A good year but not spectacular one. As stated before anyone can see in Final Four Stanford was deliberately giving MoJeff wide open shots. This sort of highlights her soph year as her being the 5th leading scorer. Unlike Bird who was 3rd in overall in team scoring 2nd in assists while Mofjeff 1st in assists but 5th in scoring. On Offense she didn't have to do much but pass the ball and hit an occasional shot.You're right, we do underrate Jefferson (college). If Bird had 3 spectacular years, what did Jefferson have?
Do we need to focus exclusively on MoJeff's sophomore year? Here's some highlights from the game against SC that year. This was a blowout against the #1 ranked team and it was a total team effort. But when I look at what MoJeff did on both ends of the floor, face guarding Tiffany Mitchell on defense and exposing Bianca Cuevas who was touted as the quickest guard in D1 by many "experts," I see one of the all time greats Pay special attention to these moments:A good year but not spectacular one. As stated before anyone can see in Final Four Stanford was deliberately giving MoJeff wide open shots. This sort of highlights her soph year as her being the 5th leading scorer. Unlike Bird who was 3rd in overall in team scoring 2nd in assists while Mofjeff 1st in assists but 5th in scoring. On Offense she didn't have to do much but pass the ball and hit an occasional shot.
While Sue Bird Final Four game was an example of a signature game. With 7 minutes left (and even before that she had 19 points. When she got her 19th pt it was one-third of team's points in a tight game in the 2nd half.) the game was still close And in her 1st matchup vs Tenn she was also a beast and scored 22 or 23 points. And with her 22nd point they were about one-third too in a tight game. These are signature games.
You got any signature games for MoJeff her soph year? Maybe the Baylor game that Simms got shut down? But with that said - do we recall who was on that team? Dolson, Stewart and Stokes. What was Simms going to get going to the basket on the inside?
I just can't recall Moriah putting her team on her back her soph year. She was a contributor. I can see the Moriah point but Bird in some big games was doing some heavy lifting I can't recall Moriah doing.
Yes. The entire point of our conversation was soph year. I had made a point that Bird was spectacular 3 years while MoJeff wasn't until her jr year. You're giving me "jr year Moriah," right? I had said they were right there - near even so yeah she was spectacular her jr and sr years which is why I have Bird and her so close.Do we need to focus exclusively on MoJeff's sophomore year?
Yes, a lot of fun. Someone with way too much time on their hands should analyze these posts and come up with a consensus starting 5, bench players, etc.Good stuff folks.. Glad I brought up this topic... Amazing how many great players we've been honored to witness over the last 3 decades
That first 5 played in Olympics as a team for quite a few minutes. No other schools can say that.First Five:
Plus Two:
UConn can field 5 quality starting fives based on Huskies of Honor list + 1 player.
Did you not read the stats I posted?? We were talking about the year (not spectacular/signature games). And Jefferson's year was slightly better than Bird's "spectacular" year.A good year but not spectacular one. As stated before anyone can see in Final Four Stanford was deliberately giving MoJeff wide open shots. This sort of highlights her soph year as her being the 5th leading scorer. Unlike Bird who was 3rd in overall in team scoring 2nd in assists while Mofjeff 1st in assists but 5th in scoring. On Offense she didn't have to do much but pass the ball and hit an occasional shot.
While Sue Bird Final Four game was an example of a signature game. With 7 minutes left (and even before that she had 19 points. When she got her 19th pt it was one-third of team's points in a tight game in the 2nd half.) the game was still close And in her 1st matchup vs Tenn she was also a beast and scored 22 or 23 points. And with her 22nd point they were about one-third too in a tight game. These are signature games.
You got any signature games for MoJeff her soph year? Maybe the Baylor game that Simms got shut down? But with that said - do we recall who was on that team? Dolson, Stewart and Stokes. What was Simms going to get going to the basket on the inside?
I just can't recall Moriah putting her team on her back her soph year. She was a contributor. I can see the Moriah point but Bird in some big games was doing some heavy lifting I can't recall Moriah doing.
No what I was talking about even with my 1st post to you why I felt I gave the slight edge to Bird - I made the follwoing comment in bold below.Did you not read the stats I posted?? We were talking about the year (not spectacular/signature games). And Jefferson's year was slightly better than Bird's "spectacular" year.
Bird shot 3pts better, scored 5 more points (1 ppg more), and a better FT % (didn't score more, just a better %). Other than that, Jefferson was better in every other category.
I'll agree Bird had a really good year (wouldn't say spectacular, I'd leave that for AA or NPOY years), but so did Jefferson. Actually slightly better.
I'm sure they think my evaluations are spot on.I wonder how many former UConn players read this board and what they think about fans' evaluations.
I'm sorry that just makes no sense.No what I was talking about even with my 1st post to you why I felt I gave the slight edge to Bird - I made the follwoing comment in bold below.
"So, one year she is a bench player worse than 5/6 combined with her soph year she is 5th best player and both years not A/A -- vs Bird being spectucular for 3 years."
1-- I am putting Bird, being the 3rd highest scorer on the 99-00 team, at a much higher value that you appear to be doing because she was 3rd leading scorer vs 5th leading scorer. The fact that their shooting stats are near even points more to Bird than MoJeff because more attention is being focused toward Bird. .
2--- So, the fact that I'm saying Bird was more of an offensive threat, then ofc I am going to use "Signature/spectacular" games. That's the entire reason why Bird was great while MoJeff wasn't imo.
3-- You can listen to those 2 games I highlighted - and you can hear for example Pat Summit calling out her team "to Defend Bird." Yet as I have previously stated on the flipside I can see another super coach in Tara who basically told her team to leave MoJeff open.
4-- If you want to say overall you give Mo Jeff the advantage I had said okay because I'm with you they are close. But you are pointing out through implication that Bird wasn't an a/a and that is part of the reason why her season wasn’t spectacular then I don't agree (otherwise why are you mentioning that she wasn’t an a/a? Neither was but Bird’s scoring was 3rd highest for her team.). Many times there are issues with the voting process. And back then there could have also been issues with putting too many players on 1 team as an A/A but maybe not.
Anyhow - a player who is their 3rd leading scorer on a team that lost 1 game while being a #1 scorer in big games in which your team absolutely needed it in which the opposing coach staff is highlighting to players to stop her - you combine that with the great passing along with the great efficiency - for me that is a spectacular season. What's not spectacular is the player that is the 5th option on their team being left wide open. IMO there is a significant difference in this regard. I will change my opinion if I saw a big game or 2 her soph year her offense was a big-time difference maker rather than being "5th." .
Well we've reached a point we're done with this comparision. Not sure why you think makes no sense but anyhow I prefer Bird slightly above MoJeff in college. I do believe MoJeff is elite. Comparign superstars can be tough. And you or anyone else that has MoJeff as #1 - okay by me.I'm sorry that just makes no sense.
Tough crowd here, when Katie Lou Samuelson, a two-time first-team All-American and a third-team All-American another season, can't make the top 15!Swerve: 15-player UConn Squad A Team (based on the peak college version of themselves):
Nykesha Sales deserved to be somewhere on this listSwerve: 15-player UConn Squad A Team (based on the peak college version of themselves):
Tough crowd here, when Katie Lou Samuelson, a two-time first-team All-American and a third-team All-American another season, can't make the top 15!
Replacing who?Nykesha Sales deserved to be somewhere on this list
If we're talkign abotu going beyond top 5 like some have I would have Sales in my top 8.Replacing who?
KLS, Kerry Bascom and Nykesha were my last agonizing cuts.Nykesha Sales deserved to be somewhere on this list
I agree. They are very close. I'd take Bird offensively, but they are so close that Jefferson's defense does it for me. (similar to the DT/Moore/Stewart argument, whichever one you think is the best...I can see that) Bird of Jefferson, take your pick.Well we've reached a point we're done with this comparision. Not sure why you think makes no sense but anyhow I prefer Bird slightly above MoJeff in college. I do believe MoJeff is elite. Comparign superstars can be tough. And you or anyone else that has MoJeff as #1 - okay by me.