Once-unbeaten Vanderbilt basketball is back in the groove, as the No. 5 Commodores recorded a second straight ranked win on Monday by handing No. 10 Oklahoma an emphatic 102-86 loss.
The Vanderbilt offense exploded for 59 first-half points — the most allowed by the Sooners in any half this season — with the Commodores taking a 26-point second-quarter lead behind sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes's game-high 34 points, marking her third consecutive 30-point performance.
Also joining the Commodores' 30-point club on Monday was guard Aubrey Galvan, with the freshman joining Blakes to become the first Vanderbilt duo to do so in the same game since 1999.
"I'm really proud of them," Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said afterwards. "What we're trying to do here is just be relentless in our quest to improve… so that we can put ourselves in position not only to win, but ultimately to be the best possible team we can be at the right time."
The Dores' defense also stepped up on Monday as Vanderbilt scored 26 points off turnovers, holding Oklahoma star freshman Aaliyah Chavez to just 14 points on the night — and 0-11 from deep.
Meanwhile, 19 points and 11 rebounds from Sooner center Raegan Beers — her 62nd career double-double — wasn't enough to move the needle as the senior fouled out with 4:26 to go off a season-high six turnovers.
Falling to 5-5 in the SEC basketball standings, Oklahoma will look to make up ground with just six games and two Top 25 opponents left on their 2025/26 regular-season docket.
How to watch Vanderbilt basketball this week
Though the No. 5 Commodores will contend with four ranked teams in their final five regular-season games, Vanderbilt's biggest test left is a Top 5 matchup against No. 4 Texas on Thursday.
The Dores will host the Longhorns at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on SEC Network+.
The SEC lorded over Monday's AP Top 25 Poll update with a record-breaking 10 programs representing the NCAA basketball powerhouse after another intense week of conference play.
No. 10 Oklahoma made the biggest leap, jumping six spots after ending a four-game ranked losing streak by upsetting No. 3 South Carolina 94-82 in overtime on Thursday.
On the other hand, No. 18 Kentucky saw the largest drop, sliding seven places after dropping games to No. 15 Tennessee and No. 23 Georgia.
Georgia's Saturday win over the Wildcats sent them flying into the Top 25, bringing the slate of SEC ranked teams to 10 — the highest single-week tally in the 50-year history of the AP Poll.
The Big Ten did see some positive movement as well, with No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 Iowa both making strides up the Top 10 as the only programs still unbeaten in conference play.
Now the only undefeated Division I team still standing, UConn held tight to their unanimous No. 1 ranking after downing three opponents — including rivals Notre Dame — by an average margin of 39.7 points.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
Ranked action returns on Wednesday, when an injury-struck No. 16 Maryland hosts No. 25 Washington at 7 PM ET, airing live on B1G+.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 12
1. UConn (21-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (19-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (20-2, SEC)
4. Texas (19-2, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (20-1, SEC)
6. LSU (19-2, SEC)
7. Louisville (19-3, ACC)
8. Iowa (18-2, Big Ten)
9. Michigan (17-3, Big Ten)
10. Oklahoma (16-4, SEC)
11. Ohio State (18-3, Big Ten)
12. TCU (19-2, Big 12)
13. Michigan State (18-2, Big Ten)
14. Baylor (18-3, Big 12)
15. Tennessee (14-3, SEC)
16. Maryland (17-4, Big Ten)
17. Ole Miss (17-4, SEC)
18. Kentucky (17-5, SEC)
19. Princeton (17-1, Ivy)
20. Duke (14-6, ACC)
21. Texas Tech (20-2, Big 12)
22. West Virginia (17-4, Big 12)
23. Georgia (18-3, SEC)
24. Alabama (18-3, SEC)
25. Washington (16-4, Big Ten)
One of the two remaining undefeated Division I basketball teams could steal the SEC spotlight on Sunday, when No. 5 Vanderbilt takes on a No. 2 South Carolina team reeling from Thursday night's loss — just the second of the Gamecocks' 2025/26 NCAA season.
South Carolina fell 94-82 in overtime to No. 16 Oklahoma, with freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez putting up a game-leading 26 points to fuel the Sooners' upset victory.
"We ran into a team that actually wanted to win more, and they made winning plays, and we didn't," Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said afterwards.
South Carolina won't have much time to reflect, however, as they prepare to take on a surging Vanderbilt with more than just strong conference records on the line.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes leads the Commodores with 25.0 points per game, with the standout guard sitting second-overall in DI scoring as Vanderbilt continues their best start in team history.
"I'm having to remind myself that this makes us 20-0 and that's a great thing, right?" Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said after her squad's 81-53 win over Auburn on Thursday. "The other thing is that I like being in this place where I'm pissed off after a win because we didn't play well today, especially in the first half. I like it because it says that I know how good this team can be."
How to watch Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina this weekend
Barring any additional meteorological disruptions this weekend, the No. 2 Gamecocks will host the unbeaten No. 5 Commodores at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
NCAA upsets rocked the AP Poll again this week, with significant Top 10 movement as women's basketball underdogs muscle their way up the 2025/26 table.
LSU's Sunday victory over once-unbeaten Texas saw the Longhorns fall two spots to No. 4, while the Tigers returned to the Top 10 to claim No. 6 in a six-spot jump.
No. 7 Kentucky fell one spot after a loss to No. 21 Alabama and a Top-10 win over then-No. 5 Oklahoma, with the Sooners exiting the single-digits in an eight-spot plummet to No. 13 after two losses of their own.
Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn earned unanimous first-place votes after Texas's defeat, with the Huskies joined in the Top 5 by the also-undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores.
Three teams left the AP Poll entirely, as Washington, USC, and North Carolina continue to struggle — with the Trojans snapping a 51-week ranked streak as they strive to find their footing without injured star JuJu Watkins.
No. 19 Iowa State also saw a precipitous eight-rank drop, losing three games in a row as injured starter Addy Brown watched from the bench.
On the flip side, Alabama, No. 23 Notre Dame, and No. 25 Illinois broke back into the Top 25 with Monday's rankings drop.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
Though ranked matchups will resume on Thursday, Tuesday night puts one of the three remaining undefeated Division I seasons to the test when No. 17 Texas Tech takes the court against unranked Houston.
The clash tips off live at 7 PM ET on ESPN+.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 10
1. UConn (17-0, Big East)
2. South Carolina (17-1, SEC)
3. UCLA (15-1, Big Ten)
4. Texas (18-1, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (17-0, SEC)
6. LSU (16-2, SEC)
7. Kentucky (16-2, SEC)
8. Michigan (14-2, Big Ten)
9. Louisville (16-3, ACC)
10. TCU (16-1, Big 12)
11. Iowa (14-2, Big Ten)
12. Maryland (16-2, Big Ten)
13. Oklahoma (14-3, SEC)
14. Ohio State (15-2, Big Ten)
15. Michigan State (16-1, Big Ten)
16. Ole Miss (16-3, SEC)
17. Texas Tech (18-0, Big 12)
18. Baylor (15-3, Big 12)
19. Iowa State (14-3, Big 12)
20. Tennessee (12-3, SEC)
21. Alabama (17-1, SEC)
22. Princeton (14-1, Ivy)
23. Notre Dame (12-4, ACC)
24. Nebraska (14-3, Big Ten)
25. Illinois (14-3, Big Ten)
This weekend's SEC slate brings the heat, as the stacked NCAA basketball conference gears up for more than one high-profile ranked matchup on Sunday.
Undefeated No. 2 Texas will visit Baton Rouge to take on No. 12 LSU, with the Tigers looking to add to their 80-59 Thursday win over unranked Georgia as they continue battling back from a dismal 0-2 start in 2025/26 conference play.
"We think we're just going to go in there and out-jump, out-leap somebody," said LSU boss Kim Mulkey following last Sunday's loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt. "You're not going to do that in this league."
"This year, the [SEC] is every bit as good as last year — when you really think about it, it's probably way better," Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer told the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday. "The big thing right now is we've got to get better."
Texas's clash with LSU opens a tough stretch for the Longhorns, as they face AP Poll headliners No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Kentucky, and No. 7 Vanderbilt in the coming weeks.
Sunday's other SEC blockbuster between the Sooners and the Wildcats is all about redemption, as Oklahoma aims to bounce back from their 74-69 upset loss to No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday while Kentucky looks to put their 64-51 Thursday loss to unranked Alabama in the rearview mirror.
How to watch ranked SEC basketball on Sunday
No. 2 Texas will tip off Sunday's ranked SEC slate against No. 12 LSU at 3 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
Then at 4 PM ET, No. 5 Oklahoma will visit No. 6 Kentucky, with live coverage on the SEC Network.
Monday's AP Top 25 Poll featured few dramatics, as the Week 8 tally reflected another consistent slate from the 2025/26 NCAA basketball elite with only one shift in the Top 10 and marginal movement at the bottom.
Undefeated TCU keeps making gains, rising one spot to tie Oklahoma at No. 8 after taking down Big 12 foe Kansas State 77-55 behind senior guard Olivia Miles's 29-point performance on Saturday.
On the other hand, a 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn on Saturday saw Iowa skid three spots, with the now-No. 14 Hawkeyes falling to a 1-2 record against ranked opponents this season.
Outside the relatively stationary Top 10, some blue chip programs are threatening to exit the AP Poll entirely after dropping ranked games last weekend.
Baylor experienced the greatest slide, dropping seven spots to No. 22 after falling 61-60 to Big 12 rival and rankings newcomer No. 21 Texas Tech on Sunday — the Bears' third loss in their season's four ranked games so far.
Tennessee saw a similar dip, plummeting six spots to No. 23 after losing to a surging No. 13 Louisville 89-65 on Saturday.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
The ranked action returns on Sunday, as No. 4 UCLA visits No. 19 Ohio State at 2 PM ET, live on the Big Ten Network.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 8
1. UConn (12-0, Big East)
2. Texas (14-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (12-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (11-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (13-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (10-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (13-0, Big Ten)
T8. TCU (13-0, Big 12)
T8. Oklahoma (12-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (13-0, Big 12)
11. Kentucky (12-1, SEC)
12. Vanderbilt (12-0, SEC)
13. Louisville (12-3, ACC)
14. Iowa (10-2, Big Ten)
15. Ole Miss (12-2, SEC)
16. UNC (11-3, ACC)
17. USC (9-3, Big Ten)
18. Notre Dame (9-2, ACC)
19. Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten)
20. Nebraska (12-0, Big Ten)
21. Texas Tech (14-0, Big 12)
22. Baylor (11-3, Big 12)
23. Tennessee (8-3, SEC)
24. Michigan State (11-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (12-1, Ivy)
While the AP Top 10 stayed mostly intact this week, a few programs — including the Oklahoma Sooners — are making a case for themselves as the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball season's nonconference schedule hits its peak.
The Sooners were the only Top 10 riser in Monday's AP Poll, jumping one spot to No. 8 after taking down rivals Oklahoma State 92-70 on Saturday — a game that sent the Cowgirls out of the rankings entirely.
Bouncing back from an early season loss to No. 4 UCLA, Oklahoma's strengthening record dislodged undefeated TCU, with the Horned Frogs falling to No. 9 despite a perfect week against unranked competition.
Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn retained their crown after Saturday's top-ranked win over now-No. 19 USC, while No. 2 Texas continues to shine after humbling in-state rivals No. 15 Baylor on Sunday.
The Longhorns received eight first-place votes this week, a tick down from the last round after notching two Top 5 wins in late November.
Despite some ranked blowouts, the ACC saw the greatest movement, as No. 16 Louisville rocketed up six spots after upsetting then-No. 12 North Carolina — sending the Tar Heels skidding the same distance down to No. 18.
The SEC also saw gains, as No. 12 Kentucky and No. 14 Ole Miss both rose three spots as they creep toward the Top 10 with one loss apiece.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 7
1. UConn (10-0, Big East)
2. Texas (12-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (10-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (9-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (11-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (9-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (12-0, Big Ten)
8. Oklahoma (11-1, SEC)
9. TCU (11-0, Big 12)
10. Iowa State (12-0, Big 12)
11. Iowa (10-1, Big Ten)
12. Kentucky (11-1, SEC)
13. Vanderbilt (10-0, SEC)
14. Ole Miss (10-1, SEC)
15. Baylor (10-2, Big 12)
16. Louisville (10-3, ACC)
17. Tennessee (7-2, SEC)
18. UNC (9-3, ACC)
19. USC (7-3, Big Ten)
20. Notre Dame (8-2, ACC)
21. Ohio State (9-1, Big Ten)
22. Washington (9-1, Big Ten)
23. Nebraska (11-0, Big Ten)
24. Michigan State (9-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (10-1, Ivy)
No. 2 Texas will continue their ambitious 2025/26 NCAA basketball nonconference schedule on Thursday, when the Longhorns take on the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels as part of the annual two-day ACC/SEC Challenge.
The game will mark Texas' third ranked matchup in nine days, after the Longhorns claimed a pair of impressive wins over No. 3 South Carolina and No. 4 UCLA at the Players Era Championship last week.
"We're still a long way from a finished product," said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, tempering early season expectations following his team's 81-63 win over unranked Penn on Sunday.
Now in its third iteration, this year's ACC/SEC Challenge opened with the SEC taking a commanding lead between the two conferences in Wednesday's action.
In the day's tightest tilt, Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez — the No. 1 recruit of the 2025/26 freshman class — scored a blistering 33 points to help her No. 9 Sooners to a 103-98 overtime win over NC State.
Elsewhere, No. 19 Tennessee survived an upset bid from unranked Stanford 65-62 to keep the SEC all but perfect on the day, as Syracuse tallied the only ACC win out of the seven Challenge games thus far — a 66-60 overtime victory over also-unranked Auburn.
However, the annual event heats up on Thursday, when the Challenge's three Top-25 matchups take the court.
In addition to the No. 2 Longhorns hosting the No. 11 Tar Heels, Thursday's docket features No. 3 South Carolina visiting No. 22 Louisville and No. 13 Ole Miss taking on No. 18 Notre Dame.
How to watch the Top-25 tilts in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge
Thursday's first ranked matchups begin at 7 PM ET, with UNC vs. Texas on ESPN2 while South Carolina faces Louisville on ESPN.
Notre Dame will then close out the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge against Ole Miss at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN2.
The No. 3 UCLA Bruins rose to the occasion on Monday, looking like 2025/26 NCAA basketball championship contenders as they took down the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners 73-59 in Sacramento.
Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens made the difference for the Bruins, leading all scorers with 20 points while opposing defenses limited both UCLA center Lauren Betts and Oklahoma big Raegan Beers to single digits.
Bruins forward Angela Dugalić also put up a standout performance, coming off the bench to score 16 points and snag 15 rebounds on Monday.
"There are so many weapons that I feel like it's hard for the defense to choose what to take away," Kneepkens said ahead of Monday's matchup. "What makes this team special is that any night could be someone's night."
Monday's clash with UCLA also served as the national broadcast debut of Oklahoma freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez, with the No. 1 high school basketball recruit seeing her first Top 10 NCAA matchup as a Sooner.
Chavez had a slow start against the experienced Bruins, registering 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds across her 32 minutes on the court.
How to watch UCLA basketball this week
The heat continues for No. 3 UCLA on Thursday, when the Bruins will host the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson will lead a different team this NCAA offseason, taking on sideline duties for Team USA at this summer's 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Chile, USA Basketball announced on Tuesday.
Likely one of the last coaching decisions handled by committee, Lawson — alongside assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones and Jennie Baranczyk, the head coaches of Old Dominion and Oklahoma, respectively — will aim to return the four-time champions to the top of the biannual tournament's podium, after falling short to Brazil in the 2023 gold medal game.
The 2005 WNBA champion boasts a long history of success with USA Basketball, earning 2008 Olympic gold amid multiple medals as a player before beginning her coaching career.
Since then, the 44-year-old helped lead various USA Basketball teams to an astounding 75-5 competition record, picking up nine gold medals along the way.
Most recently, Lawson added 2024 Olympic gold as an assistant coach to her inaugural 3x3 Olympic championship as a head coach at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
"I'm incredibly honored," said Lawson in a USA Basketball statement. "It's such a gift. It's a gift that has given me so much over the years as a player, as a committee member, and as a coach. I've always tried to compete and give my best.... That won't change this summer."
Taking place in the middle of the 2025 WNBA season, the Team USA roster could feature NCAA talent.
"The goal is to put together a competitive team, one that represents all the standards that we hold dear to us," added Lawson.
The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup team that Lawson will lead will be announced after next month's trials, shortly before the tournament tips off on June 28th.