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Add Morgan Tuck to that first team list a well. What we saw from her was a glimpse of a things to come. Stay healthy, then somebody has a problem to deal with.
Tuck definitely All American first team. If Nurse performs half as well as she did in the Pan Am Medal game we may have another candidate. Tuck was overlooked, cheated, by-passed, left-out of this year's A.A. first team (take your choice )
 

bballnut90

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American citizenship is not a prerequisite, so Kia Nurse certainly deserves consideration at some level. No one can convince me that there are 15-20 NCAA D1 players that can outplay Kia (including a few she will scrimmage against daily at the Werth Champions Center in Storrs).

Forgot to add her to my HM list...could rise, but I don't see UCONN putting 4 players on the top 3 teams unless they all average 14-15+ ppg
 
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3rd team at the lowest for Nurse. And after watching Collier in U19 I think she will fit right in with those listed for HM. If KLS is as good as Collier (and I suspect she is) there is a good chance UConn will have six of the top 25 players in the country. And Gabby Williams won't be far behind.

I've been meaning to start a thread on this topic but I'll put it out there now ... I'm convinced that if you take the top seven from UConn's 2015-16 team they are better than the seven best players from the rest of WCBB. It helps that they have, IMHO, hands down #1 and #2.
 

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Even with Loyd and Zahui going pro, there is a lot of talent in women's basketball next year. Here is my preseason list:
1st Team:
Breanna Stewart, Sr, Connecticut-Stewart will be the heavy favorite to take home her third POY award and fourth championship. She is incredibly difficult to match up with, and will need to take a leadership role for UCONN to be successful next year.

Moriah Jefferson, Sr, Connecticut-I think Jefferson could give Stewart a run for her money in the POY competition next year. Jefferson is one of the quickest, smoothest, and best two way point guards in women's college basketball history. She can dominate a game defensively, and is ridiculously efficient. 59% FG, 50% 3pt, 84% FT, 3:1 A/To....and that's taking in her first 8-9 games which were nowhere close to being this good.

Nina Davis, Jr, Baylor-Davis is one of the best rebounders and finishers in women's basketball. She has had back to back outstanding seasons, and should have the talent around her to lead Baylor into the Final Four this year. I'd look for her numbers to dip with the addition of Alexis Jones, but the improvement of Baylor as a team should give her more name recognition.

Tiffany Mitchell, Sr, South Carolina-Mitchell has had back to back outstanding seasons for South Carolina. She is the Gamecocks' only true perimeter threat who can beat you off the dribble and from the outside. An incredibly efficient guard in her own right, she'll need to have another strong year to bring South Carolina back to the Final Four.

Diamond DeShields, So, Tennessee-A lot might not agree with me here, but I think DeShields is going to be outstanding at Tennessee. She was the National Freshman of the Year in an incredibly strong class, and is as physically gifted as anyone in the country. If she can get help from Russell and Graves, Tennessee should have their best shot in years to break the Final Four drought.

2nd Team:
Kelsey Mitchell, So, Ohio State-Had a hard time leaving her off first team, but I just don't see Ohio State being competitive enough for her to garner more recognition than the above players. She is one of the most talented scorers in the nation. She is on pace to break Stiles' scoring record, I think if Ohio State becomes one of the better teams in the Big Ten, she could easily wind up as a 1st Teamer.

Brianna Turner, So, Notre Dame-This might be a bold prediction, but I think she will be the most improved player in women's basketball next year. She was arguably the best frontcourt player on the floor in the title game and has more untapped potential than anyone in women's basketball. She'll also be Notre Dame's go to next year without Loyd and Muffett is one of the nation's best at developing players.

Lexie Brown, Jr, Maryland was phenomenal this year and returns the core of their team. Their leader and best player is Brown, who had a sensational sophomore year where she earned 3rd Team Ap All American honors. She can beat you off the dribble, score from outside and is very good on the defensive end. Maryland should be a favorite to return to the Final Four next year, and Brown will be leading the squad once again.

Morgan Tuck, Jr, Connecticut-Tuck might have the most polished offensive post game of any women's college basketball player. She also has a good midrange shot and can score from long range, making her an incredibly difficult match up. She is unexpectedly quick with her size and frame, and she finishes really well inside. She'll take on a bigger role next year with KML and Stokes gone, but as a result, she should garner more deserved recognition.

A'ja Wilson, So, South Carolina-Another player who I think is primed for a breakout year. Wilson had a strong freshman campaign but will need to take on a more prominent role for USC to be a title contender next year. She has an ideal frame and skill set for a power forward. She rebounds well, can finish inside and has a mid range jumper. She has all the tools to be outstanding, and next year she might break out.

3rd Team:
Jillian Alleyne, Sr, Oregon-I have not seen much of Alleyne, but she has incredibly gaudy stats while playing in a decent conference. Unless Oregon significantly improves, I cannot see her garnering much national attention, but I know some think she has great upside at the next level with her ability to rebound the basketball.

Ruth Hamblin, Sr, Oregon State-I have not seen a ton of Hamblin, but she had a nice junior season as Oregon State had their best season in school history. If Oregon State has another terrific year, Hamblin could definitely be on more All-American teams next year.

Courtney Williams, Sr, Texas A&M-Texas A&M had an underwhelming year, but Williams is one of the best wings in the nation. She has an outstanding midrange game and is athleticism to blow by a defender.

Leticia Romero, Jr, Florida State-And outstanding passer and scorer, she is going to be a force in the ACC this year now that she has a 1/2 year under her belt at Florida State.

Imani McGee-Stafford, Sr, Texas-One of the more intriguing players in the nation. She was outstanding to finish 2014-15 and has huge potential with her size, athleticism and skill set. If she plays consistently at a high level, she could challenge for Big 12 POY.

HM:
Alaina Coates, Jr, South Carolina-One of the best bigs in the nation. Coates can dominate inside and has potential to be a star if she demands more touches.

Courtney Williams, Sr, South Florida-One of the more underrated guards in the nation. She is a phenomenal athlete with a great midrange game.

Makayla Epps, Jr, Kentucky-A big guard who can light it up on a good night.

Lindsey Allen, Jr, Notre Dame-Much improved as an offensive threat as a sophomore, she'll need to take on a bigger role next year with Loyd gone.

Azura Stevens, So, Duke-Another outstanding freshman who could really light it up next year. A big forward with guard skills and finishes well inside. She has huge upside and could be really really good next year.

Lili Thompson, Jr, Stanford-An athletic guard who can create her own shot. Had an up and down junior season, but will be Stanford's go to player next year.

Alexis Jones, Jr, Baylor-She could easily be a 2nd or 3rd team All-American this year. Having her on the perimeter and Davis inside with Johnson running the point makes Baylor incredibly different to match up with.

Alisha Gray, Jr, UNC-Another player who should get more publicity next year. One of the better scorers in the nation, she has a very complete offensive game and should lead a strong UNC team next year.

Mariya Moore, So, Louisville-She was one of the better freshmen in the country this season. Louisville has an incredible young core this year between her, Hines-Allen and Durr in the lineup.
Lexie Brown will not be playing for Maryland this upcoming season.
 

HuskyFan1125

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triaddukefan said:
or the season after that :D


And Alisha Gray won't be at UNC. That opens up a couple of spots
 

triaddukefan

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3rd team at the lowest for Nurse. And after watching Collier in U19 I think she will fit right in with those listed for HM. If KLS is as good as Collier (and I suspect she is) there is a good chance UConn will have six of the top 25 players in the country. And Gabby Williams won't be far behind.

I've been meaning to start a thread on this topic but I'll put it out there now ... I'm convinced that if you take the top seven from UConn's 2015-16 team they are better than the seven best players from the rest of WCBB. It helps that they have, IMHO, hands down #1 and #2.

So you are saying the 7 best players in all of WCBB are on the UCONN roster ?
 
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Kia Nurse should be in the Third Team or HM.... I watch several UConn's replays and agree that why Geno will start her in 2014-2015 session.
was just going to post same if she plays like she dii last week.
 
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I think many posters are missing the fact that Stewart's role changed dramatically last year. I think she took herself out of the scoring race in favor of doing everything else that was needed to win. She recognized that we have an abundance of scorers and she doesn't need to lead the team in scoring any more. She focuses on excellence in every other facet of the game. That's what makes her the best player in WCBB period.
 
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So you are saying the 7 best players in all of WCBB are on the UCONN roster ?
No. I'm saying if you take our best seven (TBS, MoJeff, Tuck, Nurse, Phee, KLS, Gabby IMO). Then you take the seven best among the rest (Tiffany Mitchell, Nina Davis, Turner, Wilson, etc.). Then you say which is the better group. I'd take the UConn seven. Some folks, probably almost everyone who isn't a UConn fan, might pick the other seven but I'd take the UConn seven. Of course I'm factoring out that the UConn players have played together. Just assessing the overall ability of the two groups at this point in their careers.
 
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Updated Predictions After 2015 Transferpalooza, a summer of USA Basketball, and some reevaluations:

I don't agree with some of your selections (like removing two seniors N. Davis and T. Mitchell from the first team) but if summer basketball plays a role in your evaluation how do you not find a spot for Kia Nurse on any of the three AA teams.
 

easttexastrash

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American citizenship is not a prerequisite, so Kia Nurse certainly deserves consideration at some level. No one can convince me that there are 15-20 NCAA D1 players that can outplay Kia (including a few she will scrimmage against daily at the Werth Champions Center in Storrs).

She will be on the list of many if the were paying attention to that performance at the PanAm games. However, she will take a back seat to Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, thus reducing her chances of being an AA, which is a shame.
 

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These 5 players will compete for the AA guard positions vacated by Lexie Brown and a spot Gray would have contended for as they sit out transfer year.
Kia Nurse-UCONN, Kelsey Plum-WAS, Gabby Ortiz-OK, & Asia Durr-Louisville,& Johnson-Baylor.
I am betting on Durr & Johnson because both will have thier team in top 5 all year. Johnson was overlooked last year & I just don't see voters giving UCONN 4 AA players (Morgan would be the 3rd).
 

easttexastrash

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Kia Nurse should be in the Third Team or HM.... I watch several UConn's replays and agree that why Geno will start her in 2014-2015 session.

That is a very bold prediction.
 

easttexastrash

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These 5 players will compete for the AA guard positions vacated by Lexie Brown and a spot Gray would have contended for as they sit out transfer year.
Kia Nurse-UCONN, Kelsey Plum-WAS, Gabby Ortiz-OK, & Asia Durr-Louisville,& Johnson-Baylor.
I am betting on Durr & Johnson because both will have thier team in top 5 all year. Johnson was overlooked last year & I just don't see voters giving UCONN 4 AA players (Morgan would be the 3rd).

I think Johnson lead the nation in assist to turnover ratio and was the ultimate PG in the way she ran the team but she got almost no recognition.
 

CocoHusky

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I think Johnson lead the nation in assist to turnover ratio and was the ultimate PG in the way she ran the team but she got almost no recognition.
Almost no recognition. I believe she was a finalist for the Lieberman award or was down selected very late in the process.
 

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These 5 players will compete for the AA guard positions vacated by Lexie Brown and a spot Gray would have contended for as they sit out transfer year.
Kia Nurse-UCONN, Kelsey Plum-WAS, Gabby Ortiz-OK, & Asia Durr-Louisville,& Johnson-Baylor.
I am betting on Durr & Johnson because both will have thier team in top 5 all year. Johnson was overlooked last year & I just don't see voters giving UCONN 4 AA players (Morgan would be the 3rd).

I think that Nurse, Plum, and Johnson are excellent possibilities to compete for AA honors at the guard spot, but I think there are far more likely and deserving candidates than Ortiz and Durr. I think you selected Ortiz based upon her solid play on the U19 team this summer, but the younger competition made her look more impressive. In college she would compete with more experienced and proven vets, and women that are simply better players than her. For example, Lindsey Allen had far better stats last season playing a tougher schedule (all stats are per game where appropriate; otherwise they are averages):

Stat_____Allen____Ortiz
Min______31_______32
FG%_____52_______36
3FG%____37_______33
FT%_____85_______70
Reb_____3.5_______3.7
Ast______5.3_______3.5
TO______2.5_______2.5
A/TO____2.1_______1.4
St______1.3_______1.0
Pts_____10.4______8.2

I realize that stats don't reveal everything, but I think that Allen is a far more likely AA selection than Oritz, as are several other guards across the country. But maybe Ortiz's sophomore jump will surprise me...

As for Durr, I think it is very hard for a freshman to make an AA team unless she scores a lot of points. She may do that (despite competing with Moore for the basketball) but because Louisville is such a young team (they graduated 122/200 minutes per game!), I think they will struggle a bit this season and that will hurt Asia's chances. I also think that the freshman version of Durr will not be a top guard in WCBB.
 

CocoHusky

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I think that Nurse, Plum, and Johnson are excellent possibilities to compete for AA honors at the guard spot, but I think there are far more likely and deserving candidates than Ortiz and Durr. I think you selected Ortiz based upon her solid play on the U19 team this summer, but the younger competition made her look more impressive. In college she would compete with more experienced and proven vets, and women that are simply better players than her. For example, Lindsey Allen had far better stats last season playing a tougher schedule (all stats are per game where appropriate; otherwise they are averages):

Stat_____Allen____Ortiz
Min______31_______32
FG%_____52_______36
3FG%____37_______33
FT%_____85_______70
Reb_____3.5_______3.7
Ast______5.3_______3.5
TO______2.5_______2.5
A/TO____2.1_______1.4
St______1.3_______1.0
Pts_____10.4______8.2

I realize that stats don't reveal everything, but I think that Allen is a far more likely AA selection than Oritz, as are several other guards across the country. But maybe Ortiz's sophomore jump will surprise me...

As for Durr, I think it is very hard for a freshman to make an AA team unless she scores a lot of points. She may do that (despite competing with Moore for the basketball) but because Louisville is such a young team (they graduated 122/200 minutes per game!), I think they will struggle a bit this season and that will hurt Asia's chances. I also think that the freshman version of Durr will not be a top guard in WCBB.
I strongly agree with most of your points. I did not include Lindsey Allen in the discussion- contendinng for AA honors- because IMO she is a lock to make at least 3rd team at the PG position. The numbers (comparing Allen to Ortiz) are complelling but I have seen both play enough times to not need the numbers to tell me Allen is the better player and more worthy of AA selection. Valid point about Durr and the young Louisville team, I would counter that by saying Mitchell and Hart propelled OSU significantly last year when both were Freshmen and I believe Durr, Fuering , Degreate, Cole & Jones could propel the Cards on a similar arc. That is 5 Top 100 players and #1 recruiting class as ranked by some services. I not talking National Championship, I'm more thinking Cards =Top 5 team by end of the year.
 

Fightin Choke

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I strongly agree with most of your points. I did not include Lindsey Allen in the discussion- contendinng for AA honors- because IMO she is a lock to make at least 3rd team at the PG position. The numbers (comparing Allen to Ortiz) are complelling but I have seen both play enough times to not need the numbers to tell me Allen is the better player and more worthy of AA selection. Valid point about Durr and the young Louisville team, I would counter that by saying Mitchell and Hart propelled OSU significantly last year when both were Freshmen and I believe Durr, Fuering , Degreate, Cole & Jones could propel the Cards on a similar arc. That is 5 Top 100 players and #1 recruiting class as ranked by some services. I not talking National Championship, I'm more thinking Cards =Top 5 team by end of the year.

Bballnut90 has Allen as an HM, so I figured that was where you placed her as well. It seems we both agree that she is better than Ortiz, however, it remains to be seen whether Lindsay earns a spot on one of the AA teams.

But I respectfully disagree with your assessment that Louisville may be top 5 this season. As I wrote above, they lost a ridiculous amount of minutes, so the team is very raw. You compared them to an amazing OSU team, but that team (which truly performed beyond expectations during the latter half of the regular season) played to their 5-seed in the big dance, defeating JMU in the first round but losing to UNC (4-seed) in the second round. Another comparison would be last season's UCLA team, which had an acclaimed recruiting class but finished the regular season/PAC12 tourney with a 13-18 record before really coming together in the NIT, winning it all. The most favorable comparison in recent years might be the young UNC squad 2 years ago, but they had a fair amount of upperclassmen to provide leadership, whereas the cupboard is basically bare when looking at juniors and seniors on the Louisville roster. Of course that UNC team lost in the Elite 8 and there are very few people that would have considered them a top 5 team. Finally, I do not believe that Louisville's 2015 class of recruits exceeds UCLA's or UNC's in expectations/hype. We shall see how quickly they gel this season, but top 5 seems unlikely to me.
 
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Bballnut90 has Allen as an HM, so I figured that was where you placed her as well. It seems we both agree that she is better than Ortiz, however, it remains to be seen whether Lindsay earns a spot on one of the AA teams.

But I respectfully disagree with your assessment that Louisville may be top 5 this season. As I wrote above, they lost a ridiculous amount of minutes, so the team is very raw. You compared them to an amazing OSU team, but that team (which truly performed beyond expectations during the latter half of the regular season) played to their 5-seed in the big dance, defeating JMU in the first round but losing to UNC (4-seed) in the second round. Another comparison would be last season's UCLA team, which had an acclaimed recruiting class but finished the regular season/PAC12 tourney with a 13-18 record before really coming together in the NIT, winning it all. The most favorable comparison in recent years might be the young UNC squad 2 years ago, but they had a fair amount of upperclassmen to provide leadership, whereas the cupboard is basically bare when looking at juniors and seniors on the Louisville roster. Of course that UNC team lost in the Elite 8 and there are very few people that would have considered them a top 5 team. Finally, I do not believe that Louisville's 2015 class of recruits exceeds UCLA's or UNC's in expectations/hype. We shall see how quickly they gel this season, but top 5 seems unlikely to me.

Agree about Louisville. I don't see how they will finish ahead of UConn, ND, USCe, Baylor or Duke. And that's not even considering Ohio St or Tennessee.
I think Louisville struggles to make the top 10 this year.
 

triaddukefan

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Agree about Louisville. I don't see how they will finish ahead of UConn, ND, USCe, Baylor or Duke. And that's not even considering Ohio St or Tennessee.
I think Louisville struggles to make the top 10 this year.

I see Louisville as the #4 team in the ACC.... no shame in that for a young squad.
 
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I know Breanna wouldn't mention it, but didn't she hurt her ankle? She didn't have her usual lift after that.

Breanna didn't mention it but I thought I remember reading that Geno said it was serious roll over and that her ankle was still in bad shape a few days after the game.
 
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