USC coach Michel Cooper/Photo Andrew Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
Michael Cooper is not stepping into an easy situation in his first season as USC's women's basketball coach, because the Trojans schedule is loaded with difficult nonconference games.
USC's schedule is not as challenging as Stanford's. which is one of the toughest in the country (we will rate the nation's toughest schedules later this week). But the Trojans, as well as Cal, Arizona State and UCLA will be tested before Pac-10 play begins.
Here is our ranking of the schedule strengths of the Pac-10 women's basketball teams, and they correlate pretty closely with how the teams are expected to finish:
1. Stanford -- As has been mentioned here before, nonconference games against five teams in the preseason top 25, including three against the top eight -- No. 1 Connecticut, No. 6 Duke and No. 8 Tennessee -- is the toughest the Cardinal has ever faced.
2. USC -- The Trojans play four top-25 teams -- No. 6 Duke, No. 11 Xaiver, No. 12 Texas and No. 25 Rutgers -- and only the Xaiver game is at home. They also play Gonzaga and Mississippi State, which are very close to being ranked. There are no soft touches.
3. Cal -- A home game against No. 7 Baylor and a likely road game against No. 3 Ohio State will test the young Bears, and a home game against Texas A&M will not be easy either. A neutral-court game against Boston College will not be a snap.
4. Arizona State -- The Sun Devils play No. 7 Baylor, No. 11 Xaiver and a good Texas A&M team, and none of them is at home.
5. UCLA -- The Bruins play road games against No. 8 Tennessee and No. 20 Kansas and home games against Utah and Texeas Tech, which are decent.
6. Washington -- A road game against No. 10 Michigan State highlights the nonconference schedule, which also includes a road game against a Gonzaga team that may be in the top 25 before long.
7. Arizona -- Road games against No. 19 Georgia Tech and a good San Diego State team will challenge the Wildcats.
8. Oregon -- A road game against No. 19 Georgia Tech is the toughest game for new coach Paul Westhead, who is implementing his wild, fast-paced system.
9. Washington State -- Road games against Kansas State and Nebraska are the toughest games of a nondescript schedule.
10. Oregon State -- The Beavers don't play any elite teams, with a home game against UC Santa Barbara and a road game against Houston being the most difficult games.
For more Bay Area college sports, see jakestakeonsports.com.
See also:
STANFORD'S MEN'S SCHEDULE A LITTLE TOUGHER
STANFORD WOMEN ATTEMPT 39 THREE-POINTERS IN EXHIBITION
STANFORD WOMEN UNANIMOUS PICK TO WIN PAC-10
STANFORD WOMEN ATTEND POINT-GUARD COLLEGE
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