[Husker] Women's basketball

[Steve Reichenbach]

The NU women's basketball team has finished the non-conference schedule
with a 13-0 record.  NU picked up a nice road win at Vermont by a score
of 94-50.  Before the game, Sagarin ranked Vermont (11-2 before the NU
game) #22 (although #43 on the predictor rankings).  As a point of
reference, Vermont's only other losses were at #1 UConn 84-42 and at
home to #23 Oklahoma St. 68-63.

Kelsey Griffin nearly had a double-double by half with double digit
points and 8 rebounds (if memory serves me) and finished with 25 points
and 16 rebounds with somewhat limited time in the blowout second half.
Griffin is having an all-American-caliber season.  In the current NCAA
individual statistics, Griffin is in the top 40 in both points and
rebounds and only five players rank higher in both categories.

In the most current Sagarin ratings, NU is #4 (#5 predictor).  NU
also has wins at home over #11 LSU 77-63, at Miami FL (12-2,
Sagarin #44) 76-71, and at home over Creighton (7-4, Sagarin #50)
69-56.  Still NU's schedule ranks #90, so bigger tests remain.
In particular, in the Sagarin ratings the Big 12 has:

Team       Rating Predict
Nebraska        4       5
Texas A&M       8       6
Baylor         10       7
Oklahoma       13      20
Oklahoma St    15      25
Texas          17      15
Kansas         22      14
Iowa St        37      28

It is incredible that the conference has seven teams in the top 25.
Of those five are Big 12 South teams.  From the Big 12 South, NU has
Texas, Oklahoma St, and Texas A&M at home and Baylor, Texas Tech, and
Oklahoma on the road.  Although there clearly will be many tough
games in the Big 12, using the current Sagarin predictor, NU is the
underdog only at Baylor.  Other difficult games include this week's
game at Iowa St, road games at Kansas and Oklahoma, and home games
against Texas, Oklahoma St, and Texas A&M.  Particularly challenging
will be an 8-day stretch with Oklahoma St and Texas at home and at
KU.  Likewise, the upcoming 8-day stretch at Iowa St, at home against
Texas, and at Baylor will be tough.

At present, NU looks poised to make a run at winning the country's
toughest conference and capable of making a run at the final four.