Former Tennessee basketball coach Kellie Harper is on the move to Missouri, with the school naming Harper as the program's fifth-ever head coach on Tuesday.
"I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou," Harper said in the school's announcement. "Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program... The foundation is in place for success — and I can't wait to get started."
Harper replaces previous Tigers boss Robin Pingeton, who resigned last month after 15 seasons. She subsequently stepped away after the team finished last in the SEC for two consecutive seasons.
In her five seasons leading the Vols, Harper earned a 108-52 overall record. She parted ways with Tennessee after last year’s second-round NCAA tournament flameout.
Even so, Harper's 53-24 overall conference record at Tennessee trailed only four-time NCAA title-winning coach Kim Mulkey (LSU) and three-time national champion leader Dawn Staley (South Carolina) in SEC winning percentage.
"Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the 'Will to Win' necessary to succeed at the sport's highest level," said Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch.
Harper brings exceptional resume to Missouri
Harper earned three straight NCAA championships as a player under legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Then, she began building a playoff-heavy resume as a coach.
In her 20 years leading DI teams, Harper led them to 16 postseason berths, including nine trips to March Madness. She remains one of just two NCAA coaches to ever take four different programs to the tournament.
Before taking the Vols to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens in 2022 and 2023, Harper's first trip to thaat NCAA tournament round came with Missouri State in 2019. That's when she took a Cinderella team on a run to cap her six-year tenure with the Bears.
It's that title-hunting experience that Missouri is hoping to harness, as the Tigers haven't made the March Madness cut since 2019 — the year that the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury drafted Mizzou's all-time leading scorer Sophie Cunningham.
"I am thrilled," said the Missouri alum and new Indiana Fever guard. "I have so much respect for coach Harper, and I can't wait to support her and our Tigers however I can."
The 2024/25 NCAA postseason officially tipped off on Wednesday, with top women's college basketball teams battling in conference tournaments in the lead-up to the Big Dance.
Kicking off this week's deluge of tournaments was No. 18 Tennessee, who avenged their season-ending two loss streak by opening the SEC tournament with a dominant 77-37 win over Texas A&M on Wednesday morning.
Shortly thereafter, UCF tipped off the Big 12 tournament by immediately ousting BYU 81-69, fueled in large part by senior guard Kaitlin Peterson's 35-point performance.
The ACC's debut Wednesday matchup will pit Syracuse against Boston College, while Minnesota and Washington have been tasked with kicking off the race to the Big Ten tournament title.
Most ranked squads like No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 14 North Carolina, and No. 20 Kansas State are waiting in the wings ahead of Thursday’s second-round slate, while AP Poll heavy-hitters No. 1 Texas, No. 2 USC, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 South Carolina won’t see their respective conference courts until Friday.
Underdogs aim to upend conference tournaments
While higher seeds have a distinct edge when it comes to conference tournament success, this week also provides underdogs one last shot at impressing the NCAA basketball committee.
Each tournament champion will book their conference's lone automatic ticket to March Madness, while the rest of the field's fate will rest in the selection committee's hands.
Top teams earn byes through to later conference competition rounds, which means lower seeds face significantly longer and more grueling schedules through the single-elimination contests.
Plus, the underdogs have arguably more to lose. Without a standout regular-season record, lower seeds must win their conference title to extend their season into the NCAA tournament, as their at-large selection chances grow dimmer the further they finished down the conference standings.
All in all, though NCAA tournament vets often see Champ Week as just another stepping stone to March Madness, bottom-of-the-table teams have much more at stake, as conference tournaments can upend both seasons and brackets.
How to watch Wednesday's NCAA conference tournament games
ACC debutant Stanford's 36-season March Madness streak is on brink of collapse, with the unranked Cardinal needing a stellar conference tournament run — or an outright title — to make this year's Big Dance.
No. 11-seed Stanford's first hurdle will be No. 14-seed Clemson, with the pair's Wednesday matchup set for 6:30 PM ET on ACCN.
After two straight Final Four appearances, unranked Iowa will begin their Big Ten tournament campaign against also-unranked Wisconsin in Wednesday's highly anticipated first-round matchup.
The No. 14-seed Badgers and No. 11-seed Hawkeyes will tip off in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage streaming on Peacock.
A recent string of Top 10 upsets made its mark on Monday's updated AP Top 25 Poll, as undefeated No. 1 UCLA continues holding court above the shifting chaos.
Notre Dame rose to No. 2 for the first time since 2019, buoyed by strong performances against Stanford and then-No. 21 Cal last week.
Climbing to No. 3 was Texas, who claimed the boost by ending South Carolina's multi-year SEC unbeaten streak on Sunday. As a result, the defending champion Gamecocks fell from No. 2 to No. 4.
On the other hand, No. 15 Tennessee is on the upswing, as last Thursday's upset win over UConn lifted the Vols four spots while sending the Huskies skidding from No. 5 to No. 7.
No. 20 Oklahoma State achieved the week's biggest win, however, as Saturday's 85-55 blowout victory over then-No. 12 Kansas Sate gave the Cowgirls a five-spot boost.
Teams jockey for AP Poll positions as March Madness looms
While a jump in the rankings certainly provides bragging rights, it also impacts both conference and NCAA tournament seeding as the regular season winds down.
ESPN's Bracketology currently has UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Texas taking the NCAA tournament's four No. 1 seeds. Notably, two of those teams — the Bruins and the Longhorns — are rookies in their respective conferences, showcasing significant dominance fresh out of the realignment gate.
Meanwhile, other major players like LSU, USC, and UConn still have time to pad their resumes en route to their conference showdowns, which will tip off in early March.
AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 15
1. UCLA (23-0, Big Ten)
2. Notre Dame (21-2, ACC)
3. Texas (24-2, SEC)
4. South Carolina (22-2, SEC)
5. LSU (25-1, SEC)
6. USC (21-2, Big Ten)
7. UConn (22-3, Big East)
8. Kentucky (19-3, SEC)
9. Ohio State (20-3, Big Ten)
10. NC State (19-4, ACC)
11. TCU (22-3, Big 12)
12. North Carolina (21-4, ACC)
13. Duke (19-5, ACC)
14. Kansas State (22-3, Big 12)
15. Tennessee (17-6, SEC)
16. Oklahoma (18-6, SEC)
17. Maryland (19-5, Big Ten)
18. West Virginia (19-4, Big 12)
19. Georgia Tech (20-4, ACC)
20. Oklahoma State (19-4, Big 12)
21. Alabama (20-5, SEC)
22. Michigan State (18-5, Big Ten)
23. Florida State (19-5, ACC)
24. Creighton (20-4, Big East)
25. Baylor (20-5, Big 12)
No. 4 Texas basketball claimed their revenge over No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday, taking down the reigning NCAA champs 66-62 to even the pair's regular-season series at 1-1.
In the process, the Longhorns snapped South Carolina's 57-game regular-season SEC winning streak — a victory chain dating back to December 2021.
Texas star sophomore Madison Booker led all scorers with 20 points and 11 rebounds, prompting South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley to levy high praise by calling her "a beast on the boards" after the game.
Strength of SEC sets up fight for NCAA tournament positioning
This weekend's results ultimately bottlenecked Texas, South Carolina, and LSU into a three-way regular-season tie for first-place in the SEC — one of the NCAA's toughest leagues.
The No. 6 Tigers earned their own marquee win on Sunday, downing No. 19 Tennessee 82-77.
With that result, all three teams now have 10-1 conference records, though LSU and Texas could break from the line during their possible winner-take-all date this Sunday.
All in all, the Southeast's depth is both a blessing and a curse.
On one hand, the conference's elite teams are gearing up to take March Madness by storm: Each of the SEC's top trio is likely to finish the season as an AP Top-10 team, ultimately earning a strong seeding throughout the postseason.
Other strong squads, however, must grapple with under-seeding due to disappointing conference records suffered in the gauntlet of the SEC.
For example, despite last week's big win over No. 5 UConn, Tennessee's string of slim conference losses have them sitting 4-6 in SEC play. This means that the Vols will likely face an uphill battle to claim beneficial seeding in March's NCAA tournament, giving them a disproportionately difficult road to the Final Four.
Lauren Betts isn't done with the NCAA
Already looking beyond the 2024/25 NCAA postseason, star center Lauren Betts will return to UCLA next season and forego the 2025 WNBA Draft, the National Player of the Year candidate confirmed on Friday.
Ranked No. 1 out of high school, the 6-foot-7 junior transferred to the Bruins from Stanford after her freshman year, making the 21-year-old eligible to pass up her senior season and instead turn pro this spring.
"College is the best years of your life, and so I don't think I'd ever give that up," Betts told ESPN. "Why not be spoiled for a whole another year?"
"The way the coaches take care of us in this program, like, how comfortable I am here, and I think that the friendships I've created -- I'd want to do that for another year," she added.
She also cited the opportunity to play with her sister, incoming UCLA freshman forward Sienna Betts, as a factor in her decision to remain in the NCAA.
"I think that I would be crazy if I gave up the opportunity to play with my sister, so obviously, I'm going to come back next year," Betts said.
WNBA teams eye draft-eligible college athletes
Betts isn't the only top college player weighing her options. A number of factors are impacting the decision NCAA standouts currently face in deciding when to turn pro, from NIL money to the new CBA expected to reshape the WNBA in 2026.
Lottery locks like UConn's Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame's Olivia Miles could technically also opt to stay in school for another year. However, neither has indicated any plans to do so.
Accordingly, WNBA franchises eyeing the upcoming draft have noted that the volatility of the market is affecting first-round pick trades. Teams would be unwise to place their bets on every top NCAA prospect making the leap this April.
No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.
Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.
On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.
"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.
Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn
Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.
Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.
A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.
Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.
Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.
"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.
How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend
As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.
In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.
Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.
No. 1 UCLA added another Top 10 NCAA basketball win to their 2024/25 resume on Wednesday, tallying their second of the season after holding off Big Ten foe No. 8 Ohio State 65-52.
Despite Buckeye freshman Jaloni Cambridge's game-leading 21 points, Ohio State fell to a tough UCLA defense. The Bruins clamped down in the second and fourth quarters, relinquishing just 18 points to the Buckeyes across those two periods.
Meanwhile, UCLA junior Lauren Betts continued her National Player of the Year campaign, scoring a team-high 19 points plus 14 rebounds after clinching the double-double before the first-half buzzer.
Star junior guard Gabriela Jaquez narrowly trailed Betts, posting 17 points to help push UCLA over the line.
The victory marks a program-record 22nd consecutive win for the still-undefeated Bruins — their longest winning streak since 1978.
"I told the team after the game that these games are fun when they're close," Jaquez said afterwards. "This might have been one of the first games where it got close."
Top 10 NCAA upset rattles the Big 12
Wednesday didn't pan out as smoothly in the Big 12, where No. 12 Kansas State upset No. 9 TCU 59-50 in the Wildcats' first Top 10 win of the season. The victory broke the pair's tie atop the conference standings, putting Kansas State firmly in control of the Big 12.
While the Wildcat defense stifled TCU top scorers Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith, holding them to a respective 14 and 10 points, Kansas State senior Serena Sundell showed out on offense. The guard scored a season-high 27 points — 15 of which came during the Wildcats' third-quarter surge.
"[Sundell] lived at the rim," TCU head coach Mark Campbell told reporters after the game. "She absolutely destroyed us in the post. She just shot layups and layups and layups. That's what makes her unique is she's a 6-foot-2 versatile playmaker.... We didn't have an answer for that one."
How to watch Top 20 NCAA basketball on Thursday
The NCAA action continues with historic rivals No. 5 UConn taking on No. 19 Tennessee at 6:30 PM ET tonight. That's when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will take aim at Jewel Spear and the Vols, with live coverage on ESPN.
The SEC is running the NCAA table, kicking off week 13 of the college basketball season with eight of the 25 programs listed in Monday's AP Poll repping the powerhouse conference.
Boosting the SEC's profile in this week's rankings is No. 23 Vanderbilt, whose narrow 66-64 upset win over then-No. 19 Alabama on Sunday helped launch the Commodores into the AP standings for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
Further up the poll, a trio of wins last week — including victories over No. 18 Tennessee and then-No. 8 Maryland — fueled Texas's return to the Top 5, with the Longhorns claiming the No. 5 spot after LSU's Friday loss to No. 2 South Carolina dropped the previously undefeated Tigers to No. 7.
Ultimately, the SEC is steadily eclipsing early season favorite the Big Ten — an unexpected turn of events that has the traditionally Midwest conference clinging onto the coattails of West Coast newcomers No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC.
Big swings in the Big Ten
The Big Ten's ranked programs dwindled to five after Michigan and Minnesota joined the Big 12's Baylor in exiting Monday's poll, helping pave the way for the SEC to claim more AP spots this week.
Fully entrenched in Monday's rankings drama, the Big Ten ultimately owned the highs and lows of this week's poll.
While Wolverine-ouster Michigan State earned the week's largest leap in a five-spot rise to No. 16, Maryland suffered the deepest fall. The Terps tumbled six spots to No. 14 after logging three ranked losses last week — to the still-undefeated UCLA, Texas, and new-No. 8, Ohio State.
Monday action solidifies the SEC basketball spotlight
SEC basketball wasted no time in proving its competitive mettle after taking over the AP poll, as a tough matchup between unwavering No. 2 South Carolina and No. 18 Tennessee took Monday's court.
Despite a first-quarter blitz and an impressive last-ditch 24-8 comeback run from the Vols, the Gamecocks managed to beat Tennessee 70-63.
Behind a game-leading 18 points from freshman Joyce Edwards, South Carolina held Tennessee's top-ranked offense to season-lows in points, field goal percentage (30.7%), and three-pointers made (3-for-26).
"Joyce plays the right way," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said about Edwards' big outing. "Joyce makes good basketball decisions. That’s why you see her flourish."
AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 13
1. UCLA (20-0, Big Ten)
2. South Carolina (20-1, SEC)
3. Notre Dame (17-2, ACC)
4. USC (18-1, Big Ten)
5. Texas (20-2, SEC)
6. UConn (19-2, Big East)
7. LSU (21-1, SEC)
8. Ohio State (19-1, Big Ten)
9. TCU (20-2, Big 12)
10. Duke (17-4, ACC)
11. Kansas State (19-2, Big 12)
12. Kentucky (17-2, SEC)
13. Oklahoma (16-4, SEC)
14. Maryland (16-4, Big Ten)
15. North Carolina (18-4, ACC)
16. Michigan State (17-3, Big Ten)
17. NC State (16-4, ACC)
18. Tennessee (15-5, SEC)
19. California (18-3, ACC)
20. Georgia Tech (17-4, ACC)
21. West Virginia (16-4, Big 12)
22. Alabama (17-4, SEC)
23. Vanderbilt (17-4, SEC)
24. Oklahoma State (17-3, Big 12)
25. Florida State (16-4, ACC)
Kicking off another NCAA basketball weekend with a bang, South Carolina snapped LSU's unbeaten streak on Friday, holding their SEC rivals to just 29.9% shooting in the 66-56 statement win.
No. 2 South Carolina's bench outscored No. 5 LSU's 31-2 in the contest. The Tigers' Friday shooting percentage marked their worst-ever performance under head coach Kim Mulkey.
Freshman Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while LSU senior Aneesah Morrow registered her 93rd double-double. The feat awarded her the second-most career double-doubles in women's college basketball history.
Mulkey was quick to credit newly re-signed South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley's lineup for the dominant Gamecocks victory.
"I do think they're the best in the country, even though UCLA beat them," Mulkey told reporters after the game. "I don't think I've ever coached against a team with 10 McDonald's All-Americans on a roster."
Unbeaten UCLA downs Maryland in Top 10 NCAA matchup
With LSU losing on Friday, No. 1 UCLA became this season's only remaining undefeated DI team. The Bruins subsequently solidified their top-dog status by downing No. 8 Maryland 82-67 on Sunday.
UCLA junior Lauren Betts put up a career-high 33 points in the win, shooting 14-for-15 en route to reaching 1,000 career points.
Notably, the Terrapins are still without two of their top three scorers in Shyanne Sellers and Bri McDaniel. While McDaniel is out for the season with an ACL injury, Sellers is expected to eventually return to play after suffering a knee sprain in last Monday's loss to No. 7 Texas.
Conference wins highlight NCAA basketball weekend action
The Top 10 wins booked by South Carolina and UCLA weren't the only conference victories making waves in college basketball over the weekend.
No. 21 Michigan State stunned hosts No. 24 Michigan 88-58 on Saturday. Michigan State turned a four-point halftime deficit into a prolific run that saw the Spartans outscore their instate rivals 59-25 in the second half.
In the Big 12, No. 9 TCU ended a 35-year losing streak against No. 25 Baylor on Sunday. The Horned Frogs topped the Bears 80-75 behind Sedona Prince's game-leading 24-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Elsewhere, four Top 20 teams — No. 10 Kansas State, No. 13 UNC, No. 16 West Virginia, and No. 19 Alabama — fell to unranked opponents. No. 7 Texas narrowly escaped the same fate, needing a late fourth-quarter surge to secure a 61-58 comeback win over Ole Miss on Sunday.
Deep into conference play, rivalries and upsets are putting DI college basketball's ever-growing parity in the spotlight.
How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball on Monday
The ranked conference clashes continue tonight, when No. 2 South Carolina visits No. 18 Tennessee at 7 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.
On a Thursday night that saw several top NCAA basketball teams stumble, No. 6 LSU narrowly managed to keep their perfect season intact, though No. 16 Tennessee took the Tigers to the brink in a close 89-87 conference battle.
The SEC's rising parity was fully on display as stars Jewel Spear and Talaysia Cooper posted 25 and 24 points, respectively, to try and put their surging Tennessee side on top.
Though the Vols chipped away throughout the game at LSU's nine-point first-quarter lead, it was Tiger junior Kailyn Gilbert who cemented LSU's win with a wild, last-second bucket, putting a bow on her 22 points off the bench.
LSU senior Aneesah Morrow also shined, registering 23 points and 21 rebounds — her NCAA-leading 16th double-double and second 20+ point, 20+ rebound performance this season.
Now 18-0, LSU is one of just three undefeated Division I college basketball programs this season, joining just No. 1 UCLA and No. 9 Ohio State in remaining unbeaten.
Seven top 25 NCAA teams fall on Thursday
LSU's victory over Tennessee was just one of seven NCAA basketball games to see ranked teams fall on Thursday night. No. 5 Texas annihilated No. 18 Alabama to the tune of 84-40, while No. 19 UNC and No. 24 Cal registered upsets of No. 14 Duke and No. 21 NC State, respectively.
Unranked teams also did damage in the Top 25, with Illinois downing No. 23 Iowa and Mississippi State bouncing back from the 95-68 shellacking they took at the hands of No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday by taking down No. 10 Oklahoma 81-77.
That said, No. 13 Georgia Tech suffered the most consequential defeat after seeing their unbeaten season disappear in a 105-94 double-overtime loss to unranked Virginia Tech.
Yellow Jacket junior Kara Dunn's game-leading 33-point, 10-rebound double-double and teammate Tonie Morgan's 28 points kept Georgia Tech alive throughout much of the back-and-forth battle.
However, 17+ point showings from Virginia Tech's entire starting lineup, not to mention a late, stifling defense that allowed them to outscore Georgia Tech 13-2 in the second overtime period, ultimately secured the win for the Hokies.
NCAA basketball weekend rife with upset potential
With 23 ranked NCAA teams facing unranked opponents this weekend, the potential for upsets is high, though the lone ranked pairing is a highly anticipated Top-5 affair.
The SEC will take center court again, as No. 5 Texas takes on defending national champions No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday.
Ahead of the tense matchup, guard Rori Harmon promised that the Longhorns are "going to make sure it's a knockdown, drag out."
"It's going to be a battle, and we look forward to the battle," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, referencing her team's tough conference slate.
How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend
No. 5 Texas will visit No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday at 1 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
With all eyes on the stacked midweek NCAA basketball slate, No. 4 USC eked out a gritty road win over No. 8 Maryland on Wednesday, shattering the Terrapins' undefeated season in the process.
Despite guard Shyanne Sellers's game-leading 26 points and forward Christina Dalce posting the contest’s only double-double, the Terps fell 79-74 in their first meeting with the Trojans since 1995.
USC rallies the troops
New Big Ten team USC had to band together to overcome Maryland's defense, which stifled star JuJu Watkins's firepower by holding her to 7-for-19 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc with eight turnovers. That said, Watkins still managed to match forward Kiki Iriafen's team-leading 21 points before fouling out in the final minute.
With star guard Talia von Oelhoffen unavailable due to injury, USC’s No. 1-ranked freshman class stepped up. Guards Kennedy Smith, Avery Howell, and Kayleigh Heckel each added double-digit points to push the Trojans over the line.
"We just kind of have this unwavering confidence in ourselves," Watkins said after the game. "It was just a matter of coming together and closing the game out."
Big Ten ruled Wednesday's NCAA court
Unlike Maryland’s unbeaten record, No. 9 Ohio State’s undefeated season narrowly survived arch-rival No. 25 Michigan on Wednesday night. After falling behind 44-31 at the half, the Buckeyes put together a second-half surge to snag the 84-77 win. Freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State's charge with 29 points.
Elsewhere, unranked Nebraska handed No. 20 Michigan State a second conference loss on Wednesday. Buoyed by senior Alexis Markowski’s 28 points, the Huskers channeled a second-quarter lead to down the Spartans 85-80.
LSU to test perfect NCAA season against tough Tennessee side
The top-ranked midweek NCAA basketball action continues on Thursday, headlined by a tightly matched high-octane showdown between two historic SEC heavy-hitters.
No. 6 LSU faces their toughest test so far when they visit No. 16 Tennessee, a team that leads the nation in offensive scoring and rebounding, three-pointers, and forced turnovers.
"[Tennessee's] style of play is like nothing I’ve ever seen," LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said ahead of the game.
"They score a lot of points and they make you play fast with their press. It’s going to be quite a challenge to keep them from scoring in the '90s. We score a lot of points, too, [but] I’ve got to stress defense. At some point we’ve got to try to stop them from scoring as much as they’d like to score."
Despite the numbers, the Vols suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday — a one-point stumble against No. 10 Oklahoma. They'll look to avenge their loss by halting the 17-0 Tigers' unbeaten streak.
More ranked college clashes take center court on Thursday
Shortly after LSU takes on Tennessee, longtime ACC rivals No. 19 UNC and No. 14 Duke will meet for the 109th time. The host Tar Heels hold a narrow edge with a 55-53 all-time record against the Blue Devils, and will enter the clash with a redemption plan after falling 76-66 to No. 3 Notre Dame on Sunday.
With a significantly shorter history on the line, one-loss teams No. 5 Texas and No. 18 Alabama will face-off in Thursday's SEC nightcap, with the Tide rolling into Austin to seek a program-first win over their newest conference foes.
Last season’s Sweet Sixteen showdown was the pair’s first meeting since 1984, and Alabama has never beaten or even scored more than 56 points against the Longhorns throughout their three all-time meetings.
How to watch NCAA women's basketball on Thursday
LSU and Tennessee will tip off Thursday's ranked matchups at 6:30 PM ET, with live coverage on SECN+.
Duke and UNC will follow at 7 PM ET, airing live on ACCN, before Texas hosts Alabama at 8 PM ET on SECN+.