AP Poll Top 25 Women's College Basketball Rankings Prediction after Week 18

The women's basketball AP Poll Top 25 hasn't had too dire of a shake-up in conference tournament week. While 10 teams from the top 25 took losses, many were expected defeats against fellow ranked foes. Only one team is projected to slide out of the top 25 this week. While some shuffles are anticipated throughout the poll, the top 10 could stay intact.

Women's College Basketball AP Poll Top 25 Prediction After Week 18

Predicted AP Poll Ranking	Team Name	Overall Record	Total Points	Ranking Last Week
1	South Carolina	31-0	875	1
2	Stanford	28-4	825	2
3	Iowa	28-4	790	3
4	USC	25-5	760	5
5	Texas	28-4	700	6
6	Ohio State	25-5	690	4
7	LSU	28-4	670	8
8	Uconn	27-5	640	9
9	UCLA	25-6	570	7
10	NC State	26-5	530	10
11	Notre Dame	24-6	510	14
12	Gonzaga	29-2	490	15
13	Indiana	24-5	485	12
14	Virginia Tech	24-7	470	11
15	Oregon State	24-7	410	13
16	Kansas State	25-6	340	16
17	Oklahoma	22-8	280	19
18	Baylor	24-7	260	17
19	Colorado	22-9	240	18
20	Creighton	25-4	210	21
21	UNLV	27-2	200	23
22	Syracuse	23-7	170	20
23	Fairfield	28-1	120	25
24	Utah	22-10	110	22
25	Princeton	23-4	60	NR

Big upsets

Ohio State had a tough loss to Maryland. That defeat caused the Buckeyes to slide two spots in our AP poll projections.

Of the teams ranked 11th through 25th, eight of them took defeats over the course of the week. These ranged from Indiana being stunned by Michigan to Virginia Tech losing by 29 points to Notre Dame. A few March surprises and a few tough games against top teams yielded losses. Ohio State's loss to Maryland was a big surprise, whereas UCLA lost to now-projected-fourth-ranked USC.

Top 10 moves

The USC/UCLA result shifted the standings a bit. Then again, it was two closely ranked teams in an overtime game. It's hard to see the loss as a massive blot on UCLA's resume. Ohio State's loss did shift the Buckeyes down two spots. It's not the most alarming loss in the world, but it was an odd stumble for an OSU team that looks promising for the NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State has now suffered losses to Iowa and Maryland in short order. Of course, the potential shocker that could have shifted the AP poll didn't happen. Unbeaten South Carolina held off Tennessee by a single point thanks to a buzzer-beater from Kamilla Cardoso. It was heartbreaking for the Vols, but a strong statement for the Gamecocks.

Moving in and moving out

The only drop out of the top 25 was No. 24 Louisville. The Cardinals suffered their ninth loss of the year to Notre Dame. Utah (barely) and Colorado are the only teams in the top 25 with that many defeats. Taking the Cards' place is likely Ivy League champ Princeton. The 23-4 Tigers were just outside the top 25 last week, and they got the projection of a boost into the poll this week.