City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The holidays give us a good chance to take a breath and survey the Big 5, to check in on the teams as the non-conference slates wrap up and league play begins. We’re far enough into the season now to get a good read on how teams are playing, and who still has a realistic shot at the postseason, or who’s looking like they’re in need of a reboot at the midpoint of the season. 

Here are our rankings of the Big 5 women’s programs: 

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6) Temple Owls
Record: 6-6 (0-0 American)
Recent Results: vs. Western Carolina (W, 84-64), vs. Drexel (L, 52-59), vs. VCU (W, 88-63), vs. Coppin State (W, 59-39), @ Princeton (L, 77-87)

The Good: Junior guard Kaylah Turner has taken her game to the next level, averaging 17.8 ppg (tops in the American) while hitting 46% of her 3-pointers (ditto), adding 3.3 ppg and 2.4 apg as she’s become the Owls’ leading scorer. Also putting up career-best numbers is junior forward Jaleesa Molina (10.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg). As a team, Temple’s out-rebounding its opponents by about six boards per game.

The Bad: The Temple women have struggled to string too many wins together, either because their defense was unable to get enough stops (giving up 87 to Princeton) or their offense was unable to generate enough points (52 against Drexel), as they’ve struggled to find consistent offensive production behind Turner. It hasn’t helped that they’ve been without junior guard and second-year starter Tristen Taylor (10.1 ppg, 4.6 apg) due to injury for the last four games. 

The Skinny: It’s really been a mixed bag to start this season for the Owls, who’ve generally taken care of business against the teams they were supposed to beat but haven’t really picked up any ‘big’ wins. Nevertheless, HerHoopStats has them as the 100th-best team in the country, up from 117th at the end of last season, so a successful American slate could be ahead. We just couldn’t justify ranking them any higher based on the way their non-conference has gone. 

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Amaris Baker (above) Is averaging a career high in points per game for the Dragons. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

5) Drexel Dragons
Record: 7-4 (0-0 CAA)
Recent Results: @ Saint Joseph’s (L, 57-55), vs. American (W, 55-48), vs. Temple (W, 59-52), vs. Chestnut Hill (W, 95-38), vs. Vermont (L, 69-59)

The Good: The Dragons are off to a quality start to the season once again behind the stellar play of senior guard Amaris Baker, who’s averaging a career-best 21.1 ppg through 11 games while shooting 36.5% from the 3-point arc. Junior wing Laine McGurk, a Rustin grad, has emerged as a quality No. 2 option, averaging 13.2 ppg while hitting 35.6% of her 3-point attempts; Deja Evans (9.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Grace O’Neill (4.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.3 apg) continue to do their thing. They’re also out-rebounding opponents by more than seven boards per game. 

The Bad: Offensive depth continues to be an issue for the Dragons; only four players are averaging more than five points per game, including freshman Molly Rullo (5.3 ppg, 2.8 apg), who’s had some tremendous outings but also has had quiet ones, typical for a collegiate rookie. They can get too offensively reliant on Baker and McGurk, and if those two don’t have their shot falling, the points can be awfully hard to come by. 

The Skinny: This looks like another typical Amy Mallon-coached Drexel team: stout defensively with a couple star offensive pieces, not one that’s typically going to blow opponents out but one that’s never going to go down easily in any fight. If the Dragons can get consistent offensive production from Rullo, sophomore Mariah Watkins (3.8 ppg) or one of a couple others, they could certainly find themselves playing for a CAA title in D.C. in March. 

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4) La Salle Explorers
Record: 8-4 (1-0 Atlantic 10)
Recent Results: vs. VCU (W, 70-62), vs. Penn (L, 65-52), @ Maryland-Eastern Shore (W, 63-58), @ Delaware (W, 65-48), vs. Mississippi State (L, 85-37)

The Good: The Explorers are off to their best start in several years, winning eight of their first dozen overall including their A-10 opener, though VCU might be the worst team in the league. Redshirt junior Ashleigh Connor is playing the best ball of her career thus far (15.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg), as is Aryss Macktoon (14.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg), and redshirt freshman forward Kiara Williams (8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has been a positive addition.

The Bad: The Explorers had a rough time from the 3-point arc last season (24.9%) and have improved that this year but only barely to 26.4%, which is second-worst in the Atlantic 10 and 310th in the country. They’re also getting out-rebounded by a couple boards per game. The biggest worry is that the Explorers’ strong start is mostly due to quality of competition; it’ll take a few games into the A-10 slate to see if they’re for real. 

The Skinny: The Explorers are already within two wins of their total from a year ago — but they went 3-15 in the A-10 last year, so if they want to prove they’re improved, this is the time to do it. They need sophomore guard Joan Quinn to snap out of a little bit of a skid that she’s been on, and then get some more consistent perimeter shooting from the bench, including from forward Anna Przyszlak and wing Lauren Patnode. 

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3) Penn Quakers
Record: 8-3 (0-0 Ivy)
Recent Results: @ St. Thomas (Tex.) (W, 78-44), @ #4 Texas (L, 81-63), vs. Maine (W, 58-35), vs. La Salle (W, 65-52), vs. Washington State (W, 67-62)

The Good: The Quakers are deeper than they’ve been in years past, with more offensive balance after relying heavily on Stina Almqvist last year. Sophomore forward Katie Collins (11.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and senior guard Simone Sawyer (11.4 ppg, 4.5) are both in double figures, with juniors Tina Njike (9.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Mataya Gayle (9.4 ppg) right behind them. They’re fourth in the country in foul shooting (82.2%) and 22nd in assisted shot rate (66%), per HerHoopStats.

The Bad: While the top part of the Penn rotation has been playing well, head coach Mike McLaughlin is still searching for more consistency in the bottom half of his rotation. The team’s sixth through 10th leading scorers, all averaging around 3-4 points per game, are shooting a combined 17-of-76 (22.4%) from 3-point territory, dragging the team’s overall percentage down to 30.3%. Getting one or two of them closer to 6-7 points per game with more shooting consistency would go a long way.

The Skinny: The Quakers look like they’ve improved from a year ago, when they also started 8-3 but then went 6-8 in the Ivy League. Losing to the No. 4 team in the country by just 18 is a good sign that Penn has indeed taken a step forward, but we’ll really find out on Jan. 3 when the Quakers host archrival Princeton to start off Ivy play. 

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2) Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Record: 8-3 (0-1 Atlantic 10)
Recent Results: vs. Drexel (W, 57-55), vs. Rhode Island (L, 59-52), @ Villanova (L, 76-70), vs. Le Moyne (W, 100-40), vs. Delaware (W, 73-66)

The Good: The Hawks have been getting generally outstanding play from its top three: junior guard Gabby Casey (16.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.5 apg), junior wing Aleah Snead (12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.9 apg), sophomore guard Rhian Stokes (11.0 ppg, 3.4 apg) with senior forward Faith Stinson (9.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) a quality addition in the frontcourt. They’re the top team in the country in assist rate (74.6%) per HerHoopStats and 21st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39:1), and in the top-100 in two-point defense.

The Bad: There’s not a ton here to get really upset about if you’re a St. Joe’s WBB fan. Certainly pulling out the wins over Rhode Island and/or Villanova would have been nice, but the Hawks were missing Casey for the Rhody game and the Wildcats loss in the Big 5 championship game was a true road game against a team that arguably should be ranked in the top 25. Similarly to Penn, they’re getting great outside shooting from their top three (50-of-120, 41.7%) but it falls off quickly thereafter (39-of-134, 29.1%). 

The Skinny: In a year where St. Joe’s could have easily taken a huge step back following the graduation/transfer of four starters, the Hawks have come out playing like a real threat in the Atlantic 10 yet again, and doing it with just one senior in the starting lineup. Casey and Snead have especially risen to the moment, the two local products fulfilling the promise they showed at Lansdale Catholic and Penn Charter, and they’re getting help at key places, like from senior backup point guard Kaylie Griffin. 

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Jasmine Bascoe (above) and Villanova are off to a 3-0 start in Big East play. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

1) Villanova Wildcats
Record: 10-2 (3-0 Big East)
Recent Results: @ #25 West Virginia (W, 81-59), @ Georgetown (W, 76-69), vs. Saint Joseph’s (W, 76-70), vs. Seton Hall (W, 72-55), vs. St. John’s (W, 85-48)

The Good: Lots to like thus far, from the play of Jasmine Bascoe (18.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) and Brynn McCurry (12.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg) to the shooting of Ryanne Allen (8.5 ppg, .478 3PT%); eight in total are averaging 6.4 ppg or more. They’re shooting .458/.379/.743 splits as a team while holding opponents to 37.7% overall and 26.6% from 3-point range, doing it against a schedule that’s included one top-25 road win and several other quality notches on the belt.

The Bad: November losses to Fairfield and Princeton — both good teams, to be sure, but both at home — have kept Villanova from an unbeaten record and what would almost certainly be a top-25 ranking. From a personnel standpoint, they’ve been without senior center and Notre Dame transfer Kylee Watson (6.8 ppg) since the fifth game of the season, though they’ve thrived with McCurry playing a small-ball ‘5.’

The Skinny: Through a combination of maturity and the transfer portal, Denise Dillon has put together possibly her best Villanova squad yet — sure, there’s no Maddy Siegrist, but the quality of the Wildcats’ roster from top to bottom is high. They’re getting strong shooting from freshmen Kennedy Henry and Brooke Bender plus Iowa State transfer Kelsey Jones, and Denae Carter has been solid up front as well. They’ve got five games left until a Jan. 15 showdown at UConn, and it’s very possible they’re 15-2 (8-0) by that point, which would likely include a national ranking. 

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