For a number of programs across the country, Thanksgiving Feast Week was celebratory. At some of the annual November showcases, trophies were handed out. Memories were made in the Cayman Islands, Cancun and Las Vegas. But as I pinch-hit for Sabreena Merchant for this week’s power rankings, I’m beginning with one of the schools that stumbled: Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish were No.1 in last week’s power rankings (for good reason, after picking up a standout win at USC). But Notre Dame struggled in its ensuing two contests, dropping games to TCU and Utah this week. In both instances, sub-par fourth quarters sunk the Irish. Against the Horned Frogs, Notre Dame was outscored 31-12. One day later, Utah outscored Notre Dame by six in the final 10 minutes.

🚨UTES UPSET 🚨@UTAHWBB takes down No. 3 Notre Dame, 78-67 !#NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/1zEuZuBl34

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) December 1, 2024

The Irish’s lack of depth was apparent. It was especially visible with freshman center Kate Koval’s struggles. Koval, a top-five recruit in the Class of 2024, has already won national Freshman of the Week. Yet, against the Horned Frogs and Utes, she missed all 12 of her shots, recorded nine turnovers, committed eight fouls and grabbed only 10 rebounds.

Stars Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron might draw more headlines for Notre Dame this season. But keep an eye out on the Irish frontcourt. Notre Dame’s ceiling might depend on how well its bigs play.

With that, here’s where things stand:

Dropped out: Illinois (16), Alabama (18), Oregon (25)

Almost famous: Illinois, Louisville, Stanford, Oregon

Sparty continues progression

The Spartans were among the schools that took home hardware during Thanksgiving week. To win the Acrisure Classic, they first overcame a five-point second quarter (and 16-point deficit) against Cal and another fourth-quarter deficit against Vanderbilt. Michigan State (8-0) tied a record for the best start in school history.

Sparty continues to show significant improvement in coach Robyn Fralick’s second year. Although last year, Michigan State ranked seventh in offensive rating but No. 137 nationally in defensive rating. The Spartans’ offense has remained efficient, but their defense has stiffened and entered Thanksgiving week ranked first nationally in points per 100 possessions. Though it has slipped to 10th, Michigan State still averages nearly two more blocks and six more steals per game than last season. When they force turnovers, they’re effective in converting on the extra opportunities, averaging 22.6 fastbreak points and 32.3 points off turnovers per game — both of which are top 10 nationally.

“It takes our TEAM.”

After two gritty wins in Cali, we move to 8-0 on the season😄#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/iss0guWzto

— Michigan State Women’s Basketball (@MSU_WBasketball) November 29, 2024

Taking advantage of easy chances has been key as MSU is usually more active and reliant on the offense glass than its opponents. The Spartans average 16.1 second-chance points per game, up six points from last season. Key to that difference has been the addition of two-time all-Pac-12 honorable mention forward Grace VanSlooten. A transfer from Oregon, VanSlooten has scored in double-digits in all seven games with MSU. She’s pulled in at least seven rebounds in all but one game and found instant chemistry with redshirt senior guard Julia Ayrault.

Fralick spent the previous five seasons at Bowling Green. It’s early, but it seems as if the Spartans could be headed for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2016-17.

What’s different at Kentucky?

Kenny Brooks has shown he can still coach outside the state of Virginia. In his first season at Kentucky, the Wildcats won their two games in the Music City Classic, with an emphatic statement victory over Illinois. Leading by only six points entering the fourth quarter, Kentucky’s defense was relentless as it went on an 18-0 run to blow open the top-25 matchup.

Improved defense has been critical to the Wildcats’ 7-0 start. A year ago, they were 332nd nationally, allowing more than 103 points per 100 possessions. They are now 20th, allowing just over 75 points per 100 possessions. The difference stems largely from their added size — UK leads the nation in blocks per game (10.3). Six-foot-5 center Clara Strack and 6-4 forward Teonni Key transferred from Virginia Tech and UNC, respectively, and each averages more than 2.9 blocks per game. Reserve freshman center Clara Silva has been used sparingly, but at 6-7, she’s also had instant presence, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. The forceful trio complements 5-6 guard Georgia Amoore, who darts around the perimeter.

Brooks is still leaning on his starters — Amoore, for instance, leads all power conference players with 37 minutes per game — but using standout rim defenders is a carryover from his time with Virginia Tech. Kentucky has another tough test when it plays at UNC on Thursday.

Kenny Brooks and Georgia Amoore have the Wildcats on the rise. (Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)

Who’s Ohio State’s latest freshman star?

It didn’t take long for Jaloni Cambridge to make her imprint at Ohio State. In her debut, the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2024, scored 31 points, flashing her explosiveness. She has continued excelling, most recently scoring all 19 of her points in the first half of Ohio State’s blowout win over Ohio.

Similar to recent seasons, the Buckeyes rely on depth — 10 players average at least 14.6 minutes per game — but Cambridge has been as impactful as anyone, leading OSU in total points, assists, steals and free-throw attempts. She already is one of the sport’s most efficient scorers, averaging 16.1 points in only 23.5 minutes per game on 47.7 shooting. She is dynamic in transition, averaging 4.3 points per game on the break, and fearless attacking the basket, drawing four fouls per game, according to CBB Analytics.

Spin Cycle 🔄@JaloniCambridge | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2ko6vZPDgr

— Ohio State Women’s Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) November 28, 2024

Come March, Ohio State will be looking to make its third Sweet 16 in four years. And though Cambridge is new to the college scene, one of the program’s biggest stars in recent memory is already heaping praise on the freshman who could help the Buckeyes make a deep run.

“She’s special,” said Jacy Sheldon, the Dallas Wings guard and new OSU director of player development. “You guys already see what she’s about, and she’s got so much more potential, too. She’s only going to continue to get better every day, but an amazing player. I think her speed is something that makes her so good and able to be that fast and to stop on a dime, very few players can do that.”

Since 2013, Georgia Tech has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in only one season (2021-22). But the Yellow Jackets are poised to be ranked again, potentially as soon as this week after beating No. 21 Oregon to stretch their winning streak to seven.

Winning the possession battle has been critical for the Yellow Jackets. Although against Oregon, both teams finished with 14 turnovers apiece, but Georgia Tech had 15 more offensive rebounds, leading to 24 more shots. The Yellow Jackets’ 18.3 second-chance points per game ranks No. 8 nationally, and nearly a quarter of their points come after offensive rebounds.

Kara Dunn, an All-ACC second-team guard, has been especially effective crashing the glass, having hauled in five or more offensive rebounds three times this season despite being only 5-foot-11.

Her teammates have been effective in other aspects. Sophomore guard Tonie Morgan took home tournament MVP honors after averaging 15.5 points and eight rebounds in Georgia Tech’s Hawaii North Shore Showcase victory. Freshman guard Dani Carnegie, a top-30 recruit, leads Georgia Tech with 14.3 points per game. The three guards provide the Yellow Jackets with continual playmakers, making them difficult to stop.

Backcourt battle must-watch in SEC-ACC Challenge

This week’s SEC-ACC Challenge features a series of intriguing games. Some of the highlights include:

Wednesday

Oklahoma at Louisville, 5 p.m. (ET), ESPN2

Florida State at Tennessee, 7:15 p.m., SEC Network

Thursday

Kentucky at North Carolina, 5 p.m., ESPN2

Ole Miss at NC State, 7 p.m., ESPN2

Duke at South Carolina, 9 p.m., ESPN

But the headliner of the challenge will be Thursday in South Bend at 7 p.m. (ET), when Texas faces Notre Dame. The matchup features two of the best backcourts in the country: Texas leaning on Rori Harmon and Madison Booker, and Notre Dame on Miles and Hidalgo.

Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey relies heavily on her guards, often playing them together. They average more than 31 minutes per game together and have proven disruptive (their last two losses notwithstanding). Texas coach Vic Schaefer has played his duo far less, as it averages around 18 minutes per game this season. Part of that might be due to scheduling differences (the Fighting Irish, for instance, played USC this season), while Texas played its first ranked opponent on Sunday. Nevertheless, it’s worth watching to see how much Schaefer plays Harmon and Booker together in this high-profile contest or how much he staggers them.

Not only does this matchup feature four of the best guards in the country, but it also involves backcourts that took similar paths to their success. Booker and Hidalgo took on larger roles and excelled as freshmen due to their backcourt mates’ injuries. The experience accelerated their individual development but also helped their respective programs contend nationally.

Keep an eye on the turnover differential as a determining factor. Entering Sunday, Texas averaged 28.2 turnovers per game (third nationally), while Notre Dame forced almost 10 fewer giveaways per contest. Whether one backcourt can disrupt the other will go a long way in determining the winner.

(Top photo of Olivia Miles: Jeffrey Brown / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)