Kacinas named Player of the Week as Gamecocks receive Top 25 votes; USC women remain No. 2
South Carolina’s Mindaugas Kacinas was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday for the first time in his career.
Kacinas averaged 13 points and seven rebounds in two wins last week, extending the Gamecocks’ 6-0 start. It’s the best beginning of the Frank Martin era and the longest win streak to start a season since USC went 8-0 to start 2003-04, its last NCAA tournament year.
The senior forward made the Paradise Jam all-tournament team after averaging 17.3 points and six rebounds in three games, including a career-high 23 points against DePaul.
Recognized
The Gamecocks received five votes in The Associated Press Top 25 and four votes in the USA Today/coaches’ Top 25 on Monday. USC received votes in the AP Top 25 last year after finishing its non-conference schedule, but an 0-2 start in the SEC took the Gamecocks out.
Last year was the first time since 2009 that USC received votes.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 29, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
Record | Pts | Prv | |
1. Kentucky (59) | 6-0 | 1,619 | 1 |
2. Maryland (4) | 6-0 | 1,512 | 2 |
3. Michigan State (2) | 7-0 | 1,510 | 3 |
4. Kansas | 4-1 | 1,342 | 5 |
5. Iowa State | 5-0 | 1,338 | 4 |
6. Oklahoma | 4-0 | 1,269 | 7 |
7. Duke | 6-1 | 1,253 | 6 |
8. Villanova | 6-0 | 1,218 | 8 |
9. North Carolina | 5-1 | 1,155 | 9 |
10. Virginia | 5-1 | 965 | 12 |
11. Purdue | 6-0 | 904 | 16 |
12. Xavier | 7-0 | 801 | 23 |
13. Gonzaga | 4-1 | 788 | 10 |
14. Syracuse | 6-0 | 696 | — |
15. Oregon | 5-0 | 628 | 21 |
16. Vanderbilt | 5-1 | 587 | 19 |
17. Cincinnati | 7-0 | 551 | 24 |
18. Texas A&M | 6-1 | 522 | 25 |
19. Arizona | 6-1 | 504 | 11 |
20. West Virginia | 6-0 | 363 | — |
21. Miami | 5-1 | 289 | 15 |
22. SMU | 4-0 | 256 | 25 |
23. Providence | 6-1 | 247 | — |
24. Louisville | 5-0 | 173 | — |
25. Baylor | 4-1 | 162 | — |
Others receiving votes: Connecticut 153, Utah 72, Butler 62, George Washington 45, Indiana 26, Nothern Iowa 25, Notre Dame 22, California 19, Pittsburgh 11, Dayton 8, San Diego State 5, South Carolina 5, Georgetown 4, UTEP 3, Iowa 2, LSU 2, Northwestern 2, UALR 2, Colorado State 1, Davidson 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Monmouth 1, Northeastern 1
Staying put
The USC women remained second in the AP Top 25 after going undefeated in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Shootout.
The Gamecocks (7-0) won three games in three games to conclude a five-game road swing. They’re back home Saturday to face No. 14 Duke.
AP TOP 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 29, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
1. UConn (32) | 3-0 | 800 | 1 |
2. South Carolina | 7-0 | 760 | 2 |
3. Notre Dame | 6-0 | 734 | 3 |
4. Baylor | 6-0 | 707 | 5 |
5. Maryland | 6-0 | 634 | 6 |
6. Texas | 5-0 | 631 | 8 |
7. Oregon State | 5-0 | 591 | 7 |
8. Tennessee | 5-1 | 556 | 4 |
9. Mississippi State | 5-0 | 551 | 8 |
10. Ohio State | 4-2 | 524 | 11 |
11. Kentucky | 6-0 | 477 | 12 |
12. Texas A&M | 5-1 | 463 | 10 |
13. Florida State | 5-1 | 395 | 14 |
14. Duke | 6-1 | 371 | 15 |
15. Northwestern | 6-0 | 302 | 19 |
16. Stanford | 6-1 | 294 | 13 |
17. Arizona State | 3-2 | 280 | 16 |
18. California | 5-1 | 240 | 16 |
19. Michigan State | 4-1 | 195 | 20 |
20. Syracuse | 4-1 | 153 | 23 |
21. Oklahoma | 5-1 | 151 | 21 |
22. Seton Hall | 7-0 | 134 | — |
23. DePaul | 5-1 | 97 | — |
24. South Florida | 3-2 | 91 | 18 |
24. UCLA | 3-2 | 91 | — |
Others receiving votes: Iowa 49, George Washington 40, St. John's 14, Miami 13, Dayton 11, Missouri 9, Oklahoma St. 9, Princeton 9, Purdue 5, NC State 4, W. Kentucky 4, Florida 3, Nebraska 3, Southern Cal 3, Idaho 1, Oregon 1
Cloninger’s Top 25
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Texas
6. Tennessee
7. Maryland
8. Oregon State
9. Mississippi State
10. Kentucky
11. Ohio State
12. Texas A&M
13. Duke
14. Florida State
15. Stanford
16. Arizona State
17. California
18. Northwestern
19. Oklahoma
20. South Florida
21. George Washington
22. Iowa
23. Michigan State
24. Syracuse
25. DePaul
This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 12:33 PM.