Ferris State picked up a huge win over then-No. 1 Grand Valley State this past weekend. The victory propels the Bulldogs up the latest DII women's basketball Power 10 rankings as we see an all-too-familiar face reclaim the No. 1 spot.
Ashland has just one four-point loss this season (also to Ferris State) and is currently on an eight-game winning streak. It isn't simply eight wins in a row; all but one game haven't even been close, as the Eagles have won games by 27.4 points per game on their current streak. That is a statement by the defending champs. ;
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Here is your weekly reminder: These are my rankings, and I try to capture an overall picture of DII women's basketball. That usually means my rankings look different from the national rankings. I try to combine selection committee metrics with the simple eye test while looking at what lies ahead to see if teams can maintain their current hot-streak status. As with the DII men's basketball Power 10 rankings, this season I will be using stats from InkblotSports. You can see those metrics â which include RPI and PI amongst other selection metrics â or join the .
The third DII women's basketball Power 10 rankings of the regular season
(all stats and records through Saturday, Jan. 20)
No. 1 Ashland | Previous: 2
The Eagles have that dominant eight-game winning streak going and quite honestly, they look like they can run the table in the G-MAC right now. Ashland boasts the top scoring offense and defense in the conference, have the best field goal percentage in DII women's basketball and the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio. The Ursuline matchup on Feb. 8 is an intriguing one, but the Eagles look rather unbeatable right now.
No. 2 Union (TN) | Previous: 4
The Bulldogs are another team on an absolute tear â and like the Eagles have won eight games in a row in pretty commanding fashion. Now 18-1 overall, Union is the top seed in the South by a rather large margin. Speaking of margins, Union leads DII women's basketball in scoring by nearly 10 points per game (97.1) and scoring margin, blowing out opponents by an average of nearly 32 points per game. There are still some tricky matchups left on the schedule, but the Bulldogs are rolling.
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No. 3 Ferris State | Previous: First Five out
Guess who has the top RPI in the Midwest. It isn't Ashland. And nope, not Grand Valley State, either. The Ferris State Bulldogs own the honor with a dazzling .644 RPI. Yes, they have some shocking losses, but with the top RPI and head-to-head advantages over both Ashland and Grand Valley State, we are looking at the potential No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. If you know how highly that region has held up the past decade or so, that tells you about all you need to know about how well the Bulldogs are playing.
No. 4 Southern Nazarene | Previous: 5
With Grand Valley State's loss (the Lakers were undefeated in DII play until Saturday), there is only one undefeated team left standing in DII women's basketball: The Crimson Storm. That keeps Southern Nazarene atop a loaded Central Region, now sitting at 16-0 and with one of the stingiest defenses in DII, allowing just over 54 points per game. This isn't a team based on high-scoring affairs, but Lauryn Reither (18.2 points per game on 55.4 percent shooting) and double-double machine Hannah Giddey (13.0 points, 10.3 rebounds per game) have been two of the best in DII.
No. 5 Grand Valley State | Previous: 1
The Lakers could wind up a little lower or even higher in other polls because they are in such a weird spot. Per Inkblot Sports, they own the third-best RPI and PI in the Midwest. However, they also have one of the weaker SOS in the region and have lost to the toughest team they have played (Ferris State). But Grand Valley State has made it far the past few seasons in particular with one of the toughest defenses in DII women's basketball, and that is the case this year again. The Lakers are No. 2 in DII allowing just 45.9 points per game â and not to sound like a cliched sports journalist, but we know what wins championships. Even in the loss to Ferris State, the defense kept it close and held the Bulldogs below their season scoring average. The rematch in Allendale, Michigan on Feb. 22 should be a doozy.
No. 6 Gannon | Previous: 8
This is where the rankings begin to get a little tricky. Right now, Gannon is middle of the pack in both RPI and PI in the Atlantic Region. However, the Golden Knights have won 16 in a row and their lone loss was to a Glenville State team that is really good despite not getting the national recognition it typically does. They have played a pretty tough schedule and have huge resume-building wins against the likes of Angelo State, Tampa and West Chester to go along with key victories against Cal (PA) and Indiana (PA), both of which are right behind Gannon in the PSAC West standings. With the top scoring defense in the conference and one of the best in the nation, Gannon will be tough to beat, and it will be interesting to see how it matches up against some of the high-flying offenses of the MEC in tournament play should it get that far.
No. 7 Azusa Pacific | Previous: 9
The Cougars are the best in the West and haven't lost since those back-to-back losses in November. While they have certainly played some close games, the bulk of their 11 straight wins have come in blowout form. Paige Uyehara has been one of the best point guards in the West Region for several years and continues to motor the PacWest's top offense, leading the conference in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and chips in 2.3 steals per game. Kelly Heimburger has also been impressive, leading the team in scoring, steals and blocks. One of the more impressive numbers is the way the team works the boards as a unit â four players are averaging 5.5 rebounds or more, making second-chance points plentiful for the Cougars and minuscule for their opponents.
No. 8 Catawba | Previous: 3
I may be being a bit harsh on Catawba since it bounced back nicely in the past games, but that loss to Wingate was a big one (both in margin of defeat and the SAC standings). But let's not kid ourselves â this looks very much like a team poised for a return trip to the DII Women's Elite Eight. Catawba has the longest current home winning streak in DII women's basketball at 27 games, but only half of its remaining 12 games are on its home court. A huge rematch (at home) against Wingate awaits this week, and if Catawba wins big, I'd expect the team to rocket back up to the top-5 territory it was perched in for much of the season.
No. 9 Bentley | Previous: First five out
This one is simple. The Falcons are playing very good basketball right now. They have the top RPI and PI in the East Region and have won six in a row. During that streak, they have defeated Saint Rose, Assumption and Franklin Pierce, all three of which would be in the DII women's basketball championship tournament if it started today (at least I think so). The Falcons don't score a massive number of points, but they do play very good defense, allowing 52.6 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting.
No. 10 Lubbock Christian | Previous: First five out
The Chaps weren't even in last week's WBCA top 25 rankings, and I have no idea how this team didn't garner at least a few votes. They have the No. 1 RPI and PI in the South Central Region, have won seven in a row, and their three losses have come by an average of 5.6 points to three nationally ranked teams. A tremendous week with games against nationally ranked Texas Woman's and a receiving votes UT Tyler squad awaits. Two wins will prove this lofty ranking correct and give the Chaps a nice cushion in the conference and region.
First five out (in alphabetical order):
- Colorado School of Mines: The Orediggers are in a very close race with their rival Colorado Mesa for a spot in the Power 10, so obviously Colorado School of Mines' victory over the Mavericks keeps them in the conversation for now.
- Fairmont State: The Fighting Falcons dropped a tightly contested ball game to Wheeling since the last rankings but they bounced back with three big wins in a row. They also own the top RPI and PI in the Atlantic Region and may be ranked too low.
- Lander: The Bearcats have rebounded quickly from their uncharacteristic eight-win 2023, already sitting at 13-3 on the season. This is one of the best teams in the Southeast Region. Full stop.
- Montana State Billings/Texas Woman's: These teams are paired up because to me they are so close. Just how close are they? They played to a Texas Woman's 73-72 victory back in November that doesn't help me separate the two from each other much at all.
Just missed: Colorado Mesa, Fayetteville State, Harding, Jefferson, Regis, Virginia State
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