We'll have to wait another week to see if Duke falls from its spot atop the Power Rankings. The Blue Devils and North Carolina will settle that on Thursday. They might not have changed position this week, but several of our top teams have. Ohio State and Connecticut are moving up while other title hopefuls head in the opposite direction, including defending national champion Maryland. Back-to-back losses have the Terrapins on the slide. They're out of the top five for the first time this season.
That's not the only change either. Six teams in our rankings lost in the last week.
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Duke Blue Devils (23-0)
The Blue Devils are taking everyone's best shots, and they just keep rolling right along. The big showdown comes on Thursday when they travel to North Carolina. With such a big game looming, though, getting past Clemson on Monday gave Duke the chance to show it has the mental toughness it takes to win it all.
Next three: 02/05 vs. Clemson; 02/08 at North Carolina; 02/11 at Wake Forest
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North Carolina Tar Heels (24-0)
Defense was key in getting Duke to the top of our rankings, but the Blue Devils will meet their match this week. It's North Carolina that averaging a nation's best 15.9 steals. And if you can manage to get the ball down the court against them, the Tar Heels won't make it easy to get off a shot. They're blocking seven a game.
Next three: 02/08 vs. Duke; 02/12 at Florida State; 02/16 at N.C. State
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Tennessee Volunteers (21-2)
Tennessee is at the top of the SEC standings, and at 7-0, it is the only team without a conference loss. The Lady Vols have knocked off three league teams since falling to Duke. They too have buckled down on the defensive end, holding each of their last three opponents to less than 60 points.
Next three: 02/08 vs. Auburn; 02/11 vs. Kentucky; 02/15 vs. Mississippi
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Ohio State Buckeyes (21-1)
The Buckeyes are in control of the Big Ten, and don't look ready to give it up. They've won 14 straight and sophomore Star Allen has really come up big for the Buckeyes lately. She's put up 40 points in the last two games, wins over Purdue and Northwestern. And Ohio State is coming up big too. This is the highest the Buckeyes have been in our rankings.
Next three: 02/08 at Minnesota; 02/11 at Illinois; 02/15 vs. Wisconsin
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Connecticut Huskies (20-4)
It's easy to forget just how young the Huskies are. Despite not having a single senior on the roster, they just go out and get the job done. Connecticut has a two-game edge in the Big East standings and has already knocked off one title hopeful in Marquette. It'll be interesting to see how the Huskies handles this next tournament-like stretch that includes three Top 25 teams.
Next three: 02/06 vs. Rutgers; 02/11 at LSU; 02/13 vs. Louisville
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