If you subscribe to my newsletter I’m assuming you enjoy my basketball takes. If you don’t and you’ve been hate-reading for this long, I respect that too. It certainly takes dedication. So with the second half of the season underway, allow me to give you a few more things to think about.
Here are five predictions for the rest of the season:
LSU will figure it out
The Tigers have just endured a two-game slide, which is significant because of their atrocious non-conference schedule. Losing to two top SEC teams in Kentucky and Vanderbilt wouldn’t be bad in other situations, but when it’s the only actual competition you play, then it’s an issue.
Yet, I still believe in LSU. The Tigers are too talented to simply fade away and become irrelevant in the SEC. Flau’jae Johnson finished the game against Vanderbilt with zero points, something that I guarantee will not happen again. Johnson is one of the country’s best shot-creators and she has a fire in her that will not allow for another down game.
LSU is going through the “taking their lumps” portion of the season, something that most teams did two months ago, but if they learn from this, the Tigers will come out a better, more competitive team.
USC will not
USC’s recent play has been uninspiring to say the least. In the last month the Trojans have: Lost by 28 to UConn, lost by 34 to UCLA and lost by 5 to an unranked Oregon squad. Losing to No.1 UConn and No. 4 UCLA is respectable, the margin of defeat, however, is not.
The UCLA loss is particularly troubling. Typically, teams can get up for a rivalry game, but USC was out-played in every category. If you can’t find another gear for your cross-town rival, then who can you find extra energy for?
USC did have a 74-66 win over No. 25 Nebraska on December 29, and freshman Jazzy Davidson is a clear talent destined for stardom, but a team with USC’s reputation has to compete with the top teams. Right now, that’s not happening. With JuJu Watkins coming back next season and the addition of top recruits, Saniyha Hall and Sitaya Fagan, it might be time for Trojans fans to start looking forward.
The Big Ten will have the most teams in the NCAA Tournament
The Big Ten is absolutely stacked with 12 teams currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament and nine ranked in the AP top 25. In my opinion, 13 teams have legitimate chances at playing in March Madness, which could stretch to 14 with a couple of upsets.
UCLA is by far the best team in the conference, but after that, teams 2-14 could be beating up on each other all season. This league is so deep that its top two scorers, Northwestern’s Grace Sullivan (23.4 points) and Indiana’s Shay Ciezki (22.8 points) both play for squads that are 0-4 in conference play. They are the type of scorers that can lead a team to an upset, which only adds to the chaos that is about to be the Big Ten this season.
UCLA will have (at least) five players selected in the WNBA draft
The last time five players from the same squad were selected in the WNBA draft was 2023, when No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston was joined by four of her South Carolina teammates in being drafted: Laeticia Amihere, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal and Victaria Saxton.
That was just the fourth time in history such a feat occurred, with Tennessee (1999, 2008) and Notre Dame (2019) also earning the honor.
This season I expect UCLA to join the club. The Bruins have five players averaging double-figures this season and all five have WNBA skills. Lauren Betts, a 6-7 center is a generational talent who should be selected No.1 to play alongside Paige Bueckers for the Dallas Wings. After that, guards KiKi RIce and Gianna Kneepkens are clear talents and Gabriela Jaquez is seeing her draft stock skyrocket after an incredible start to the season. The versatility of 6-4 guard/forward Angela Dugalic should also be enough for her to be selected.
And for an added bonus: Fifth-year senior point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker could play her way into draft conversations, raising the total to six potential draftees.
UConn will win it’s 13th title
Not exactly a hot take, I know, but one that I feel Strong-ly about (get it?). Sarah Strong is the best player in the country by a wide margin. The forward is so good that by the time she leaves UConn, I expect her to be the best Husky in history – an insane feat for a team that has won 12 national titles and produced 27 All-Americans and 21 first-round picks in the WNBA draft. A talent like that can almost single-handedly propel her team to a championship, but Strong doesn’t have to go at it alone.
She’s got talent all around her, starting with Azzi Fudd, who happens to be the best pure shooter in the country, an excellent shot-creator and a top-tier defender to boot. Freshman Blanca Quiñonez is a budding talent in her own right and the rest of the Huskies simply do their jobs and do them well.
This could be the start of another UConn dynasty run.