The Wisconsin Badgers won last season's WNIT championship more than six months ago.

But the win made an impression with women's college basketball fans around the country, who seem to think the Big Ten Badgers will have a breakout season in 2000-2001.

Other programs on the rise -- according to the users -- might include Vanderbilt and Liberty, among others.

Still, other users warned that we shouldn't write off Louisiana Tech or UC Santa Barbara.

Read on to see what else the users had to say:

The team that is going to break onto the national scene is the Wisconsin Badgers. I feel that the Badgers are going to have a great season and will certainly be in contention for the Big Ten championship. They are loaded at every position, with players such as LaTonya Sims, Jessie Stomski and Nina Smith. The Lady Badgers might not win the Big Ten, but they will for sure be in the top three. The only team in the Big Ten that I feel can beat the Badgers is Purdue, which in the minds of many people is the best team in the nation. Things are really looking up for the Badgers.

Justin Frisque
Marquette, Mich.

Last season's WNIT champ Wisconsin will move into top-15 status if the Badgers' guard play can just be consistent. Frontcourt is young and awesome with a healthy Nina Smith. Indiana also will move into the top 25 with a ton of young talent, size, and signature Bennett family defense. The Hoosiers can score with anyone.

Rizzo
Fairborn, Ohio

The country needs to watch out for the Vanderbilt Commodores. With Ashley and Ashley (Smith and McElhiny )in the backcourt, Jillian Danker and Zuzi Klimeshiva out on the perimeter, and Chantelle Anderson down in the paint, Vanderbilt has plenty of experience this season after their heart-breaking loss to La. Tech last year. I think Jim Foster will have his ladies ready for battle. Every year they give the Lady Vols a good run for their money. This year should be no different. I think it will be on of the better home-and-home series of the season. Don't be surprises to see the Commodores in the late rounds of the NCAA. They might not be a championship-caliber team this season, but just wait. They are on the brink.

Terra Davenport
Big Sandy, Tenn.

Despite losing Betty Lennox and Tamicha Jackson to the WNBA, the Lady Techsters are once again underrated, but they'll be making their opponents wonder where came from during tournament time. In addition to Ayana Walker and Cheryl Ford, a couple of the best young players in the nation, Barmore had a dynamic recruiting year adding two of the nation's premier junior college players to the Techsters. While the Techsters might be young, with no seniors on the team, Barmore will have them ready to compete come tournament time, proving that once again they do belong as one of the top five teams in the nation -- and having to prove once again that they do belong in the ranks with UConn and Tennessee.

Jeff Pace
Raleigh, N.C.

I believe the Lady Tigers of Clemson will be on the rise in 2000-2001. Last season was just a time to grow, but now it's their time to shine. Leading the way will be senior center Erin Batth and second player Chrissy Floyd. Just watch and see, the Tigers will be making noise up in the ACC.

Tommy Johnson
Clemson, S.C.

Look out for Illinois with a great recruiting class that includes Ann O'Neil and solid returners at point guard and shooting guard with Allison Curtin. This team has no seniors and will get better as the season goes on. Coach Grentz develops winners!!!

Debbie Hunter
Pittsburgh, Pa.

I think Liberty will break onto the national scene this year as the Flames have been knocking on the door the past three years. This year's group of girls returns talented young ladies and a superb group of recruits. With a taller team, Liberty has constantly improved in areas it was week. Going to the NCAA Tournament four years in a row and performing better every year, I think Liberty finally has the right ingredients to move the program into the national spotlight. Last year, Liberty was only one point down before halftime against LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and with a good schedule with games against the likes of Iowa State, Liberty will be very prepared for it's first win and hopefully more in the Flames' fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Jonathan Hegedus
Lynchburg, Va.

Keep your eyes out for Old Dominion. I know that the Lady Monarchs will probably start out in the top 15, but I have heard great things about their new girls. Not only that, but "Tanty" Maiga can now hit a 15-foot jump shot consistently. Her game has grown a new dimension that is similar to LSU's Marie Ferdinand. Oh yeah, in case you haven't got the word, Old Dominion doesn't lose a single player from this year to next. Maiga and Berthieu both have received an extra year to play, which makes them juniors this year!! So, if you get the chance, take a look at them this year. Thanks for your time. (Editor's note: Lucienne Berthieu, ODU's 6-foot-2 forward-center, is out for the season, school officials announced Thursday.)

Shawn
Chesapeake, Va.

One of the most inspiring basketball games I have ever watched occurred when UCSB met Stanford in the second round of the 1992 women's NCAA Tournament. On paper, UCSB had no business being in the same gym with Stanford, which went on to win the NCAA title that season. But UCSB gave Stanford its closest game until the final. That Gaucho team had players who possessed something only a few Gaucho players have had since -- the heart and the will that says "we will not lose." Stacy Clinesmith was one of those players.

So is Kayte Christensen, who will step up and take a strong leadership role on the team this season. This should also take some of the expectation off Lindsay Taylor. Rachelle Rogers is another payer who will assist in filling the Stacy Clinesmith void. No one last year played defense with the intensity exhibited by Rachelle. Where Stacy would inspire the team with a great pass or a 3-point shot, Rachelle would do the same with a steal or by causing a turnover.

On the offensive end, Jess Hansen should pick up where Stacy left off, and UCSB's scoring will be much more evenly distributed across three or four players -- Kayte, Lindsay, Jess and Nichole Greathouse -- this year. With Kayte, Nichole and Lindsay substituting in and out, UCSB should not lose the battle on the boards. Although the twin towers did not work that well for Virginia some years back, I look forward to UCSB's version this coming year.

In all honesty I would have loved to have seen 6-3 Erin Buescher, 6-3 Kayte Christensen, 6-5 Lisa Hansen and 6-7 Lindsay Taylor on the floor at the same time with a good point guard. Okay, height isn't everything but it would have been an interesting experiment.

The thing UCSB will miss the most with the transfer of Erin will be a player who could play guard, forward and center. She would steal the ball and drive the length of the court, out pacing most everyone on the court. She was just as comfortable hitting from outside as she was driving to the basket or banging inside.

Overall, UCSB is a very deep program. The Gauchos are strong at the post and offer a good mix of veteran and young players. UCSB also will want to atone for the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Rice at home.

Peter Mackins
Santa Barbara, Calif.

New Mexico. A team in a pretty dreary conference is ripe and finally ready to join the ranks of the proven. After impressive performances by individuals year in and year out, the team is finally complete enough to go a few rounds deep into the Big Dance come March.

Jacob Sayward
Ithaca, N.Y.

Nevada will surprise a lot of people, and fifth in the WAC poll is much too low. As a UCSB fan, I've seen what coach Ada Gee can do with a talented team, and she has her best ever. For starters, they have an awesome frontcourt. They return one of the nation's best sophomores in Kate Smith, cagey veterans in Katie Golomb and Sarah Estrada, and have added super prospect Ashlee Orndorff to form a potentially devastating post quartet. Smith averaged 19 points and eight rebounds a game as a freshman last year, and she will get better. The guard corps is solid, experienced, knows how to win, and most importantly, they can all hit 3s, which keeps opponents honest. On defense, the Wolfpack were 14-1 last year when they scored more than 70 points, something they figure to do a lot more of this year. They are also one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country, a critical but sometimes overlooked area. With no major personnel losses and a freshman class that ranked as high as No. 13 in the country, the Wolfpack are ready to howl.

Jim Dankiewicz
Fremont, Calif.