CSM Preseason All American Teams - Well looky here

[Bajan Best]

Madness Women's Basketball Preseason All-American Teams

No love for Kia, Azurá on the third team and Gabbyriffic on the second team, while out for the season Brianna Turner sits smiling on the first team... I know preseason means absolutely nothing, but seriously?

They also awarded Megan Walker, Freshman of the year.. One of the problems of having a team this deep at Storrs, I very much doubt Megan will be able to put up the numbers this year to garner that award..

 

[bags27]

Great call on the difficulty of Megan becoming freshman of the year and the wrong-headedness about Z being "only" 3rd team. I don't dispute Gabby at 2nd team: the same richness of talent that will limit Megan's minutes may well limit Gabby's opportunities to dominate. Kia should surprise, depending on what position she's at: point or 2 guard. Her jumper really improved by the middle of last year, and if she can continue that, and can begin completing more of those power drives (she seems to think that just getting to the basket is the point: gotta finish with finesse, Kia!), then she will be awesome.

But in any case, it's clear that no team can put on the court anything remotely like the talent that UConn has.

 

[Kaizen]

Wow ...
1st team: Katie Lou, Napheesa
2nd team: Gabby
3rd team: Z
Freshman of the year: Megan

 

[BostonCanuck]

Like you, bags, my prediction is that Kia is going to surprise a lot of people in her senior year. She'll likely over-perform her way into a second or even first team spot, after admittedly having somewhat under-performed in her last two campaigns.

Pheesa's a lock for first team, but I could see Gabby and Lou maybe switching spots, as it's going to be damned difficult to keep The Gabulous One off first team in her senior year.

Difficult to predict the year that Z will have, but if I had to I'd pick now, I'd say she makes second team (again, possibly at the expense of Lou making first).

 

[TitleTown]

Like you, bags, my prediction is that Kia is going to surprise a lot of people in her senior year. She'll likely over-perform her way into a second or even first team spot, after admittedly having somewhat under-performed in her last two campaigns.

Pheesa's a lock for first team, but I could see Gabby and Lou maybe switching spots, as it's going to be damned difficult to keep The Gabulous One off first team in her senior year.

Difficult to predict the year that Z will have, but if I had to I'd pick now, I'd say she makes second team (again, possibly at the expense of Lou making first).

I realize that every one of the starters has the ability to be an All American but there is ZERO chance that UConn will have 5 All Americans this year.

 

[BostonCanuck]

I realize that every one of the starters has the ability to be an All American but there is ZERO chance that UConn will have 5 All Americans this year.

I agree, they won't all make it onto the first and second teams. These are my best predictions for the each player independently, not for the starters as a whole. Being the boundless optimist about the Huskies that I am, doubtless I'll be wrong about one or two of them (even if some are left off only to make room for players from other teams).

 

[Kaizen]

My list:
1st team: Katie Lou, Napheesa, Gabby
2nd team: Z, Kia
3rd team: Crystal
4th team: Megan

 

[CocoHusky]

I realize that every one of the starters has the ability to be an All American but there is ZERO chance that UConn will have 5 All Americans this year.

If you are going to pick 3 AA teams of 5 players each, I don't see why not. That would be saying UCONN has 5 of the top 15 players in the country=hardly a stretch IMO.

 

[Orangutan]

This site is self-evidently worthless.

Two of the more humorous things:

"G/F Brianna Turner" - Not only is she injured, she's a center

"G/F Jordin Canada" - She's a 5'6 point guard!

 

[Charliebball]

apparently who ever wrote this never consulted with Kenny Kallina!!!

 

[oldude]

I will say what I have been predicting ever since she lit it up from the arc during the Big Dance, Kia will lead the nation in 3-pt shooting.

That might not earn her a spot on any AA teams, then again it just might.

 

[Bliss]

Second team, huh? South Carolina's Wilson is probably already apprehensive about meeting Sophie again on Jan. 7th.

 

[CocoHusky]

I st Team
G: Kelsey Mitchell
G: Katie Lou Samuelson
SF: Napheesa Collier
PF: A’ja Wilson
C: Kalani Brown

2nd Team
G: Lexie Brown
G: Asia Durr
SF: Gabby Williams
PF: Azura Stevens
C: Kristine Anigwe

3rd Team:
G: Jordin Canada
G: Kia Nurse
SF: Shakayla Thomas
PF: Megan Gustafson
C: Mercedes Russell

4th Team
G: Sabrina Ionescu
G: Brooke McCarty
SF: Jamie Nared
PF: Michelle Nwokedi
C: Kaylee Jensen

 

[Bliss]

I st Team
G Kelsey Mitchell
G Katie Lou Samuelson
SF Napheesa Collier
PF A’ja Wilson
C: Kalani Brown

2nd Team
G: Lexie Brown
G: Asia Durr
SF: Gabby Williams
PF: Azura Stevens
C: Kristine Anigwe

3rd Team:
G: Jordin Canada
G: Kia Nurse
SF: Shakayla Thomas
PF: Megan Gustafson
C: Mercedes Russell

4th Team
G: Sabrina Ionescu
G: Brooke McCarty
SF: Jamie Nared
PF: Michelle Nwokedi
C: Kaylee Jensen

Whose picks are these?

 

[CocoHusky]

Whose picks are these?

Mine. My invoice is in the mail, and no I don't think Sophie should be on any of the teams-Tough call but no.

 

[stwainfan]

apparently who ever wrote this never consulted with Kenny Kallina!!!

These are better picks than his.

 

[Bliss]

Mine. My invoice is in the mail, and no I don't think Sophie should be on any of the teams-Tough call but no.

You may want to rethink this by the end of the season.

 

[TitleTown]

If you are going to pick 3 AA teams of 5 players each, I don't see why not. That would be saying UCONN has 5 of the top 15 players in the country=hardly a stretch IMO.

The problem you run into is that there is only one basketball to go around.

 

[Golden Husky]

Great call on the difficulty of Megan becoming freshman of the year and the wrong-headedness about Z being "only" 3rd team. I don't dispute Gabby at 2nd team: the same richness of talent that will limit Megan's minutes may well limit Gabby's opportunities to dominate. Kia should surprise, depending on what position she's at: point or 2 guard. Her jumper really improved by the middle of last year, and if she can continue that, and can begin completing more of those power drives (she seems to think that just getting to the basket is the point: gotta finish with finesse, Kia!), then she will be awesome.

But in any case, it's clear that no team can put on the court anything remotely like the talent that UConn has.

I agree with you, Bags, especially that Kia's outside shooting will be an important factor for success...for Lou. With Saniya gone, Kia will have to be a legitimate 3-point option to keep defenses honest and provide room for Lou, arguably the best pure shooter in the women's game. I haven't seen Z play--and perhaps she can offer help in that area as well--but as Geno has said regarding Kia, "She's always open."

 

[CocoHusky]

The problem you run into is that there is only one basketball to go around.

You do realize that the AA team doesn't actually play a game right? All 5 of those UCONN players will have no problem sharing the ball. I understand your point being that they can't all put up sufficient numbers on the same team. What I do is project then on another team, Kia Nurse could do for Oregon what Sabrina Ionescu did for example.

 

[CocoHusky]

You may want to rethink this by the end of the season.

I definitely will, the title of this thread says preseason though.

 

[huskeynut]

When you list Turner as G/F and who is out for the season, you have no credibility.

I can see Gabby being 1st team AA again this year along with Pheesa and Lou. Z is a legit contender but she hasn't played in a year.

I agree with others who thing our Megan may not get enough minutes to be FOY.

 

[mdakota]

I realize that every one of the starters has the ability to be an All American but there is ZERO chance that UConn will have 5 All Americans this year.

Bite your tongue... It can happen

 

[Charliebball]

Mine. My invoice is in the mail, and no I don't think Sophie should be on any of the teams-Tough call but no.

I tend to agree...........other then wearing short shorts I haven't seen SC do enough on a regular basis to make that list...............

 

[DefenseBB]

I will say what I have been predicting ever since she lit it up from the arc during the Big Dance, Kia will lead the nation in 3-pt shooting.

That might not earn her a spot on any AA teams, then again it just might.

Oldude is correct on this and I also concur Kia WILL NOT BE an All-American.

The reasoning is due to exactly who she is -a selfless player who does all the little things to win (and the reason we hold her in high esteem). So no, she will not surprise us, she will absolutely have big games, she will be a defensive stalwart and will be a great vocal leader. Her stats and her understated manner will lead her to being overlooked by the pundits due to the sheer talent the rest of the team possesses.

As noted elsewhere, she should be 1st team All-Canadian if not the Canadian player of the year (regardless of what Jordan Canada does).