Sometimes the reality just does not live up to the hype. The preseason expectations often rely on the on-paper quality of a team, but the reality for some teams is drastically different. There are different ways to go for the non-conference slate. One could go the safe route by scheduling easier teams like LSU, while others go for the balanced approach. Some dive into the deep end and get exposed. 

That was the story for Kara Lawson’s Duke and NC State, who went from being a top preseason AP Poll team to being as far from being ranked as they could be. Duke did not even receive a single vote in Week 8, while NC State received only 12. On the other hand, Tennessee and Baylor have stayed in the poll but haven’t consistently looked like their rankings against quality opponents. North Carolina, meanwhile, has been good but not convincing. Let’s look at the 5 most disappointing teams this season so far.

1. Duke (7-6)

Pre-Season AP Rank: 7

Current Rank: Unranked

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NET Ranking: 25 (per WarrenNolan)

Martin Heintzelman of the Chronicle had predicted that Duke would go 24-5 overall, and they already have six losses, one more than predicted for the whole season. Kara Lawson and Co. hit a speed bump right at the beginning. The Blue Devils lost their first game of the season, 58-52, to then-No. 17 Baylor. They put together wins against Norfolk State and Holy Cross before an embarrassing 57-49 loss to West Virginia. 

If you think that was bad, Lawson’s side then went on a four-game losing streak against the likes of South Florida, then-No. 2 South Carolina, then-No. 3 UCLA, and No.5-LSU. Granted, it was a challenging set of games, but Lawson’s side struggled to remain competitive, losing every game by at least 13 points. 

2. Tennessee (8-3)

Pre-Season AP Rank: 8

Current Rank: 23

NET Ranking: 23

The Lady Vols have won the games they were expected to, but when coming up against a slightly difficult opponent, they have faltered. They started out with a close 3-point loss to then-No. 9 NC State. Khamille Pierre made a clutch jumper, and Tennessee gave away a foul in the final seconds to push the distance to 3 points.

However, cracks were still visible for the Vols as, at one point, they led by as much as 10 points. The cracks further widened after facing then-No. 3 UCLA, who dominated them in the 77-99 loss. The difference in quality was evident as UCLA never looked out of control and took the game away in the second half. It was the same story in the 89-65 loss to Louisville.

3. NC State (9-4)

Pre-Season AP Rank: 8 

Current Rank: Unranked

NET Ranking: 30

The season started on a positive note with a win against Tennessee, but they have faltered slightly since. Immediately in their second game against then No. 18 USC, NC State fell short by just one point. In a game that swung back and forth through multiple lead changes, NC State was unable to execute down the stretch.

With a 1-point lead and 10 seconds to go, Zamareya Jones missed both free throws. Inbounding the ball, Jazzy Davidson had no one marking her as she cut towards the rim for the game-winning layup. The team has been shaky ever since as their 24-game home winning streak was knocked off by a then-No 17 TCU. 

It was a similar story to the USC game in the 68-63 loss against unranked Rhode Island.  They allowed a 7-0 Rams run in the final 1:56, and the Pack could not get a bucket late. Their brittle nature was further shown against Oklahoma. The Sooners came back from a double-digit second-half deficit to knock off North Carolina State 103-98 in overtime. 

4. Baylor (11-3)

Pre-Season AP Rank: 16
Current Rank: 22

NET Ranking: 33

The loss against then-No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes probably hurt the Bears quite a bit. To make matters worse, the Hawkeyes played without Hannah Stuelke for some time, and Chit-Chat Wright missed almost the entire second half as she was carried off the court. Apart from the Iowa loss, Baylor has struggled against top competition, going 2-3 against Q1 teams. 

After adding experienced players like G Yuting Deng (11.8 ppg at Auburn), F Kiera Pemberton (16.7 ppg at North Dakota), and Talia Scott (20.3 ppg at Auburn), the team has failed to translate that into results. They were dominated by No.2 Texas, and even then-unranked Texas Tech slipped past Baylor 61-60. 

5. North Carolina (12-3)

Pre-Season AP Rank: 11

Current Rank: 16

NET Ranking: 17

The loss of Alyssa Utsby was big for the Tar Heels. She left UNC as the program’s career leader in rebounds, top-10 all-time in points, blocks, and assists, and just outside the top 10 in steals. However, the team looked just as formidable regardless of returnees like Reniya Kelly, Indya Nivar, and Lenie Grant. They added an extra punch in Louisville transfer forward Nyla Harris and first-year player Nyla Brooks. However, this team has not performed to its billing yet. 

They were given an 18-point lesson by then-No. 3 UCLA, then a 15-point smacking by No.2 Texas. The most surprising loss, however, came against No.22 Louisville. Louisville had previously gone 0-3 against ranked opponents but managed to hold UNC to 38% from the court, its worst shooting performance since its 78-60 loss to the Bruins. The Heels also failed to connect, going 0 for 7 in overtime. The Tar Heels have yet to find some success against a ranked opponent in college basketball.