Is there any reason that KLS and Napheesa Would NOT be voted First-Team All-Americans?

[Fairfield Fan]

I can't justify keeping them off. These two have led the team while slicing through five of the best teams in the nation, and going, so far, undefeated.

And I'd say that Nurse would have to be second-team All American.

Gabby, perhaps second team as well.

How do you keep KLS and Phees down?

 

[f1f1ferrari]

If I had a vote, Gabby would be 1st Team. She consistently fills the stats sheet. She's easily my favorite on the current team.

 

[oldude]

The one problem is that you can only nominate 3 players from a single team for AA honors. If they keep playing like this I could see any 3 earning AA recognition, although based on her play last night, Gabby looks like a 1st teamer to me.

 

[sarals24]

How do you keep Gabby down?

 

[gandydancer]

My team takes Gabby over KLS

 

[Fairfield Fan]

How do you keep Gabby down?

I'm just wondering how you choose Gabby as a post player over, say, A'ja Jones, or Lang of Texas. If she's competing for that one position, does she get in? Would voters choke over penciling in a 5'10" post player?

But there is a problem with the three-player limit. Not fair, certainly for the Huskies.

 

[f1f1ferrari]

I'd be nominating Gabby, Napheesa and Katie Lou. I love Kia but she hasn't been as consistent as the other three.

 

[oldude]

I'm just wondering how you choose Gabby as a post player over, say, A'ja Jones, or Lang of Texas. If she's competing for that one position, does she get in? Would voters choke over penciling in a 5'10" post player?

But there is a problem with the three-player limit. Not fair, certainly for the Huskies.

I am not sure that every AA team is necessarily "position-centric." Several AA teams just pick the top 5 players, and at least one AA team picks the top 10 players as 1st teamers. Plenty of room for Lou, Pheesa, Gabby and/or Kia, but again only 3 can be considered.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I'm uncertain about where this "only three can be considered/nominated" obligation emanates. Is it some sort of NCAA regulation? Regardless, it needs to be stopped/modified. And the change needs to be known, colloquially, as the "UConn Rule" for, surely, they are the reason for the need to change. Alternatively, it could be called the "Auriemma Rule."

 

[UcMiami]

No AA team is 'position defined' though a lot of the voters have a tendency to make their ballots out in a post, forward, wing, two guard, PG way - but by the time it all gets tabulated it often is not a team you would choose to play on the floor.

It is 8 games into the season and there really are a lot of very good players on teams other than Uconn, but ... if Uconn gets to the end of the season with the #1 ranking, and the four horsemen continue to play as well as they have to date, I can definitely see Uconn putting two or three onto the 10 person first team - which ones really depends on how they play out the season. Gabby may have been on the outside looking in, but with probably every voter watching this game live or on tape she presented a pretty compelling case for consideration.

 

[Kaizen]

Katie Lou, Napheesa first team.
Gabby second team. (if Gabby keeps improving like ND game she will be NPY).
Kia third team.

 

[alexrgct]

I'm curious as to whether any Huskies make WBCA for two reasons:

• WBCA AAs automatically gave their names adorn the Huskies of Honor wall.
• Previous seasons in which three Huskies have all made WBCA: 2002, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016. Each year was an NC-winning season, so if three make WBCA, it tends to be a good aign...

 

[Fairfield Fan]

No AA team is 'position defined' though a lot of the voters have a tendency to make their ballots out in a post, forward, wing, two guard, PG way - but by the time it all gets tabulated it often is not a team you would choose to play on the floor.

It is 8 games into the season and there really are a lot of very good players on teams other than Uconn, but ... if Uconn gets to the end of the season with the #1 ranking, and the four horsemen continue to play as well as they have to date, I can definitely see Uconn putting two or three onto the 10 person first team - which ones really depends on how they play out the season. Gabby may have been on the outside looking in, but with probably every voter watching this game live or on tape she presented a pretty compelling case for consideration.

Only eight games in, but tremendously important eight games. Connecticut won't have to meet Notre Dame again, or Texas or Baylor or DePaul. Only four more ranked teams to go through over the next 21 games. So certainly conceivable that UConn's player stats only get better from here on out. So I think these players' seasons have already been defined.

 

[oldude]

I'm uncertain about where this "only three can be considered/nominated" obligation emanates. Is it some sort of NCAA regulation? Regardless, it needs to be stopped/modified. And the change needs to be known, colloquially, as the "UConn Rule" for, surely, they are the reason for the need to change. Alternatively, it could be called the "Auriemma Rule."

I am not certain either where the "only 3 can be considered" rule comes from. My comment was based on Doris Burke's remarks 2 years ago in praise of Morgan Tuck, when she lamented the fact that Morgan could not be considered for an AA team because UConn was limited to only 3 candidates: KML, Stewie & Mo. Since Morgan earned AA last year, all's well that ends well.

 

[CajunHusky]

I'm just wondering how you choose Gabby as a post player over, say, A'ja Jones, or Lang of Texas. If she's competing for that one position, does she get in? Would voters choke over penciling in a 5'10" post player?

But there is a problem with the three-player limit. Not fair, certainly for the Huskies.

Lang doesn;t belong in the discussion ..... she is good but not that good.

and I wouldn't on any day call Gabby a "post". Natalie is a post. Gabby is a G/F just like Lou, who sometimes plays hi or lo post (though with Phee in, 9 times out of 10 it is Gabby high and Phee low)

 

[CajunHusky]

I am not certain either where the "only 3 can be considered" rule comes from. My comment was based on Doris Burke's remarks 2 years ago in praise of Morgan Tuck, when she lamented the fact that Morgan could not be considered for an AA team because UConn was limited to only 3 candidates: KML, Stewie & Mo. Since Morgan earned AA last year, all's well that ends well.

WBCA All America rules:
"Nomination. Nominations can only be submitted by college head coaches who are members. A coach can nominate a maximum of three players only from their own team. A coach cannot nominate a player from another team. Nominations must include an approved NCAA statistical report (i.e., Stat Crew) attached as a PDF. Nominations must be submitted online and received by the deadline; no exceptions are made. The nomination period opens in January each year."

Of course there are other All America teams: AP, ESPN, etc but the WBCA team is the one honored at the Final Four (I believe)

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I am not certain either where the "only 3 can be considered" rule comes from. My comment was based on Doris Burke's remarks 2 years ago in praise of Morgan Tuck, when she lamented the fact that Morgan could not be considered for an AA team because UConn was limited to only 3 candidates: KML, Stewie & Mo. Since Morgan earned AA last year, all's well that ends well.

I, too, remember Doris (or some announcer anyway) making the "only 3 from any one team" comment. I doubt that restriction has anything to do with the NCAA but I don't know that. I'll even go you one better and say that all's better that ends better, and four is better than three. Go Huskies!

 

[chrissaran]

My team takes all three. That's who's going to lead us to possibly our fifth straight and twelfth overall National Championship. They will become the seamless three come tournament time. Gabby, Lou and Pheesa will lead the way.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It's still early, but a strong case can be made for each of the Core 4.

Kia is a great defender and tough as nails. She is perhaps the single leader. She has had some offensive explosions as well.

Gabby took over the ND game, as she did the pre-season games. Foul trouble hurt her in a few early regular season games. But more games like last night's will get her tons of recognition. She's our statistical leader in rebounds, steals, and now assists.

Pheesa is a strong rebounder and defender, as well as an uncanny scorer. Her 19 ppg average is roughly the same as NPOY Stewie recorded in her sophomore and senior seasons, NPOY Maya recorded in her sophomore season, and NPOY Tina recorded in her senior season.

Lou is our designated shooter and outside bomber. Her 19 ppg average is roughly the same as NPOY Stewie recorded in her sophomore and senior seasons, NPOY Maya recorded in her sophomore season, and NPOY Tina recorded in her senior season.

 

[iamcbs]

I'm just wondering how you choose Gabby as a post player over, say, A'ja Jones, or Lang of Texas. If she's competing for that one position, does she get in? Would voters choke over penciling in a 5'10" post player?

But there is a problem with the three-player limit. Not fair, certainly for the Huskies.

Nina Davis of Baylor seems to have no problems being voted an AA...

 

[Nuyoika]

Sophomores... that's the only reason I can think of.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

WBCA All America rules:
"Nomination. Nominations can only be submitted by college head coaches who are members. A coach can nominate a maximum of three players only from their own team. A coach cannot nominate a player from another team. Nominations must include an approved NCAA statistical report (i.e., Stat Crew) attached as a PDF. Nominations must be submitted online and received by the deadline; no exceptions are made. The nomination period opens in January each year."

Of course there are other All America teams: AP, ESPN, etc but the WBCA team is the one honored at the Final Four (I believe)

Appreciate the source. Thanks.

In addition to changing the rule, the WBCA needs to tighten up their prose. If a coach cannot nominate players from other teams, there's no need for the excess verbosity of "from their own team" in the previous sentence.

 

[Rudy2014]

AA possibilities in order:
9.5 Collier - inside, outside scorer; good rebounder, great defender and shot blocker; sees the floor very well; very good passer; very few mistakes; cool under pressure; ignitor
9.3 Williams - solved foul problems; greatly improved ball handler; great rebounder, defender and thief; great shooter from the line on in; how many kids 5-10 can play with their backs to the basket; very good passer; few mistakes and cool under pressure; ignitor
8.6 Samuelson - very good offensively; pretty good rebounder; needs to improve toughness with contact, ball handling and defense; work in progress... very good upside
8.0 Nurse - alittle slow, lacks offensive consistancy; good defender; very steady, calm, good leader
< 7.0 Chong, Butler, and Dangerfield - each show up at different times; Chong will be gone next year, Butler needs to develop better hands, Dangerfield has great upside potential (won't be critical of her if she does morph in "Wind" (Moriah))
Right now we have 2 deserving AA candidates but we all know hype doesn't allow it to happen that way. Like UC beating ND in South Bend. Never gonna happen, right? Let's see. It's 8 games into a 38 (?) game season, isn't it? Wait until the women ecome confident.
Liked McGraw's post game............ little praise for UC (except Williams), ND did everything wrong. I sense her getting aliitle more bitter each year under the Geno, UC spotlight. She's a great recruiter and coach, but magnanimous she ain't. Wonder why however, at 6-3, she hasn't taught Turner to play some with her back to the basket. Would have caused UC some problems last night.

 

[iamcbs]

It's still early, but a strong case can be made for each of the Core 4.

Kia is a great defender and tough as nails. She is perhaps the single leader. She has had some offensive explosions as well.

Gabby took over the ND game, as she did the pre-season games. Foul trouble hurt her in a few early regular season games. But more games like last night's will get her tons of recognition. She's our statistical leader in rebounds, steals, and now assists.

Pheesa is a strong rebounder and defender, as well as an uncanny scorer. Her 19 ppg average is roughly the same as NPOY Stewie recorded in her sophomore and senior seasons, NPOY Maya recorded in her sophomore season, and NPOY Tina recorded in her senior season.

Lou is our designated shooter and outside bomber. Her 19 ppg average is roughly the same as NPOY Stewie recorded in her sophomore and senior seasons, NPOY Maya recorded in her sophomore season, and NPOY Tina recorded in her senior season.

Lou is much more than just a designated outside shooter, she has greatly improved her mid-range game(she's automatic coming off the foul line curl) she is rebounding more, provides ball-handling and play-making and her defense while still not great has improved leaps and bounds over last season. Couple that with the fact that she's THE player on Connecticut's team that opposing teams game-plan for I believe she's headed for a great year.

 

[Tidepool]

The trouble with these pronouncements that we have 2 first-team AAs is that the posters haven't seen all hundred-plus DI teams. Okay, there are some D1 teams that they wouldn't have to see, but some fairly unlikely teams have been known to have some pretty outstanding players. It's easy but not fair to watch 1 team and their 8 opponents and feel one can make statements that two players from those teams are the best of the best, especially this early in the season. I understand the enthusiasm for Williams and Collier and Samuelson -- I thought Gabby's play last night was one for the ages, frankly -- but until we've seen more of the pool of candidates, it is, I suggest, far too early to make pronouncements about first-team AAs.