December 31, 2025
The Weekly Fast Break: Hardcourt resolutions
Victory booms, in-state W's & toasting the new year
As the calendar turns to a new year, we find ourselves bombarded by the common holiday question – what is your New Year’s resolution? The beauty of a resolution is that can be neither right or wrong, but rather what we believe we need and/or can do in the next 365 days. For some it is a promise to themselves to eat better or exercise more while others are resolved to be better at their jobs or spend more time with family. We cannot turn back time, but we can look head to what the next year can bring.
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Ushering in a new year also gives us a chance to reflect on a memorable one in college basketball. We navigated conference realignment yet again and with it, crazy travel trips and new rivalries on the court. We hung on for dear life as the transfer portal spun at insane speeds and resigned to live with the idea of revenue sharing in college sports. We found new star talent that thrives under the spotlight and were in awe of the veterans who were the best of the best. We have cursed those three letters known as ACL and cheered on the upstarts and the upsets so they get their due. We celebrated the crowning of UConn as the national champs, proving yet again that you should never bet against the Huskies. When we look back on 2025, it has been another year of momentous growth and excitement for the women’s game and there is much more to come.
As we enter 2026 here at The Weekly Fast Break, we will be resolute in remembering what the great Billie Jean King said: “pressure is a privilege – it only comes to those that earn it.” Every team across the country is turning its attention now to the ultimate goal – a trip to the Final Four in Phoenix. The pressure will build and the games will mean more. The rivalries will bring out the best in players and coaches, and their season may hang in the balance by a single free throw or turnover. As you raise your glass at midnight to toast the year that has been, remember that what comes in 2026 is going to be something special to celebrate.
*Our Star Power section will return after New Year’s
TIP-OFF
Winning in West Texas: There has been a history of success at Texas Tech, from the 1993 women’s basketball national champions, to NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, men’s basketball NCAA Tournament runs and most recently an appearance in the softball College World Series. The Red Raiders have scratched and clawed for their rightful place in the Big 12 for decades, and over the last 18 months, Tech has gained everyone’s attention in college athletics. In this ever-changing landscape, it takes investment to get the right people and the right results. Enter two dynamic figures with the singular goal of making their alma mater a powerhouse – Mahomes and former Tech football player turned oil billionaire Cody Campbell. Campbell, the co-founder of Double Eagle Energy Holdings, and Mahomes have invested millions in Tech’s NIL initiatives, which have directly impacted the athletic programs’ ability to attract top talent. While many of us have been watching Billy Bob Thorton’s character in “Landman” navigate the oil business in the Periman Basin, Lubbock is its own version of a boom town.
As of this week, Texas Tech is one of five schools ranked in women’s basketball, men’s basketball and football and the only one with a team still in the College Football Playoff. The Lady Raiders are ranked for the first time in the AP Poll since Jan. 16, 2012, and find themselves undefeated at 14-0. They are coming off a huge win against then-No. 15 Baylor on Dec. 21 (61-60), making it their first ranked win since Jan. 2024 and the first top 15 win since Feb. 2022. Tech snapped a 31-game losing streak to the Bears and earned their first win in Waco since 2004. Head coach Krista Gerlich, now in her sixth season at her alma mater, has veteran leaders on her squad and balance on the roster. They will be back in action on Dec. 31 when they host Big 12 foe UCF. Tech’s football team will play Jan. 1 in the Orange Bowl against Oregon and the men’s basketball squad tips off Big 12 play on Jan. 3. The boom is big in Lubbock, and the Red Raiders are striking at the right time.
A natural rivalry: In-state rivalries in college sports are normally rooted in decades of heated battles between teams in similar standing. We think of schools in the same states and conferences or in cities divided by colors, mascots and family loyalties. There is Auburn and Alabama in the SEC and USC and UCLA lines divide Los Angeles. The state of Iowa is polarized by the Iowa State/Iowa rivalry and in Michigan, you are either a Spartan or a Wolverine. But in certain states, where there is only one power conference school, sometimes the in-state mid-major program is the one that pops like a champagne bottle on New Year’s Eve.
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The state of Arkansas, affectionately known as “The Natural State,” is home to multiple universities but just one Power 4 institution, which is also the state’s flagship school, the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks have been towards the bottom of the SEC women’s basketball standings in recent years and made a coaching change last April. First-year head coach Kelsi Musick, who spent three seasons at Oral Roberts, had the Razorbacks sitting at 11-3 going into their Dec. 28 home matchup with Arkansas State. The Red Wolves traveled over four hours from Jonesboro to Fayetteville with an eight-game winning streak, having also won their first two games in Sun Belt Conference play.
With three players scoring 15 or more points and forcing 29 turnovers, Arkansas State won at Arkansas for the first time in program history. The 81-72 win was the first for the Red Wolves over the Razorbacks since the 2005 WNIT. Musick’s Arkansas squad moves to 11-4 overall and opens SEC play at home on Jan. 1 when they host No. 12 Vanderbilt. Arkansas State (11-3) is back on the road to Southern Miss on Jan. 1, looking to extend its winning streak to 10. The Red Wolves are on the hunt heading into the new year and will be tough to beat in the Sun Belt.
(Photo credit: Stephen Garcia | Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Two the undefeated we go: Prior to the holiday break, there were three schools in the country that had both an undefeated women’s and men’s basketball team. After No. 20 Nebraska’s 74-66 loss to No. 17 USC on Dec. 29, there are just two left standing – Iowa State and Vanderbilt. Both Cyclone programs are in the top 10, with the men at No. 3 and the women at No. 10. Vanderbilt’s rise under Shea Ralph has been brewing over the past two seasons, and the Commodore women are currently sitting at No. 12. Their men’s program, under second year head coach Mark Byington is ranked No. 11. Can both schools stay undefeated as they begin conference action in 2026? That is still to be determined, but we can tell you that on any given night this winter, a game ticket will be hard to come by in Ames, Iowa, and Nashville, Tenn.
Poll watch: The AP Poll returns on Jan. 5, and so we end 2025 with the rankings that came out on Dec. 22. UConn keeps its firm hold on the top spot while Texas sits at No. 2. The Longhorns received seven first-place votes. There was only one move in the top 10, with TCU moving up one to No. 8.
The biggest spirals came from Baylor, down seven to No. 22, and Tennessee, down six places to No. 23. The biggest climber in the last poll of 2025 was Texas Tech, in at No. 21. The Lady Raiders are back in the Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 2012. The sole mid-major program ranked or receiving votes is Princeton, which remains at No. 25. Three Big 12 teams received votes – Oklahoma State, BYU and Arizona State. The Sun Devils are 14-0 overall and won their first conference matchup on Dec. 21 with a 79-63 win over Colorado.
POSTGAME BREAKDOWN
With eight Big Ten teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, there is a high probability that there will be a matchup of two of them quite often this winter. On Dec. 28, No. 4 UCLA traveled to No. 19 Ohio State and beat the Buckeyes 82-75. The high-level basketball played in Columbus has been just one of many storylines that has emerged since the final buzzer. The one that has caught the most attention seems to be one that continues to play out in the world of women’s sports.
UCLA head coach Cori Close, speaking remotely to the Orange County Register’s Benjamin Royer, took notice that no local reporter spoke to her or attended her post-game media availability. She gave Royer permission to publish her comments. “Honestly, if I’m being really blunt with you, the energy in the building was great, but having no media here at all from either team or either — no AP, no nothing, doesn’t say a lot. We’re the only double-ranked game out today; the only one in the country, and we had no media day today. No media here. You’re the only one that’s asked to talk to me. And credit to you, but I don’t mind if you print that either. Like for the only game that had two ranked opponents to not have more coverage over this particular game — disappointing, honestly.”
(Photo credit: Robert Hanashiro | Imagn Images)
We want to start by clarifying a few important points as it relates to the coverage of this game. A freelance journalist for the Associated Press (AP) was in attendance as well as Thomas Costello, who writes for Ohio State’s SB Nation site and The IX Basketball. It has been pointed out that there was additional media present, but others may have left rather quickly to cover an Ohio State home hockey game. There is also the matter of the College Football Playoff – the Buckeyes play on Dec. 31 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas against Miami. The timing of practices and the game means that many local Columbus media and other OSU beat reporters were traveling and/or already in Dallas on Dec. 28.
While there were various circumstances at play in this situation, we want to make two important points. First, UCLA’s head coach is not wrong – it is very disappointing that there was not more media there to cover this ranked matchup. For the local outlets, they need to plan better, knowing what other Ohio State events and/or travel are on the calendar so that appropriate coverage can get done. Just because the football team is practicing in Dallas on Dec. 29 does not mean that other important games should take a back seat. Whether intended or not, it makes it seem that yet again, women’s sports are the afterthought.
We want to be clear that we, here at The Weekly Fast Break, our talented colleagues at The IX Basketball and other women’s sports journalists across the country consistently work to gain access to coaches and players to cover the college game. While Coach Close made herself available in this postgame situation on the road, it is not always that simple or convenient. Our message would be this – the only way we can continue to cover the game, tell the stories and elevate women’s basketball is if it is a two-way street. We all must continue to work together to have the proper access before, during and after games. Then there needs to be a true commitment from other media outlets (local, national and freelance) to use that access properly, with integrity and to best of our abilities.
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FULL COURT PRESS
The best part about ringing in the New Year is that whatever you choose to do, you cannot go wrong. Many will be out and dressed to the nines for a fancy party or a magnificent dinner reservation with festive champagne. Others will opt for a small gathering of family and friends for card games, sports on the big screen and their favorite drinks in hand. No matter how you celebrate your calendar flip, just know that there are plenty of games coming up that you do not want to miss. If your hangover seems to get the best of you, pair your coffee with Gatorade and settle in for days’ worth of action (check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability):
Dec. 31
No. 19 Ohio State at Purdue
Ball State at Akron
No. 22 Baylor at R/V Oklahoma State
R/V Arizona State at Utah
No. 8 TCU at R/V BYU
Jan. 1
No. 24 Michigan State at Indiana
Creighton at Villanova
R/V Alabama at No. 3 South Carolina
No. 20 Nebraska at No. 14 Iowa
St. Thomas (MN) at South Dakota State
No. 18 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Auburn at Mississippi State
Montana State at Northern CO
Idaho State at Sacramento State
Jan. 2
Bradley at Belmont
Cleveland State at Green Bay
Santa Clara at Loyola Marymount
Pacific at Oregon State
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Jan. 3
Seaton Hall at No. 1 UConn
Army at Colgate
No. 17 USC at No. 4 UCLA
Davidson at St. Louis
Niagara at Fairfield
Austin Peay at North Florida
Southern Indiana at Lindenwood
Richmond at St. Bonaventure
San Diego State at Wyoming
Arizona at No. 21 Texas Tech
Jan. 4
West Virginia at K-State
Missouri at No. 11 Kentucky
R/V Stanford at No. 16 UNC
Campbell at Drexel
No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 2 Texas
No. 22 Baylor at No. 10 Iowa State
No. 23 Tennessee at Auburn
No. 5 LSU at No. 12 Vanderbilt
Indiana at No. 7 Maryland
Virginia Tech at No. 13 Louisville
Jan. 5
Minnesota at No. 6 Michigan
No. 14 Iowa at Northwestern
Brown at Yale
Jan. 6
East Carolina at North Texas
R/V BYU at Arizona
R/V Oregon at No. 17 USC
South Florida at UAB
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference provided statistics
Written by Missy Heidrick
Retired Kansas State shooting guard who spent almost 20 years working in Higher Education and Division 1 athletics. Currently working as a WBB and MBB basketball analyst for television, national college basketball correspondent at The IX Basketball, podcast host, WBB Naismith Award board of selectors member and run my own consulting business.
