When three teams continue to roll through the DII women's basketball schedule with a perfect record, little is going to change at the top of the Power 10 rankings. The bottom half, however, is another story, as we see two old faces return to the top 10 and another make its 2019-20 debut.
ICYMI: How last week's DII women's basketball Power 10 looked
Before we get to the Power 10 let's remember: I'll continue to also look at how those first regional rankings may unfold come Wednesday, Feb. 19. I'll take a guess each week at who the top seed could be in each of those regions. So, how did we get to these rankings?
In case you are new to the DII women's basketball Power 10, here's what you need to know. These are my rankings, and mine alone. I used some of the same criteria the selection committee uses come NCAA DII tournament time: toughest schedules, wins against ranked opponents and average margin of victory, just to name a few.
DII UPSET: How Eastern New Mexico took down Lubbock Christian
Be sure to check back every Monday through the end of the season to see how the Power 10 unfolds.
DII women's basketball Power 10: Feb. 10
(Note: All records and stats through games played Sunday, Feb. 9.)
No. 1 Drury | 23-0 | Previous: 1
There is officially debate as to which team is No. 1 in DII women's basketball. Ashland and Drury are very close, especially after Ashland's big week, but we'll get to that in just a second. What keeps Drury in the top spot is that the Panthers have played the third-toughest schedule in DII women's basketball as their opponents have a combined .623 winning percentage... and they don't have a single loss.
This week: Feb. 13 at Rockhurst; Feb. 15 at William Jewell
ALL-STATS STARTING FIVE: Take a look at this lineup of box-score stuffers
No. 2 Ashland | 23-0 | Previous: 2
Ok, so now the boo-birds will come out, and do have a valid gripe. The Eagles are coming off their second victory over GLIAC-rival (and fellow Power-10er) Grand Valley State. And unlike the first time at Ashland, there wasn't any doubt as the Eagles went on the road to a hostile Allendale, Michigan and won in commanding fashion by 25 points. These Eagles are soaring and looking rather unbeatable right now.
This week: Feb. 13 vs. Parkside; Feb. 15 vs. Purdue Northwest
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TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: History | How it works | 2019 Bracket
No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce | 22-0 | Previous: 3
The Lions only had one game this week, but they made it count doubling up their opponent in a 98-49 victory. Lubbock Christian helped the Lions cause, defeating West Texas A&M and leaving Commerce as the last remaining undefeated team in Lone Star Conference play. Here's some food for thought on how unbelievable this season is for the Lions: they have tied the program record for wins in a season with three weeks remaining. Oh, and without a loss as well.
This week: Feb. 13 at Midwestern State; Feb. 15 at Cameron
UNDEFEATED TRACKER: Follow the remaining undefeated teams
No. 4 Lee | 22-1 | Previous: 5
The Flames have now won 11 in a row, but a Union matchup looms that could decide the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Lee has the best defense in the conference by a landslide — their 54.6 allowed per game nearly six better than the next closest team. But it's not all D in Tennessee: Abby Bertram, Haley Schubert and Lindsey Roddy are all legit scorers.
This week: Feb. 13 vs. West Georgia; Feb. 15 vs. Auburn-Montgomery
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No. 5 Indiana (Pa) | 21-1 | Previous: 6
The Crimson Hawks are rolling, their last four wins absolute blow outs in large part thanks to a conference-best scoring defense allowing just 52.8 points per game. It's good that IUP has the momentum because it has games against the third-place and second-place, respectively, in its division this week. The Crimson Hawks know what it takes to win this time of year and should be on your radar as one of the more dangerous teams out there.
This week: Feb.12 at California (PA); Feb. 15 vs. Gannon
No. 6 Grand Valley State | 21-2 | Previous: 4
I may get some slack for keeping the Lakers this high after their second loss, but let's be clear. Yes, Grand Valley State has both losses against Ashland. But the Lakers have held the Eagles — who own the second-best scoring offense in DII women's basketball at 91.2 per game — to 77 points in each meeting, the lowest Ashland has scored in a game all season. Grand Valley State will have to figure out how to beat Ashland to make the Elite Eight, but this team is plenty good.
This week: Feb. 13 vs. Saginaw Valley State; Feb. 15 at Northwood
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No. 7 Hawaii Pacific | 20-1 | Previous: 7
The Sharks had an easy week. They didn't play any games, but that's probably a good thing. This week Hawaii Pacific is on the road for a three-game California swing. First HPU is at Azusa against the Cougars (second place in the PacWest), then to Irvine against the third place Eagles, and then onto La Mirada for a battle with fourth place Biola. If the Sharks run through this week perfectly and extend their winning streak to 19, they will have sent an extremely loud message to the West Region.
This week: Feb. 10 at Azusa Pacific; Feb. 12 at Concordia (CA); Feb. 15 at Biola
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No. 8 Lubbock Christian | 19-3 | NR
Let's welcome the reigning champion Lady Chaps back to the Power 10 after a 2-0 week. The win that got them back into the mix was a 67-43 victory over West Texas A&M, which I had in the Power 10 for two weeks running. Lubbock Christian has a nice balance of offense (70.5 points per game) and defense (55.4 allowed per game) and can rely on a variety of weapons to get the job done. The LSC tournament and South Central tournament will be tough, but this is the time of year Lubbock Christian comes alive.
This week: Feb. 13 at Arkansas-Fort Smith; Feb. 15 at Oklahoma Christian
No. 9 Adelphi | 21-2 | Previous: NR
The Panthers have also fought their way back in to the Power 10. After a mid-January stumble, really the only bad week its had all season, Adelphi has won five in a row, picking up a big one over Bentley two Saturdays ago. A win over Le Moyne this week — second in the Northeast-10 Southwest Division — will give the Panthers a big boost, putting them three ahead in the standings with less than a month to go.
This week: Feb. Feb. 11 at Le Moyne; Feb. 15 vs. Saint Rose
No. 10 Walsh | 21-2 | Previous: NR
Rounding out our trio of newcomers this week is the Cavaliers. Walsh is making its 2019-20 Power 10 debut and enters the mix on a 16-game winning streak. It has handled a relatively tough schedule — with 21 wins against opponents with a combined .505 winning percentage — and are winning game in big ways with a scoring margin of 21.7 points per game. This team has some scorers that make it dangerous as four players are averaging 10 or more points per game.
This week: Feb. 15 vs. Ursuline
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DII women's basketball regional rankings: Who's No. 1?
If the regional rankings were released today, here's who I think would be the No. 1 team in each of the eight regions.
- Atlantic: Indiana (Pa). Virginia Union — which is one of a few teams right outside our Power 10 — will present a challenge, but this is the Crimson Hawks' region for now.
- Central: Sioux Falls. There's a changing of the guard with Central Missouri's latest loss and the Cougars now top a tricky region. They have won four in a row and are playing an overall tough schedule in the process.
- East: Adelphi. The Panthers are starting to see some breathing room here, but there are plenty hot on Adelphi's tail that could jump to the top if the Panthers drop a game.
- Midwest: Drury. Want a good laugh? Picture being the selection committee staring at a region with Drury, Ashland, Grand Valley State and Walsh — four Power 10 teams — all vying for a No. 1 seed. Good luck with that.
- South Central: Texas A&M-Commerce. Again, there are tough teams here, but only one remains perfect in February.
- South: Lee. A Benedict loss pushes Lee even further in front this week, but the Tigers remain in the hunt. Lee has a favorable schedule from here out, but has a big one against Union that would lock up the top spot.
- Southeast: Anderson (SC). I had the Trojans here last week and winning two in a row solidifies the spot.
- West: Hawaii Pacific. As I said in the rankings, this week will tell us a lot. If the Sharks slip, teams like Azusa Pacific and Alaska Anchorage — which just missed the Power 10 — are taking that spot.
