Chantel (4:39)

For the athletic I'm Zena Keda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Welcome back to another special edition of the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. It's not even a special edition, it's just special when I get Chantelle and Sabrina in the building to talk college basketball, which is every week and it's so fun on Mondays because you know, we catch up on things that's going on over the last week and also we're today going to be talking about conferences and conference play is coming up. So I guess it is a little bit special. But before we dive into all of that, remember this is the space. If you're trying to learn more about women's college basketball, you are in the right place and space in time because we got experts, we got me that doesn't know as much as I probably should know. And I'm asking the questions that you probably have. So subscribe to this podcast wherever you guys get your podcasts. And also get to the site, folks. There's amazing content that you will be able to read and learn and get more acclimated to the game. Okay, business aside, let's dive into it. Today we're talking about the big conferences around the country. Now, it used to be a Power 5 RIP PAC 12, but still got some big conferences, still got a lot of competition all the way throughout, and got Chantelle and Sabrina in the building to kind of help me break down who are some of the favorites to win these big conferences. So, ladies, thinking about how to go about this, I'm going to go ahead and put Big east to the side. I feel like UConn's got that kind of tied up. So I really, really, really want to dig into some of the other conferences where the competition's a little bit deeper, the water's a little bit deeper. Okay, let's start out in my neck of the woods. Also, technically, Sabrina's neck of the woods. The acc. Okay, now I'm a demon Deacon. Sabrina's representing the Duke Devils. I'm so sorry for you. No, I'm joking. I love Carol Lawson. Don't worry. It's fine. Cara, we love your team today. Back in the day, they used to be a pain point, but acc. Looking at the ACC this year, that absorbed a lot of talent out in the west, right? Brought in Stanford, brought in Cal. There's quite a few new teams, and there's some teams that even last year creeping into the mix. UNC being a part of that, Duke being a part of that. There's a lot of great competition within the acc. So you know what? I'm going to go. Chantel, who is your favorite to win the acc, and how did you evaluate this? Cause that's always important.

Sabrina (7:34)

So I love that. Zena, we're talking about the ACC as your neck of the woods. Because when you said that, initially I was like, well, yeah. Cause you're in the Bay. And now I very.

Chantel (7:42)

Yeah, that's right.

Sabrina (7:44)

But then I was like, you're also from North Carolina.

Chantel (7:46)

There you go.

Sabrina (7:46)

That's where you grew up. Like, it's, you know, it's fitting Bico preferences.

Chantel (7:52)

Exactly.

Sabrina (7:52)

Are just really messing with me a little bit. So I thought of this specifically as, like, regular season competition. You know, we obviously have the regular season and then we have the conference tournament. So we'll have two conference champions technically throughout the season. But for the sake of this conversation, my parameters for regular season and looking at the acc, I don't think it's a surprise. I feel like Sabrina and I are both going to go with this team. It would be Notre Dame.

Chantel (8:19)

I didn't say them because I didn't want to, like, you know, spoil the surprise. But yes, it makes sense.

Sabrina (8:24)

It's like a terrible surprise.

Chantel (8:27)

Yeah.

Sabrina (8:27)

Yeah.

Chantel (8:28)

That last outing against UConn was, I mean that was prime time basketball primetime conversation around Hannah Hidalgo. So it's not just that game though. How have you kind of looked at Notre Dame to choose as your favorite for the, for the acc?

Sabrina (8:44)

I think they have a lot to like at this point. You have that backcourt play with Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles that I think we've talked about ad nauseam on this podcast. We, you could probably clip together all of the Hannah, Olivia, Notre Dame talk we've written and talked about on this podcast and have a singular episode of Notre Dame talk. And we've talked about it a lot. Like having experienced guard play. Even though Hannah's only a sophomore, she plays far beyond that in her years. I just really love their backcourt. I think they're the best backcourt in America. So you have that. I like the fact that they're bringing back talent. You know, you don't think of injuries as a good thing on any squad. But like Liza Carlin came back to your OR two games ago, she had some depth to them. A little bit more length, a little bit more interior play. Maddie West Belt I think will be coming back pretty soon, sometime in ACC play. I don't think Kylie Watson will be coming back. That's just based on, you know, timeline wise. She tore her ACL last March. But Maddie West Belt is a player who has 120 starts for them to be playing this well and having someone on your bench who has started 120 games for you rejoining the team midway through the ACC season feels like Niel Ivey is just like so many riches here at this point. And then kind of the last part of this is that you look at their schedule and it feels like the scheduling gods just did them a real solid this year. Their best three non conference games this year, Texas and UConn were both at home. They were on the road for USC only talking about true road games here, not neutral site games. And then in the acc, I think I'm trying to think so they have Louisville two times at home, Duke, Cal and FSU at home. The only times they actually have to go on the road is UNC and NC State. And so just their schedule works out really well for them to, you know, with the talent on this roster, with the coaching in the coaching room, like I just Notre Dame, if they don't win the regular season title, it'll be very surprising to me.

Chantel (10:47)

Okay, Sabrina, I'm discussing, you're on the same page. So I want to get your take on why Notre Dame and then I'm going to circle back and I'm going to imagine crazy scenario that Notre Dame does not take the ACC who's behind them as potential favorites.

Chantel (11:06)

So my logic for picking Notre Dame is pretty similar to Chantel's. So I'll just get to the second part of your question. I've really liked watching Duke and Carolina this year. Both of them, their offenses have just impressed in a way that they did not last season. They were both really good defensive teams a year ago. But you know, you watch those Tobacco road games and they were just a fricking slog. You know, they get teams in the muck and they play games in the 50s and the 60s and you just didn't trust them to put up enough points against good teams. But they've been awesome offensively this year. Like you watch the way Carolina looked in particular against Kentucky, Duke and their wins against Kansas State and Oklahoma back in that Thanksgiving tournament in Las Vegas. So I like both of those teams to potentially give Notre Dame a run for its money. The problem is, is that we're now in an 18 team ACC, which means you play every team once except for your primary rival. And for Duke and Carolina, that means they play each other twice. And so I just figured they're going to split those games and that kind of dents you in the regular season standings a little bit then compared to Notre Dame, which gets Louisville twice and all due respect to Louisville, like Jeff Waltz has made it very clear how that team has been performing of late. So I think just the schedule strength kind of works against, you know, the North Carolina teams, which is why it's going to be a little bit more challenging for them to challenge Notre Dame in the regular season standings. Though like Chantel said, when we get to conference tournament play, maybe there's an upset to be had there.

Chantel (12:30)

You see why I mentioned Duke and Carolina when we started this. Guys, they're making me smarter. Okay. They're making me smarter. Chantelle, thoughts on that?

Sabrina (12:38)

I agree. I mean, I think scheduling here plays, that's why the tournaments are so fun because you, you know, it's one and done. And anything can happen in the tournament with ACC scheduling and Big Ten scheduling, it's just going to be significantly different. No surprise to you two. As the two people who are on the podcast, when I infamously said, save your money for Arkansas. I love a good three point shooting team, right? Like if you shoot threes. And so I'm not necessarily saying this team is like a regular season favorite, but maybe like a March. Darling, let's not ignore Cal for a second here.

Chantel (13:14)

Oh, yes, yes. I love this. I'm sorry.

Sabrina (13:18)

Save your money for the Golden Bears, right?

Chantel (13:21)

Like, I like this, please.

Sabrina (13:22)

They beat Stanford. They beat Stanford by 20 this weekend. They're a team that shoots 26 threes a game. Their one loss this year is to Michigan State. They lost by six. And when you look, you know, I, I don't think numbers can explain away every win and loss, but they shot four fewer threes that game than they usually do. If they make two more threes, that's the difference in the game, right? Like, it was a six point loss. And you look up and down that roster, you've got some really, really good three point shooters. Like, you have four players that shoot 40% from behind the arc, two of whom are like attempting seven a game. Like, this is a group that if they get hot, they could take down Notre Dame, right? Like Notre Dame's a really, they're a good three point shooting team. But like, if you've got players that can sink 40% and they're like, oh, I'm going to take like 10 a game, like, that's a lot of points being put on the board. So I feel like Cal is sort of this team that we need to keep our eyes on. I also really love that Kayla Williams is on that team because I feel like she is this, she is enigmatic of this era of women's college basketball. She's played for uc, Irvine, usc, and now Cal. Like, she has stayed within the same state but is now on her third conference. I just love, I love this for her. I love this for us. As women's basketball nerds, we have to come up with an award to give her. She's like the journey woman of this era of women's basketball that she can sort of claim these three conferences, two major conferences, while not having to actually leave the state of California.

Chantel (14:54)

It's very rare to use journey woman. There's. That's very rare. Go ahead, Sabrina.

Chantel (14:57)

By the same rationale that Chantel is using to pick Cal, I thought that Georgia Tech was a Good dark horse here.

Chantel (15:03)

Oh, my God. Guys, guys, they actually do lead the.

Chantel (15:06)

ACC in three point attempts this season.

Chantel (15:07)

I am loving this right now. Guys. As I prepared for this podcast and wanting to impress Sabrina and Chantel, I was like, I want to ask about Cal. We'll see if they get to them. I want to ask about Georgia Tech. We'll see. But I'm happy because, Sabrina, you actually wrote about Georgia Tech as well, and they are leading the ACC. They've, they're undefeated, you know, 11 and. Oh, and tell me why Georgia Tech for you.

Chantel (15:30)

Well, really good win in Chapel Hill on Sunday right before we record this podcast. They have good wins against South Dakota State and Oregon from their Thanksgiving tournament. Like I mentioned, they take the most threes of anybody in the acc. They've got a lot of really good depth. They've got, I think, three or four players who are averaging 40%. Four players, if you count like Danny Carnegie with the 39%, who are shooting that well from three point range.

Chantel (15:55)

She's fun.

Chantel (15:56)

Really good depth all across. Like I mentioned this, in the power rankings, seven players averaging 20 minutes, none of them push 30. So you get a little something from everyone. They just really good pace. They push the ball down your throats. Like, I just like watching them play. It felt unfair to mention Carolina without bringing up the team that did beat them, you know?

Chantel (16:16)

Right, that's fair. That's fair.

Chantel (16:17)

As much as, you know, Carolina has a bit of a longer pedigree in terms of the acc, I do think. I mean, I've had more fun watching Cal and Georgia Tech than basically anybody else in the acc, Notre Dame excluded this year.

Sabrina (16:30)

And I will say Georgia Tech doesn't turn the ball over and Cal still has an issue with that. And so when we're looking, I think that game is going to be fun. Like, that game could be fireworks, especially if both teams are hitting from range. But the decider in a lot of these games can be how often you turn the ball over. And right now Marta Suarez and Kayla Williams are just turning the ball over too much for Kelly.

Chantel (16:50)

Okay, so I'm happy you brought up, you know, a particular game in the ACC as you're evaluating who could come out on top. What are some of the games you're looking at on the calendar that you're like, ooh, this is gonna be important to watch, or this is gonna be a marker mover for you in terms of who you're choosing to close it out?

Chantel (17:11)

I just wanna see Duke versus Notre Dame. I mean, Duke's offense has looked really good against a lot of the teams they've played this year, but against the best defense they played in South Carolina, it was more of the ugly stuff we saw in the last couple of years. So I want to see what they look like against the Irish.

Sabrina (17:26)

I agree that's a February game, but I think, as Sabrina had mentioned earlier, with the scheduling like that Duke, NC series is going to be really important because if one of those teams does manage to win both, they can put themselves sort of in the driving seat to be that team that goes up against Notre Dame for the ACC title.

Chantel (17:43)

Any NC State games on your calendars that y'all looking at?

Sabrina (17:49)

Can't say I circled any of those.

Chantel (17:51)

Okay. That's okay. I just wanted to see if I could show up for the Wolf Pack. Okay. All right, let's move it on, guys. Let's move it on. That's the acc. Let's get to the big. Yeah, let's go ahead and get to the Big Ten because that's gonna be a big one. Okay. It's gonna take up most of the time on this podcast, another 18 team conference, another massive conference with a lot of talent that absorbs some west coast talent, bi. Coastal, or not even by coastal. Excuse me, Midwest and coast as well, but also some. Some teams way, way out to the East. Yeah, this one doesn't feel as clear cut as the acc. And obviously you think about, you know, usc, you think about ucla. I'm. I'm. I don't know. I'm still. I'm still remembering our. Our conversation with Ben about teams we trust. And now I'm like, I'm looking at that conference and I'm like, I don't. We'll see. We'll see. So let me get to you guys, because I. I don't know. I'm not. I'm not going to say anything. I got some thoughts on teams that start with M. Okay. And I want to hear what you guys think as far as. Sabrina, I'm going to start with you. Who is your favorite to win the Big Ten?

Chantel (19:09)

Well, I don't want to be super boring, but I did pick ucla, the number one team in the country. And the reason for that is I think they're just really hard to play the first time around. That length, that size of UCLA is overwhelming in a way that kind of gets to you. And again, this is a conference where you only play one team twice. So UCLA gets USC twice. So every other team is only going to get to see the Bruins once, and maybe this comes back in the conference tournament where teams are able to adjust and figure out a way to match up against them. But during the regular season, I really do believe that this is a hard team to scout for, just with all of the length and the way that can affect you on the court. So I'm going with the Bruins. I think their schedule lines up pretty nicely, too. They get to host Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Illinois, which also means that USC gets to host all those teams in case that's your favorite in this conference. So I think, you know, that just sets up nicely for them. And like I said, you know, just how big they are. They're different than all the other teams in the Big Ten, right. Like, nobody else has played them other than the west coast school. So it's just gonna be a learning experience, and I think they're gonna be able to take advantage of that in this first season in the conference.

Chantel (20:17)

Every time I think about scouting for a team like ucla, I think about Becky Hammond, head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, talking about playing against the New York Liberty and how you can know that most of their team is six four and up, or like six on average, six three. And you still. You can have all the practice players in the world be long and big and tall, and there's still no way that you can actually prepare for just how tall and long and active they are on defense when you get out on the court. And I feel like that applies to ucla, and that is really tough because even if you get to. If you get comfortable playing against UCLA towards the third or the fourth quarter, it's usually too late by that point. If you've made the adjustments of the second half, it's still usually too late, and they're still coming and still pushing, and that's. That is their advantage, that you can't really scout for them. Bring in as many random, six, nine college men off your campus. It's still not going to help being able to practice or prepare against ucla. Chantelle, thoughts on ucla and is that your favorite?

Sabrina (21:30)

I think for the sake of argument and discussion here, I'll. I'll go against Sabrina on this one just because I feel like, in general, we agree on most things when it comes to this.

Chantel (21:38)

And.

Sabrina (21:39)

And you're. You probably should agree with Sabrina when it comes to basketball stuff, because I think we both know she's usually right.

Chantel (21:45)

Um, agreed.

Sabrina (21:48)

I'm again, because of how scheduling works, because USC and UCLA both play in February, and I think that will give this Trojan team kind of time to grow of themselves, get their sea legs, what have you. I'm going to go with USC on this one. Maybe this will come back to bite me in the butt a little bit. But I think USC could win this first year in the league for some of the same reasons that Sabrina mentioned. Like, you have these newcomers, I think sort of the original Big Ten, I guess the original expanded Big Ten as of a few years ago, will have a harder time playing these west coast teams the first time around. But then you think about USC and UCLA specifically, and USC beat UCLA twice last year during the regular season. So I think Lindsey Gottlieb has a little bit of insight in terms of how to take care of a team like this. The USC team, as we've discussed much on this podcast, very different from a year ago. We had juju and the nerds. Now we have juju and the many freshmen, plus Kiki. But I think it also benefits the USC staff, which will also benefit the UCLA staff that like the two most important transfers on both teams or the one for each team come from the PAC 12. So it's not as though this will be the first time that Lindsey Gottlieb has seen Tamiya Gardner. We've talked kind of about her impact on the UCLA team team in terms of being a 6, 4 forward who can sink threes and bang inside. Lindsey Gottlieb hasn't seen her in the system necessarily, but has seen her before. Same thing goes for Corey Close and UCLA in regard to Kiki Yuriafan. And so maybe just for the sake of discussion, we can. I'll throw USC out there if they were playing earlier in the year. Again, I think having another three months for the freshmen or, you know, total of play for three months, I think that benefits them a little bit. I wouldn't like it if it was sort of like right out of the gates in Big Ten play. USC and UCLA were about to play. But I think for all the other reasons, maybe I'll go with USC on this one.

Chantel (23:40)

Okay. All right. Fair splitting at the top with the U teams in California, in LA specifically. Now I have a particular team that's been. I mean, actually have two. Maryland and Ohio State have been so fun. I have jumped on the Kaylene Smichel train. I love watching her play. I have been on in Ohio state, the Cody McMahon train. And she can shoot now, which is. Whoa. Like, that's a whole nother level to her game. These two teams have been so much fun for me to Watch. Any thoughts on them playing into this? Ucla, usc, Top of the, like, you know, top tier in the Big Ten.

Chantel (24:29)

I thought about Ohio State, but we actually got a window into how the Buckeyes match up against the LA schools last year because they played both of them, and both the Bruins and the Trojans had zero problems with that press. So that's why it didn't really concern me. I like Ohio State a lot. I mean, they're fun to watch when the pressure gets going. You know, the way they can turn defense into offense really quickly is just great entertainment. But, like, I don't think it works that well against juju Watkins. I don't think it works that well against ucla. So that's why I kind of dismiss the Buckeyes. Even though I have enjoyed, you know, the. The jump shooting of Cody McMahon Jelani Cambridge has been great. Their transfers have been really good, too. It's. It's gonna be a fun team to watch, but just in that particular matchup, I'm not sure that this is where they excel.

Chantel (25:08)

Okay, Okay.

Sabrina (25:09)

I agree with that completely. I feel like this is bad.

Chantel (25:13)

What about Maryland? Any thoughts there?

Sabrina (25:16)

I want to add one more thing. On Ohio State, I was kind of like going back and looking at synergy clips and stuff. I just want to appreciate sort of the consistency of Taylor theory. She's not a player that. When we talk about Ohio state, like Cody McMahon, Jelani Cambridge, like, those are the players we're going to bring up immediately because Chance Gray, Ajay Petty, like, those are the players we're going to talk about. But like, you look back at the career of Taylor theory and it's like, you know, every time she steps on the floor, it's going to be like a 10.6 rebound, two or three steals and blocks, like, great defensive out. Like, she's just so consistent for that team. I don't know that there's been a more consistent women's basketball player in the country over the last three seasons. If there is, you know, send them into the podcast. Let me know who we're forgetting here. But she's just been so damn consistent for them. And I feel like as you talk about all the other talent around her and sort of on the floor for the Buckeyes, like, she's someone we can't forget to mention just because so much. The Buckeyes are able to do so much because it's like, you know exactly what you're going to get from her. And it's. It's not necessarily going to be Like a triple double every night or like whatever that is. But it's like she plays her role in that team so well and that's so important for Ohio State.

Chantel (26:31)

She is what coaches refer to as a right decision maker player. Like, she's always going to make the right decision and even if she makes a mistake, she'll make it up immediately on the back end. Like, you don't see her stacking mistakes or errors. And that's what's so nice about having a Taylor theory alongside of Cody McMahon is that she plays well off of her and she read and reacts off her game. I could go into a whole thing on them. They are so much fun for me to watch, but that's neither here nor there. Okay, so Ohio State, Maryland. All right. I'm wondering, there's these teams, you know, in Michigan. Okay, Both Michigan and Michigan State. Now, Sabrina, in your week's rankings, Michigan dropped out your top 25. Now, Michigan State thoughts on them after their winning against Iowa over the weekend.

Chantel (27:22)

So I actually did bump Michigan into the rankings this week ahead of Iowa.

Chantel (27:26)

Oh, excuse me. Iowa dropped out. Thank you. That's what I meant to say. So Michigan came in. That's what I wanted to say, which.

Chantel (27:30)

Was I've been a little, little slow on Michigan, but it was time to get them in the top 25. But the Big Ten does have four of the, like nine remaining undefeated teams in the country in Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA and Michigan State. And I am particularly enthused for this Maryland, Michigan State game coming up on December 29th. I feel like I got a good sense of what Maryland was against Duke and then they've just played crap teams ever since. So I want to know if, like that was a one game situation or if this is actually a good team. I don't have a handle on that yet. But Michigan State, State, like, they've had two of my most fun games to watch all year. The game against Cal in Thanksgiving tournament and then this win against Iowa on Sunday in Big Ten play. They're never out of it. You know, Nyla Hampton is like this fourth quarter, like super Charger thing. Like, she has only scored double digits twice all season, but they have both come exactly when the Spartans need it the very most, when they've been down big in the second half. She's one of these players who originally started at Bowling Green with Robyn Froehlich and then was at Ball State last year, but came back to rejoin her at Michigan State. And it's very clear that she knows exactly what this is. System wants her to run. They're bigs, like, I guess, Julia a roll. I don't even know if she's a big or a guard or what. She just does a little bit of everything on the court.

Sabrina (28:37)

She's technically considered a guard, but she's like a big yard.

Chantel (28:40)

She's a big guard.

Chantel (28:41)

Yeah.

Chantel (28:41)

Her and Grace Van Slooten are just super skilled. Do everything you want, like, on the court, except for make free throws. Like, that's the one, bugaboo. With Michigan State, they could really put away a lot more games. They can make some free throws, but, yeah, I just think they're really solid. And the fact that they're, like, pressing a little bit more now and speeding teams up adds a little variety to their defense and just, like, gives them the ability to come back in these games. I mean, some of the turnovers, they were forcing Iowa into just one of them. Like, Iowa forgot that it was a dead ball and, like, tried to, like, move on the baseline and, like, turn it over that way. But it's just like the Spartans get in your head, I think because of how fast they're making the game. And I. I've really enjoyed watching them this year. That's. That's a team that, again, like, the pedigree kind of makes me a little bit slower to catch up to them. But if they win against Maryland, like, by all means, this is a Big Ten contender.

Chantel (29:25)

Okay, guys, game to circle. I like that. See, this is. We have some direction now. Now we're evaluating these games not just from a perspective of, like, I like my team. It's like, oh, I like my team. And this could show how well they could do, you know, and fair within the Big Ten. Okay, this is. This is getting me excited because I feel like there's some other teams outside of the Big Ten. I feel like there's been so much hyper focus on this. Usc, ucla. Usc, ucla. And from that very first game of the season, when you saw Michigan go up against South Carolina, I was like, okay, maybe the Big Ten has more to say. Maybe the Big Ten is a little bit more talent to show across this. You know, this factor. What's going to be the key or the X factor to win the Big Ten? Like, is it going to be making sure you don't turn the ball over? Is it going to be shooting threes? Is it going to be size? Like, what's going to be the factor? You think that if a team can do this consistently against all competitors, they're going to come out victorious.

Chantel (30:27)

Well, the thing I like about the Big Ten just aesthetically is it's a more offensively driven conference than some of the other ones. You know, like, I think about how the PAC 12 looked last year and it was very physical, like defensive minded teams. That's why Utah kind of stood out among the rest of them. Interestingly, I feel like they would have been a much better stylistic addition to the Big Ten than they are to the Big 12. But that's a, you know, different discussion altogether, neither here nor there. So I do think that just the team that is able to defend the best, like it seems very like broad but like solid half court defense. If you can do that in the Big Ten, I think that puts you ahead of the curve because a lot of these teams, they're very fun to watch, very pretty offenses, but like they give up a lot of points too.

Chantel (31:08)

Okay.

Sabrina (31:09)

I think on that same note, I'll say the same thing. Like they have to be able to defend solidly and like don't give away the easy things. Like don't. Don't be the team that allows a ton of points off your turnovers. Like don't foul and let the other team score 20 points a night at the free throw line. Like don't let them score when the clock has stopped running, I think. So it's probably like the team that defends well enough and the team that makes the fewest stupid mistakes will. And I guess we could probably say that about a lot of conferences.

Chantel (31:40)

Sure. But there's certain conferences that will capitalize on it more. So.

Sabrina (31:43)

Yeah.

Chantel (31:44)

And be able to be capitalized to capitalize on it, I think. And the Big Ten with, yes, the like just the high octane offenses that are showcased around the Big Ten, I absolutely believe that being able to minimize your mistakes so that they don't, your competitor doesn't capitalize on it is going to be big. I agree with that. I feel like if you were to ask the same question about the acc, I think it's mental toughness. I just feel like the ACC has a lot of gritty teams that will get in your head, especially defensively. And I feel like whoever can just like withstand that throughout the full game will be victorious. But any thoughts on that with the ACC before we move on?

Chantel (32:24)

I mean, it's whoever doesn't let Hannah get in their head, right?

Sabrina (32:27)

I was going to say it's whoever can beat Notre Dame.

Chantel (32:29)

Yeah, that's what I mean, that's really what it comes down to. But I think even with Like Duke's defense. I think about that too. I mean, there's a lot of teams within the ACC that I'm like, if you can withstand the, the toughness that these teams are going to throw at you, especially in the back court, you'll be fine.

Sabrina (32:47)

Can we just, really quickly, can we take a moment to appreciate Hannah Hidalgo's three point celebrations again?

Chantel (32:52)

So, so diverse.

Chantel (32:53)

All of the ones. She was just like trying different things.

Sabrina (32:56)

My handy Rolodex, like looking down at her hands, like how she didn't even.

Chantel (33:01)

Know what to do in the corner.

Sabrina (33:03)

She's counting, she's practicing. Like, man, I. Yeah, just the range, the ability to come up with it in the moment. I mean, she is just on the floor, so entertaining. Both basketball and non basketball, I guess it's all basketball at this point. But if you haven't seen her play, it is just a joy. It is splendid.

Chantel (33:29)

It's pure. It's what basketball should look like. It's what being passionate about being a good defender, passionate about being a good teammate, passionate about being successful on the floor should look like. It's like you just get giddy watching players like Hannah Hidalgo who take pride in being good at what they do, not just on the offensive end, but particularly on the defensive end. I feel like her offensive game is like a surprise. That's why she was going through the Rolodex of all the different celebrations. Cause she was like, I didn't even know I could hit this like this. All these quarter threes, these transition threes, these pull up. My team isn't even down here yet. Threes. It was, it was fireworks watching her, particularly against UConn. But all season long. All right, let's move on. We gonna keep going back to Notre Dame? No, no, no, no. We gotta give some, some love to the Big 12. Let's get into the Big 12 because this one I feel like is the, it's the stepchild of all the big conferences. I feel like it doesn't quite get the same love and attention as all the big conferences and maybe warranted. I mean, when you think about their ranked teams, they're middle of the pack, right? They've had some big wins, but then they've also had some interesting losses and they've also had some teams. You know, their, their schedules haven't been the most difficult. Their non conference schedule. And so I understand why they might not be getting the fanfare of some of these other conferences. But, but I would imagine there is one team that has stood out as the Big 12 favorite, interesting mascot, but I'm gonna go with to you guys to see if it's who I'm thinking. Chantel, you get first. Go. Who is your favorite to win the Big 12?

Sabrina (35:15)

Are you thinking of an interesting mascot as a horned frog?

Chantel (35:19)

Yeah. What is a no? And then they do this little weird thing. Have you.

Chantel (35:24)

Cause they have the bleeding eyes, you.

Chantel (35:25)

Know, like that's no comment. Let's continue. Shanta.

Sabrina (35:31)

I mean I sort of feel like this is a three team race between Kansas State, West Virginia and tcu. I don't know quite what to think about it at this point. This might be the conference that has the fewest number of like sweet 16 teams in it, but sort of like the top of the conference is sort of what we should pay attention to at this point versus like the Big ten. You can kind of work nine teams down and you're like, damn, they can make a run. I don't feel that way about the Big 12 with all due respect to that conference. But I don't know, I think those three teams sort of feel like the, the front runners to me. I think that the tcu, Kansas State games will be really interesting when we see the Sedona Prince, Ayoka Lee matchup. West Virginia against anyone with press. Virginia is just sort of interesting, especially for a team like TCU that hasn't seen it before in person. It's just different when you finally have to play against that. I think J.J. quinnerle, Jordan, Harrison up top is just like a two headed beast that until you see it and you have to go against it, you're like oh damn. Like didn't think it'd be exactly like this. So I think it's those three teams. I don't know if I necessarily have a favorite at this point. I don't know if Sabrina, if you, if you're feeling particularly strongly about one of those three teams or maybe the Cyclones.

Chantel (36:46)

I like teams that are top 10 in offense and defense and Kansas State is one of those. So I think if I had to pick one, it would probably be Kansas State. Always a little wary of the Wildcats because of Aokelee's health and when she's out it's just an entirely different team. But yeah, I was going to say West Virginia before you like started talking, just because it's really hard to go up against, you know, like when you don't have the proper number of guards to handle that pressure. But yeah, then again, like I'm trying to remember the last time I saw West Virginia win like an actual big ranked opponent game and it's problematic.

Chantel (37:20)

That's a toughie problem.

Chantel (37:21)

Yeah.

Chantel (37:21)

But they want to like them so.

Chantel (37:23)

Much more than I do.

Chantel (37:24)

Yeah. The thing that gets me, like, okay, maybe West Virginia is because I did like their outing against Texas, but that's like the only one that we've really seen them be tested. And they, they did lose. Like, we forget.

Sabrina (37:39)

That game was fascinating, though. That game was fascinating because if you look at those stats, it's like they should have lost by 20. Like, I feel like this way in.

Chantel (37:46)

A lot of Texas games that they should have won by so much more than they did. Yeah, right.

Sabrina (37:50)

But they, like West Virginia took 10 fewer shots, they turned the ball over more, they got out, rebounded by like 14 or 15, and then they only lost by five. The box score in the game, it's like, huh, this, this. I don't get it.

Chantel (38:02)

Now, if anyone has questions about what Chantel just said regarding Texas's seemingly strange performances in terms of outdoing people on the boards on defense and yet their offense slagging, go read her weekly ranking. She explained it all and I thought it was really beautiful. So definitely she does a really great job of breaking down why it seems that Texas consists consistently seems to beat teams on the box score, but then still either loses games or are just winning by small margins. Um, yeah, this conference, I struggle. I did. I. I imagine because of the three tcu, Kansas State, West Virginia. TCU is the only one that's had some big, big name wins. So, you know, that was. That's what I noticed about them. But all right, potentially Kansas State, potentially West Virginia. It seems like that's still to be deliberated. Like I said, kind of the stepchild.

Chantel (38:59)

I want to give a quick shout out to Utah because one of the newcomers in this conference, I obviously mentioned them before. I just generally like the way they play. You know, good win against Notre Dame, good wins against, against Washington earlier, an old Pac 12 leftover, you know, that they scheduled in this season. But it's a team that, like all threes and layups, you know, a really efficient offense. One of those things that's hard to play against the first time you see it. And I'm just really interested to see how these newcomers take advantage of, like, the element of surprise in these conference games. Because Utah doesn't play like anybody in the country, maybe with the exception of Florida Gulf coast, but they have better athletes at Utah. And even without, you know, Lynn Roberts, after she left to become the head Coach of the Sparks. Like they've just been chugging along. So I do like the Utes as kind of a dark horse here. If you know any of the top three expected teams falter.

Chantel (39:49)

Yeah, that team is wild. Reese Ross, three point shooting. Wilkes. Like I've only seen them play once and it was just constant like Wilkes for three and. Or Wilk, I think it was her name. Reese Ross for three. Like Neepkins. It was just like a roster full of threes. So yeah, Utah. And then I'm also gonna say Baylor. I like Baylor as a sneaky, a sneaky addition in that team. Their offense has been kicking, they're fast in transition, which I like a lot. But let's, let's move on because I do feel like that one's gonna be up for grabs and keep an eye on the Big 12. I feel like a lot of teams could probably pop up at the top of that conference. Last but not least, let's get to the SEC.

Sabrina (40:35)

Can I add one more thing on the Big 12 really quick?

Chantel (40:37)

Absolutely, yeah.

Sabrina (40:39)

No, I was just thinking about Utah. Like this does feel like a conference because it is sort of muddled at the top. Like there isn't a true favorite that a team like Utah, where maybe they have a bit more of a chip on their shoulder, something to prove. Lynn Roberts left mid season. Gavin Peterson, their longtime associate head coach, steps into the role. Like, I think that level of like there's a chip on their shoulder. They want to prove something. Like, we've still got this. Like we're going to carry this thing through. Like that does feel like an extra motivating tool that could maybe. I don't know if it's enough to like totally tilt the scales in the conference, but a gamer too, where you're like, oh, that's a team that has a chip on its shoulder.

Chantel (41:15)

I mean, yeah, especially you take that win against Notre Dame. I feel like they played in that, in that way. And I could actually apply that same chip on the shoulder to tcu, a team that literally had to get walk ons last year. And now people, you know, going into this season weren't sure where they're going to end up. We'll see what they do when conference play gets started. Their non conference has been pretty solid. Now let's move on to the SEC because we all know there's a particular team that wears like a garnet, but there's also some purple and yellow in there. There's also some other colors that I'll mix into the SEC that seem to be shining bright. Sabrina, we let Chantelle go with the Big 12. You take SEC. What you got as your favorite?

Chantel (41:59)

Well, I'm disappointed that I got the easy conference because I'm pretty sure Chantel and I are both using South Carolina here. You know, LSU is still undefeated by smoke and mirrors. I really don't know how they've done it thus far, but South Carolina, I.

Sabrina (42:11)

Think Sabrina and I are the only AP voters in the country that like, don't have them in the top grouping. Like, we've consistently been like, what, maybe.

Chantel (42:18)

Be good for the first three quarters and then we'll rank you in the top five.

Sabrina (42:22)

Yeah. I don't get it.

Chantel (42:23)

Weird team. We're team.

Sabrina (42:24)

I digress.

Chantel (42:25)

Yeah. South Carolina, I think, you know, as much as I hate to just like keep bringing up inertia, like until somebody takes this conference away from them, I'm going to keep believing that they're the ones to do it. They've looked really good other than one 15 minute stretch against UCLA. I really like their depth. You know, I don't. I don't really know what else to say about South Carolina. It's a good team. We've all seen them play before. We all know what they look like. This, this is the Gamecocks. This is what they do in terms.

Chantel (42:48)

Of like doing her thing.

Chantel (42:50)

Other challengers, we could get into that. You mentioned the Orange. I want to bring up Tennessee. I don't know if you meant Tennessee or Texas, frankly. It was orange. Regular orange. Okay. Yeah.

Chantel (42:58)

Both.

Sabrina (42:59)

Yeah.

Chantel (42:59)

So Tennessee. One very fun stat from Tennessee. They played NC Central over the weekend. They hit 33 pointers in that game. No.

Chantel (43:08)

39 to 50.

Chantel (43:09)

No college basketball team, men's or women's, has ever hit 33 pointers at a game. No NBA team in a 48 minute game has ever hit 33 pointers in a game. All right. But this is the Kim Caldwell era in Tennessee. This is what they're doing and it is awesome.

Chantel (43:24)

Whoa. I did not know that even an NBA team.

Chantel (43:28)

Boston 29 on opening night. And their fans were booing them because they couldn't get to 30.

Chantel (43:35)

Wow. Shout out Kim Caldwell. Which I also saw a quote that one of her players was like, doesn't she look like a chipmunk? But then she'll like tear you to pieces. Like, she's like the cutest little coach. But then she will absolutely tear you up if you're not doing the right thing.

Sabrina (43:49)

I feel like they probably ran for that quote. I just want to Say this is a team that runs a lot in practice, like Miles. Like they're a track team. Like, I was there at a practice and it was like you were the.

Chantel (43:59)

One that told me that could not.

Sabrina (44:00)

Keep track of the number of things they ran for. But I feel like Kim is probably putting like comparing your coach to a chipmunk on the list, as well as things you'll probably have to run lines for. But probably just a guess.

Chantel (44:11)

I'm sure it was met endearingly. But yeah, that's. It's been so much fun seeing her turn that team around, especially because of the lineage, the history of that program and how much it had fallen off in the last few years. So they're back in the conversation. Texas, y'all looking at Madison Booker? Y'all looking at what they're doing? I mean, what do we think on Texas?

Sabrina (44:34)

I like Texas. I mean, I still have them in my, in my top 10. I think when you look at that team, like, there's a lot to like, I still want to see more, as is true with a lot of teams in this conversation, most obviously with lsu. Like, we haven't actually seen them play anyone good yet. Like, I want to see Texas against more quality competition this season. But again, we go back to regular season scheduling. The thing about that's interesting with Texas and South Carolina is they will play twice this year at home and away. And so I think that is interesting. Oklahoma, for instance, a team we haven't talked about. I think I'm particularly interested in the South Carolina Oklahoma matchup January 19th. So we're about a month away from that, only because again, a team that shoots a lot of threes, which I think can be dangerous. South Carolina's three point percentage hit or miss at times this year. And then you have Reagan beers on the inside. She last year in the tournament with Oregon state, put up 16, eight and three blocks and that was when she was going up against Camila Cardo. So not exactly the same kind of a height advantage for South Carolina in the matchup this year. So I think that Oklahoma, South Carolina game could be interesting and definitely need to tune in for that one. But I think the Texas, South Carolina home and home is that'll be a series that, that could really swing the weight of the SEC at the top this year. But like Sabrina said, until someone actually does it, this is South Carolina's conference to lose. So I'm going to, I'm going to stand there, especially with LSU having not actually played anyone worth talking about this season.

Chantel (46:05)

Sorry.

Chantel (46:06)

So then, so is the X factor to winning the Southeast Conference. Southeastern Conference, guys. Did you guys know that that's what that stands for? I've my entire life thought it was the Southeast Conference. It is the Southeastern Conference. The sec, Is that going to be the key to winning against or winning the conference is just beating South Carolina?

Sabrina (46:25)

Having South Carolina's card number, that feels like it.

Chantel (46:28)

Okay, that makes it easy for the sec. Now, I know at the beginning of the show, I said I was gonna push past the Big east, but we do have to give a little love to that conference, especially with, you know, UConn's doing their thing. But it seems like that conference is also the key to winning. It is beating UConn. And what else. What else do you need to do to perform well in the Big East?

Sabrina (46:49)

I think you need to be Yukon. Not just beat. Like, you just need to be Yukon. Be.

Chantel (46:54)

Okay.

Sabrina (46:54)

Yeah. What is the key to winning the Big East? You just need to be UConn.

Chantel (46:58)

Got it. Okay. Who else is interesting to you in that conference?

Chantel (47:02)

I do love a Creighton UConn game. You know, Creighton tries every year, just can't make it happen.

Sabrina (47:07)

But seniors there this year, you got to love that.

Chantel (47:10)

Lauren, Jen, there's some experience, you know, Emirates, let's get it done. Once, you know, you know, St. John's.

Chantel (47:16)

Is on her little roll. Any thoughts on them? They haven't played anyone big. They did. They did beat my Demon Deacons. So Big east be Yukon and beat UConn. And that's kind of. That's kind of be the, you know, the big takeaway there. All right, let's close it out, folks. Again, go read the weekly breakdowns from Sabrina. Like, her power rankings always give such good insight into the different teams throughout this entire association, but particularly these power teams that may. You may think, okay, why aren't they higher up on the list? Why do they move up and down out of, you know, the Merchant rankings? And she breaks it all down. I love that. I'm going to coin that right now. The Merchant rankings. Chantelle, Sabrina, as always, thank you for making us smarter and giving us a little bit more insight into these conferences. Guys, get excited. Conference play is happening right now, particularly as the new year opens up. You got a lot of things to get excited about. Send us questions. We're having a holiday mailbag episode. We already got some questions in the bank, but we want to get more. Who are you looking to know more about? What questions you have about your particular team that you're fans about, we want to know all of it. Okay? But in the meanwhile, as always, we appreciate you guys tuning in learning alongside me with our experts on the call for Sabrina for Chantelle, I'm Zena Kaeda thanking you and encouraging you to keep listening, keep watching, keep learning and keep loving the game. That's the only way we're going to keep growing it until next time.

Chantel (48:55)

As.

Zena Keda (48:55)

We head into the playoffs. It's safe to assume there will be a few calls made by the refs.

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But you know what?

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Chantel (50:14)

ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Hey guys. Welcome to Giggly Squad.

Chantel (50:24)

A place where we make fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves.

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I'm Hannah Burner.

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Welcome to welcome to the Squad.

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Giggly Squad started on Summer House when we were giggling during an inappropriate time.

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But of course we can't be managed.

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So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling.

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We will make fun of pop culture.

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News Sh T. We're watching Fashion Trends.

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Pep talks where we give advice, mental.

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Listen to Giggly Squad on Acast or.

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