Hardwood Highlights • Updated on October 16, 2026

Women’s College Basketball: The Power 10 Before Tipoff

South Carolina and UConn lead Autumn Johnson’s preseason assessment.

Autumn Johnson’s NCAA.com preseason Power 10, October 13, 2026. These are preseason assessments, not results-based standings or NCAA tournament seeds. The men’s statistical model and women’s editorial list use different methods; they are identified separately rather than presented as one official NCAA poll.

When the season begins

Notre Dame and Villanova open the men’s and women’s seasons with a doubleheader in Rome on Sunday, November 1. The main opening slate follows Monday, November 2. The Rome event matters when distinguishing the first games from the general NCAA first-contest date. Exhibitions are separate from regular-season results.

What a ranking can—and cannot—tell us

A preseason position is a starting hypothesis. Returning experience, roster changes and expected roles can inform it, but no team has yet proved that the projected pieces will function together in this season’s competition. The early games are a chance to test the assumptions rather than protect the original order.

The first evaluation

Watch whether the offense creates repeatable chances, whether the defense completes possessions and how the team handles a change in pace or coverage. A strong opponent can reveal weaknesses that a comfortable opener conceals. The result belongs in the record; the quality of decisions helps explain how much that result should change our view.