Collier v Ionescu

[Shades]

Plum’s was more of a scoring record lifetime achievement award. Gustafson doesn’t have something like that going.

Being the scoring leader for two successive years would be quite the accomplishment to ignore.

 

[bballnut90]

Plum’s was more of a scoring record lifetime achievement award. Gustafson doesn’t have something like that going.

Plum averaged about 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on a steady top 10-15 team and shot around 50/40/90. Nothing about her POY award was lifetime achievement....she had a historic season and was the clear choice, although I thought Collier/KLS were good candidates that year too. Comparing Gustafson to Plum in the POY spectrum is inaccurate. Megan is having a great year but isn't a strong candidate with several other more deserving players ahead of her.

 

[hussybulldog]

If facing to pick POY or MVP of the tournament, Pheesa would pick the later without any hesitance.

 

[Grad1990]

The NPOY award has turned into a two-horse race between Pheesa & Sabrina. No disrespect to any other candidates but I think it's become clear. I wanted to do a little more digging and here's something interesting I found.

PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is the primary equation used to judge who the best player in the NBA is. 7 of the last 8 MVPs led the league in PER. Steph was the exception in 2014/15 when he finished 3rd in PER. He finished behind Anthony Davis & Russell Westbrook (their teams finished 8th & 9th in the Western Conference). I included this because I know we will get some Anigwe or Gustafson arguments but they aren't on true contenders.

I used this equation for those wondering how I got to these numbers. Cracking the Code: How to Calculate Hollinger's PER Without All the Mess

2018/2019 Season

1. Pheesa- 30.8 PER
2. Sabrina- 25.9 PER
3. Durr- 23.2 PER

Past Winners

• A'ja Wilson- 33.2 PER
• Plum- 32.1 PER (Collier had 35.6 PER that year)
• Stewie 2016- 36.8 PER (THIS IS CRAZY!)
• Stewie 2015- 30.4 PER

If you add Pts + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks - turnovers and divide by games or minutes played, Pheesa edges out Ionescu, but, Gustafson easily beats them both.

Gustafson is definitely in the mix.

 

[cohenzone]

Ionescu
Besides being even in scoring, she makes every other player better with her play making.

Collier makes everyone else’s assist total better

 

[Grad1990]

The NPOY award has turned into a two-horse race between Pheesa & Sabrina. No disrespect to any other candidates but I think it's become clear. I wanted to do a little more digging and here's something interesting I found.

PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is the primary equation used to judge who the best player in the NBA is. 7 of the last 8 MVPs led the league in PER. Steph was the exception in 2014/15 when he finished 3rd in PER. He finished behind Anthony Davis & Russell Westbrook (their teams finished 8th & 9th in the Western Conference). I included this because I know we will get some Anigwe or Gustafson arguments derstandbut they aren't on true contenders.

I used this equation for those wondering how I got to these numbers. Cracking the Code: How to Calculate Hollinger's PER Without All the Mess

2018/2019 Season

1. Pheesa- 30.8 PER
2. Sabrina- 25.9 PER
3. Durr- 23.2 PER

Past Winners

• A'ja Wilson- 33.2 PER
• Plum- 32.1 PER (Collier had 35.6 PER that year)
• Stewie 2016- 36.8 PER (THIS IS CRAZY!)
• Stewie 2015- 30.4 PER

I like your attempt at "PER", but like Hollinger's it seems flawed. It doesn't make sense to me that a steal or a block, or even an assist or rebound, is weighted lower than scoring a basket.

 

[Grad1990]

Ionescu
Besides being even in scoring, she makes every other player better with her play making.

Meh thinks a prescription for glasses might be in order.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Algorithms aside, I wouldn't trade Pheesa for Sabrina, or anyone else in the country.

 

[LoTrader]

I love Pheesa's game, she is awesome. But having watched Sabrina's performance in the last 2 games vs Stanford and Oregon State, I don't think I've seen a better guard in WCBB since Sue Bird. That should tell you where my vote goes.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Algorithms aside, I wouldn't trade Pheesa for Sabrina, or anyone else in the country.

No Oregon fan (or probably a fan of any other team in the Pac 12) would trade Ionescu for anybody else.

 

[donalddoowop]

I love Pheesa's game, she is awesome. But having watched Sabrina's performance in the last 2 games vs Stanford and Oregon State, I don't think I've seen a better guard in WCBB since Sue Bird. That should tell you where my vote goes.

Her stats would not be so impressive if she played in the AAC. Hahaaa.

 

[JonathanXIV]

I love Pheesa's game, she is awesome. But having watched Sabrina's performance in the last 2 games vs Stanford and Oregon State, I don't think I've seen a better guard in WCBB since Sue Bird. That should tell you where my vote goes.

Better than Diana?

 

[LoTrader]

Better than Diana?

Good question. Sabrina plays with a Diana attitude, and the amazing skill of Sue Bird. Sabrina is a generational player.

 

[Dokey]

Two great players with some different skills. POY is fun topic but so what? The only criteria should be who makes your team good enough to contend against the best.

 

[jonson]

Better than Diana?

Not better--or as good. But I think she's more like Diana than any player since.

 

[MD#12Fan]

When is the vote? Before or after the NCAA tournament.
In a year with some balance at the top, I think it depends how far the players’ teams get and also how well the players do in the big spots.
I like the progress UConn is making and I think Phees has had a lot to do with that. We’ve hit a wall the last 2 Final Fours. Oregon hasn’t taken the next step.
IMO a player of the year leads their teams in these situations.

 

[BigBird]

Megan Gustafson isn’t just good; she is UConn good. She checks every box Geno has espoused. Does anyone really believe that Megan in the post for the Huskies this season wouldn’t have made UConn a much better team?

 

[MD#12Fan]

Megan Gustafson isn’t just good; she is UConn good. She checks every box Geno has espoused. Does anyone really believe that Megan in the post for the Huskies this season wouldn’t have made UConn a much better team?

I don't understand. She plays for Iowa. What's UConn got to do with Gustafson?
There are a ton of players out there that could play for Geno.
Of course, if we had a top 10 player added to the roster, we would be better, especially a big.
Maybe we could play the game: does the player of the year make everyone else around them better? Comparisons there? Is Iowa still a pretty average team with a possible POY?
Measuring stick of all time- Larry Bird at Indiana State- he had Carl Nicks and a couple of intramural players with him and they went to the NCAA finals. Gustafson? Not so much.

 

[donalddoowop]

I don't think there is anything anyone can say that can diminish what Gustafson has done this season. She is a PLAYER.

 

[BigBird]

My point, in case it was missed, is that Megan was recognized as a top high school player in Wisconsin, but wasn’t one of those players with major media buzz and “five stars” within WCBB. There is, perhaps, a tendency for the BY to mutter “who?” when players like her emerge and develop. But some of the less-ballyhooed athletes really are good enough to potentially help UConn greatly, and my hope is that Geno and his staff can FIND and SIGN them. And while the Big 10 isn’t the strongest conference for WBB, it is definitely among the most physical. That the Huskies could use a little more muscle in the post should, by now, be fairly apparent.

 

[bennyskid]

Remember that Plum took UW to the Final Four her junior year, which was a YUGE surprise. That gave her tremendous momentum going into her senior year.

Similarly, before Ionescu, UO was a bottom-half-of-the-Pac team, and she led the Ducks to two Elite Eights and national relevance her first two years. Awards like this don't usually go to the objectively best player, they go to the player that has had the greatest impact, and Sabrina has taken an also-ran to national relevance. If UO makes the Final Four, SI will be POY, period.

 

[BigBird]

... Awards like this don't usually go to the objectively best player, they go to the player that has had the greatest impact, and Sabrina has taken an also-ran to national relevance. If UO makes the Final Four, SI will be POY, period.

It’s not a lock, but I’d bet you’re right. The only limiting factor, IMHO, is that playing more of her games in the PST zone and on a weak TV network, fewer people have actually seen her game.

 

[bbballfan23]

Megan Gustafson isn’t just good; she is UConn good. She checks every box Geno has espoused. Does anyone really believe that Megan in the post for the Huskies this season wouldn’t have made UConn a much better team?

Better team? Of course. Much better? Not sure about that.

She would clog up the lane & that would take away from Collier & add another non 3 point threat to the lineup. Not sure she would be able to keep up with how we want to run in transition. She can block some shots but I’ve seen a few of her games, defense isn’t her strong suit.

Depth & height would help but she wouldn’t guarantee us a championship by any means. I’d rather have 10-15 other players for our style of play.

 

[j66kicker]

Awards like this don't usually go to the objectively best player, they go to the player that has had the greatest impact, and Sabrina has taken an also-ran to national relevance. If UO makes the Final Four, SI will be POY, period.

I think Ionescu will get POY in any case, but it won’t be because she takes UO to the FF. That AA and POY stuff is all decided before the NCAA tournament.

 

[HuskyNan]

Remember that Plum took UW to the Final Four her junior year, which was a YUGE surprise. That gave her tremendous momentum going into her senior year.

Similarly, before Ionescu, UO was a bottom-half-of-the-Pac team, and she led the Ducks to two Elite Eights and national relevance her first two years. Awards like this don't usually go to the objectively best player, they go to the player that has had the greatest impact, and Sabrina has taken an also-ran to national relevance. If UO makes the Final Four, SI will be POY, period.

The voting is taken before the Final Four and is, in fact, announced at the Final Four before the games begin.