Athlon 2019/2020 WCBB Pre Season Rankings

[UConnCat]

Jones and Watson over Makurat, Adebayo, and Griffin by "a ton"?? I'll be shocked if that's the case. Makurat is effectively a pro, and Griffin is probably more athletic than even Charles. We'll see.

In other words, the Terps have Jones and Watson and the Huskies don't.

Good to know.

 

[donalddoowop]

I wouldn't pay much attention to anything from Athlon Sports, they are notorious for having utterly ridiculous rankings in just about every poll they put out. They are in the business of selling stories, they try and create drama and intrigue any way they can.

Some of the teams ranked have players who are suspended or injured and may not play this season. Without those players, those teams will not be as good with the probable exception of Oregon. So no, this ranking should not be taken seriously because current information is lacking.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Jones and Watson over Makurat, Adebayo, and Griffin by "a ton"?? I'll be shocked if that's the case. Makurat is effectively a pro, and Griffin is probably more athletic than even Charles. We'll see.

The difference is Charles have played three years and Griffin experience is 0.

 

[Carnac]

Well I really think these polls should be thrown in the garbage. How can you predict whats gonna happen in 3 months without all the facts. It boggles my mind where people come up with this stuff. UConn has nothing to prove with all the top 5 HS players they have and with the addition the players theyve gotten who will play this season. UConn has a big who has improved immensely to go along with 2 guards who are one of the top two tandems in the country. You rank them out of the top 4????? Well for me youve lost alot of creditibility. Led by the best coaching staff in WCBB...come on Boneyarders you dont really believe UConn is not a top 4 team and with Westbrook the potential is there to be even better.

Agreed. Prognostication articles of this nature are little more than click-bait. I’m a seer, and even I can’t see that far ahead.

 

[UConnCat]

The difference is Charles have played three years and Griffin experience is 0.

Same as Dangerfield v Owusu.

 

[LoTrader]

I dont have any concerns about who is the 5th starter for UConn. Makurat and Abebayo will be fine. They both can play. Yeah theyre werent ranked in the top 10 HS AA's but they have experience playing at a high level and who are the number 5 starters for other top teams who you think might be better then Makurat and Abebayo???? Who has better guards then UConn? I like UConn number 2 in the polls only because UConn lost so much from last season and in the eyes of so many I can see them picking Oregon number 1. If Westbrook plays UConn is over the top number 1 and UConn will only get better over the next couple of years.

I'm always a bit hesitant to offer up an "over enthusiastic" Oregon State view, but I don't see many guards/wings (as a group) that stack up against Oregon State's: Destiny Slocum, Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Aleah Goodman (Jasmine Simmons also, but unproven to the masses). OK, start firing bullets. Adding Westbrook to the UCONN guard rotation makes UCONN very, very good in the backcourt. That is how much I think of Westbrook. Westbrook will be the best player at UCONN when she is allowed to join the team.

 

[JonathanXIV]

I so wish they were playing each other this season. I'm still taking Maryland (of course without Westbrook. With Westbrook I want no part of UConn).

As always, be careful about what you wish for.

 

[Alydar]

Stanford has 9 McDonalds All Americans on the roster. Even UConn can't say that.

Nice but that isn't even in my top 10 of factors that make a team top 4. How many did they have last season?

 

[soxfan23]

I'm always a bit hesitant to offer up an "over enthusiastic" Oregon State view, but I don't see many guards/wings (as a group) that stack up against Oregon State's: Destiny Slocum, Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Aleah Goodman (Jasmine Simmons also, but unproven to the masses). OK, start firing bullets. Adding Westbrook to the UCONN guard rotation makes UCONN very, very good in the backcourt. That is how much I think of Westbrook. Westbrook will be the best player at UCONN when she is allowed to join the team.

Oregon St. is a great basketball team, they really are, but there are levels to this! And Oregon St, just ain't on UConn's level! There is a reason that one team has been to the Final 4 in 17 of the past 20 seasons(including 12 consecutive) and the other team has been to 1 in the entire history of the program!

 

[Jmsdawg]

I'm always a bit hesitant to offer up an "over enthusiastic" Oregon State view, but I don't see many guards/wings (as a group) that stack up against Oregon State's: Destiny Slocum, Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Aleah Goodman (Jasmine Simmons also, but unproven to the masses). OK, start firing bullets. Adding Westbrook to the UCONN guard rotation makes UCONN very, very good in the backcourt. That is how much I think of Westbrook. Westbrook will be the best player at UCONN when she is allowed to join the team.

IMO, Dangerfield is the best player on the UConn team. I actually believe she is the best guard in NCAA WBB!

 

[southofnorth]

I could understand Stanford and Maryland given what they have returning and coming in this season, but Texas A&M has Chennedy Carter and that’s about it. I don’t see them as even a Top 10 team unless their offense changes significantly from what it was last year.

 

[willtalk]

Oregon St. is a great basketball team, they really are, but there are levels to this! And Oregon St, just ain't on UConn's level! There is a reason that one team has been to the Final 4 in 17 of the past 20 seasons(including 12 consecutive) and the other team has been to 1 in the entire history of the program!

Your post might make more sense if you substituted the term "Program" for "Team". Teams change every year and I seriously think if a team made 17 appearances in 20 years the NCAA would do some serious investigation. Players have only four years of active eligibility.

Yes I know what you meant, but what does the past 20 year histories of the programs have to do with LoTaders perspective on the quality of Oregon St. guards?. Your post seems to imply that it does.

 

[PAC-12HoopFan]

Athlon Sports selected Crystal Dangerfield to its five-member All-American Second Team. Three PAC-12 guards were selected to Athlon's five-member All-American First Team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The difference is Charles have played three years and Griffin experience is 0.

Makurat has played in a pro league for 2 years.

 

[Alydar]

Athlon Sports selected Crystal Dangerfield to its five-member All-American Second Team. Three PAC-12 guards were selected to Athlon's five-member All-American First Team.

Let's revisit this in February. There seems to be lot of pressure on both the conference and some PAC12 players to live up to the high expectations placed on them. UConn knows all about that. Wait till one of them loses a game. Or when you only win by 8 to a "vastly inferior" opponent.

 

[JoePgh]

I don't have any serious questions on the 5th starter is. If Westbrook does not get the waiver, I feel pretty good Geno will figure it out. These are the potential players that can garner that 5th spot...Anna Makurat, Aubrey Griffin, Evelyn Adebayo and I would throw in Batouly Camara (if healthy)...not necessarily in that order.

I think, and have said before, that one of the players whom you've mentioned will be the fifth starter even if Westbrook IS eligible. The 5th starter needs to provide rebounding and paint presence much more than scoring. Evina will get plenty of minutes (probably as many as Crystal and Christyn) as the third guard.

 

[UConnCat]

Who is the Athlon “expert” making these picks?

 

[PAC-12HoopFan]

Who is the Athlon “expert” making these picks?

Doug Herakovich is the writer for this year's Athlon Sports "Women's Hoops" article that is subtitled "A Season of Change in Women's Basketball." His article starts: "For the first time in a long time, the power in the world of women's basketball has shifted to the West Coast. Oregon and Stanford are both serious title contenders in '19-'20, and PAC-12 Conference rivals Oregon State and UCLA also have outstanding teams."

Herakovich has this to write about #6 Connecticut: "It has been seven years since Connecticut had more than three losses, but this will be a rebuilding year in Storrs, as the Huskies lose two All-Americans to graduation. Of course, we are talking about UConn. The Huskies' roster is loaded with former prep All-Americans just waiting for their chance to shine. The leadership mantel will be passed to Crystal Dangerfield, a senior point guard who delivered 13.4 points and 5.9 assists per game last year. Coach Geno Auriemma will also get major contributions from sophomore guard Christyn Williams and junior forward Megan Walker."

 

[newfrontier]

I'm always a bit hesitant to offer up an "over enthusiastic" Oregon State view, but I don't see many guards/wings (as a group) that stack up against Oregon State's: Destiny Slocum, Mikayla Pivec, Kat Tudor, Aleah Goodman (Jasmine Simmons also, but unproven to the masses). OK, start firing bullets. Adding Westbrook to the UCONN guard rotation makes UCONN very, very good in the backcourt. That is how much I think of Westbrook. Westbrook will be the best player at UCONN when she is allowed to join the team.

Well, if WNBA mock drafts are any indication of how good a draft eligible guard is, two of Oregon State's guards (Slocum, Pivec) represent:
1. 2 of the 6 best guards in the country according to ESPNW
2. 2 of the 7 best guards in the country according to wnba.com
3. 2 of the 9 best guards in the country according to draftsite.com

thus providing some credence to LoTrader's view. No other team has more than 1 guard in any of the "top player" mock draft lists put forth by these websites.

 

[DallasBUFan]

Well, if WNBA mock drafts are any indication of how good a draft eligible guard is, two of Oregon State's guards (Slocum, Pivec) represent:
1. 2 of the 6 best guards in the country according to ESPNW
2. 2 of the 7 best guards in the country according to wnba.com
3. 2 of the 9 best guards in the country according to draftsite.com

thus providing some credence to LoTrader's view. No other team has more than 1 guard in any of the "top player" mock draft lists put forth by these websites.

And they are calling this a weak draft... and huge drop off after 1 and 2. But yes your point is made.

 

[Orangutan]

IMO, Dangerfield is the best player on the UConn team. I actually believe she is the best guard in NCAA WBB!

You realize Ionescu is still in college, right?

 

[Alydar]

Well, if WNBA mock drafts are any indication of how good a draft eligible guard is, two of Oregon State's guards (Slocum, Pivec) represent:
1. 2 of the 6 best guards in the country according to ESPNW
2. 2 of the 7 best guards in the country according to wnba.com
3. 2 of the 9 best guards in the country according to draftsite.com

thus providing some credence to LoTrader's view. No other team has more than 1 guard in any of the "top player" mock draft lists put forth by these websites.

1. 2 of the 6 best SENIOR guards in the country according to ESPNW
2. 2 of the 7 best SENIOR guards in the country according to wnba.com
3. 2 of the 9 best SENIOR guards in the country according to draftsite.com

There are lot of great guards in the lower classes. Still a great backcourt for OSU.

 

[newfrontier]

1. 2 of the 6 best SENIOR guards in the country according to ESPNW
2. 2 of the 7 best SENIOR guards in the country according to wnba.com
3. 2 of the 9 best SENIOR guards in the country according to draftsite.com

There are lot of great guards in the lower classes. Still a great backcourt for OSU.

I indicated in my opening statement i was referring to "draft eligible" guards only (who are mostly
seniors), but I could have re-stated this in my 1,2,3 list to be clearer. I realize too that it's possible a few very
good juniors who are age eligible were overlooked, although Sabally at Oregon is an academic junior and WAS included.

 

[Alydar]

I indicated in my opening statement i was referring to "draft eligible" guards only (who are mostly
seniors), but I could have re-stated this in my 1,2,3 list to be clearer. I realize too that it's possible a few very
good juniors who are age eligible were overlooked, although Sabally at Oregon is an academic junior and WAS included.

I read your opening statement. I read it to mean that OSU's 2 seniors were 2 of the best guards "in the country", period. Just as you wrote it. Maybe if you said "in their class"?
Being the 9th best guard in a class usually means that your WNBA career lasts one season, if that.

OSU has 2 great guards. Where do they fit on the national depth chart? High I'd say. Let's leave it there.

 

[newfrontier]

I read your opening statement. I read it to mean that OSU's 2 seniors were 2 of the best guards "in the country", period. Just as you wrote it. Maybe if you said "in their class"?
Being the 9th best guard in a class usually means that your WNBA career lasts one season, if that.

OSU has 2 great guards. Where do they fit on the national depth chart? High I'd say. Let's leave it there.

Yes, i can see that. I worded it poorly.