No. 19 Ohio State back in women’s AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2…
COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in the women’s AP Top 25 poll after a year-long absence. The No. 19 Buckeyes returned to the poll on Monday, marking their first appearance since February 2022.
Ohio State’s return to the poll is a testament to the team’s strong play this season. The Buckeyes have won 10 of their last 12 games, including a 77-69 victory over Michigan on Thursday night.
“I’m proud of our team for their hard work and dedication,” said Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff. “We’ve been playing some great basketball lately, and it’s nice to see that recognized in the poll.”
The Buckeyes are led by a strong trio of players, including senior guard Jacy Sheldon, junior forward Cotie McMahon, and sophomore guard Taylor Thierry. Sheldon is averaging 19.4 points per game, while McMahon is averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Thierry is averaging 12.3 points and 4.5 assists per game.
Ohio State’s return to the poll is also a reflection of the team’s strength of schedule. The Buckeyes have played a tough non-conference schedule, including games against top-ranked teams like UConn and Louisville.
“We’ve played some great teams this season, and we’ve learned a lot from those experiences,” said McGuff. “We’re excited to be back in the poll, but we know that we still have a lot of work to do.”
The UCLA Bruins and UConn Huskies remained the top two teams in the poll, with UCLA receiving 28 of the 30 first-place votes. UConn received the other two first-place votes.
The rest of the top five remained unchanged, with South Carolina, Stanford, and Indiana rounding out the top five.
Ohio State’s return to the poll is a welcome sight for Buckeyes fans, who have been waiting patiently for their team to return to the national stage. The Buckeyes will look to continue their strong play on Thursday night, when they host the Northwestern Wildcats at Value City Arena.
“We’re excited to be back in the poll, but we know that we can’t let our foot off the gas,” said McGuff. “We’ve got to keep working hard and playing well if we want to stay in the poll and make a deep run in the tournament.”
The women’s AP Top 25 poll is released every Monday during the college basketball season. The poll is voted on by a panel of 30 media members from across the country.
Here is the complete women’s AP Top 25 poll for February 13:
1. UCLA (28 first-place votes)
2. UConn (2 first-place votes)
3. South Carolina
4. Stanford
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
7. Maryland
8. Virginia Tech
9. Duke
10. North Carolina
11. Notre Dame
12. Louisville
13. Michigan
14. Oklahoma
15. Oregon
16. Gonzaga
17. Texas
18. Arizona
19. Ohio State
20. USC
21. Baylor
22. Kansas State
23. Tennessee
24. Florida State
25. Michigan State
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