ESPN Names Their All Americans

[HuskyFan1125]

I think that list looks right.

Personally, I wouldnt change it.

Nice to see Jordan Hooper. She is really good stretch 4 player.

IF, i had to chose a Lady Vol it would be Izzy Harrison. She is tough and lately a guaranteed double double.

 

[bballnut90]

I'd choose Liston over Schimmel

Wow...forgot about Liston. She definitely deserves to be on this list over Schimmel. I'd still put Mitchell on there but have Liston on there over someone else. I know this opinion will not be popular, but I believe she deserves it over Hooper or Dolson.

 

[bballnut90]

It is a good list and as others have noted, Shonni is perhaps the weakest selection except in profile where she does excel, and in team leadership. Looking at this you realize how hard it is to identify a 5 player AA 1st team and even harder to select a second team as there are a lot of very deserving players in the 11 to 15 spots on anyones list and an argument could be made for any one of them over another.
I do think Jefferson is very deserving of consideration, but suspect 2 sophomores are probably as far as any 10 player selection will tolerate.

Tough to identify a a 5 player AA 1st team? It's a no brainer. Sims/Ogwumike/Stewart are all locks, Thomas should be a lock and the last spot will go to McBride. The only mixup I could see happening is Loyd jumping McBride for 1st team and McBride on 2nd.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'd take Simmons over Schimmel.

Not close, but expected. Believe UConn played Louisville in the final last year, not Tenn, if you catch my drift.

 

[UConnCat]

Wow...forgot about Liston. She definitely deserves to be on this list over Schimmel. I'd still put Mitchell on there but have Liston on there over someone else. I know this opinion will not be popular, but I believe she deserves it over Hooper or Dolson.

Liston over Dolson? What? Make that case.

 

[Bestiarius]

Simmons and Harrison all SEC.

43 names on their All SEC list, an average of 3 per team. They like to give out awards.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree with the first team, though I thought Bria's play the past 2 months was as good as anyones and might get her on the first team. I certainly agree with Bria, Stef, and Jewell on the second team. I'm not sure about the other 2 slots.

Sims--Senior
Thomas--Senior
Ogwumike--Senior
McBride--Senior
Stewart--Sophomore. YIKES!

 

[PacoSwede]

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/slideshow/10602308/1/everybody-all-americans
Three UConn players and two ND players.


This team will probably closely resemble the one named by the WBCA.

That's the best photo they could find for McBride? She oughta sue. Thomas also has a beef.

At least our heroes look good.

 

[stwainfan]

43 names on their All SEC list, an average of 3 per team. They like to give out awards.

MVP of SECT was Harrison. She was impressive.

 

[bballnut90]

Liston over Dolson? What? Make that case.

17.3 points per game, 5.2 rebounds from the guard spot, 52% FG, 48% 3pt, 85% free throws. She's been the nation's best shooter. Considering how much adversity Duke has faced, it is pretty remarkable how efficient she has been all season. She has put up some big numbers in big games (23 vs. Notre Dame, 17 against UNC in the ACC Tournament, 28 @ Kentucky,

Dolson averaged 12.4 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a couple of blocks per game. Efficient scorer from the floor (56% FG, and she shoots with range) but she hasn't had to shoulder as big a load as Liston. Very steady all season, but no huge games this year and she hasn't been relied upon as a go to scorer for UCONN like Liston has for Duke. I think she is a better player and is the strongest center in the nation, but based on performances this season I'd give the edge to Liston who has been Duke's go to player all season.

 

[bballnut90]

MVP of SECT was Harrison. She was impressive.

If anyone from Tennessee would be in consideration, it should hands down be Harrison. At this point I'd label her as a 3rd Team All-American (Top 15 player.) She has been stellar this year. I really thought that Russell/Graves would displace Harrison but Isabelle has been a work horse on the glass and shown a strong post game. 14 points, 9 rebounds and 58.5% FG for the #3 or #4 team in the country. With Simmons gone next year I'd look for Harrison/Graves to get more looks next year and Tennessee to be post oriented.

 

[doggydaddy]

17.3 points per game, 5.2 rebounds from the guard spot, 52% FG, 48% 3pt, 85% free throws. She's been the nation's best shooter. Considering how much adversity Duke has faced, it is pretty remarkable how efficient she has been all season. She has put up some big numbers in big games (23 vs. Notre Dame, 17 against UNC in the ACC Tournament, 28 @ Kentucky,

Dolson averaged 12.4 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a couple of blocks per game. Efficient scorer from the floor (56% FG, and she shoots with range) but she hasn't had to shoulder as big a load as Liston. Very steady all season, but no huge games this year and she hasn't been relied upon as a go to scorer for UCONN like Liston has for Duke. I think she is a better player and is the strongest center in the nation, but based on performances this season I'd give the edge to Liston who has been Duke's go to player all season.

Yeah, that triple double 24/14/11 against Oregon was a mediocre game, huh. 25/12 against UCF. There were others.

Dolson had 113 assists from the center position while Liston had only 53 from the guard position with 75 TO's.

Averaging almost a double double is very impressive.

Dolson is the right call here.

 

[triaddukefan]

If anyone from Tennessee would be in consideration, it should hands down be Harrison. At this point I'd label her as a 3rd Team All-American (Top 15 player.) She has been stellar this year. I really thought that Russell/Graves would displace Harrison but Isabelle has been a work horse on the glass and shown a strong post game. 14 points, 9 rebounds and 58.5% FG for the #3 or #4 team in the country. With Simmons gone next year I'd look for Harrison/Graves to get more looks next year and Tennessee to be post oriented.

Ha ha..... what is it with the Vols (and their fans) with the hands down ?

 

[UConnCat]

17.3 points per game, 5.2 rebounds from the guard spot, 52% FG, 48% 3pt, 85% free throws. She's been the nation's best shooter. Considering how much adversity Duke has faced, it is pretty remarkable how efficient she has been all season. She has put up some big numbers in big games (23 vs. Notre Dame, 17 against UNC in the ACC Tournament, 28 @ Kentucky,

Dolson averaged 12.4 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a couple of blocks per game. Efficient scorer from the floor (56% FG, and she shoots with range) but she hasn't had to shoulder as big a load as Liston. Very steady all season, but no huge games this year and she hasn't been relied upon as a go to scorer for UCONN like Liston has for Duke. I think she is a better player and is the strongest center in the nation, but based on performances this season I'd give the edge to Liston who has been Duke's go to player all season.

I think your approach punishes Dolson because she happens to play with 3 other current or former All-Americans, including the best player in the game. Having said that, I don't agree with you that Liston has shouldered a bigger load than Dolson. When you consider every aspect of the game (scoring, rebounding, defending, assisting teammates) Dolson actually does more for her team.

Dolson is one of the most versatile players in the country. UConn runs its offense through her and she plays a huge role in the success of her teammates. There is no college player who reverses the ball better than Dolson, nor is there a better screener in the women's game. From the center position Dolson has 113 assists, more than double that of Liston (53), a guard. Defensively, Dolson directs UConn's defense and is the team's best rebounder (9.2/gm) and a very respectable shot-blocker (76 for the season). She has become a very good defender, having proven her mettle against Ogwumike and Williams.

I like Tricia Liston a lot and admire what she's done this year. She entered college as a great shooter and has become a better all-around player and scorer. She is just not the complete basketball player that Dolson is.

 

[easttexastrash]

Liston over Dolson? What? Make that case.

You can't. Dobson is a great scorer, rebounder, blocker and passer. Liston is good but she is no Dolson.

 

[blackbird]

OK, so granted, I'm a homer, but look at these stats (adjusted to per 40 minutes of play):

Player A: 21.9 Points, 39% FG, 37% 3PT, 80% FT, 5.58 Rebounds, 4.71 Assists, 3.26 TO, 1.44 A/TO, 1.40 SPG
Player B: 13.7 Points, 58% FG, 40% 3PT, 76% FT, 4.41 Rebounds, 6.88 Assists, 2.39 TO, 3.07 A/TO, 3.56 SPG

Does 8 points and 1 rebound per forty minutes really make up for a 20 point field goal percentage difference, 2 extra assists, 1 fewer turnovers, twice as good an A/TO, and two extra steals per game? I'm really not a fan of the efficiency stat, but above, Moriah averages an efficiency per 40 of 21.62, which is more than 30% more than Schimmel's 16.56.

I'd give it to Moriah over Schimmel in a heartbeat.

Yes.

I love Moriah..and I'd certainly take her on this team over Schimmel because of what she brings. But one of the two is the fifth option, and the other is the first option. They play with completely different set of teammates, so Moriah's efficiency should be significantly higher (as should her assists.).

 

[ctfjr]

Simmons and Harrison all SEC.

That says it all Stwainfan. An impartial, knowledgeable group didn't pick a single SEC tournament champion player. Lmao

 

[connboy77]

I'd choose Liston over Schimmel

I would too!

 

[ndmb]

Yes.

I love Moriah..and I'd certainly take her on this team over Schimmel because of what she brings. But one of the two is the fifth option, and the other is the first option. They play with completely different set of teammates, so Moriah's efficiency should be significantly higher (as should her assists.).

A couple of things.

First, you could flip your entire statement around and it would still be true:

"I love Shoni. But one of two is the first option, and the other is the fifth. They play with a completely different set of teammates, so Shoni's scoring should be higher (as should her rebounds)."

But that statement would still be missing something critical, which is that your post exclusively looks at the offensive side of the ball, which is only half the equation. Moriah is one of the premier defensive guards in the country and Shoni is not. And while Moriah's been guarding her, Schimmel performed poorly on offense.

On the offensive end, there is a trade-off between shooting percentage and overall output. If Moriah traded places with Schimmel, and was expected to be the leading scoring option, would her percentage drop a lot? Of course. Would it go down to 37%? Probably not. What I can say is that Moriah would have a lot more to offer offensively than simply scoring, given that she is a more willing distributor, quicker, a better ball handler, a better passer, less turnover prone, and makes better decisions with the ball. Statistically, it's also relevant that (as far as I can recall), Jefferson has a better shooting percentage and better A/TO than any guard in UConn history, and it's not close.

Schimmel is not an example of a player who simply must chuck up shots because her team needs her to (as the case could be made for Sugar Rodgers or Angel McCoughtry when they were in college). Bria Smith, Sarah Hammond, Antonita Slaughter, Jude Schimmel, and Asia Taylor aren't exactly chopped liver. Instead, Schimmel finds herself a volume shooter because her shooting is the only thing which sets her apart from her teammates.

I think that most voters and fan tend to get too caught up in looking at Schimmel's 17 PPG and Moriah's 10 PPG. I also think that, when you look at it holistically, Jefferson is the much better player with the more impressive performance to prove it.

 

[bbsamjj]

Jefferson will get a chance to show how great she is next year, but the fact of the matter is, teams plan their defenses around stopping Schimmel. Jefferson is probably the last player on UConn defenses think about guarding (when KML is in the lineup). And even UConn fans in this post said UConn runs their offense through Dolson. Schimmel also has experience winning games for her team. The Louisville game in the tourney last year comes to mind first, but she scored the go ahead bucket against USF in the AAC tourney as well.

Jefferson will get plenty of awards next year, but I think ESPN made the right call here.

 

[ndmb]

Jefferson will get a chance to show how great she is next year, but the fact of the matter is, teams plan their defenses around stopping Schimmel. Jefferson is probably the last player on UConn defenses think about guarding (when KML is in the lineup). And even UConn fans in this post said UConn runs their offense through Dolson. Schimmel also has experience winning games for her team. The Louisville game in the tourney last year comes to mind first, but she scored the go ahead bucket against USF in the AAC tourney as well.

Jefferson will get plenty of awards next year, but I think ESPN made the right call here.

Putting aside for a second that your post also completely ignores the defensive end of the floor, Jefferson has a better shooting percentage (by a lot) and a better A/TO (by a lot) than any guard that we've had at UConn. What exactly are you waiting for her to show you next year to prove that she's great? By the way, she's shooting 65% from 2, which is better than Tina Charles did in her senior year. Better than Ogwumike now.

Do you disagree that Jefferson is the better defender, more willing distributor, quicker, better ball handler, better finisher around the rim (see 65% shooting from 2), better passer, less turnover prone, and makes better decisions with the ball, or do you think that shooting ability is more important than all of the above? And if you're basing your decision on shooting ability and PPG alone, is 39% shooting (on a team that has some offensive talent outside of Schimmel) really enough to be an All American?

 

[DaddyChoc]

according to the survey on that page Tenn has the best chance to win the Championship... besides UConn or Notre Dame

 

[VolFan]

If anyone from Tennessee would be in consideration, it should hands down be Harrison. At this point I'd label her as a 3rd Team All-American (Top 15 player.) She has been stellar this year. I really thought that Russell/Graves would displace Harrison but Isabelle has been a work horse on the glass and shown a strong post game. 14 points, 9 rebounds and 58.5% FG for the #3 or #4 team in the country. With Simmons gone next year I'd look for Harrison/Graves to get more looks next year and Tennessee to be post oriented.

I actually think our posts will probably get about the same amount of looks next year, except Graves will capitalize more hopefully, and Mercedes may get some extra looks as she becomes more physical and get more clean seals down low. I look for us to do a lot of drive and kick and inside-out play next year with the additions of Tucker, Middleton, Nared and Dunbar and the return of Massengale. Add in Carter's excellent 3 pt shooting as well as the capability of Reynolds, Burdick, and Jones (though all need much better percentages) and we should be an excellent three point shooting team. Next year will be the most balanced Tennessee team, maybe in history.

 

[bballnut90]

I actually think our posts will probably get about the same amount of looks next year, except Graves will capitalize more hopefully, and Mercedes may get some extra looks as she becomes more physical and get more clean seals down low. I look for us to do a lot of drive and kick and inside-out play next year with the additions of Tucker, Middleton, Nared and Dunbar and the return of Massengale. Add in Carter's excellent 3 pt shooting as well as the capability of Reynolds, Burdick, and Jones (though all need much better percentages) and we should be an excellent three point shooting team. Next year will be the most balanced Tennessee team, maybe in history.

Tennessee will definitely have more threats. I just hope Holly makes a point to pound the ball into the post more regularly. With pass oriented guards in Massengale/Carter, I'd look for Tennessee's posts to get more looks than with Simmons in the backcourt.

 

[bbsamjj]

Putting aside for a second that your post also completely ignores the defensive end of the floor, Jefferson has a better shooting percentage (by a lot) and a better A/TO (by a lot) than any guard that we've had at UConn. What exactly are you waiting for her to show you next year to prove that she's great? By the way, she's shooting 65% from 2, which is better than Tina Charles did in her senior year. Better than Ogwumike now.

Do you disagree that Jefferson is the better defender, more willing distributor, quicker, better ball handler, better finisher around the rim (see 65% shooting from 2), better passer, less turnover prone, and makes better decisions with the ball, or do you think that shooting ability is more important than all of the above? And if you're basing your decision on shooting ability and PPG alone, is 39% shooting (on a team that has some offensive talent outside of Schimmel) really enough to be an All American?

Are you saying that Jefferson is a better guard than Bird, Taurasi, Montgomery? Hartley? All of those guards has been asked to do more for UConn than Jefferson has been asked to do this year. All of those guards were go to players for UConn at one point or another. Jefferson isn't even the go-to guard on her own team.


Better defender? Yes
More willing distributor? Um, She is the 5th best option on her team to score. She better be. Schimmel is her team's #1 option.
Quicker? Yes, but a lot people are quicker than Schimmel (or Taurasi for that matter)
Better ball handler? Not sure
Better finisher around the rim? How many of her shots are lay-ups? How many of them are actually contested? It's great that she shoots better than Oguwimke now from 2. Oguwimke has three players around her at all times.
Better passer? I would be a great passer too if my targets were the NPOY, a former #1 HS player, the best center in college, and a 2nd team AA guard
Less TO prone? Probably, but once again, see her targets, and see what she is asked to do on offense versus Schimmel.

I don't think Jefferson is untalented. In fact, I don't necessarily think in the long run that she may be a better player than Schimmel. She is great at what she does--QB a set of the best individual offensive players in the game. But if UConn finds itself in a tight game, I bet you Geno sets up a play for at least 3 different players before he goes to Jefferson.