10 of the best duos to watch out for in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament | The Boneyard

10 of the best duos to watch out for in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

Carnac

That venerable sage from the west
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
15,930
Reaction Score
78,998

AUTUMN JOHNSON | MARCH 18, 2021​


We are days away from the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament, so it's time to look at some of the best duos we should have on our radars in the postseason.

Here are ten elite pairs that have stood out, so far, listed in alphabetical order:

 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
No Diamond Miller and Ashley Owusu. Both made 1st team Big 10. Diamond Johnson only made the 2nd team. NCAA fail. Not sure about the Louisville pair either.
I can see your point. Miller and Owusu have been fun to watch this season. Personally, I would have had them listed instead of the Rutgers duo.

I've enjoyed watching how Evans and Van Lith play off of each other however. I don't understand the skepticism from your perspective there but that's why forums exist. We learn and discuss.
 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
The lack of respect for Maryland this year is comical. I'd put them #1 or #2 on this list, maybe only behind Clark/Czinano.

Agreed. Not sure why either. A lot of teams had similar seasons and challenges. Let people leave them as a dark horse. In hearing Owusu talk after games during the BIG10 tournament, they're pissed and will use this as their motivation to an extent.
 

bballnut90

LV Adherent. Topic Crafter
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
7,480
Reaction Score
33,620
I can see your point. Miller and Owusu have been fun to watch this season. Personally, I would have had them listed instead of the Rutgers duo.

I've enjoyed watching how Evans and Van Lith play off of each other however. I don't understand the skepticism from your perspective there but that's why forums exist. We learn and discuss.

Van Lith is the clear weak link. She's had a fine rookie season but shouldn't be in discussion for best anything based on her performance this season.


Maryland:
Owusu-18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 48.3% FG, 27.8% 3pt, 77% FT
Miller-17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 50.3% FG, 36.1% 3pt, 77.9 FT%
*Team is #5 overall seed, regular season and tournament conference championship

Rutgers:
Guirantes-20.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.9 blocks, 40.8% FG, 36.3% 3pt, 89.2% FT
Johnson-17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 50.6% FG, 45.0% 3pt, 89.7% FT
*Team is #22 overall seed, didn't win regular season or conference tourney


Louisville:
Evans-20 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 43.2% FG, 35.3% 3pt, 92.0% FT.
Van Lith-11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 41.5% FG, 38.6% 3pt, 81.6% FT.
*Team is #8 overall seed, didn't win regular season or conference tourney
 
Last edited:

bballnut90

LV Adherent. Topic Crafter
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
7,480
Reaction Score
33,620
Isn’t the real duo on SC Boston and Henderson? Cooke’s point and assist stats are pretty shallow.
Agree 100%. Cooke's inclusion on 1st Team All-SEC and on lists like this is a major headscratcher to me. She's an explosive player but has had poor showings in almost every big game, and look at numbers compared to Henderson:

Cooke-15.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 turnovers, 0.9 steals, 38.4% FG, 37.4% 3pt, 77.4% FT.

Henderson-12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.8 turnovers, 1.2 steals, 44.1% FG, 42.7% 3pt, 74.6% FT.
 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
Van Lith is the clear weak link. She's had a fine rookie season but shouldn't be in discussion for best anything based on her performance this season.


Maryland:
Owusu-18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 48.3% FG, 27.8% 3pt, 77% FT
Miller-17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 50.3% FG, 36.1% 3pt, 77.9 FT%
*Team is #5 overall seed, regular season and tournament conference championship

Rutgers:
Guirantes-20.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.9 blocks, 40.8% FG, 36.3% 3pt, 89.2% FT
Robinson-17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 50.6% FG, 45.0% 3pt, 89.7% FT (??)
*Team is #22 overall seed, didn't win regular season or conference tourney


Louisville:
Evans-20 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 43.2% FG, 35.3% 3pt, 92.0% FT.
Van Lith-11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 41.5% FG, 38.6% 3pt, 81.6% FT.
*Team is #8 overall seed, didn't win regular season or conference tourney
The only difference I'm seeing here is points per game. Rebounds, assists (except Owusu's), and shooting percentages are similar. If based solely on the PPG stat, okay.

And if we're using stats, shouldn't Maryland be ahead of Rutgers considering where they are ranked overall in the tournament, no? Louisville would be lower on the list from my perspective in this case.

Lastly, wasn't it Diamond Johnson paired with Guirantes in the article? Why is Robinson being used for comparison or is this a typo?
 

bballnut90

LV Adherent. Topic Crafter
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
7,480
Reaction Score
33,620
The only difference I'm seeing here is points per game. Rebounds, assists (except Owusu's), and shooting percentages are similar. If based solely on the PPG stat, okay.

And if we're using stats, shouldn't Maryland be ahead of Rutgers considering where they are ranked overall in the tournament, no? Louisville would be lower on the list from my perspective in this case.

Lastly, wasn't it Diamond Johnson paired with Guirantes in the article? Why is Robinson being used for comparison or is this a typo?

I made a typo, I put Diamond Johnson's stats under Guirantes but accidentally labeled it Robinson for some reason, good catch. I went back and corrected it.

I'm not sure I'm following what you're saying in the first and 2nd part though. Johnson vs. Van Lith isn't a comparison....Johnson is higher in every single statistical category.

And I'd put the Maryland duo ahead of both duos. I'd keep Rutgers duo on there though and knock of Evans/Van Lith.
 

bbsamjj

Rutgers Rooter
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
1,085
Reaction Score
4,168
Yeah I think the lack of Owusu/Miller here is pretty galling; though I think Guirantes/Johnson deserve to stay (I'm obviously biased--but I think you could argue they are one of best offensive back courts in country). One could argue that Nalyssa Smith/DeeDee Richards should also be up here too.

IT's also a bit broad on what defines a duo. Is it just the two best players on the same team? Players who work off each other? Stockton/Malone?
 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
I made a typo, I put Diamond Johnson's stats under Guirantes but accidentally labeled it Robinson for some reason, good catch. I went back and corrected it.

I'm not sure I'm following what you're saying in the first and 2nd part though. Johnson vs. Van Lith isn't a comparison....Johnson is higher in every single statistical category.

And I'd put the Maryland duo ahead of both duos. I'd keep Rutgers duo on there though and knock of Evans/Van Lith.

My point here was the only glaring difference to me between Van Lith and all the players was her PPG for the season. She seemed on par with everyone else.

The ranking comment was based on you including this information as part of your reasoning. Personally, I don't think team overall rankings should be part of the conversation. It doesn't look like the writer factored this when they came up with their list. However, if team rankings were part of your logic how does Louisville get knocked out when their team ranking is higher than Rutgers?
 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
Yeah I think the lack of Owusu/Miller here is pretty galling; though I think Guirantes/Johnson deserve to stay (I'm obviously biased--but I think you could argue they are one of best offensive back courts in country). One could argue that Nalyssa Smith/DeeDee Richards should also be up here too.

IT's also a bit broad on what defines a duo. Is it just the two best players on the same team? Players who work off each other? Stockton/Malone?

I was wondering that as well. And there are a lot of great tandems that seemed to have been overlooked.
 

bballnut90

LV Adherent. Topic Crafter
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
7,480
Reaction Score
33,620
My point here was the only glaring difference to me between Van Lith and all the players was her PPG for the season. She seemed on par with everyone else.

The ranking comment was based on you including this information as part of your reasoning. Personally, I don't think team overall rankings should be part of the conversation. It doesn't look like the writer factored this when they came up with their list. However, if team rankings were part of your logic how does Louisville get knocked out when their team ranking is higher than Rutgers?
Van Lith's points, assists and field goal percentage are all weak. To be a best duo you have to bring something to the table that you're great at, whether it be scoring, being a great passer or a dominant interior player. Van Lith hasn't brought any of that to the table this season which is why she shouldn't be included on this list at all. Furthermore, almost all of her big games came against a garbage OOC schedule. Her numbers all dip for in conference and she's shooting under 40% and averaging 10ppg.

Agree that team stats aren't nearly as important, but I included it to show why I think Maryland's duo should be elevated above Rutgers even if Rutgers matches up well with Maryland's from a statistical standpoint. I can see team success being used as a differentiator but not as a primary argument.
 
Joined
May 1, 2020
Messages
6,906
Reaction Score
20,662
Van Lith's points, assists and field goal percentage are all weak. To be a best duo you have to bring something to the table that you're great at, whether it be scoring, being a great passer or a dominant interior player. Van Lith hasn't brought any of that to the table this season which is why she shouldn't be included on this list at all. Furthermore, almost all of her big games came against a garbage OOC schedule. Her numbers all dip for in conference and she's shooting under 40% and averaging 10ppg.

Agree that team stats aren't nearly as important, but I included it to show why I think Maryland's duo should be elevated above Rutgers even if Rutgers matches up well with Maryland's from a statistical standpoint. I can see team success being used as a differentiator but not as a primary argument.
We've been in agreement about Maryland as noted in my previous posts. The "weak" OOC schedule talking point is being used when Maryland is discussed, which I don't think is fair. I get your point regarding Van Lith's stats but we'll agree to disagree there.

Referencing team stats and stating that it shouldn't be used as a differentiator sounds like you're contradicting yourself however. The stats alone for all three duos is sufficient enough for your argument.
 

MSGRET

MSG, US Army Retired
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
6,837
Reaction Score
38,515
This duo's scoring efforts has helped the Huskies hold the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll for five consecutive weeks and has helped UConn earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

This is a writer for the NCAA and doesn't even know that it's Stanford and not UConn as the #1 overall seed in the tournament. Don't know what's worse listening to the NCAA fumble the excuses on the disparity between the Men's and Women's tournament or the writers representing the NCAA stories that have been released the past couple of weeks.
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
658
Reaction Score
2,591
The article is merely click bait. Duos don’t win games, teams do. I’ll take the players that help the team achieve a tournament game win over stats any day.
 

Online statistics

Members online
144
Guests online
1,713
Total visitors
1,857

Forum statistics

Threads
160,729
Messages
4,236,084
Members
10,093
Latest member
Verna


.
Top Bottom