 draft tonight. Indiana will take second pick and Chicago will grab picks three and four.

Liberty coach Katie Smith on being a lifelong Buckeye, and her leadership style.

AP top 25 poll, week one

This week's rankings:

1. UConn
2. Texas
3. Baylor
4. South Carolina
5. Louisville
6. Notre Dame
7. Mississippi State
8. UCLA
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon
11. Duke
12. West Virginia
13. Tennessee
14. Stanford
15. Maryland
16. Marquette
17. Florida State
18. Oregon State
19. Texas A&M
20. California
21. Oklahoma
22. South Florida
23. Missouri
24. Michigan
25. Kentucky

Coach’s Chair: Tony Bozzella, Seton Hall University

The warm-hearted New Jersey coach is in the chair this week.

A bit of amazing

Epic performances:

#9 Louisville toppled #5 Ohio State in overtime, 95-90. Asia Durr led the Cardinals with 47 points. And what an exciting, gut-buster of a game. This is going to be a great season.

Taeler Deer paced Texas State past Texas Tech, 87-70, with 44 points.

Sabrina Ionescu's triple-double led Oregon over Drake, 110-77.

More results:

The #14 Lady Vols set the tone in their season opener.

#1 UConn handled #10 Stanford, 78-53.

North Carolina beat Colorado in overtime, 87-80.

#12 Duke was challenged by Grand Canyon, but prevailed, 74-61. Rebecca Greenwell passed the 1,500-point career mark.

Arkansas is 2-0 after their win today. Five players were in double figures.

Wisconsin 80, Charlotte 66.

Seton Hall 67, Wake Forest 57.

South Dakota State 97, George Washington 88.

Idaho State 79, Washington 59.

Saint Mary's 81, Washington State 75.

FGCU 85, Illinois 61.

Montana State 62, Long Beach State 51.

All scores.

Tomorrow's schedule features #4 South Carolina at #15 Maryland.

College team news:

Five takeaways from Louisville's win over Ohio State.

Stanford is off to an historically bad start.

In its first road trip of the season, South Carolina’s strength will be tested.

Transfers are set to lead the way for Florida State this season.

Arizona State embarks into a new era.

“So much love and support:” Marquette features home-grown talent.

There are great expectations for a more experienced FGCU.

A culture change in the works at Kent State?

College player news:

Check out a young Asia Durr in this Atlanta Dream commercial.

After the death of her father, LSU freshman Khayla Pointer refused to miss the season opener.

Shaelyn Martin is back for Kansas State.

Second-graders fill Pittsburg State's Mikaela Burgess' cheering section.

College coach news:

Megan Duffy debuted with a win as Miami, Ohio's coach.

UCLA-Presbyterian photo gallery

Amazing photos from today's UCLA win over Presbyterian.

Tennessee season preview: Lady Vols will rely on both veterans and newcomers

Our popular annual feature previewing the team is here.

Day two, and all is cool

Today's results:

#16 Missouri redeemed themselves with a 66-51 win over Quinnipiac. Jordan Frericks had 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Tigers.

Iowa needed an overtime to put away Western Kentucky, 104-97.

Green Bay 60, Chattanooga 30.

Michigan State 100, Robert Morris 58.

Minnesota 107, Lehigh 73.

All scores.

Tomorrow's game schedule features several season debuts, including Tennessee's.

College team news:

UConn and Stanford renew their rivalry to start the season.

Iowa won the Hawkeye Challenge today, but lost Kathleen Doyle to an ankle injury.

Stony Brook's revamped roster is growing game by game.

Boise State has the respect of their opponents, and looks to another Mountain West title.

College coach news:

Cam Newbauer is the first male head coach in Florida history.

Honors:

Kayla McBride was inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor today.

LSU will retire Sylvia Fowles' jersey tomorrow.

UTEP honored Kanequa Chancellor, who died in a plane crash.

Game stories

UCLA opens season in record-breaking fashion.

Oregon’s new commitment to defense shows against CSUN.

Some shockers and some history on opening day

What an opening day!!!!!

It is so very awesome to be back.

Upsets:

Western Kentucky 79, #16 Missouri 76.

Northern Colorado 94, #25 DePaul 88.

Almost-upsets:

#19 Oregon State pulled away from North Dakota in the game's final minutes to win, 65-55.

#20 Cal got by Saint Mary's, 87-80.

No. 23 South Florida got by LSU, 61-55.

Herstory:

#8 UCLA broke the program scoring record with a 129-69 win over San Jose State. Jordin Canada became only the second Bruin (after Ann Meyers Drysdale) to notch a second triple-double (her first was last year). She had 26 points, 11 steals and 10 assists.

#5 Ohio State's Stephanie Mavunga broke a school record with 26 rebounds in their win over #10 Stanford.

#22 Oklahoma retired Courtney Paris' jersey tonight.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder notched career win 700.

The Gamecocks hung their banner.

No other surprises, but some interesting scores.

Thoughts/points of interest:

Washington State was supposed to be amazing, but they lost to UC Davis.

Rutgers started out with a win.

So did Loyola Marymount.

UC Santa Barbara is picking up where they left off, as is Navy.

Middle Tennessee over Vanderbilt and Hampton over North Carolina.

USC, Colorado, Arizona and #11 Oregon all making strong statement wins in the Pac-12.

First-year Pepperdine coach Delisha Milton-Jones getting her first win, over Long Beach State.

First-year Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors getting an inaugural win.

It's going to be an awesome season.

Tomorrow's game schedule.

Candidates for the inaugural Lisa Leslie Award

This new award will honor the top center in the country. The nominees:

Kalani Brown, Baylor

Azura Stevens, Connecticut

Becca Jones, Drake University

Erin Mathias, Duke

Chatrice White, Florida State

Alyssa Rice, Kentucky

Hallie Thome, Michigan

Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State

Cierra Porter, Missouri

Akela Maize, NC State

Vionise Pierre-Louis, Oklahoma

Kaylee Jensen, Oklahoma State

Marie Gulich, Oregon State

A'ja Wilson, South Carolina

Alanna Smith, Stanford

Mercedes Russell, Tennessee

Khaalia Hillsman, Texas A&M

Monique Billings, UCLA

Kristen Simon, USC

Emily Potter, Utah

Opening day, so far

College team news:

Five storylines to watch unfold this year.

Oregon State is still confident in the wake of key departures.

UConn looks to blend transfers, freshmen and All-Americans in their quest for a title.

Seasoned Grambling State is eyeing the SWAC title.

Utah is counting on depth, but coach Lynne Roberts wants more toughness.

In the nicest possible way, Ball State and their coach are sick of the WNIT.

Oklahoma will retire Courtney Paris' jersey tonight.

Florida has questions to confront ahead of their season opener.

College player news:

Several Pac-12 players have been named to preseason watch lists.

A'ja Wilson is ESPNW's preseason player of the year.

Jamie Nared is adjusting to a leadership role with the Lady Vols.

Minnesota's Carlie Wagner is a leader after learning from Rachel Banham.

Is Azurá Stevens the best Husky of them all?

For Kentucky, there is one indispensable player.

After waiting her turn, Lexi Gussert is ready to make her mark at Michigan State.

Indiana senior Amanda Cahill is making her mark and having fun doing it.

Marie Gulich and Joanna Grymek are benefiting from post battles for the Beavers.

Wichita State's freshmen are bonding over their International experience.

Chico State star Whitney Branham is playing through spina bifida.

Recruiting news:

No. 1 recruit Christyn Williams has chosen UConn.