Kim Barnes Arico and Michigan used the biggest regular-season win in program history to move up to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday.
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Arico → use → Monday
It’s the Wolverines’ best ranking ever and came after a 77-66 victory over then-No. 2 UConn last week.
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It → ’ → UConn
Michigan, which was ranked fifth in the preseason poll, surpassed its previous high of fourth on Feb. 7, 2022.
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which → rank → Feb.
“To be in position today to beat Connecticut and be the No. 2 ranked team in the country, it’s just a credit to our players and credit to our staff,” Barnes Arico said in a phone interview.
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Arico → beat → interview
“To have an opportunity to be in the top five and beat the best program of all time this week was really special.”
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have → beat → time
The Wolverines were one of 10 Big Ten teams ranked this week, matching the record set by the Southeastern Conference last season.
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Wolverines → rank → Conference
South Carolina remained the No. 1 team in the Top 25 in the first regular-season poll after wins over Maryland and North Carolina, two ranked teams, to start the season.
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Carolina → remain → season
The Gamecocks received all but one of the first-place ballots from the national 33-member media panel.
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Gamecocks → receive → panel
USC was third, garnering the other first-place vote.
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USC → garner → vote
UConn dropped two spots to fourth while Duke rounded out the first five.
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Duke → drop → five
UCLA and Iowa were tied for 10th.
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UCLA → tie → 10th
Kentucky and Notre Dame followed them.
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Kentucky → follow → them
Oklahoma jumped up seven spots to No. 14 after routing North Carolina in the season opener in France.
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Oklahoma → jump → France
The Cornhuskers entered at No. 25 while N.C. State fell out.
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State → enter → .
The Big Ten has 10 teams in the Top 25.
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Ten → have → Top
The Southeastern Conference has seven, including four in the top nine.
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Conference → have → top
The Atlantic Coast Conference has four and the Big 12 three.
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12 → have → four
The Big East has one.
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East → have → one
Michigan’s signature win
Barnes Arico’s team has now beaten a top five team three times in the past five years.
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team → beat → years
The Wolverines topped No. 5 Baylor in 2021 and fifth-ranked Indiana in 2022.
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Wolverines → top → 2022
The coach also accomplished a rare feat, ending another long UConn winning streak.
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coach → accomplish → streak
She was the coach at St. John’s when the Red Storm ended the Huskies’ 99-game home winning streak.
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Storm → end → streak
Last Thursday, the team ended UConn’s 39-game, regular-season winning streak.
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team → end → streak
Barnes Arico is one of the few coaches who has beaten Geno Auriemma at different schools, joining Texas coach Vic Schaefer.
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who → beat → Schaefer
“When I think back at UConn and Geno, I have the most respect for him of any coach that’s ever coached in our game,” Barnes Arico said.
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Arico → think → game
“He’s been able to maintain consistency and what he’s accomplished has been unreal and unheard of.
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accomplished → maintain → what
To be one of two coaches that have beat him at two different places is really incredible.
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that → beat → places
People go through a lifetime and never beat Connecticut ever.
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People → go → Connecticut
Game of the week
No. 3 USC visits No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday.
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USC → visit → Sunday
The two teams met twice last season with the Gamecocks winning both matchups.
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Gamecocks → meet → matchups
One was in the regular season while the other came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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other → come → Tournament
The Trojans have JuJu Watkins back after she missed the last 20 months recovering from an ACL injury she suffered in the NCAA Tournament her sophomore year.
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she → have → Tournament
The Aporia
