April 21, 2011

A very early look at the preseason top 25

Charlie Creme (ESPN) takes a very early look at next season's possible top 25.

He places Stanford at #5 with this evaluation: "The brilliant careers of Kayla Pedersen and Jeanette Pohlen are over, but the Ogwumike sisters are back and Toni Kokenis should be an able full-time replacement at the point. Pedersen was such the perfect player for the triangle offense with her diverse game and rock-steady presence that it will be interesting to see how the Cardinal function without her. The look that Stanford showed in the national semifinals against Texas A&M -- burying the ball inside -- will likely be what 2011-12 brings more regularly. Incoming freshman Amber Orrange should give Tara VanDerveer a different look at the point."

He places USC at #24 and predicts, "This should be a season in which the Trojans close the gap between themselves and Stanford just a bit."

He also thinks that there is enough talent in Westwood to make UCLA worth watching.

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