Now this feels familiar. After winning an unprecedented four consecutive NCAA titles, Connecticut remains on top of our preseason top 25, as voted by espnW.com's Charlie Creme, Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel, and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo.
While the Huskies graduated three starters, including three-time national player of the year Breanna Stewart, we've learned you just can't count out UConn -- at least until another team beats the Huskies.
Creme provides the analysis for each team below.
1. Connecticut Huskies
2015-16 record: 38-0; national champion
Points (highest/lowest vote): 95 (1/4); two first-place votes
Notable returners: Kia Nurse (9.3 PPG, 2.7 APG); Gabby Williams (8.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG); Katie Lou Samuelson (11.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
A new era is dawning in Storrs, but that doesn't mean the level of success will change. The Huskies have won 75 consecutive games and four straight NCAA titles and, despite significant losses, are among the favorites to win again. Gone are Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck, but just as they grew from young players to dominant leaders, coach Geno Auriemma will be counting on elevations from Nurse, Williams, Samuelson and Napheesha Collier. Depth and youth could be an issue against the customary challenging early season schedule that includes road games at Florida State, Notre Dame and Maryland. How freshman and highly recruited point guard Crystal Dangerfield develops, or how Auriemma and his staff work around the loss of Jefferson at the point, could be the key to how far the Huskies go in 2017 and whether they reach a 10th consecutive Final Four.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2015-16 record: 33-2; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 93 (1/5); one first-place vote
Notable returners: Brianna Turner (14.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG); Lindsay Allen (9.3 PPG, 5.8 APG); Arike Ogunbowale (11.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
The loss to Stanford in the Sweet 16 might have been the most shocking result of the 2016 NCAA tournament and ended Notre Dame's run of five straight trips to the Final Four. The Irish are a favorite to begin another streak, with most of the core back from a team whose only other loss last season was on the road to UConn. Notre Dame has the nation's best point guard-post combination in Allen and Turner. Coach Muffet McGraw would love a completely healthy season from Turner, who is a national player of the year candidate. The Irish will miss Madison Cable's shooting, but sophomore Marina Mabrey could make a huge jump from her 10.7 PPG of a year ago. Ogunbowale proved to be every bit the scorer she was recruited to be and should be even more effective as a sophomore. Erin Boley, the Gatorade national player of the year, is the latest highly rated freshman to join Notre Dame and has the kind of offensive skills that should fit nicely into McGraw's system.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks
2015-16 record: 33-2; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 92 (1/5)
Notable returners: A'ja Wilson (16.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG); Alaina Coates (12.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG); Bianca Cuevas-Moore (6.6 PPG, 1.8 APG)
Nothing illustrates how far Dawn Staley has taken the Gamecocks in her eight seasons than this: South Carolina lost three starters and still managed to have a roster this season with four first-team all-conference players. South Carolina, coming off a fourth straight SEC regular-season title, is a destination program now. ACC transfers Kaela Davis (Georgia Tech) and Allisha Gray (North Carolina), who were both all-league performers as sophomores in 2015, join all-SEC post players Wilson and Coates to give the Gamecocks perhaps the greatest collection of talent in the country. How it jells and how Staley compensates for the loss of program anchor Tiffany Mitchell, the most important player in South Carolina's rise, will determine if the Gamecocks make a return to the Final Four. The point guard position, the biggest Achilles' heel for Staley's recent teams, probably will be turned over to junior Cuevas-Moore.
4. Baylor Lady Bears
2015-16 record: 36-2; lost in Elite Eight
Points: 90 (1/5); one first-place vote
Notable returners: Nina Davis (16.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG); Alexis Jones (15.0 PPG, 4.4 APG); Kalani Brown (9.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG)
Kim Mulkey has been a recruiting machine the past few seasons. Last year she brought in a top-rated class loaded with size. This year two more top-10 freshmen are ready to begin their careers in Waco. The 6-foot-4 Lauren Cox brings more offensive versatility than 6-7 Brown or 6-4 Beatrice Mompremier did a year ago and should make an immediate impact. Combo guard Natalie Chou could help offset the loss of Niya Johnson, the program's all-time assist leader, and could give Mulkey another backcourt threat to go with Jones. The senior lefty turned in an all-Big 12 season in her first year at Baylor. Yet the Lady Bears' attack revolves around Davis, a three-time first-team all-conference honoree. Her ability to score from all angles in the post, at 5-11, remains one of the game's most intriguing marvels.
5. Louisville Cardinals
2015-16 record: 26-8; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 86 (2/7)
Notable returners: Myisha Hines-Allen (17.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG); Mariya Moore (14.1 PPG, 4.4 APG); Briahanna Jackson (11.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
The Cardinals had a disappointing start and finish to last season. In between they were one of the country's best teams and everyone of consequence is back to try and return Louisville to the Final Four after a three-year absence. The high-scoring frontcourt tandem of Hines-Allen and Moore will again lead the way and will get even more help from a pair of 6-4 freshmen: Ciera Johnson, a low-post presence, and Kylee Shook, an agile and mobile threat. Asia Durr got off to an inconsistent start, but by season's end was one of the top freshmen in the ACC. Durr will team up with the high-energy Jackson in the backcourt, giving coach Jeff Walz at least four top-flight scoring options on the floor at any one time. He needs more consistent perimeter shooting from one of the guards, a group that also includes freshman Jazmine Jones, the Florida high school player of the year.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
2015-16 record: 26-8; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 79 (3/8)
Notable returners: Kelsey Mitchell (26.1 PPG, 3.4 APG); Shayla Cooper (13.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG); Alexa Hart (10.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG)
No player in the country can single-handedly take over a game with the offensive relentlessness of Mitchell. But with the collection of talent coach Kevin McGuff has now assembled around her, Mitchell might not have to do that as much this season. Former high school All-Americans and ACC transfers Stephanie Mavunga (a 6-3 forward from North Carolina) and Sierra Calhoun (a 6-foot guard from Duke) join a Buckeyes rotation that already includes All-Big Ten second-teamers Cooper and Hart. Kentucky transfer Linnae Harper becomes eligible in January and will have to find minutes in the backcourt with Mitchell, Calhoun, junior Asia Doss (7.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and possibly Kianna Holland, another former high school All-American who is trying to battle back from two lost seasons due to knee injuries.
7. Maryland Terrapins
2015-16 record: 31-4; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 75 (7/8)
Notable returners: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (19.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG); Brionna Jones (15.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG); Kristen Confroy (8.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG)
With seven new players, Maryland is a program in transition. With two All-American caliber seniors, the Terps are also expecting to win big in 2016-17. Six of those new faces make up the top-rated recruiting class in the country (Baylor transfer Ieshia Small is the other newcomer), but the talented and efficient duo of Walker-Kimbrough and Jones remain the foundation in College Park. Walker-Kimbrough led the country in 3-point field goal percentage (54.5) and is equally dangerous in transition. Jones was the nation's most accurate shooter overall last season (66.5 percent) and is an impossible matchup in the low post. Jones will get her help in the frontcourt from 6-2 Kiah Gillespie (5.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG), 6-3 Brianna Fraser (4.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and 6-6 freshman Jenna Staiti. Confroy, who made 40.8 percent of her 3-point attempts, is Walker-Kimbrough's partner on the wing. What's lacking is a proven point guard. Can top recruit Destiny Slocum step in to fill the void?
8. Texas Longhorns
2015-16 record: 31-5; lost in the Elite Eight
Points: 71 (6/10)
Notable returners: Brooke McCarty (11.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG); Ariel Atkins (11.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG); Kelsey Lang (6.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG)
The Longhorns under coach Karen Aston are steadily building back to powerhouse status. After missing the NCAA tournament in Aston's first season in 2013, Texas reached the second round, then the Sweet 16, and last year the Elite Eight. The graduation of Imani Boyette and Empress Davenport leaves a leadership void, but the Longhorns are talented enough to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003. Much of the early load will be placed on McCarty and Atkins. Aston needs Lang to be a more confident offensive player. Lashann Higgs (7.2 PPG) could be ready to break out as a sophomore after her increased productivity in last year's NCAA tournament. A pair of top-10 recruits -- 6-3 wing Joyner Holmes and point guard Alecia Sutton -- could be making a huge impact by March.
9. UCLA Bruins
2015-16 record: 26-9; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 67 (6/11)
Notable returners: Jordin Canada (16.1 PPG, 5.7 APG); Monique Billings (12.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG); Kari Korver (7.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG)
Is this the season that sixth-year coach Cori Close -- who brought in the nation's top-rated recruiting class two years ago -- has been building toward? The Bruins advanced to their first Sweet 16 in 17 years last spring and were voted the preseason favorites to win the Pac-12 for the first time since 1999-2000. Canada is one of the best point guards in the country, and Billings is a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick. Someone will have to replace Nirra Fields' production (15.3 PPG), so keep an eye on junior Lajahna Drummer (6.2 PPG). Oklahoma transfer Nicole Kornet gives UCLA another 3-point threat -- Korver shot 36 percent from beyond the arc last season -- to further open the floor for Canada.
10. Florida State Seminoles
2015-16 record: 25-8; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 66 (6/12)
Notable returners: Leticia Romero (11.6 PPG, 4.6 APG); Shakayla Thomas (16.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG); Ivey Slaughter (8.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
The Seminoles received welcome news five weeks ago when the NCAA ruled that center Chatrice White is immediately eligible and does not have to sit out the customary transfer season. White, who left Illinois after two years, solved coach Sue Semrau's dilemma of replacing the rebounding and post play of first-round WNBA draft pick Adut Bulgak. The 6-3 White averaged 18.7 PPG and 9.3 RPG last season with the Fighting Illini. That also eases the pressure on Thomas, a two-time ACC Sixth Player of the Year, and gives creative point guard Romero another weapon. Another transfer, Imani Wright from Baylor, should make the Seminoles even more balanced offensively and provide some much-needed perimeter shooting help.
11. Stanford Cardinal
2015-16 record: 27-8; lost in Elite Eight
Points: 51 (9/18)
Notable returners: Erica McCall (14.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG); Karlie Samuelson (9.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG); Kaylee Johnson (6.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG)
After winning 14 straight regular-season Pac-12 championships, the Cardinal have gone consecutive seasons without one. Still, Stanford reached its 10th Elite Eight in the past 13 years and is a strong contender to get there again, especially if McCall continues her ascension. The 6-3 senior averaged just over three points and rebounds per game as a freshman but tallied nearly a double-double on average a year ago. The 6-3 Johnson gives McCall a solid running mate in the inside, and Samuelson is deadeye from the perimeter. The 6-foot senior made 47 percent of her 3-point attempts last season, third best in the country. An even bigger role awaits sophomore point guard Marta Sniezek since last season's second-leading scorer, Lili Thompson, decided not to return for her senior season. Sniezek posted a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the final 15 games of 2016. Freshmen Dijonai Carrington and Anna Wilson, sister of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, should get plenty of opportunity in the backcourt as well.
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs
2015-16 record: 28-8; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 50 (10/21)
Notable returners: Victoria Vivians (17.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG); Morgan William (9.7 PPG, 4.1 APG); Dominque Dillingham (7.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
Vic Schaefer's reconstruction seems complete. For a second consecutive year, Mississippi State set a school record for wins (28) and had its best finish in the SEC (second). With all five starters and 90 percent of the scoring returning, the Bulldogs look destined for a third straight NCAA tournament -- which would also be a first for the program. Vivians is the top returning scorer in the SEC and took twice as many shots and three times as many 3-point attempts as anyone else on the team. Point guard William must continue to push tempo and run the offense through Vivians. Former high school All-American Teaira McCowan (6.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG) took awhile to adjust to the college game, but the 6-7 sophomore should be much better and still has the luxury of coming off the bench behind 6-5 senior Chinwe Okorie (6.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG). Dillingham has become one of the best defensive guards in the SEC.
13. Syracuse Orange
2015-16 record: 30-8; lost in NCAA title game
Points: 45 (9/19)
Notable returners: Alexis Peterson (16.0 PPG, 4.7 APG); Brittney Sykes (10.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG); Bria Day (9.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG)
It seems unlikely that the Orange will duplicate last spring's improbable and impressive run to the national title game, but they have four starters back and are an even more experienced team. And the philosophy won't change. Coach Quentin Hillsman and his staff have created an approach that is all about getting hands on the basketball and getting up as many shots as possible. Syracuse's press helped create the most turnovers in the country a year ago, and the Orange ranked third in 3-pointers attempted. Peterson has become one of the top point guards in the country with a high basketball IQ. Sykes, who has battled knee injuries most of her career, was relatively healthy all of last season and her decision to return for one more year is a big boost. Top freshman Desiree Elmore brings the same scorer's mentality the Orange lost with the graduation of guard Brianna Butler.
14. (tie) Tennessee Lady Vols
2015-16 record: 22-14; lost in Elite Eight
Points: 42 (11/22)
Notable returners: Diamond DeShields (14.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG); Mercedes Russell (9.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG)
The Lady Vols had a bumpy ride in 2015-16 and the chemistry looked bad much of the season. Following her transfer from North Carolina, DeShields seemed to have trouble adjusting to her teammates. The 14 losses were the most in Tennessee history, and even an NCAA tournament bid seemed in jeopardy after a late-February loss at Alabama (the first to the Crimson Tide in 22 years). Then almost overnight, the improvements came and the season ended with another run to the Elite Eight after impressive tournament wins over Arizona State and Ohio State. With eight returning veterans, the chemistry should be better. DeShields remains one of the most talented offensive players in the country when fully engaged.
14. (tie) Arizona State Sun Devils
2015-16 record: 26-7; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 42 (14/18)
Notable returners: Sophie Brunner (10.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG); Quinn Dornstauder (9.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG); Kelsey Moos (5.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG)
With 55 wins, an Elite Eight appearance, a share of a Pac-12 title and a program-best No. 2 NCAA tournament seed, the Sun Devils of the past two seasons have returned to the level of consistent success that has defined the career of coach Charli Turner-Thorne. Three starters return from last season's 26-win Sun Devils, whose only disappointment was an earlier-than-expected second-round tournament loss to Tennessee. Brunner once again anchors the frontcourt, but the scoring load will be spread throughout the rotation that typically goes nine or 10 players deep. Turner-Thorne has some work to do to replenish the backcourt, but the 20-year coach brought in a top-10 rated, five-player recruiting class that includes four guards. Reili Richardson might be the best of the bunch.
16. Oklahoma Sooners
2015-16 record: 22011; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 41 (12/20)
Notable returners: Peyton Little (10.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG); Vionise Pierre-Louis (9.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG); Gabbi Ortiz (6.8 PPG, 2.3 APG)
The Sooners have struggled with consistency for two straight seasons. Last season they had only one winning streak of more than two games after Christmas. But that should change with plenty of experience and nine of the top 10 scorers back. Little is one of five seniors in the rotation and is Oklahoma's top shooting threat. A healthy season for senior Gioya Carter (8.5 PPG) will also help the backcourt's punch, as will the addition of Kentucky transfer Morgan Rich at midseason. Ortiz has started every game of her two-year career at the point and will be asked to get the ball even more to the Sooners' best inside scorer, 6-4 Pierre-Louis. It might take 6-9 freshman Nancy Mulkey time to develop, but the McDonald's All-American could be a defensive factor by season's end.
17. Kentucky Wildcats
2015-16 record: 25-8; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 37 (14/23)
Notable returners: Makayla Epps (17.1 PPG, 4.5 APG); Evelyn Akhator (11.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG); Maci Morris (8.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG)
The upheaval and turnover within the Wildcats' program has been astounding. Since last fall, seven players and three assistants left the program, prompting coach Matthew Mitchell to call a news conference to acknowledge the situation. All the departures leave Mitchell with a thin roster. Only five players who scored a point for Kentucky last season are back. But one of them is Epps, one of the best all-around players in the country who can create for herself and others equally well and can score inside and out even with most opponents keying on her. The 6-3 Akhator, the only other true threat to return, does most of her damage inside 8 feet. The Wildcats will need more production from a now healthy 6-3 Alyssa Rice. They should also get a boost from Makenzie Cann, a transfer from Cincinnati who averaged 7.0 PPG two seasons ago with the Bearcats. Freshman point guard Jaida Roper might allow Morris to play a more suitable combo guard role.
18. Miami Hurricanes
2015-16 record: 24-9; lost in NCAA tournament first round
Points: 34 (16/20)
Notable returners: Adrienne Motley (15.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG); Jessica Thomas (11.7 PPG, 3.6 APG); Keyona Hayes (9.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
With the exception of an upset of Florida State in the ACC tournament, the Hurricanes struggled last season to get over the hump against the top teams in the league. They also failed to get out of the first round of the NCAA tournament. However, with four starters back, including All-American candidate Motley, Miami has a solid shot at reversing those trends to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992. In Motley and Thomas, coach Katie Meier has one of the best guard combos in the ACC. A big key might be how much more 6-3 post Emese Hof progresses in her sophomore season. Miami also gets an early shot at two of the league heavyweights, with Florida State and Notre Dame headed to Coral Gables in the first two weeks of the ACC schedule.
19. Washington Huskies
2015-16 record: 26-11; lost in Final Four
Points: 33 (12/21)
Notable returners: Kelsey Plum (25.9 PPG, 4.2 APG); Chantel Osahor (16.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG); Katie Collier (6.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
The Huskies were good -- not great -- from November through mid-March last season. Then the NCAA tournament began and the season became historic. The seventh-seeded Huskies beat Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds to reach their first Final Four. All hopes of an encore begin with Plum, who will leave Seattle as the best player in program history. She controls everything Washington does offensively and plays in perpetual attack mode. Osahor's unique combination of size, long-distance shooting and quirky release earned plenty of attention during the Final Four run, but was also a key to it. Washington will badly miss the perimeter game and experience of Talia Walton, but if Brianna Ruiz can come back from her second knee injury -- and if the NCAA grants immediate eligibility to Nebraska transfer Natalie Romeo -- the loss won't be as great.
20. (tie) Oregon State Beavers
2015-16 record: 32-5; lost in Final Four
Points: 22 (15/23)
Notable returners: Sydney Wiese (12.8 PPG, 4.9 APG); Gabriella Hanson (7.8 PPG, 2.9 APG); Marie Gulich (4.1 PPG, 3.9 APG)
Early in the season, the Beavers will be relying heavily on Wiese and Hanson as they get used to life without Jamie Weisner and Ruth Hamblin, the two players, along with Wiese, who were the catalysts behind Scott Rueck's program rejuvenation. With those three leading the way, Oregon State won 83 games and two Pac-12 titles in the last three years. The nonconference schedule is manageable. By the time conference play begins, players like Gulich, who is trying to replace Hamblin's at center, sophomore guard Katie McWilliams and five freshmen should have a better grasp of their expanded roles. Combo guard Mikayla Pivec is the prize of the recruiting class and could ease the ballhandling responsibilities on Wiese.
20. (tie) DePaul Blue Demons
2015-16 record: 27-9; lost in Sweet 16
Points: 22 (15/NR)
Notable returners: Jessica January (14.1 PPG, 5.9 APG); Brooke Schulte (8.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG); Jacqui Grant (8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG)
The Blue Demons have won or shared every Big East regular-season championship since 2014, the year after major realignment shipped UConn and Notre Dame out of the league. They are expected to make it four in row. Replacing the outside shooting and scoring of Megan Podkowa (13.6 PPG) and Chanise Jenkins (14.5 PPG) won't be easy, but coach Doug Bruno always seems to find those next players to keep DePaul's offense humming. Schulte and Ashton Millender (7.6 PPG) are the prime candidates to step up, and the 6-3 Grant is the primary focus inside. January, the top returning player in the Big East and among the nation's best point guards, will be the one getting all of them the ball and doing plenty of scoring herself.
22. Florida Gators
2015-16 record: 22-9; lost in NCAA tournament first round
Points: 13 (17/NR)
Notable returners: Ronni Williams (11.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG); Eleanna Christinaki (10.4 PPG, 3.4 APG); Haley Lorenzen (9.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
The Gators boasted the highest-scoring offense, were the top rebounding club in the SEC last season and return their three top point producers and rebounders. Williams, Christinaki and Lorenz will all probably have to do even more this season, as will senior Tyshara Fleming, who was third on the team with 4.5 RPG. Florida is down to an active roster of only nine players after graduating five seniors and an offseason knee injury to Simone Westbrook. Someone from the four-player recruiting class -- Sydney Morang, Elif Portakal, Sydney Searcy and Delicia Washington -- probably will have to emerge as an outside shooting threat because most of Florida's 3-point shooting graduated.
23. Indiana Hoosiers
2015-16 record: 21-12; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 12 (20/NR)
Notable returners: Tyra Buss (18.8 PPG, 4.4 APG); Amanda Cahill (14.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG); Alexis Gassion (11.3 PPG, 3.3 APG)
The Hoosiers have made huge strides in only two seasons under coach Teri Moren, winning their first NCAA tournament game and equaling a school record with 21 wins. Now even more is expected. Much of the recent success can be attributed to the play of Buss. The 5-8 junior attacks the basket with confidence that spills over to the rest of the team. Only Washington's Kelsey Plum attempted more free throws than Buss in 2015-16. All five starters are back for the Hoosiers, including the 6-2 Cahill, the Big Ten's fourth-leading returning rebounder and Indiana's most accurate 3-point shooter (41 percent). Moren also welcomes Dayton graduate transfer Amber Deane, who is coming off an injury that shortened her season a year ago; she averaged double-figure scoring in her final three seasons.
24. Missouri Tigers
2015-16 record: 22-10; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 10 (17/NR)
Notable returners: Sophie Cunningham (14.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG); Cierra Porter (8.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG); Lindsey Cunningham (4.4 PPG, 3.3 APG)
The good news is Missouri reached its first NCAA tournament since 2006 and won its first tournament game since 2001. Program difference-maker Cunningham is back and is only a sophomore. Now the bad news: Second-leading scorer and top rebounder Jordan Frericks and valuable reserve Bri Porter are out for the season because of knee injuries. This was the fifth ACL tear for Porter. That leaves little depth in the frontcourt behind Porter's younger sister, Cierra, who is also coming off foot surgery. If the Tigers are going to make consecutive NCAA trips for the first time since 1985-86, Cunningham will have to be even better, and get significant help from older sister, Lindsey, and Sierra Michaelis (8.5 PPG, 35 percent shooting from 3-point range) on the perimeter.
25. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
2015-16 record: 27-7; lost in NCAA tournament second round
Points: 9 (19/NR)
Notable returners: Macy Miller (15.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG); Kerri Young (10.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG); Madison Guebert (10.4 PPG, 40.9 3PT%)
The Jackrabbits were one point away from the Sweet 16 when an upset bid of Stanford fell just short. All five starters are back. Miller, a 6-foot junior, scores in a variety of ways. SDSU can dominate the Summit League with both its size and 3-point shooting, and that versatility should also give Oklahoma and Louisville fits in the nonconference schedule. Junior Ellie Thompson (10.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG) is the club's top rebounder. Coach Aaron Johnston, entering his 17th season at South Dakota State, also has six players who make better than a third of their 3-point attempts. He gets junior wing Chynna Stevens back; she missed last season because of an injury but averaged 7.3 PPG and 5.7 RPG as a starter in 2015.