Ahead of the marquee matchup between two college basketball powerhouses, the South Carolina Gamecocks and the LSU Tigers, the NCAA selection committee released its first top 16 for the year.
On Saturday, the NCAA selection committee named its first 16 programs that will presumably make it into this year’s national tournament, given their standings and win-loss records, barring how the competition fares in the coming weeks.
In a recent article by collegiate basketball writer Talia Goodman that was published on On3 on the same day as the reveal, all 16 teams have been laid out. Coach Geno Auriemma’s 2025-26 UConn Huskies top the rankings so far as they remain the only team in women’s collegiate hoops to be undefeated. Coach Cori Close’s UCLA Bruins are second, as they were the consensus top team in the nation last season.
Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways so far from the list is the fact that the Gamecocks have risen up in the rankings while the Tigers have dropped down a few placements. As it stands, coach Dawn Staley‘s South Carolina-based program currently ranks as the No. 3 seed in the nation, while coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU fell a few spots to No. 8. This comes even with LSU’s seven-game winning streak to start 2026.
The middle of the pack saw the likes of Vanderbilt Commodores, the Texas Longhorns, the Michigan Wolverines and the Louisville Cardinals, which are all the teams between the Gamecocks and the Tigers. Both the Wolverines and the Cardinals have shown great improvements this year, which is why they have propelled up the standings as opposed to last year.
Some of the familiar names that were among the higher echelon of the pack such as the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Duke Blue Devils, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the TCU Horned Frogs follow LSU in that order. Rounding out the first top 16 for the NCAA selection committee ahead of the 2026 NCAA tournament are the Michigan State Spartans, the Ole Miss Rebels and the Oklahoma Sooners.
South Carolina Gamecocks-LSU Tigers Matchup Will Shake The Rankings Further
On Saturday, Valentine’s Day saw two powerhouse programs in the South Carolina Gamecocks and the LSU Tigers battle in the latter’s home court, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
With South Carolina winning 79-72, the Gamecocks are expected to stay ahead in the rankings.
Also Read: “Kim Mulkey Is Crazy”: MiLaysia Fulwiley Lists Key Differences Between Dawn Staley and LSU HC
Read More: “It’s Almost Like Human Trafficking”: UConn HC Geno Auriemma Makes Eyebrow Raising Statement on Women’s College Basketball
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