After a brief break from receiving votes in the Associated Press top 25 rankings, the Nebraska women’s basketball team jumped back into national recognition this week.
The Huskers (13-4, 4-2 B1G) received votes in this week’s poll for the first time since the Dec. 30 polls, placing behind four other programs. Nebraska dropped out of the rankings last week following two road losses to two of the top programs in the country, including a 91-54 road beatdown at No. 1 UCLA and a 75-55 defeat at No. 4 USC.
The Huskers then rattled off three straight victories, handling back-to-back home wins in a 72-61 victory over Penn State on Jan. 5 and an 85-80 win over then-rated No. 20 Michigan State. Nebraska then handled its road woes, overcoming Rutgers 69-62 on Sunday.
The Huskers were inching up the Top 25 after the start of the season, beginning the year in the rankings but remaining in the lower portion. Prior to their loss to Georgia Tech, the Huskers were No. 24 in the Dec. 8 edition of the poll. Nebraska was No. 23 to begin the season and peaked at No. 21 prior to the Huskers’ non-conference 80-74 loss at Creighton on Nov. 22.
The Big Ten Conference remained strong at the top of the rankings, including No. 1 UCLA (16-0), and No. 4 USC (16-1). Joining them in the top ten included No. 8 Maryland (15-1) and No. 9 Ohio State (16-0). Despite their loss to the Cornhuskers, Michigan State (13-3) remained in the top 25 at No. 22 while No. 24 Minnesota (16-1) wrapped the conference’s ranked teams. Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa all received votes.
The Big 12 Conference included five programs with No. 10 TCU (17-1), No. 11 Kansas State (17-1), No. 20 West Virginia (13-3), No. 23 Utah (13-3), No. 24 Oklahoma State (14-2). The Southeastern Conference included No. 2 South Carolina (16-1), No. 5 LSU (18-0), and No. 7 Texas (16-2) in the top ten. The SEC also featured No. 12 Kentucky (15-1), No. 13 Oklahoma (14-3), No. 15 Tennessee (14-2), and No. 19 Alabama (16-2).
The Atlantic Coast Conference had No. 3 Notre Dame (14-2) leading the pack while No. 14 North Carolina (15-3), No. 16 Duke (13-4), No. 17 Georgia Tech (15-2), No. 18 California (16-2), and No. 21 North Carolina State (12-4). The Big East Conference only had one team featured with No. 6 UConn (15-2).
Other teams receiving votes included Michigan, Mississippi, Indiana, Creighton, Nebraska, Baylor, Louisville, Harvard, Mississippi, Florida State, Iowa, and Vanderbilt.
The Huskers next top 25 matchup includes a home tilt against No. 9 Ohio State on Jan. 26. Nebraska visits Iowa on Thursday then welcomes Wisconsin on Jan. 20.
Associated Press Top 25
- UCLA
- South Carolina
- Notre Dame
- USC
- LSU
- Uconn
- Texas
- Maryland
- Ohio State
- TCU
- Kansas State
- Kentucky
- Oklahoma
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Duke
- Georgia Tech
- California
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- North Carolina State
- Michigan State
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma State
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