BIG TEN WBB 2023-24 Outlook and Overall Early Rankings

[60's Guy]

ESPN RANKINGS
#1 Iowa
#2 Indiana
#3 Ohio State
#4 Maryland
#5 Nebraska
Can the Gophers crack the top 7?
Is Cameron Brink transferring to Iowa? Likely not, 3 teammates did transfer, 6-7 Betts to UCLA but Brink appears to be staying at Stanford.
Will Caitlin Clark play two more years at Iowa? Huge NIL endorsements list.
List. And this
Will Frannie Hottinger become a Gopher? No, she chose Marquette

 

[SHGopher]

ESPN RANKINGS
#1 Iowa
#2 Indiana
#3 Ohio State
#4 Maryland
#5 Nebraska
Can the Gophers crack the top 7?
Is Cameron Brink transferring to Iowa?
Will Caitlin Clark play two more years at Iowa? Huge NIL endorsements list.
List. And this
Will Frannie Hottinger become a Gopher?

Also UCLA and USC joining Big Ten in 1 year. UCLA is ahead of Ohio State. USC would be ahead of Nebraska. Tough league.

 

[60's Guy]

Also UCLA and USC joining Big Ten in 1 year. UCLA is ahead of Ohio State. USC would be ahead of Nebraska. Tough league.

Wow! Is that already next year? I think they are coming in the 24-25 season.
But it’s not going to get easier.

 

[Katogopher]

ESPN RANKINGS
#1 Iowa
#2 Indiana
#3 Ohio State
#4 Maryland
#5 Nebraska
Can the Gophers crack the top 7?
Is Cameron Brink transferring to Iowa?
Will Caitlin Clark play two more years at Iowa? Huge NIL endorsements list.
List. And this
Will Frannie Hottinger become a Gopher?

I would put Illinois in the top 6 as well, I think they have a lot coming back. Michigan is losing a lot but they seem to reload. I would be very disappointed if the Gophers played on weakling Wednesday in the Big Ten Tournament.

 

[SHGopher]

Wow! Is that already next year? I think they are coming in the 24-25 season.
But it’s not going to get easier.

Yea, I meant '24, next year not this one coming up. Thanks.

 

[Gophers112233]

ESPN RANKINGS
#1 Iowa
#2 Indiana
#3 Ohio State
#4 Maryland
#5 Nebraska
Can the Gophers crack the top 7?
Is Cameron Brink transferring to Iowa?
Will Caitlin Clark play two more years at Iowa? Huge NIL endorsements list.
List. And this
Will Frannie Hottinger become a Gopher?

again why would Brink leave Stanford to go to Iowa of all places? Stanford WILL be HER team next year so will be the GO TO PLAYER.. this just seems silly to me.

 

[Gophearl]

IMO Brink isn't going anywhere. I saw on TV a Stanford game where Steph Curry was sitting with her parents. She is happy where she's at.

 

[MaxyJR1]

UCONN and a bunch of these teams coming to William's arena next season. Place should see a quick rebound in attendance. Grab your season tickets now.

 

[SHGopher]

ESPN RANKINGS
#1 Iowa
#2 Indiana
#3 Ohio State
#4 Maryland
#5 Nebraska
Can the Gophers crack the top 7?
Is Cameron Brink transferring to Iowa?
Will Caitlin Clark play two more years at Iowa? Huge NIL endorsements list.
List. And this
Will Frannie Hottinger become a Gopher?

I also think Michigan goes on that list probably before Nebraska.

Minnesota needs to get this right over the next few seasons. Winning generates more winning. Minnesota should have an advantage with all the prospects in the area and being in the Big Ten with a new media contract. This is a golden era of women's basketball with much opportunity to be earned.

On that ESPN list Utah is rated #2. Two Minnesota players help to put them there, Kneepkens and Johnson.




The rich get richer. LSU has the #1 recruiting class in the country coming in.

2023 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100 - ESPN

Get the inside scoop on the top ranked high school girls' basketball players. In-depth player briefings, film and more on ESPNHS.com.

www.espn.com

Two of the top 7 2023 prospects are headed to LSU. Four top-100 players are headed to LSU.





Michigan also has three top-100 players coming in, including Taylor Woodson of Minnesota. And next year Olivia Olson of Minnesota is headed to Michigan too.

 

[60's Guy]

Ya, if we could get to 7th or higher - that’d likely be 19-20 wins at 7th and be a very solid start in year one. And have us in the hunt to make the NCAA Tournament.

 

[Black N Gold]

Gopher fans you have a lot to be excited about! A new coach that fell into a goldmine of talent. The B1G needs teams to step up and play very good basketball. I'm thinking Dawn P. will start out in the same way Shauna Green did for Illinois. Instill fundamentals and go from there. If I were a Gopher fan I'd be really excited! My favorite player for the Gophers is Mallory Heyer.

 

[60's Guy]

Gopher Roster 23-24 returning scholarships: 7
Mara Braun 15.6 ppg Soph G
Mallory Heyer 10.4 ppg Soph F
Amaya Battle 9.0 ppg Soph G
Maggie Czinano 4.9 ppg Jr G
Aminata Zie R-Jr F/C
Niamya Holloway R-Fr F
Sophie Hart Jr C
incoming scholarships: 5
Ayianna Johnson Fr C
Grace Grocholski Fr G/F
Mckinnlie Dalan. Fr F
Kennedy Klick Fr G
Ajok Madol Fr G/F
TRANSFERs: 1
Janay Sanders Sr G
Walk on- Brynn Senden Fr G
Departed:
transfer out Rose Micheaux 13.8 ppg
retired Katie Borowicz 8.5 ppg
Gradwell 4.3 ppg
Cayton 2.4 ppg
Hammond 2.2 ppg
Oberg 1.8 ppg
Counts 1.3 ppg
Ratzlaff .05 ppg
Open Scholarships: 2
Breakdown of Positions Listed on Roster:
6 Guards
2 G/F
3 F
1 FC
2 C
Breakdown of Year in School on Roster:
6 FR
1 RS FR
3 SO
3 JR
1 SR
(let me know about mistakes)

 

[Ragnor]

Gopher Roster 23-24 returning scholarships: 7
Mara Braun 15.6 ppg Soph
Mallory Heyer 10.4 ppg Soph
Amaya Battle 9.0 ppg Soph
Maggie Czinano 4.9 ppg Jr
Aminata Zie R-Jr
Niamya Holloway R-Fr
Sophie Hart Jr
incoming scholarships: 4
Grace Grocholski Fr
Mckinnlie Dalan. Fr
Kennedy Klick Fr
Ajok Madol Fr
walk on- Brynn Senden Fr
Departed:
transfer out Rose Micheaux 13.8 ppg
retired Katie Borowicz 8.5 ppg
Gradwell 4.3 ppg
Cayton 2.4 ppg
Hammond 2.2 ppg
Oberg 1.8 ppg
Counts 1.3 ppg
Ratzlaff .05 ppg
Open Scholarships: 4
(let me know about mistakes)

Do we know Ratzlaff is gone? I heard counts was gone but not Ratzlaff.

 

[bkeller49]

I’m getting impatient to hear who’s coming in from the portal. It’s like musical chairs out there.

 

[gopher572]

Do we know Ratzlaff is gone? I heard counts was gone but not Ratzlaff.

She is not listed on the roster on the website. I am assuming she is not interested in playing elsewhere. She originally was not going to play in college.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

I’m getting impatient to hear who’s coming in from the portal. It’s like musical chairs out there.

And we still have almost a month before the portal closes

 

[GameDay]

Rumors swirling that Celeste Taylor from Duke committed to Ohio State over the weekend and will be going public with it sometime soon. That is a massive addition for a program that's looking to get over the hump and reach the Final Four.

ACC DPOY, Duke's leading scorer this season, Naismith DPOY Finalist (top 4 defensive player in the nation), and projected late 1st rd pick had she declared for the 2023 WNBA draft.

Her and Jacy Sheldon are going to wreak absolute havoc in that press. Going to make it a living hell for other teams in terms of ball security. I can easily see this team forcing close to 20 T/Os a game next season.

 

[60's Guy]

Updated the roster in post #12

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Updated the roster in post #12

Need another update for Ayianna Johnson!!!!

 

[60's Guy]

Need another update for Ayianna Johnson!!!!

Reading better would be helpful!!!!! Or did she change her mind?
And...tell Tony Liebert...his headline is where I got the incorrect spelling.

 

[Hoopsmom]

Reading better would be helpful!!!!! Or did she change her mind?

She’s staying, but you spelled her first name wrong. Ayianna.

 

[60's Guy]

She’s staying, but you spelled her first name wrong. Ayianna.

My apologies to all. I did ask for corrections...just didn't grasp the message. Thank you Hoopsmom!

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Clark, Iowa still the team to beat

May 7—So what if it's early May ... beat writer Joe Vozzelli Jr. offers his preliminary thoughts on how the Big Ten looks with the offseason still fully underway in women's college basketball. Here are his way-too-early Big Ten power rankings 1. Iowa Having the best player in the game brought...

news.yahoo.com

The News-Gazette's Joe Vozzelli ventures a pre-summer ranking. Gophers clock in tenth

1. Iowa

Having the best player in the game brought the Hawkeyes one win shy of a first-ever national title. That Caitlin Clark is back for a fourth season installs Lisa Bluder's team as the clear preseason Big Ten favorites.

2. Ohio State

The Buckeyes put the rest of the league on notice after a deep run at the Big Ten tournament (well, minus that 33-point loss to Iowa). A fifth year for Jacy Sheldon, a star-in-the-making in Cotie McMahon and Duke transfer Celeste Taylor give Ohio State a formidable roster.


3. Indiana

The absence of Grace Berger can't be understated. But surrounding Mackenzie Holmes with veteran shooters means coach Teri Moren still has one of the top rosters in the Big Ten.

4. Maryland

No coach restocks her roster year-after-year better than Brenda Frese. This is now Shyanne Sellers' team, with Diamond Miller in the WNBA. 6-foot wing Jakia Brown-Turner was a key transfer addition.

5. Illinois

Expectations are heightened in C-U. And rightfully so. With all five starters back, Shauna Green's Illini roster got even better with the signing of impact transfer center Camille Hobby. The next task? Moving into the league's top tier.

6. Nebraska

Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski will try to avoid a repeat of what happened late in the season with a February lull costing Amy Williams' Cornhuskers a shot at the NCAA tournament. Nebraska largely underachieved in 2022-23.

7. Michigan

It's been an offseason of upheaval for Kim Barnes Arico's program with Leigha Brown one of the key losses after the star guard exhausted her eligibility. Laila Phelia returning and Missouri transfer Lauren Hansen coming aboard will stabilize things in Ann Arbor.

8. Purdue

Leading scorer Lasha Petree and Cassidy Hardin — described as the team's "mom" — will be missed. Abbey Ellis, Madison Layden and Jayla Smith still ensure the cupboard isn't bare for Katie Gearlds.

9. Rutgers

Kaylene Smikle won't have to do all the heavy lifting again. Or at least that's the hope in Piscataway, N.J.

10. Minnesota

That Mara Braun stayed in Minneapolis for her sophomore season was a big win for first-year coach Dawn Plitzuweit, who replaces Lindsay Whalen.

11. Penn State

Former Illini Jayla Oden's new team will look a lot different with six players leaving after the Nittany Lions' 14-17 season.

12. Michigan State

New coach Robyn Fralick is getting paid like one of the top coaches in the country ($900,000 in base salary for 2023-24).

13. Northwestern

Caileigh Walsh and Caroline Lau look like pieces to build around. But was 2022-23 a blip or the start of a prolonged downturn?

14. Wisconsin

Marisa Moseley has won a combined 19 games in her first two seasons in Madison. Not ideal.

 

[Ragnor]

Clark, Iowa still the team to beat

May 7—So what if it's early May ... beat writer Joe Vozzelli Jr. offers his preliminary thoughts on how the Big Ten looks with the offseason still fully underway in women's college basketball. Here are his way-too-early Big Ten power rankings 1. Iowa Having the best player in the game brought...

news.yahoo.com

The News-Gazette's Joe Vozzelli ventures a pre-summer ranking. Gophers clock in tenth

I think the top 7 is pretty spot on. Minnesota is about the correct spot, but I think Purdue is too high. It will be fun to see how everything pans out.

 

[SHGopher]

"Finish the play" is a major theme for this coaching staff and players, according to reports and interviews. If the team can do a better job of finishing plays and finishing games,:

7 wins or 6 among games against Wisconsin, Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State.

2 wins or 3 against Purdue, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.

Unlikely to beat Iowa, Maryland or Ohio State.

So that conference win range looks like 8 to 10 conference wins.

Rotation depth and ability to finish games are unproven. Need solid 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th players to contribute winning minutes.

If the freshmen are a year off from helping, it could be to the low range. Eventually this team is at 10+ if people stay.

I don't know what the schedule is so these are early ranges.

 

[tripledouble]

A fairly decent next season assessment for the conference rankings, I think. That being said, I'm not sure Iowa will be the top team in the conference. I'm thinking Indiana or OSU...although Indiana is really going to miss Berger and OSU once again has some new transfers to work into their lineup. Iowa lost a lot of experience and that will be difficult to replace. I am also thinking that Nebraska might be slightly overrated and Purdue slightly overrated. If our Gophers can secure the 7th or 8th spot in the conference, that should put them on the NCAA bubble, which IMO is a reasonable expectation for next year. Gophers will also have to avoid any bad non-conference losses to have an NCAA tourney berth.