The expected start of the college basketball season is a bit delayed for Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies, after a Tier 1 staffer tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the team was supposed to tip-off the season. As of right now, Connecticut will begin its season with a Big East conference game against Butler on December 15th.
It's been a dry spell, at least by UConn standards, as the team has gone four years (gasp!) without a national championship. But with a bunch of exciting young additions, expectations are as high as ever in Storrs. That being said, are they the favorites to cut down the nets in April? They'll be in the mix, of course, but they have some teams in front of them to get through:
5) Baylor: The Lady Bears might be higher on this list if it weren't for the uncertainty surrounding DiDi Richards. One of two returning starters this year, Richards got into a scary collision at an October practice, leaving her status for this year in doubt. The reigning National Defensive Player of the Year is the engine that makes Baylor run, but there's plenty of other talent to go around.
Though Lauren Cox graduated, there still may not be a better frontcourt in the country, with NaLyssa Smith (14.3 points; 8 rebounds) and Queen Egbo (10.8 PPG; 6.8 RPG) leading the way. And the X-factor might be Stanford grad transfer Dijonai Carrington, who missed most of last season with an injury. All the pieces are there, it's a matter of how healthy they can get.
4) UConn: The Final Four streak is still technically intact after last year's NCAA Tournament got whacked, but it's very much in danger this year. It's not that the Huskies aren't talented - they are the No. 3 team in the Associated Press poll, after all - but they are young. With Megan Walker's early entry into the WNBA, there isn't a single senior on the roster, leaving Connecticut reliant on six freshmen, a talented transfer in Evina Westbrook and just two key returners.
Now, is there a path where Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards are as good as advertised, Westbrook blends in seamlessly, Christyn Williams becomes an All-American and Olivia Nelson-Ododa has a breakthrough as a junior? Absolutely. But that's a lot of "ifs" to rely on to win it all.
3) NC State: The Wolf Pack aren't the preseason favorites in the ACC - that honor went to Louisville. While the Cardinals are absolutely a Final Four-caliber team, with three starters gone and a somewhat unknown supporting cast around All-American Dana Evans, there are question marks.
There aren't many of those in Raleigh, as the Wolf Pack are coming off an ACC Tournament title and bring back that nucleus, starting with Elissa Cunane (16.4 PPG; 9.6 RPG). The 6-5 junior has the ability to be the National Player of the Year, and has three starters back alongside her. And the one starting spot they'll have to replace, point guard, will be filled by a senior in Kai Crutchfield. This Thursday's trip to South Carolina will be a good litmus test to see if NC State is for real.
2) Stanford: The Pac-12 is the best conference in the country, with Stanford, Arizona, UCLA and Oregon all ranked inside the top-10, and Oregon State checking in at 18th in the AP poll. So while a bit of cannibalism will happen, it will make all of these title contenders battle-tested come March. The Cardinal are led by senior Kiana Williams (15.0 PPG; 3.8 APG), who is the centerpiece of arguably the best backcourt in the country with Lexie Hull and Haley Jones. If No. 3 overall recruit Cameron Brink can step right in, there may not be a deeper team in the country than the Cardinal.
1) South Carolina: The Gamecocks felt robbed of a national title when the Tournament got canned in March, and it's easy to see why. The No. 1 team in the country when the sport shut down, South Carolina was riding a school-record 25-game win streak after the SEC Tournament. They're probably the most talented team in the nation, as advertised by their preseason No. 1 ranking, but there are some questions.
The two seniors they replace in the starting lineup were both incredibly valuable. Ty Harris was a three-and-a-half-year starter at point guard, holding seven school records. While Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan was a do-it-all post presence who led the team in scoring a year ago. Back, however, are five freshmen who all saw big minutes and are now sophomores, led by Player of the Year candidate Aaliyah Boston.