Stanford jumps to No. 5, Vols and UConn remain 1, 2

Stanford has been a frustrating team for its fans lately because the Cardinal has always been talented but they haven't had the type of success as in recent years. That could change this season. From an opening win at Rutgers to the most recent victory against Baylor on Sunday, Stanford has been on the rise.

You won't have to look far to find the in the weekly power rankings. The Cardinal, whose only loss is to Connecticut, jumps back into our top five after handing Baylor a 24-point loss. With a matchup against Tennessee ahead, Stanford has a chance to keep on climbing.

NCAA Basketball Power Rankings Rank LW School 1 1 Tennessee Lady Vols (9-0) It seems the only way Tennessee can't pick up wins these days is by not playing. But the Lady Vols' eight-day break came to an end and they showed no signs of rust in knocking off Middle Tennessee State and Gonzaga. Next three: 12/19 at UCLA; 12/22 at Stanford; 01/02 at DePaul 2 2 UConn Huskies (7-0) The Huskies haven't played a game since Dec. 5, but should be ready for South Carolina on Monday night. With 12 days to prepare, it could be a rough evening for the Gamecocks. Next three: 12/17 vs. South Carolina; 12/21 at San Diego State; 12/29 3 3 Maryland Terrapins (13-1) If she wasn't already at 100 percent, a lengthy break should have given All-America Crystal Langhorne the time to get there. Langhorne has looked sharp since returning from an ankle injury that kept her out of the first six games, averaging 12.4 points and shooting 63 percent from the field. Next three: 12/20 at James Madison; 12/29 vs. Richmond; 12/30 vs. UMBC 4 5 UNC Tar Heels (10-1) Scoring hasn't been a problem for the Tar Heels. They've been among the nation's leaders in points the past couple of years. This team, however, has shown a little more balance on offense -- five players are averaging at least 10 points. Next three: 12/17 at Coastal Carolina; 12/20 vs. Western Kentucky; 12/20 vs. Western Kentucky 5 7 Stanford Cardinal (8-1) Stanford was more than impressive on Sunday. The Cardinal shot better than Baylor, outrebounded the Bears and forced turnovers. Of course, no Stanford player was better than Candice Wiggins who had 35 points, four steals, two blocks. I'd say someone is ready for Tennessee next week. Next three: 12/18 at New Mexico; 12/22 vs. Tennessee; 12/28 vs. Washington State

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