It is rare in any sport to find a matchup that has it all. There are so many factors that elevate excitement around a game that it is hard to combine them all at once. But as things stand, the meeting between the UCLA and USC women’s basketball teams this week fits the bill as the perfect game.
You want elite teams? The Bruins and Trojans are both ranked in the top six. How about stars? Lauren Betts and JuJu Watkins are just two of the big names that will lace ‘em up at Galen Center Thursday. Top coaches? Cori Close and Lindsay Gottlieb are among the nation’s best. High stakes? UCLA is protecting an undefeated record, and the winner will top the conference.
That is to say nothing of the obvious off-court storyline at play: Both teams are based in a city still reeling from the wildfires that devastated Southern California. Basketball is very much an unimportant consideration in comparison to such destruction, but both these teams have forged ahead while their seasons were disrupted by the fires.
This game is a battle between two heavyweights both vying to be the face of a city facing great challenges. The game has everything.
No. 1 UCLA Bruins
Projected seed: 1
This week’s schedule: at USC Thu. (Peacock), vs. Michigan State Sun.
Until someone beats them, the Bruins are staying right here at No. 1. Whether that will happen this week remains unclear, but if UCLA can get through No. 6-ranked USC and No. 22-ranked Michigan State, its path forward is fairly clear. The Bruins would not play another ranked team until March 1 – the regular season finale and a rematch with USC at Pauley Pavilion.
No. 6 USC Trojans
Projected seed: 2
This week’s schedule: vs. UCLA Thu. (Peacock), at Washington Sun.
The Trojans appear to have their mojo fully back following their road loss to Iowa. They enter Thursday’s game coming off a 22-point road win over Wisconsin and a 21-point demolition of No. 9 Ohio State in front of the Trojan faithful. USC still has every opportunity to win the Big Ten’s regular season crown.
No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes
Projected seed: 3
This week’s schedule: vs. Minnesota Thu. (Peacock)
Two double-digit losses on the Los Angeles road trip hurt the Buckeyes’ elite contender cred, but this is still one of the 10 best teams in the country. Ohio State’s January loss at Penn State is more of a problem than losing to two of the best teams in the nation. Do not sleep on this team in March.
No. 17 Maryland Terrapins
Projected seed: 5
This week’s schedule: vs. Nebraska Thu.
Maryland scored solid road victories over both Oregon and Washington on its Pacific Northwest road trip, which is a tougher task than it might appear. The Terps will get to enjoy the comforts of home with two formidable teams coming to town in Nebraska and Michigan.
No. 22 Michigan State Spartans
Projected seed: 5
This week’s schedule: vs. Wisconsin Wed., at UCLA Sun.
The Spartans have stumbled slightly in dropping games to Oregon and Michigan in their last three outings. Dropping those games at home is troubling, as is their 60-point scoring average across the two. A home game against Wisconsin is Michigan State’s last respite, because it finishes the season at UCLA, at USC, vs. Indiana, at Ohio State, vs. Minnesota.
Michigan Wolverines
Projected seed: 8
This week’s schedule: vs. Indiana Wed.
You could argue that no one in the Big Ten had a better week than the Wolverines, who secured two double-digit road wins over good teams in Nebraska and Michigan State. Michigan avoids the conference’s top three the rest of the way, but four of their five remaining games are against projected tournament teams.
Indiana Hoosiers
Projected seed: 9
This week’s schedule: at Michigan Wed., vs. Purdue Sat.
The Hoosiers had bounced back from their three-game losing streak at the end of January with a three-game hot streak until they fell at Minnesota on Sunday. Indiana sees Purdue twice before this season is out but also has matchups at Michigan, vs. Ohio State, at Michigan State and vs. Maryland, so there is still work to be done to solidify their position.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Projected seed: 9
This week’s schedule: vs. Penn State Thu., vs. Nebraska Sun.
For the most part, the Illini’s six-game winning streak can be attributed to playing bad teams – five of the six have come against teams outside the top 110 in NET Ranking. But that stretch also saw a road win at Maryland, and four of the five wins against lowly teams came by double digits. Translation: Illinois is taking care of business.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Projected seed: 9
This week’s schedule: vs. Rutgers Thu.
The Hawkeyes have not lost since their five-game January skid, with three of their four consecutive wins coming against projected tournament teams. The underlying metrics like Iowa more than its record would indicate, so do not be surprised if this team continues to climb in seeding before postseason play.
Oregon Ducks
Projected seed: 10
This week’s schedule: vs. Washington Wed., at Minnesota Sun.
It is hard to ding the Ducks too much for losing three straight to Michigan, Maryland and UCLA, but the latter two games were opportunities for statement home wins, and Oregon was not close to winning either. The Ducks do not see any of the conference’s elite teams the rest of the way, but they will see a lot of the other teams battling up the lower seeds.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Projected seed: 10
This week’s schedule: at Ohio State Thu. (Peacock), vs. Oregon Sun.
Beating Indiana was huge for a Golden Gophers team that has taken a beating recently due to its schedule. Things get tough again with a road trip to Ohio State, but the rest of their games this season thereafter are definitely winnable. Regardless, Minnesota is trending toward its best season since 2017-2018.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Projected seed: 11
This week’s schedule: at Maryland Thu., at Illinois Sun.
The Cornhuskers have not beaten a team ranked in the top 100 in NET Rating since Iowa on Jan. 16. Tonight’s rematch with the Hawkeyes kicks off a stretch that exclusively sees them play teams currently in the top 60 before finishing the season at Northwestern. Nebraska will have to dig deep to make the field.
Washington Huskies
Projected seed: 11 (First Four)
This week’s schedule: at Oregon Wed., vs. USC Sun.
The Huskies have lost four of their last five and six of their last eight, which has them hanging by a thread in this field. Five of their final six games come against likely tournament teams, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it offers the opportunity to earn multiple resume-building wins. On the other, each of those victories will be hard-earned.
