On 8th December, Kim Mulkey’s LSU took a hit to No. 2 in the NET rankings despite going with a flawless record.

While they are currently seeded No. 5, their season start had them sitting at No. 1 on the NCAA NET ranking, and they were determined to continue it until UConn showed up.

Cut to week 6, the selection committee's updated ranking through games played on Dec 12 has made LSU even more upset.

UConn Stays No. 1

With a 79-51 win over USC in Los Angeles, UConn extended its win streak to 10-0. UConn has already played a tough schedule against ranked teams like Louisville. Further down the week, the Huskies will face Marquette and Iowa before Christmas.

Texas Makes it to No. 2

Vic Schaefer’s Texas gave Baylor its toughest defeat of 89-54 to take No 2 with a 12-0. The Longhorns carry with them momentum from big wins over UCLA and South Carolina. They emerge as UConn's fiercest title challengers.

UCLA takes No. 3

Carrying their mastery of 80-59 over Oregon, UCLA sits at 3. The Bruins have a matchup against Caly Pol before the Pac-12 to round up some sharp edges in their shooting and defense. They make the top 3 with a leap over South Carolina

LSU’s disappointing No. 4

LSU’s run of 11-0 was only good enough for number 4. They overwhelmed Louisiana Tech 87-61. But Kim Mulkey's veteran expertise and dominance only place them at 4 on the NCAA NET rankings.

But it all comes down to the NCAA NET rankings standards for deciding the seed. The LSU Tigers have undoubtedly been impressive, scoring at least 100 points in every game barring one. But most of these games have come against inferior or unranked teams like Marist and New Orleans that LSU was expected to win over anyway.

Wolverines at No. 5

Michigan holds firm at 9-1, their only blemish coming against UConn after a commanding performance of 85-59 against Akron.

The Wolverines have silenced preseason doubts and made it to the top 5 conversation.

Gamecocks pivot to No. 6

South Carolina finds itself at number 6 with a resounding 106-42 over North Carolina Central.

Their deep bench includes Ta'Niya Latson, who has been dominating the paint. South Carolina eyes a return to the top 5.

A No. 7 for the Wildcats

Kentucky beat Belmont 77-69 on Sunday to make an 11-1. Their improving rhythm and rise to the top 10 shows a poise in defense.

Redemption at No. 8 for TCU

TCU dismantled Jacksonville 89-49, pushing its streak to 11 wins. The Horned Frogs' defense and blistering pace keep them at 8, marking one of the sharpest rises.

Maryland’s No. 9

Crushing Delaware State 91-21, the Terrapins are undefeated at 12-0. A blend of offense and defense will help them win over Central Connecticut next week.

For now, they are emerging as strong Big Ten contenders.

Michigan State rounds up at No. 10

As the Spartans prepared to take on DePaul on Sunday, an easy 90-46 win helped their record to 9-1.

The Spartans' interior toughness keeps them competitive even as their ranking slipped.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi