ESPN's Top 25

After Tennessee's two-year dominance, red, white and blue have taken over the top of ESPN.com's preseason Top 25. Here is their analysis of their #1 pick, Stanford, and eight teams that Stanford will play this season. As Tara said, "It's going to be a challenging one!"

1. Connecticut

Elena Delle Donne's summer departure earned headlines for good reason, but it also overshadowed what remains. Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery are all national player of the year candidates, and Kalana Greene was one of the team's best all-around players before sustaining the knee injury from which she looks to return. Add newcomers Tiffany Hayes, Caroline Doty and Heather Buck, and the Huskies are loaded.

2. Stanford

Candice Wiggins is gone, but a quality of quantity should keep Stanford in the title chase. Jayne Appel, Kayla Pedersen, JJ Hones, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Jillian Harmon all return, along with a deep recruiting class headlined by Nnemkadi Ogwumike and two veteran sleepers slowed by injuries last season in Michelle Harrison and Ashley Cimino.

3. Rutgers

Essence Carson and Matee Ajavon have moved on to the WNBA, but Epiphanny Prince, Kia Vaughn and the rest of the returning Scarlet Knights have a quintet of highly touted freshmen to ease the loss of two players who seemed to do the work of four or five. A quick transition at point for freshman Nikki Speed would help keep things rolling.

4. Duke

There are a lot of good parts for Joanne P. McCallie to fit together. Underrated post Chante Black is a cornerstone to construct around. And full seasons from Krystal Thomas and Joy Cheek could produce one of the nation's best frontcourts. Another top recruiting class provides the backcourt with abundant depth … and rotation question marks.

5. Cal

A second-round loss in the NCAA tournament will be fuel for the fire of a team that returns 97 percent of its minutes (assuming junior center Rama N'diaye returns from a torn ACL suffered in the Big Dance). Losing a top recruit for the second year in a row hurts -- this time guard Shawna-Lei Kuehu, who decided to remain home in Hawaii -- but the remaining incoming freshmen should provide more depth than in 2007-08.

9. Tennessee

he Orange Brigade has a new rallying point, which is the belief that everyone now underestimates the two-time defending national champion. Having lost its starting five to graduation, Tennessee will have a new look -- but the same expectations.

15. Baylor

Point guard Angela Tisdale has graduated, but the other four starters return and there's improved depth. It might take a little while for the freshmen to get up to speed, but Baylor should be a team on the rise at the right time.

18. Arizona State

Arizona State went 0-5 against Stanford and California last season and 22-6 against the rest of the country (including 15-0 against the rest of the Pac-10). Jill Noe and Reagan Pariseau are gone, but the Sun Devils still have the depth to run their familiar hockey-shift system -- especially if guard Danielle Orsillo returns from injury at full strength.

19. Purdue

Given the injuries and tough start, the Boilermakers pieced together an amazing season in 2008. The return of all-Big Ten talent Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton from a knee injury should transform the Purdue offense. Jodi Howell and her deep shooting skills also come off a medical redshirt year. Danielle Campbell and Lakisha Freeman established themselves with the additional opportunities and now the Boilermakers go from paper-thin to deep and versatile.

22. Iowa State

The Cyclones made the NCAA tournament last season against all odds after losing two starters to ACL injuries. Nicky Wieben and Toccara Ross are back, and it's the deepest team Bill Fennelly has had in a while. The Cyclones should be the top squad in the Big 12 North.

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