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ASU Basketball: Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Top 4 Rankings

By Sam Ficarro

Mar 8, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Both Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears warm up before the finals of the Pac-12 Women
Mar 8, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Both Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears warm up before the finals of the Pac-12 Women /
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Mar 22, 2015; Berkley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Lindsay Gottlieb talks with her team during halftime in the first half of their game with Texas Longhorns in the second round of the women
Mar 22, 2015; Berkley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Lindsay Gottlieb talks with her team during halftime in the first half of their game with Texas Longhorns in the second round of the women /

3. California Golden Bears

The California Golden Bears are currently ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll after running the non-conference table. Cal enters Pac-12 play with a 12-0 record after a disappointing 14-16 the season before despite a trip to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals.

Under fifth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, the Golden Bears’ record is unblemished in a schedule that included wins at Nebraska and versus then-No. 20 Oklahoma in Las Vegas. It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Cal after the struggles of last season, and one reason for that is the emergence of the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Kristine Anigwe.

Anigwe, who named espnW Player of the Week Monday, is having a spectacular season for the Golden Bears. After averaging 20.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game on 57 percent shooting last season, she has exceeded those numbers. This season, Anigwe is averaging 25.1 PPG and 10.2 RPG on 65.9 percent shooting.

She has put up some ridiculous numbers this season. In a win versus Sacramento State, she scored 50 points and brought down 14 rebounds, setting a school record for points in a game. In an upset win over then-No. 20 Oklahoma, Anigwe scored 36 points and 15 rebounds in helping propel the Golden Bears into the rankings. She is definitely on pace to become Pac-12 Player of the Year.

While Cal’s team is centered around Anigwe, the Golden Bears also receive valuable contributions from senior forward Courtney Range, who is averaging 13.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG.

It’s unrealistic to expect Anigwe to score 30 to 50 points a game for Cal in Pac-12 play with the competition a lot tougher. Teams will certainly be game-planning to take her out of the game, and force her other teammates to beat them.

Outside of Anigwe and Range, no one is averaging double-digit points and the question of whether they have enough depth to establish themselves as a Pac-12 contender.

They will be tested this weekend with games at Arizona and No. 18 Arizona State.