Can you tell which team is #1 and undefeated? | The Boneyard

Can you tell which team is #1 and undefeated?

HuskyNan

HuskyNan

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I’m just frustrated arguing with people on Twitter that their guy is “better” than Sarah or Azzi because they score a billion points a game. Yeah? Show me your win-loss record. Balanced, versatile teams are so much harder to beat.
 
Numbers don’t lie! I’m still trying to spell team with a “i”. I’m good with using it in WINNING ‘SHIPS!!

Where is the team that presses for a long duration of their games? They’re not in the top 5 in steals and turnover margin? 🤔 You don’t say.

Only Fairfield seems to be efficient taking over 30 three pointers per game. 39%. Whoa!
 
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HuskyNan said:
I’m just frustrated arguing with people on Twitter that their guy is “better” than Sarah or Azzi because they score a billion points a game. Yeah? Show me your win-loss record. Balanced, versatile teams are so much harder to beat.
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I don't think there are more than two UConn AA who averaged as much as 20 points a game in one season. If there are I don't know who they are.
 
HuskyNan said:
I’m just frustrated arguing with people on Twitter that their guy is “better” than Sarah or Azzi because they score a billion points a game. Yeah? Show me your win-loss record. Balanced, versatile teams are so much harder to beat.
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We have had some players very good at individual stats over the years but there was a time when I pull up the NCAA stats and be surprised to see so few UConn names at the top of the list, but then I'd switch over to the team stats and they we were again and again and again. Many of those players sitting at the top of the individual stat or on a team that was so so. Nothing against them, in many cases they were a very impressive player especially in a particular stat (Courtney Paris double doubles, for example) But you come to UConn to have a legitimate shot at playing for a national championship. If you want to be the nation's leader in some stat, there are several hundred other options.

In many cases it's difficult to move to the top of the list with one stat without taking away the chance of a teammate to do well in that stat. One counterexample is free-throw percentage as excelling in that doesn't take away from anyone else.
 
donalddoowop said:
I don't think there are more than two UConn AA who averaged as much as 20 points a game in one season. If there are I don't know who they are.
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HIGHEST SCORING AVERAGE
1. 22.8 Maya Moore (2010-11)
2. 22.6 Kerry Bascom (1988-89)
3. 21.9 Paige Bueckers (2023-24)
4. 20.9 Nykesha Sales (1997-98)
5. 20.8 Napheesa Collier (2018-19)
6. 20.5 Kerry Bascom (1989-90)
7. 20.4 Napheesa Collier (2016-17)
8. 20.2 Katie Lou Samuelson (2016-17)
9. 20.0 Kerry Bascom (1990-91); 20.0 Paige Bueckers (2020-21)
11. 19.9 Paige Bueckers (2024-25)
 
psconn said:
Most of UConn's starting unit is playing ¾ of a game. The per 40s might be more telling if anyone really cares about the individual stuff.
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Totally not my point
 
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I believe Geno in his wisdom does not believe in individual achievements as a rule. His whole philosophy is TEAM,TEAM,TEAM. His record as a coach is testament to his Philosophy. Some really good players score 40.....50.....60 points in a game and took 50% of the shots. That doesn't happen at Uconn. Uconn is the standard bearer of Women's basketball before all other teams. When Uconn visits the other schools home arenas their attendance always doubles because of who they are. Uconn is ALONE on the top of Women's Basketball in its win record vs it's loss record. There is no accolade to be put on Uconn that it doesn't deserve.. GO HUSKIES!!!!!!
 
HuskyNan said:
I’m just frustrated arguing with people on Twitter that their guy is “better” than Sarah or Azzi because they score a billion points a game. Yeah? Show me your win-loss record. Balanced, versatile teams are so much harder to beat.
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Also what about the scoring stats per minute played? Sarah and Azzi are on the bench most games in the 4th Q.
 
SVCBeercats said:
HIGHEST SCORING AVERAGE
1. 22.8 Maya Moore (2010-11)
2. 22.6 Kerry Bascom (1988-89)
3. 21.9 Paige Bueckers (2023-24)
4. 20.9 Nykesha Sales (1997-98)
5. 20.8 Napheesa Collier (2018-19)
6. 20.5 Kerry Bascom (1989-90)
7. 20.4 Napheesa Collier (2016-17)
8. 20.2 Katie Lou Samuelson (2016-17)
9. 20.0 Kerry Bascom (1990-91); 20.0 Paige Bueckers (2020-21)
11. 19.9 Paige Bueckers (2024-25)
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Thank you. I was way off.
 
Next 12 said:
I believe Geno in his wisdom does not believe in individual achievements as a rule. His whole philosophy is TEAM,TEAM,TEAM. His record as a coach is testament to his Philosophy. Some really good players score 40.....50.....60 points in a game and took 50% of the shots. That doesn't happen at Uconn. Uconn is the standard bearer of Women's basketball before all other teams. When Uconn visits the other schools home arenas their attendUis no accolade to be put on Uconn that it doesn't deserve.. GO HUSKIES!!!!!!
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Agree 100%. The UConn chant at the end of a team huddle recognizes the team-first standard: "1,2,3 - Together!"
 
WiseWillie said:
Also what about the scoring stats per minute played? Sarah and Azzi are on the bench most games in the 4th Q.
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Understand fully Nan's point she raises stressing team stats and W-L record by a balanced -versatile team as more significant than individual stats but comparison on a per 40 minutes basis as psconn pointed out still useful and potentially telling.
 
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SVCBeercats said:
HIGHEST SCORING AVERAGE
1. 22.8 Maya Moore (2010-11)
2. 22.6 Kerry Bascom (1988-89)
3. 21.9 Paige Bueckers (2023-24)
4. 20.9 Nykesha Sales (1997-98)
5. 20.8 Napheesa Collier (2018-19)
6. 20.5 Kerry Bascom (1989-90)
7. 20.4 Napheesa Collier (2016-17)
8. 20.2 Katie Lou Samuelson (2016-17)
9. 20.0 Kerry Bascom (1990-91); 20.0 Paige Bueckers (2020-21)
11. 19.9 Paige Bueckers (2024-25)
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And only one of those years garnered a championship.... And it's the lowest. The balanced scoring across a team is what puts teams in a position to win it all. IMO
 
HuskyNan said:
I’m just frustrated arguing with people on Twitter that their guy is “better” than Sarah or Azzi because they score a billion points a game. Yeah? Show me your win-loss record. Balanced, versatile teams are so much harder to beat.
Expand ...
The problem with stats is 3-fold.
  • Azzi and Sarah both play less MPG than any of the other top candidates for NPOY or AA
  • Azzi and Sarah both play on a team that is unselfish to a fault and are always seeking the best shot, not the best shot for their best player
  • Azzi and Sarah typically never take more than15 shots per game, often times closer to 10. Compare that to the volume shooters out there.
Just for comparison, Juju Watkins
  • Freshman - 27 PPG on 790 Field Goal Attempts (FGA) - 22.6 shots/game... 39.9 FG%
  • Sophomore (NPOY) - 24 PPG on 596 FGA - 18 shots/game... 42.6%
Sarah thru 19 games this season:
  • Freshman - 16 PPG on 409 FGA - 11.4 shots/game... 58.9%
  • Sophomore - 19.3 PPG on 248 FGA - 13 shots/game... 60.1%
If you extrapolate Sarah's numbers out for the rest of the season - say 36 total games she would end up with 470 shots - more than 125 less in total than Juju's NPOY year. And it's not just PPG. Steals, rebounds, blocks, deflections, assists, etc. She's literally head and shoulders above all other players in WCBB. If she were to be drafted after her sophomore year, she'd easily be #1.

Azzi thru 19 games this season and last 2 years - and keep in mind last season she was injured a bit and started 30 out of 32 total games but UConn played 39
  • 2024-25 - 13.8 PPG on 354 FGA - 11 shots/game 46.9%
  • 2025-26 - 17.1 PPG on 254 FGA - 13.4 shots/game 47.6%
For Azzi you really need to do the eye test. She CAN create her shot any time she wants. But more that - her defense is truly elite. Just ask any superstar she's guarded this season. She's totally deserving of AA awards, but I worry that her modest shooting will hurt that. Hopefully she has enough "momentum and hype" that she's able to overcome the fact that most voters don't watch all her games...
 
EricSD said:
Just for comparison, Juju Watkins
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Last season, Sarah Strong and Paige Bueckers were both significantly ahead of Juju Watkins in shooting percentages as well as in all advanced composite stats, such as PER, Box Plus/Minus, Win Shares, Offensive Rating, and Defensive Rating. See HERE. Yet, the Juju hype and her simple PPG trumped all for every NPOY award except Wade.
 
EricSD said:
The problem with stats is 3-fold.
  • Azzi and Sarah both play less MPG than any of the other top candidates for NPOY or AA
  • Azzi and Sarah both play on a team that is unselfish to a fault and are always seeking the best shot, not the best shot for their best player
  • Azzi and Sarah typically never take more than15 shots per game, often times closer to 10. Compare that to the volume shooters out there.
All true. If you add a 4th bullet: "LSU plays patsies" you would have a more complete set of truths.
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HuskyNan said:
Totally not my point
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Totally don't care. Did you need me to praise or parrot your point? This is just my thought on the individual stats you posted. I'd be curious to see per 40 stats, that's all. Geez.
 
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Here is an observation that no one has made: If you look at all the team statistics that are reproduced above, just one of them ("Field Goal Percentage") correlates almost exactly with the consensus Top 5 teams in most rankings. All of the other team measures include some top teams and some lesser-known teams playing questionable schedules.

There has to be some logical explanation for this. Is this statistic a proxy for offensive efficiency, and is offensive efficiency a dominant dimension of all or most excellent teams?

In my opinion, this is a fascinating correlation.
 
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