don't forget Clark hasn't had a sprained ankle, wear her hair in a braid or have blonde hair, and she is an inch taller than Paige.
Geez, why do people always come up with "qualifiers"... Clark is having a great season, a season for the ages and is giving Paige real competition for Freshman of the year.
And why is Clark not on the list for NPOY?
Candidate CriteriaClark's team isn't ranked or nationally relevant, both of which are essential to be in POY talks. FOY she's more of a candidate for, but I don't see any voters picking her over Paige, especially with Paige's recent string of games and heroics vs. SC.
I mean hundreds if not thousands of players meet those requirements lol. Doesn't make them viable POY candidates.Candidate Criteria
- Candidates must be full-time students in an accredited NCAA college or university.
- Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and aspirations. All candidates must have a cumulative 2.00 grade point average since enrolling in their current university.
- Candidates must exhibit strength of character, both on and off the court.
- Candidates should be those who contribute to team effort.
- Candidates must excel in both offense and defense.
- Candidates should be considered on their performance over the course of the entire season (pre-conference, conference and tournament play).
Clark's team isn't ranked or nationally relevant, both of which are essential to be in POY talks. FOY she's more of a candidate for, but I don't see any voters picking her over Paige, especially with Paige's recent string of games and heroics vs. SC.
Yet that is the complete list of criteria for women's POY. I don't see "team isn't ranked or nationally relevant, both of which are essential to be in POY"I mean hundreds if not thousands of players meet those requirements lol. Doesn't make them viable POY candidates.
The first article is a month old and specifically about Caitlin Clark. This is before Paige played any decent teams yet.![]()
Women’s Basketball Is Awash With Standout Freshmen
Who's the best freshman in women's college basketball?fivethirtyeight.com
![]()
2021 Midseason Team for Naismith Women's Player of the Year announced
The Naismith Trophy narrowed the field of Women's Player of the Year candidates to 30. A winner will be announced April 3, 2021.www.ncaa.com
it’s actually a nicer cherry the more you analyze it! Most of those nine buckets were with UConn trailing when they really needed points - only the Tenn dagger up 2 and the SC dagger up 1 were with UConn ahead ... and those were big shots. ”Single digits last five minutes” could mean you hit a 3 up by eight with a minute to go where it isn’t that big a shot (or down eight in a futile comeback effort). Or you scored with 4 minutes left in a game you ended up winning by 15. All of Paige’s points were pressure points.This is cherry picking numbers, but it's a real nice cherry![]()
Yet that is the complete list of criteria for women's POY. I don't see "team isn't ranked or nationally relevant, both of which are essential to be in POY"
These are two very good players, neither need arbitrary and subjective qualifiers to make their cases for POY.
My Sister thanks you , my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, and most importantly Caitlin thanks you.All 38 Naismith POYs have had their ranked program in the top 10 during the season. Clark's team hasn't been ranked once in the top 25. So no, being ranked or nationally relevant isn't technically a prerequisite for NPOY, but if we take historical precedence into account, it 100% is a huge factor.
To be honest, Naz Hillmon is the clear front runner for Big 10 Player of the Year right now (they’ve only lost once and she scored 50 in that one). Iowa and Michigan have a head to head game coming up, so maybe that could change, but there’s a big gap in the standings. Being in seventh place in your league doesn’t give you a great chance unless there’s some huge anomaly.Yet that is the complete list of criteria for women's POY. I don't see "team isn't ranked or nationally relevant, both of which are essential to be in POY"
These are two very good players, neither need arbitrary and subjective qualifiers to make their cases for POY.
I am really a Paige fan but if I am to be honest and objective though she certainly deserves to be in the conversation my vote would be Naz Hillmon.To be honest, Naz Hillmon is the clear front runner for Big 10 Player of the Year right now (they’ve only lost once and she scored 50 in that one). Iowa and Michigan have a head to head game coming up, so maybe that could change, but there’s a big gap in the standings. Being in seventh place in your league doesn’t give you a great chance unless there’s some huge anomaly.
Evans, Hillmon and Bueckers are probably the top 3 for NPOY right now, but still time left for someone else to make a statement.
She certainly has a strong case - they’ve had a bit of a games reduction due to covid so she probably needs to finish strong (ie - keep up what she’s doing) and not have her team stumble a couple times. If Hillmon or Evans won, I wouldn’t raise a stink. Awards favor veterans, and they’ve both played well enough to earn it.I am really a Paige fan but if I am to be honest and objective though she certainly deserves to be in the conversation my vote would be Naz Hillmon.