2/3 of the season awards/predictions

[bballnut90]

Individual Awards:
POY: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
COY: Cori Close, UCLA
FOY: Sarah Strong, UCONN

1st Team All Americans (in order):
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Juju Watkins, USC
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Taniya Latson, Florida State

2nd Team All Americans:
Madison Booker, Texas
Flaujae Johnson, LSU
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Paige Bueckers, UCONN
Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt

3rd Team All Americans:
Kiki Iriafen, USC
Sedona Prince, TCU
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Aziaha James, NC State
Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

High HM:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Serena Sundell, Kansas State

All Freshmen Team:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Syla Swords, Michigan
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Liv McGill, Florida
Toby Fournier, Duke
Kennedy Smith, USC
Kiyomi McMiller, Rutgers


Tournament/Conference Predictions:

SEC Champion: South Carolina/Texas share
Big 12 Champion: TCU
ACC Champion: Notre Dame
B1G Champion: UCLA
Big East Champion: UCONN

#1 Seeds: South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas

Champion Pick: Still South Carolina

 

[GamecockFam]

So Joyce Edwards makes honorable mention for All American but doesn't make the All Freshman team?

I love the confidence in South Carolina but I am starting to think this will be UCLA's year to shine.

 

[willtalk]

So Joyce Edwards makes honorable mention for All American but doesn't make the All Freshman team?

I love the confidence in South Carolina but I am starting to think this will be UCLA's year to shine.

Wow! Unbelievable! A fan who is not influenced by homerism. Many props to you.

 

[bballnut90]

So Joyce Edwards makes honorable mention for All American but doesn't make the All Freshman team?

I love the confidence in South Carolina but I am starting to think this will be UCLA's year to shine.

Fixed it

 

[GoChips20]

So Joyce Edwards makes honorable mention for All American but doesn't make the All Freshman team?

I love the confidence in South Carolina but I am starting to think this will be UCLA's year to shine.

I’m always rooting for my Gamecocks but I agree with you, starting to feel like it’s just UCLA’s year. Team composition reminds me a lot of last year’s SC team — elite 6’7” center inside surrounded by an array of versatile forwards and very good guards. Tons of options on both sides of the ball.

Wouldn’t upset me to see UCLA win a title. I’ve always thought Cori Close was a wonderful ambassador for the game. Her UCLA teams have been good for so long and yet have so little to show for it (no Final Fours or conference titles that I can remember).

What’s scary is they should almost certainly be even better next year. Even if they lose Barker to the draft, they’ll bring in Sienna Betts and Charlisse Leger-Walker will be back from injury.

 

[GoChips20]

Individual Awards:
POY: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
COY: Cori Close, UCLA
FOY: Sarah Strong, UCONN

1st Team All Americans (in order):
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Juju Watkins, USC
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Taniya Latson, Florida State

2nd Team All Americans:
Madison Booker, Texas
Flaujae Johnson, LSU
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Paige Bueckers, UCONN
Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt

3rd Team All Americans:
Kiki Iriafen, USC
Sedona Prince, TCU
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Aziaha James, NC State
Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

High HM:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Serena Sundell, Kansas State

All Freshmen Team:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Syla Swords, Michigan
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Liv McGill, Florida
Toby Fournier, Duke
Kennedy Smith, USC
Kiyomi McMiller, Rutgers


Tournament/Conference Predictions:

SEC Champion: South Carolina/Texas share
Big 12 Champion: TCU
ACC Champion: Notre Dame
B1G Champion: UCLA
Big East Champion: UCONN

#1 Seeds: South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas

Champion Pick: Still South Carolina

Excellent lists and picks. I’m firmly aboard the Hidalgo train (3-0 against Top 5 teams and outplayed those teams’ star players in each), but if UCLA wins out and ND picks up another loss, I could see the tides turning to Betts.

I don’t think it will happen tho, I think USC gets UCLA once with UCLA still winning the conference title and tournament.

Betts should easily win B10 POY IMO.

 

[Stagnant]

I would go Hidalgo over Betts. I just think she has the ball in her hands more and is able to impact the game a little more as a result.

I am interested in conference player of the year races and conference freshman of the year races too. Like I am curious how people would vote for big east player of the year right now. I would go for Sarah.

 

[LETTERL]

Aziaha James making a late run toward higher than 3rd-team here of late. She's been on a tear.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I think Sarah Strong might make one of the AA teams, not just an HM.
I think it's UCLA's year to take it if they stay healthy.

 

[From France]

I think Sarah Strong might make one of the AA teams, not just an HM.
I think it's UCLA's year to take it if they stay healthy.

Have to agree, Sarah & Paige should make the All WBCA

 

[The deacon]

I would go Hidalgo over Betts. I just think she has the ball in her hands more and is able to impact the game a little more as a result.

I am interested in conference player of the year races and conference freshman of the year races too. Like I am curious how people would vote for big east player of the year right now. I would go for Sarah.

I'm with you, Stagnant, with Sarah as Big East POY... I'll take it a step farther, to me, if Paige is second-team A-A, Sarah should be, too.
Probably a better bet would be to have them both as third-team AAs. Paige has not played at a higher level than Sarah.

Paige can change that vs. SC and in the Big East tournament, but a 17-point, six-assist game vs. the Gamecocks just won't cut it.

 

[The deacon]

Individual Awards:
POY: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
COY: Cori Close, UCLA
FOY: Sarah Strong, UCONN

1st Team All Americans (in order):
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Juju Watkins, USC
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Taniya Latson, Florida State

2nd Team All Americans:
Madison Booker, Texas
Flaujae Johnson, LSU
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Paige Bueckers, UCONN
Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt

3rd Team All Americans:
Kiki Iriafen, USC
Sedona Prince, TCU
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Aziaha James, NC State
Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

High HM:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Serena Sundell, Kansas State

All Freshmen Team:
Sarah Strong, UCONN
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Syla Swords, Michigan
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Liv McGill, Florida
Toby Fournier, Duke
Kennedy Smith, USC
Kiyomi McMiller, Rutgers


Tournament/Conference Predictions:

SEC Champion: South Carolina/Texas share
Big 12 Champion: TCU
ACC Champion: Notre Dame
B1G Champion: UCLA
Big East Champion: UCONN

#1 Seeds: South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas

Champion Pick: Still South Carolina

Well done, bballnut90!

I'd add Lucy Olsen to the HMs if her performance in the last few games continues through the end of the regular season.

 

[Stagnant]

Wow, look at the honorable mention team. Is there more talent than there used to be?

 

[LETTERL]

Wow, look at the honorable mention team. Is there more talent than there used to be?

Not just the honorable mention team -- when you see it written out like this, the talent level across all of WCBB is incredible. Paige Bueckers possibly relegated to 2nd team?

 

[Vowelguy]

How about by conference?

ACC - Hidalgo ND / Ivey ND / Fournier DUK
B10 - Betts UCLA / Close UCLA / Cambridge OSU
B12 - Hailey Van Lith TCU ? / Campbell TCU / ?
SEC - Morrow LSU ? / Brooks or Caldwell / Blakes VAN
BE - Bueckers CT / Bozzella Consuegra or Geno / Strong CT

?

 

[nwhoopfan]

B12 - Hailey Van Lith TCU ? / Campbell TCU / ?

FOY is the one award where team record doesn't seem to be a premium. I may be totally overlooking someone, but off the top of my head I would say Gibb from BYU. They are not having a good season but she's been terrific.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I'll focus on COY first.

For the ACC, my COY pick would mainly hinge on a couple of things:

1) ND going undefeated (which I think they can, but NC State's play lately is starting to cast some major doubt on that belief). 18-0 has never been done in ACC WBB, and I believe that said feat, should it occur, has to be enshrined in an appropriate way (by awarding the honor to Niele Ivey).

2) Virginia Tech's final ACC record. If they were to somehow win out (not likely, but certainly possible), then I'm not sure how you don't consider Megan Duffy as ACC COY given the challenges she's faced (and mainly overcome) this season.

An outside case could be made for Nell Fortner (Georgia Tech), Wes Moore (NC State), or Charmin Smith (Cal), depending on how their seasons end. I don't think I could consider anyone outside of those five given what has transpired thus far.

I can't envision a scenario in which SEC COY doesn't go to Kim Mulkey if (1) Aneesah Morrow wins SEC POY (kinda iffy on that) and (2) LSU wins the SEC. I also don't think Kenny Brooks (no big-time SEC wins and two upset losses already) or Kim Caldwell (Tennessee still has a losing conference record at this point in the season) have a strong enough case for SEC COY right now (Brooks could swing things in his favor if Kentucky can pull an upset or two and Caldwell could win it if Tennessee wins out) over the coach whose team ultimately wins the conference. Right now, I'm leaning towards Vic Schaefer--believe it or not.

The B1G is simpler: COY goes to Cori Close if UCLA either sweeps Southern Cal or splits with them. A Southern Cal split would send the award to Lindsay Gottlieb. Actually, I might go with Dawn Plitzuweit (Minnesota) instead of Close if (1) UCLA/USC split and (2) Minnesota wins out.

Big 12: Not sure how Mark Campbell (TCU), Jacie Hoyt (Oklahoma State), or Jeff Mittie (Kansas State) don't win. Could give it to whichever one wins the Big 12 outright. Very, very unlikely, but maybe JR Payne if Colorado wins out.

Big East: UConn will go undefeated, so it should go to Geno.

 

[Vowelguy]

Big East: UConn will go undefeated, so it should go to Geno.

UConn was picked 1st and finished 1st. Ho hum.
Seton Hall and Marquette were further down and have done much better than expected. That's where my vote would go.

I'll be stunned if SEC COY isnt Brooks or Caldwell.

 

[Stagnant]

If Creighton goes undefeated the rest of the way (very unlikely); flannery should be unanimous for big east coach of the year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Juju has re-entered the POY race.

 

[CajunHusk94]

UConn was picked 1st and finished 1st. Ho hum.
Seton Hall and Marquette were further down and have done much better than expected. That's where my vote would go.

I'll be stunned if SEC COY isnt Brooks or Caldwell.

Caldwell? She has had a nice season and a good team but they are 5-6 in conference play and she inherited a NCAAT team from last year.

Brooks has had a very good year and the portal has helped him rejump the program although that SEC stretch coming up is gonna be tough but heck of a turn around from the Elzy years

I personally think the Coach of the year likely gonna go to winner of the SEC IMO.

 

[yhun89]

If Creighton goes undefeated the rest of the way (very unlikely); flannery should be unanimous for big east coach of the year.

We’ve already beaten Creighton, why would Flannery win COTY if he’s already been beat by the front runner candidate?

 

[Stagnant]

We’ve already beaten Creighton, why would Flannery win COTY if he’s already been beat by the front runner candidate?

Creighton can still share the conference with us. Them winning the rest of the way includes a win over UConn. (I give them like an 5% chance of doing that. The chance is not 0 though.) And if they tied us for the conference. They should absolutely win both player of the year in the conference and coach of the year in the conference.

 

[yhun89]

Creighton can still share the conference with us. Them winning the rest of the way includes a win over UConn. (I give them like an 5% chance of doing that. The chance is not 0 though.) And if they tied us for the conference. They should absolutely win both player of the year in the conference and coach of the year in the conference.

What?

POTY is a huge stretch. Maly and Jensen, Creighton’s best, aren’t better than Paige or Sarah. They’re a decent team, but you’re overrating them a bit too much. Where we have obliterated many BE teams, Creighton barely scraped by some of the ones we have 30 point blowouts against.

Like you said, the chance of them beating us in conference isn’t great. If they can’t beat us, Flannery doesn’t deserve COTY.

 

[Stagnant]

I know Jensen and maly aren’t better. Sharing the conference would be incredible though. And Creighton would deserve to be rewarded.

Other than Flannery, I would probably go with Anthony Bozzella for coach if Seton Hall finishes the season out strong. I think he has done well considering he basically had to rebuild this team.