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Message: [QUOTE="The deacon, post: 4442204, member: 11559"] If 'coach' Paige and Geno are doing their jobs right, the NPOY 'race, as you called it, will be the last thing Azzi should hear about it before today's game. Geno wants Azzi to shoot more, which is understandable, but as has been mentioned elsewhere, Azzi still is not at the level that she can get a shot any time she has the ball, which is a level both Paige and Caitlin have come close to... More important, the NPOY 'race' is Aliyah Boston's to lose, and she won't score anywhere near the points that either Caitlin or Azzi will score. They're three very different players. Comparing what Azzi and Caitlin do today on the court is a moot point. Azzi will do what she needs to do to help the Huskies win, which is what they'll do. Caitlin, the superior playmaker, passer and rebounder to Azzi, will do what she can do help keep the Hawkeyes in the game, futile though that'll likely be. Azzi might or might not outscore Caitlin today. If she does, a large part of that will be that she'll be playing against a much weaker defense. This is not a knock on Azzi, rather praise. She's a wonderful team player and the thought of outscoring Caitlin should not enter her mind. Similarly Caitlin, also a wonderful team player (in spite of her naysayers on the BY), will do what she can while getting defended by Aubrey, Nika and the rest of the Huskies. You might remember that Caitlin was the MVP of the 2020 US U-19 team that also featured Azzi, Diamond Johnson, Paopao, Betts, Citron, et al. She did so by leading the team in assists because she had lots of players to pass to... not so today. I'm just looking forward to watching the Huskies do their thing, and also enjoying watching Caitlin 'spitting into the wind,' in a manner of speaking, against perhaps the best defensive players in the nation. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach