Hays & Voepel pick their Player, Coach, and Freshmen of the year. Plus AA's.

[husky3blue]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...7661231/debating-best-players-coaches-2011-12

curious everyones take on their joint selection of Williams of Duke as NFOY. Interesting COY selections as well.

 

[DaddyChoc]

looks good to me

 

[triaddukefan]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...7661231/debating-best-players-coaches-2011-12

curious everyones take on their joint selection of Williams of Duke as NFOY. .

I agree with them.

 

[Icebear]

Don't think Williams surprises anyone but neither would the selection of KML as FOY. All the other choices are no surprises, too, with the possible exception of the girl from Green Bay. Picking the coaches away from the spotlight is a nice touch.

UConn now has the opportunity to win a NC without an AA on the team and that would be the biggest complement to these kids and their "One for All and All for One attitude."

 

[alexrgct]

I hope KML doesn't get it, and then I hope she takes it out on everyone's ass in the tourney.

 

[alexrgct]

Don't think Williams surprises anyone but neither would the selection of KML as FOY. All the other choices are no surprises, too, with the possible exception of the girl from Green Bay. Picking the coaches away from the spotlight is a nice touch.

UConn now has the opportunity to win a NC without an AA on the team and that would be the biggest complement to these kids and their "One for All and All for One attitude."

With this mediocre team Geno has, he should be COY for getting them to a #1 seed with smoke and mirrors. Obviously.

 

[Icebear]

With this mediocre team Geno has, he should be COY for getting them to a #1 seed with smoke and mirrors. Obviously.

Yeah, but he has so many of those. We already know he is consistently the best coach. This year would be special, however. I'd love to see a run like the UConn men's team had last year.

 

[Icebear]

Another potential COY candidate should have been Coquese Washington for the rebuilding job she has done at PSU. Given the empty cupboards when she came and the turmoil that existed she has done a remarkable job and will be on the watch list for places like ND when Muffet steps down. In fact, Tennessee could do a lot worse.

 

[Phil]

No offense to Tina, but picking her is like running an investment contest, and picking the entrant who happened to win the lottery.

 

[Icebear]

No offense to Tina, but picking her is like running an investment contest, and picking the entrant who happened to win the lottery.

In part Phil but she has built a solid team with those funds and it is more than just EDD at this point.

 

[doggydaddy]

I don't think either of them made a great case for Williams.

They point to their value to their teams. There is no doubt that Lewis was and is just as important to UConn's success as Williams is to Duke's success. Can anyone really differentiate between the two players values.

They also point to the minutes Williams played . Ok...she played 3 minutes a game more than Lewis. Really? That separates them?

They mention that Williams had to replace some big graduating losses for Duke. Excuse me, have you heard the name Maya Moore? I think that MIGHT be a little bigger player to replace. And with the courage to take her number.

They called Williams a game changer on defense. And she was. But Lewis was a game changer on offense. Another wash.

Of course, they list their relative stats. But funny thing is, if you want to quantify it, Lewis wins that battle.

Lewis vs Williams

MPG... 27.9 ....30.9
PPG.... 14.8 ....14.3
RPG ......5.2 ......8.3
APG ......1.8 ......1.5
SPG.......1.3...... 1.6
BPG......0.6.......3.8
A/TO.... 1.4...... 0.5
2pt %... 43.6 ...48.8
3pt %... 39.4...1 for 2
FT %.... 79.7... 59.3

The difference in the stats are minimal and each have their advantages due to the different skill set. You see a better player?

So, to me, it comes down to other things. And Lewis BE tourney MOP gives her the edge. Duke lost early in the ACC tourney with Williams scoring only 12 points with 7 rebounds, both below her season averages. She also fouled out. Her defense, like all season was terrific, with 7 blocks.

Bottom line, I think it's Lewis by a small margin.

 

[Phil]

Nice analysis. In some ways, it is unfair to base a season award on a single game, but when the seasons stats and contributions are close to a wash, it makes sense to emphasize the games that really matter.

With a chance to win a Conference Tournament, and possibly make a bid for a one seed, Duke flamed out in the quarters, losing to a team with a 5–11 conference record. If Williams has 30 points in a losing effort, you can't exactly fault her, but she scores and rebounds below her average and fouls out.

In contrast, KML steps up in the tournament, and helps UConn beat three ranked teams, one of whom is ranked above UConn, and a performance good enough to earn the conference MOP. That's not freshman MOP, that's conference MOP.

KML stepped up when it was crunch time, Williams may have tried, but didn't get it done.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

They called Williams a game changer on defense. And she was. But Lewis was a game changer on offense. Another wash.

Except Williams was a game-changer on offense as well as on defense.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think both writers did a good job and made good persuasive cases for their selections. Now I'll dig out my CD of Marty Robbins singing "El Paso" as I fantasize about shots Kaleena will knock down over the next three years.

 

[Kibitzer]

For the benefit of city-slickers who are unfamiliar with Marty Robbins's "El Paso," it's an all-time country favorite that tells the story of a cowboy who falls totally in love with a Mexican girl in Rose's Cantina, named...............[ta-da]

KALEENA!

 

[dtbtbtb]

It's nice to see that the 2 playes who came with a lot of hype as the best from high school actually play up to the huge expectations. While Williams is a great player and a future first team AA (probably as soon as next season) so is Kaleena who IMO will be 3 times AA! The difference is that Kallena is ours and as such she is without a doubt, the Freshmen of the year!

 

[Aluminny69]

For the benefit of city-slickers who are unfamiliar with Marty Robbins's "El Paso," it's an all-time country favorite that tells the story of a cowboy who falls totally in love with a Mexican girl in Rose's Cantina, named...............[ta-da]

KALEENA!

Sorry, but her name was Felina! And the poor cowboy dies in the end.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Doggydaddy, to add one counterpoint to your discussion of the wash (offense vs. defense), Williams is averaging 3.8 blocks per game (second nationally behind Griner), while her 109 swwats on the season is more than 200 different Division I teams. Given the two average close to the same points per game and considering how much they lead their respsective teams as far as offensive output, I do not think KML's offense vs. Williams' defense is a wash, which is why it appears to be tipped in Williams' favor with the analysts/pundits.

 

[doggydaddy]

Doggydaddy, to add one counterpoint to your discussion of the wash (offense vs. defense), Williams is averaging 3.8 blocks per game (second nationally behind Griner), while her 109 swwats on the season is more than 200 different Division I teams. Given the two average close to the same points per game and considering how much they lead their respsective teams as far as offensive output, I do not think KML's offense vs. Williams' defense is a wash, which is why it appears to be tipped in Williams' favor with the analysts/pundits.

Hi Cam!!

I posted the stats for both players and included the blocks. Williams is a terrific defensive player.

I will add one more counterpoint to your counterpoint. SOS. UConn has played a much tougher schedule. Duke is 27th in SOS and UConn is 3rd. HUGE difference in the competition and it should go into any analysis.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Hey Doggy. Good point about the schedule. That being said, I do not think Williams' dominance on the defensive end was matched by KML on the offensive end, even when you factor that into the equation. KML also had the luxury of playing with several other talented wing players, so what she was asked to primarily do (shoot threes, which were over 53 percent of her attempts) she could. Williams had to be the focal point of Duke's defense, plus be the first option on offense.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Mechelle's AA picks match mine from the fall. I like Graham's recognition of Wojta, but I haven't seen her play, so I don't know if I agree.

I might put Alyssa Thomas on the list over Skylar (or possibly Odyssey).

Re the FOY, I'd need to know Duke's SOS. I think that Williams dominated a softer league. I think Kaleena had the early lead, based partly on the Stanford game. Then, as KML slumped, Williams got her game in gear and passed Kaleena. Then Kaleena shone in the BET, as Duke took an historically early exit. Based on the post-season tourneys, Elizabeth's struggle against UConn, and the BE being toughter than the ACC, I give Kaleena a slight edge.

In terms of COY, Martin did not do nearly enough. I've watched 2 Delaware games and have not seen one set play or screen for Elena. EDD deserves COY more than her coach. The team's success is based on a superlative talent and upgraded role players who transferred in. Considering how rare it is to go undefeated, I'd give the award to Kim if Baylor wins their tourney. I'd also consider Tara and Muffett. Yes, their teams have talent, but they are among the 4 teams that are a cut (several, actually) above the others. With UConn having 4 losses, I don't give it to Geno. With 2 losses, maybe.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I hope KML doesn't get it, and then I hope she takes it out on everyone's ass in the tourney.

You know she will!

 

[doggydaddy]

Hey Doggy. Good point about the schedule. That being said, I do not think Williams' dominance on the defensive end was matched by KML on the offensive end, even when you factor that into the equation. KML also had the luxury of playing with several other talented wing players, so what she was asked to primarily do (shoot threes, which were over 53 percent of her attempts) she could. Williams had to be the focal point of Duke's defense, plus be the first option on offense.

Lewis lead the team in shot attempts, not just 3 point attempts. And when she was on the floor she was the 1st option on offense.

As the season went on, she added a post game and a mid range game to the shots she was taking. Along with the 3's.

All things considered, I would give Lewis the edge. But Williams is a fantastic player.

How about co-FOY?

 

[Kibitzer]

Sorry, but her name was Felina! And the poor cowboy dies in the end.

I won't argue about the fate of the cowboy, but as the original recording was mastered, re-mastered, and transposed from 78 to 4-track/8-track, to 33 LP, and then cassette en route to CD, darned if Rose's Cantina and Felina didn't magically morph into Gampel Arena and Kaleena!

And if you believe that, I'll tell you another. Meanwhile, let me blissfully hear Kaleena as the object of the cowboy's Boneyarder's love.

 

[doggydaddy]

Re the FOY, I'd need to know Duke's SOS. I think that Williams dominated a softer league.

Duke 27, UConn 3.