3 teams debut in the DII women's basketball Power 10 rankings

Grand Valley State has now won 21 straight games dating back to last season, keeping the Lakers locked in at No. 1 in the DII women's basketball Power 10 rankings. Outside of the Lakers, the top 10 saw a lot of movement this week.

There are still plenty of undefeated teams — and an abundance of one-loss teams — so narrowing down 10 teams based on record alone is no easy task. That's why we have to dive into the stats and see which teams stand above the rest, and right now that seems to be changing on a weekly, even daily, basis. 

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These DII women’s basketball Power 10 rankings are solely mine, and are determined by blending selection committee metrics and what is happening on the court. Remember, these rankings come out every other week, and there will sometimes be some serious fluctuation, but that is typically because five to six games have been played, allowing for new teams to enter more frequently than a weekly ranking. .

The DII women’s basketball Power 10 (through Dec. 7)

West Texas A&M Athletics

No. 1 Grand Valley State | Previous: 1. Let’s remember, the Lakers are the defending national champions… and this version of the team may be better. They are now 8-0 and winning games by 29.5 points per game, a top-five mark in DII. That’s equally impressive when you consider they have played a schedule that has a .595 winning percentage. Paige VanStee is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 14.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while leading the team in steals with 25.

No. 2 Minnesota State | Previous: 6. The Mavericks are one of this week’s big climbers, now 9-0 and just stomping the competition. This past Saturday, they defeated the No. 24 team in DII, Concordia-St. Paul, 104-66. They lead DII in points per game (99.3) and turnovers forced while winning games by 29.0 points per contest, a top-five mark as well. Natalie Bremer is among DII’s leaders with 20.6 points per game. The Mavericks are rolling and look very dangerous right now.

No. 3 Gannon | Previous: 2. If you remember, I kept Gannon at No. 2 last time despite dropping an early season game. They do drop a spot this week, but that is more due to Minnesota State’s insane start. The Golden Knights are still impressive, now 9-1 and boast DII women’s basketball’s best scoring defense, allowing a stingy 48.1 points per game. Bri Claxton is having another big season, leading the team with 15.2 points per game. They have Kutztown this week, which is DII’s second-best scoring defense, so we’ll see how they can grind this out.

No. 4 Lubbock Christian | Previous: 4. The Chaps remain undefeated, now a perfect 9-0 on the season. They don’t shoot the lights out, but also allow only 57.3 points per game. Kennedy Chappell (16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists per game) and Meg Meekins (15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds per game) are proving to be a dangerous duo to maintain. The Chaps have championship pedigree — and this team is showing it.

No. 5 Indiana (PA) | Previous: Also considered. The Crimson Hawks are the real deal and jump from outside the top 10 all the way to No. 5. They have signature wins against Fairmont State and Ashland and also took down Kutztown’s tough defense. IUP is 6-0 overall (5-0 against DII) and have played the 11th-toughest schedule in the division. Additionally, the Crimson Hawks score 81.7 points per game and are blowing out teams by 29.3 points a game. This team is cooking.

No. 6 West Texas A&M | Previous: Also considered. The Buffs are building a heck of a resume. They have played the 10th-toughest schedule in DII, have the seventh-best KPI and have the second-best RPI in the stacked South Central behind a 7-0 in-region record. Yes, they lost to Grand Valley State, but so has everyone since Feb. 13 of last season. The Buffs edge out Colorado Mesa in the rankings with its 15-point win over the Mavericks on Nov. 14. The South Central is going to be a region to watch all season long.

No. 7 Central Washington| Previous: Also considered. The Wildcats are off to a red-hot start and leap to No. 7 thanks to a bevy of key selection metrics. They are 7-0 against a schedule with a .632 winning percentage, giving them the top RPI in the West and No. 3 KPI in DII. Asher Cai (23.1 points, 5.1 rebounds per game), Capri Sims (14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds) and Fiona Snashall (12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds per game) are as formidable a Big Three in the West as any. They have a tough few games ahead, so we’ll know more by the next Power 10.

No. 8 Texas Woman’s | Previous: 9. The Pioneers had a bad loss to Harding on opening weekend, but have rebounded, picking up a 25-point win over Pittsburg State and opening LSC play 2-0. They are scoring 71.0 points per game and holding opponents to just 57.1 points per game, so they have balance on both ends of the court. They also have four starters averaging more than 11 points per game. The Pioneers have won 67 games the past two seasons and look like they have the talent to win 30 more this year.

No. 9 Coker | Previous: 3. Yes, the Cobras lost a stunner to Augusta, but they are able to hang around the top 10 because, metrically speaking, they are still the top team in the Southeast Region, have a top-10 KPI and have played a decent enough schedule to get a break for another week. Shawnteanna Tillman is averaging 22.1 points per game and Kamari Thompson is so big down low, averaging 9.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. This team is good.

No. 10 Fort Hays State | Previous: 8. This spot came down to the MIAA powers Pittsburg State and these Tigers. And it was tough. What separates the two is metrics, as both are one-loss teams. We have learned that KPI means a lot to the selection committee (although not as much to me), so when we have to split hairs, we look to that. The Tigers have a top-10 KPI and better RPI than the Gorillas, so they stick around the top 10 for now. Of course, the two play this week, so this can chance quickly.

Also considered (in alphabetical order; bold indicates new team): Alaska Anchorage, Ashland, Colorado Mesa, Embry-Riddle, Fairmont State, Harding, Henderson State, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Nova Southeastern, Pittsburg State