Play.
The game-winning layup was hit by Emily Engstler.
Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 50-48 on a layup by Emily Engstler. (0:38)
9:00 AM
The women's college basketball season hasn't played out as expected. Texas, which was ranked 25th in the preseason AP Top 25, is now ranked 9th. Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina are still perfect. The NET says that Nebraska is a top 10 team.
It has been difficult to define what qualifies as an upset. The transfers this past offseason have contributed to the uncertainty. The transfer portal has caused teams to have completely different identities. It has been difficult to figure out which players will have the most impact in their new environments.
Nine of the 25 players who made the preseason list are not included in the updated transfer rankings. A player's impact on their team's success was the most important factor in the rankings. Which teams are now elite because of a veteran addition? Which players have changed the program? The 25 best are ranked.
Play.
NC State's lead was increased when Diamond Johnson hit a jumper.
1. Diamond Johnson is from NC State.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights used to be there.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is 12.8PPG, 5.2RPG, 45.8% 3PT.
Johnson is sometimes the best player on the team despite coming off the bench all season. She has given coach Wes Moore a dynamic ball handler and shooter to focus the offense around on nights when the defense is focused on center Elissa Cunane and has been able to fit perfectly in the backcourt with veteran Raina Perez.
2. The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a person named JazShelley.
The school was the Oregon Ducks.
The stat is 13.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 4.5 APG.
It turned out to be the perfect match when Lincoln, Nebraska, met Australia. The Cornhuskers have been transformed by a member of the Australian national team. They were 13-13 last year. They are 13-1 on the season after a convincing win over top 10 Michigan on Tuesday night, in which the team's leading scorer,Shelley, recorded her fourth double-double of the season.
3. Kamilla Cardoso is from South Carolina.
The school was Syracuse Orange.
The stat for the year is 6.7 PPG, 5.6RPG, 1.7 BPG.
It isn't easy putting up big numbers playing behind or next to Aliyah Boston, but Cardoso has been a vital part of the Gamecocks' early-season dominance. Her skills around the basket have allowed Boston more freedom to shine, and Cardoso has become the interior anchor for HerHoopStats.com's highest-rated defense in the nation.
4. Aliyah Matharu is a member of the Texas Longhorns.
The Mississippi State Dogs were previous school.
The stat for the year is: 15.6PPG, 3.3RPG, 48.5% FG.
The secret formula for Matharu may have been getting back to Vic Schaefer's coaching. The smooth-shooting junior has gone from a 10.3 points-per-game scorer to the leading scorer on a top 10 team after the coach who recruited her left for Austin.
Play.
Texas' Aliyah Matharu picked up the pocket of her friend, and took it to the bucket.
5. Carlie Littlefield is a student at the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The school that was previous was the Princeton Tigers.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is 9.8PPG, 3.2RPG, 3.1 APG.
The coach-player reunion in Chapel Hill has paid dividends. Littlefield played for the Tar Heels' coach at the Ivy League school. She's the leader of a young North Carolina team that is looking like a real contender in the conference.
6. LSU Tigers, G, sr.
Texas A&M, Rutgers, and the Bears were previous schools.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is: 14.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.8 APG.
Morris' career has come full circle after she started playing for Kim Mulkey. Morris is back playing for Mulkey after a brief stop at Rutgers. Morris and Pointer have helped the Tigers go from being picked to finish eighth in the SEC preseason poll to possibly being South Carolina's biggest threat.
7. Emily is a Louisville Cardinal.
The school was Syracuse Orange.
The stat for the year of 22 is: 10.5 PPG, 8.3RPG, 2.5 SPG.
One transfer who hasn't surprised anyone is Engstler. She is having the same statistical season as she had last year at Syracuse. Versatility is Engstler's greatest strength. She can shoot a 3-pointer and pass like a point guard. The coach has used all those skills to get the Cards to the top five.
8. Jordan Lewis is a member of the Bears.
The school was Alabama Crimson Tide.
The stat for the year is 12.5 PPG, 2.8RPG, and 4.9 APG.
It hasn't been easy for the Bears this season, but they have two of the best players in the country in Lewis and Smith. Her shooting isn't as good as it was a year ago in Tuscaloosa, but assists and turnovers are up as she quarterbacks a team looking for a 12th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title.
9. Maya Dodson is a student at Notre Dame.
The previous school was the Cardinal.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is 12.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG.
Dodson opted out of the Notre Dame football team last season due to concerns about COVID-19, but he is starting to thrive at Notre Dame. Dodson is a true post presence who also runs the floor well and he is coming off two games in a row in which he scored 28 and 26 points.
10. Moon Ursin is a member of the Green Wave.
The LSU Tigers/Baylor Bears were previous schools.
The stat of the year is 15.5 PPG, 9.7RPG, 3.8 APG.
After four years as a role player specializing in defense, smarts and toughness, Ursin is enjoying showing off the skills that once made her a high school star in Louisiana. In scoring and rebound, Ursin is third in the conference and second in field goal and free throw percentage. She has put up six double-doubles.
11. Taylor Mikesell is a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The previous school was the Maryland Terrapins.
The stat is 17.7 PPG, 3.3RPG, 51.1%.
Mikesell's game has never been this good, but shooting is the foundation of it. She was struggling in her one season in Eugene, so perhaps returning to her home state to finish her career was the right thing to do. Mikesell is second in the country in makes per game, and she makes over half of her 3-point attempts. Mikesell arrived in Columbus just in time to help the Buckeyes survive in the Big Ten.
12. Chrislyn Carr is from Syracuse.
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders were a previous school.
The stat for the year is: 15.1 PPG, 2.8RPG, 41.5%.
Carr, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year at Texas Tech, didn't play a game in his home state and instead went to Syracuse where he got more chances. She has taken full advantage of her position as the leader of the Orange. Carr's streak of four straight 20-point games helped Syracuse break out of a 2-4 start with six consecutive wins that might have saved the season.
Play.
Dorka Juhasz dropped in an and-1 to extend the lead.
13. Dorka Juhasz is a member of the University of Connecticut.
The school that preceded Ohio State was.
The stat is 5.7 PPG, 6.1RPG, 44.4% FG.
After a few weeks in Storrs, Juhasz began to find her feet. They haven't played a game in over a month, but in the two games they played before the break, Juhasz saved the team with 16 points and 16 rebound against UCLA and 15 points and eight rebound against Louisville.
14. Celeste Taylor is a member of the Duke Blue Devil.
The Texas Longhorns were previous school.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is 12.2 PPG, 6.3RPG, 2.3 SPG.
The Duke coach has pulled together nine transfers and two freshmen to start the season. Taylor has been the best of the new players and she needed that leadership. She is the most reliable perimeter defender for the Blue Devil.
15. UCLA Bruins, F, sr. is IImar'I Thomas.
The school that was previous was the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The stat is 18.0 PPG, 4.3RPG, 59.3% FG.
A year ago, Cori Close brought in four transfers to bolster the roster. Thomas has been the best. The Bruins' season has been disrupted by injuries and six canceled COVID-19 exams. The low-post scoring of Thomas has helped keep them afloat.
16. Quay Miller is a member of the Colorado Buffaloes.
The Washington Huskies were a previous school.
The stat is 12.2 PPG, 5.6RPG, 64.0% FG.
Highly efficient, Miller is sixth in the country in field goal percentage and is putting up all-conference-type numbers while playing less than 20 minutes per game. The Buffalos are off to a great start in the nonconference season with the help of Miller and Hollingshed.
Play.
Alexus Dye goes through the paint to put up a reverse and-1 layup.
17. Alexus Dye is a member of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
The Troy Trojans were previous students.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is: 10.1PPG, 8.4RPG, 42.5% FG.
Without star Rae Burrell, Tennessee flourished all season. There is a reason. The Lady Vols' style was compatible with the 6-0 Dye. The best rebound trio in the country is formed by Dye, Jordan and Key.
18. Elizabeth Balogun is a member of the Duke Blue Devil.
Georgia Tech/Louisville are previous schools.
The stat for the year is 11.5PPG, 4.8RPG, 53.3% FG.
Without the past two weeks, Balogun might not have been as high on the list. In Duke's past three games, she has scored 14, 22 and 27 points. Her dominance, which included scoring the Blue Devil's final six points against Notre Dame, helped give Duke its most important win of the season.
19. Angel Baker is a member of the Ole Miss Rebels.
The Wright State Raiders were a previous school.
The stat is 9.9PPG, 3.6RPG, 37.5%.
Baker's introduction to the SEC was in the NCAA tournament, when she led a first-round upset of Arkansas. Baker's numbers are down from her days at Wright State, but she has been a key component to the Rebels' continued resurgence under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
20. Goforth is a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Oregon State Beavers were a previous school.
The stat for 2021-22 is 11.5 PPG, 5.2RPG, 1.7 APG.
Goforth's numbers are almost identical to the ones she put up as a freshman at Oregon State a year ago, and she has proven to be one of the most consistent members in Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors' deep rotation. Goforth is one of the more versatile wings in the SEC.
21. JaMya Mingo-Young is a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Mississippi State Dogs were previous school.
The stat for the year is 11.3 PPG, 6.5RPG, and 2.9 APG.
After losing two transfers in the off-season, the addition of Mingo-Young was perhaps even more important for Alabama. They are off to a good start and the 5-5 guard has more than doubled her scoring average from a year ago.
22. Christianna Carr is from Syracuse Orange.
The Kansas State Cats were previous school.
The stat is 13.3 PPG, 5.2RPG, 39.5%.
Carr left Kansas State for Syracuse because she wanted to play for Hillsman. Carr stayed in upstate New York despite Hillsman's dismissal and has become a key part of Syracuse's new roster. Her outside shooting makes her a good fit for the new Orange approach, which favors more 3-pointers and quick defense-to-offense transition.
23. The Mississippi State Bulldog, G, sr., is Anastasia Hayes.
Middle Tennessee Lady Raiders/Tennessee Lady Volunteers were previous schools.
The 2020-21 statistics are as follows: 15.1 PPG, 5.1RPG, 2.8 APG.
Four years ago, she was the SEC's Sixth Woman of the Year. She finished second in the nation in scoring at Middle Tennessee and has settled back into the conference as the second-leading scorer for the Dogs. She has scored in double figures in eight of her nine games despite an eye injury.
24. Karissa McLaughlin is a member of the Golden Eagles.
The previous school was the Boilermakers.
The stat for the year of 2021-22 is 13.1 PPG, 3.3 APG, 44.3%.
McLaughlin averaged in double figures in three of the four seasons she was at Purdue, and she held the program record for career 3-pointers. She is even better at it with the Golden Eagles. She's the second-leading scorer in the Big East and the third-most accurate deep shooter.
25. Sidney Cooks is a member of the Pirates.
The school was Mississippi State and Michigan State.
The stat is 46.5% FG in the year 2021.
It has been a nice resurgence for Cooks this season, despite the fact that it hasn't been a good one. After two years at Michigan State, Cooks made a disappointing stop at Mississippi State but is now having her best season with career highs in points and rebound.
