Jefferson Wins 2015 Nancy Lieberman Award

[Zorro]

You could do worse.

Yeah. You could quote JS. Seriously, MoJet makes plays I have never seen another point guard make. Or anyone else, for that matter. I am delighted for her. The award was richly deserved.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Moriah you are the best!!!! One more game to go Mighty Mite.... keep eating your spinach!!!

 

[winlots]

VERY well deserved. Although I'm not big on basketball "positions," if you look solely at what "Point Guard" seems to mean to most fans, then it would not be too difficult to make a case for Jefferson being UCONN's best all time at that position. Certainly she can do things with none of the others could do. (I do realize that the reverse statement could perhaps be made as well.)

 

[OneTrickPony]

Moriah is becoming a transcendent player...Geno gets them to believe in themselves, and then all the talent and preparation just pours out..

 

[01Neaggrad02]

No one better... Way to go MoJeff!

 

[Huskies Rule]

I never thought I would ever be able to say something like this, but Moriah Jefferson has every bit the unconquerable heart and fighting spirit of Diana Taurasi. That young lady's play is utterly joyful to behold. Thank you for sharing your beautiful game with all of us.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Since the awards inaugural year in 2000, UCONN has won 7 times!

2000-Sue Bird
2001-Sue Bird
2002-Sue Bird
2003-Diana Taurasi
2004-Diana Taurasi
2009-Renee Montgomery
2015-Moriah Jefferson


Some nice company there Moriah!!! Keep up the good work and bring home #10......

 

[TimeWillTell]

Congratulations Mo!!!

Well deserved recognition for all your unrelenting hard work and dedication!

Cap it off with a victory tonjght!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/040615aae.html

I am thrilled beyond words! There isn't a more deserving kid than Moriah for what she's done since she's been on campus. Early in her freshman year, I thought her rating as the number 2 recruit in the country and the highest point guard rating ever for Hoopgurlz was totally wrong and what did they see to give her that rating. Then I saw her evolve in the latter part of her freshman season and particularly in the post season become so good and particularly on the defensive side, that I was amazed it was the same player. She had turned that corner and harnessed her great speed and became this wonderful talent. Her sophomore year she continued to grow, particularly on the offensive side and obviously this year we've seen even more from her. Even as of last year, there was no one that I would have ever, ever considered swapping her for. Her leadership evolved as well and she's right up there with Sue Bird as my favorite UConn point guard ever. Love this kid!!!!!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

I'm sitting in my free 2-bedroom suite on the Gulf in Clearwater Beach, and this news makes me happier than my amazing lodging!

Moriah drew gasps from the crowd repeatedly last night. She is the most exciting player in the nation--and one of the very best. She'll own the finals.

Congrats, Moriah!! Thanks for leaving Texas and coming to Storrs. We love you!

So right about our luck in getting her out of Texas. They say they grow them BIG in Texas but they also grow them small AND AWESOME! Fantastic news and well deserved!

 

[terif831]

So thrilled for Moriah! She sure deserves it!

Thanks for all you do, Moriah! The Leader of the Pack!!!

 

[jcoton56]

Awesome news and well deserved! Head and shoulders above your peers. There used to be a guy in the NBA with you initials, he was pretty good too! MJ!

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah. You could quote JS. Seriously, MoJet makes plays I have never seen another point guard make. Or anyone else, for that matter. I am delighted for her. The award was richly deserved.

She is a unique combination of skill, savvy and relentlessness. Just a great player, there was really no other choice for this award.

 

[Shenandoah]

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to UConn Women's Basketball, Mo! Congratulations, and a well deserved honor. Now go out and have the game of a lifetime tonight!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Kind of feared that MoJeff would be short-changed because if you looked blindly at that main stat often connected with PGs (assists per game), you might have given your vote to any three of the other four finalists. But clearly the voters saw her play, considered the overall body of stats, knew what she meant to the top team in the country, and knew that her 43rd ranked apg was at least partly due to less minutes on a loaded team. Review of candidates per stat tests for qualification as the Lieberman winner:

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina - Sure she won her coach's award, but Mitchell should simply not have been a finalist, as she is really more a shooting guard who can handle the ball some. Technically a hybrid guard, she led the finalists in points at 14.4 ppg but did not rank among the top 300 players in the country in assists, and her assists\turnover ratio at 1.2 isn't anywhere near the level of the other four players who are PGs. Her reputation as one of the top 5 players in the country is the only reason she was a final 5 finalist for the Lieberman. She did lead the G-c-ocks in assists, but only by 1.

Niya Johnson, Baylor - Her nation-leading apg of 8.9 and 2nd best A\TO of 4.13 obviously made her a top candidate if you rate a PG on just those two main categories, but there are other supplementary stats that were far inferior to the other candidates and that took the luster away from Johnson. She shot only 41.7%, more than 7 points below the next worst rate among the finalists, took no 3-pt shots, and had by far the lowest ppg average. A true PG, but the overall package wasn't as sterling as others, and teams know they didn't have to extend pressure on her on the perimeter.

Samantha Logic, Iowa - She had a great senior year with the 3rd most assists per game nationally at 8.1, had the second best ppg among the 5 candidates, and a pretty good steals rate. She did not shoot as well as Allen or Jefferson even at a fine 48.4%, and the 3pt shooting was at an ehh 32.6%, FT% a surprisingly bad 69.4%, and her A\TO was only fourth best at 2.11 among the finalists, which is good but not elite this year.

Lindsey Allen, Notre Dame - May have been Jefferson's toughest competition based on the UConn - ND prominence. She ranked 30th overall in apg at 5.2, but other than that her stats were all at least a little below Jefferson's except at the line, where she shot 0.7% better. She had a great 53.3% shooting touch, was at 39.2% from the arc, scored 10.5 ppg, a good 2.18 A\TO that was far below Jefferson's, and had the least steals among the candidates.

Moriah Jefferson - Quite simply had the best stats when you get by the 43rd ranking in apg at 4.3. She had the 5th best A\TO nationally at 3.15, the most steals among the finalists at 2.5 spg, in the middle at 12.3 ppg, by far the best shooting at 59.6% overall and 50.4% for 3s, and was a spiffy 84.3% for FTs.
Baby, you're the best.

 

[UcMiami]

Dobbs - thanks for posting the stats. It is interesting to think about 'what makes a great PG' because it really isn't all about stats. The most importsnt part of the stat comparison may well be efficiency - you want lots of assists, but A/TO is probably more important for a PG; you want scoring, but efficient scoring and +/- 12 points is probably about right. And most important of all is the efficiency of your team because while the PG may not be assisting on everything or scoring a lot, they have to be managing an offense that is working efficiently. Add in defensive organization and pressure.
There is a reason why Geno says to his point guards 'Everything that goes wrong on the floor is your fault.'

 

[AboutWeston]

Congrats to Moriah!

 

[NewCorn]

Kind of feared that MoJeff would be short-changed because if you looked blindly at that main stat often connected with PGs (assists per game), you might have given your vote to any three of the other four finalists. But clearly the voters saw her play, considered the overall body of stats, knew what she meant to the top team in the country, and knew that her 43rd ranked apg was at least partly due to less minutes on a loaded team. Review of candidates per stat tests for qualification as the Lieberman winner:

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina - Sure she won her coach's award, but Mitchell should simply not have been a finalist, as she is really more a shooting guard who can handle the ball some. Technically a hybrid guard, she led the finalists in points at 14.4 ppg but did not rank among the top 300 players in the country in assists, and her assists\turnover ratio at 1.2 isn't anywhere near the level of the other four players who are PGs. Her reputation as one of the top 5 players in the country is the only reason she was a final 5 finalist for the Lieberman. She did lead the G-c-ocks in assists, but only by 1.

Niya Johnson, Baylor - Her nation-leading apg of 8.9 and 2nd best A\TO of 4.13 obviously made her a top candidate if you rate a PG on just those two main categories, but there are other supplementary stats that were far inferior to the other candidates and that took the luster away from Johnson. She shot only 41.7%, more than 7 points below the next worst rate among the finalists, took no 3-pt shots, and had by far the lowest ppg average. A true PG, but the overall package wasn't as sterling as others, and teams know they didn't have to extend pressure on her on the perimeter.

Samantha Logic, Iowa - She had a great senior year with the 3rd most assists per game nationally at 8.1, had the second best ppg among the 5 candidates, and a pretty good steals rate. She did not shoot as well as Allen or Jefferson even at a fine 48.4%, and the 3pt shooting was at an ehh 32.6%, FT% a surprisingly bad 69.4%, and her A\TO was only fourth best at 2.11 among the finalists, which is good but not elite this year.

Lindsey Allen, Notre Dame - May have been Jefferson's toughest competition based on the UConn - ND prominence. She ranked 30th overall in apg at 5.2, but other than that her stats were all at least a little below Jefferson's except at the line, where she shot 0.7% better. She had a great 53.3% shooting touch, was at 39.2% from the arc, scored 10.5 ppg, a good 2.18 A\TO that was far below Jefferson's, and had the least steals among the candidates.

Moriah Jefferson - Quite simply had the best stats when you get by the 43rd ranking in apg at 4.3. She had the 5th best A\TO nationally at 3.15, the most steals among the finalists at 2.5 spg, in the middle at 12.3 ppg, by far the best shooting at 59.6% overall and 50.4% for 3s, and was a spiffy 84.3% for FTs.
Baby, you're the best.

And the best part is we get to keep Moriah "The Wind" Jefferson for another year. You go MoJo.

 

[JavaMan]

Just wonderful!

 

[Buzzyboy]

Kind of feared that MoJeff would be short-changed because if you looked blindly at that main stat often connected with PGs (assists per game), you might have given your vote to any three of the other four finalists. But clearly the voters saw her play, considered the overall body of stats, knew what she meant to the top team in the country, and knew that her 43rd ranked apg was at least partly due to less minutes on a loaded team. Review of candidates per stat tests for qualification as the Lieberman winner:

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina - Sure she won her coach's award, but Mitchell should simply not have been a finalist, as she is really more a shooting guard who can handle the ball some. Technically a hybrid guard, she led the finalists in points at 14.4 ppg but did not rank among the top 300 players in the country in assists, and her assists\turnover ratio at 1.2 isn't anywhere near the level of the other four players who are PGs. Her reputation as one of the top 5 players in the country is the only reason she was a final 5 finalist for the Lieberman. She did lead the G-c-ocks in assists, but only by 1.

Niya Johnson, Baylor - Her nation-leading apg of 8.9 and 2nd best A\TO of 4.13 obviously made her a top candidate if you rate a PG on just those two main categories, but there are other supplementary stats that were far inferior to the other candidates and that took the luster away from Johnson. She shot only 41.7%, more than 7 points below the next worst rate among the finalists, took no 3-pt shots, and had by far the lowest ppg average. A true PG, but the overall package wasn't as sterling as others, and teams know they didn't have to extend pressure on her on the perimeter.

Samantha Logic, Iowa - She had a great senior year with the 3rd most assists per game nationally at 8.1, had the second best ppg among the 5 candidates, and a pretty good steals rate. She did not shoot as well as Allen or Jefferson even at a fine 48.4%, and the 3pt shooting was at an ehh 32.6%, FT% a surprisingly bad 69.4%, and her A\TO was only fourth best at 2.11 among the finalists, which is good but not elite this year.

Lindsey Allen, Notre Dame - May have been Jefferson's toughest competition based on the UConn - ND prominence. She ranked 30th overall in apg at 5.2, but other than that her stats were all at least a little below Jefferson's except at the line, where she shot 0.7% better. She had a great 53.3% shooting touch, was at 39.2% from the arc, scored 10.5 ppg, a good 2.18 A\TO that was far below Jefferson's, and had the least steals among the candidates.

Moriah Jefferson - Quite simply had the best stats when you get by the 43rd ranking in apg at 4.3. She had the 5th best A\TO nationally at 3.15, the most steals among the finalists at 2.5 spg, in the middle at 12.3 ppg, by far the best shooting at 59.6% overall and 50.4% for 3s, and was a spiffy 84.3% for FTs.
Baby, you're the best.

You know that her abilities as a defensive player are through the roof and it's probably pretty hard to find how

Kind of feared that MoJeff would be short-changed because if you looked blindly at that main stat often connected with PGs (assists per game), you might have given your vote to any three of the other four finalists. But clearly the voters saw her play, considered the overall body of stats, knew what she meant to the top team in the country, and knew that her 43rd ranked apg was at least partly due to less minutes on a loaded team. Review of candidates per stat tests for qualification as the Lieberman winner:

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina - Sure she won her coach's award, but Mitchell should simply not have been a finalist, as she is really more a shooting guard who can handle the ball some. Technically a hybrid guard, she led the finalists in points at 14.4 ppg but did not rank among the top 300 players in the country in assists, and her assists\turnover ratio at 1.2 isn't anywhere near the level of the other four players who are PGs. Her reputation as one of the top 5 players in the country is the only reason she was a final 5 finalist for the Lieberman. She did lead the G-c-ocks in assists, but only by 1.

Niya Johnson, Baylor - Her nation-leading apg of 8.9 and 2nd best A\TO of 4.13 obviously made her a top candidate if you rate a PG on just those two main categories, but there are other supplementary stats that were far inferior to the other candidates and that took the luster away from Johnson. She shot only 41.7%, more than 7 points below the next worst rate among the finalists, took no 3-pt shots, and had by far the lowest ppg average. A true PG, but the overall package wasn't as sterling as others, and teams know they didn't have to extend pressure on her on the perimeter.

Samantha Logic, Iowa - She had a great senior year with the 3rd most assists per game nationally at 8.1, had the second best ppg among the 5 candidates, and a pretty good steals rate. She did not shoot as well as Allen or Jefferson even at a fine 48.4%, and the 3pt shooting was at an ehh 32.6%, FT% a surprisingly bad 69.4%, and her A\TO was only fourth best at 2.11 among the finalists, which is good but not elite this year.

Lindsey Allen, Notre Dame - May have been Jefferson's toughest competition based on the UConn - ND prominence. She ranked 30th overall in apg at 5.2, but other than that her stats were all at least a little below Jefferson's except at the line, where she shot 0.7% better. She had a great 53.3% shooting touch, was at 39.2% from the arc, scored 10.5 ppg, a good 2.18 A\TO that was far below Jefferson's, and had the least steals among the candidates.

Moriah Jefferson - Quite simply had the best stats when you get by the 43rd ranking in apg at 4.3. She had the 5th best A\TO nationally at 3.15, the most steals among the finalists at 2.5 spg, in the middle at 12.3 ppg, by far the best shooting at 59.6% overall and 50.4% for 3s, and was a spiffy 84.3% for FTs.
Baby, you're the best.

The stat that wasn't mentioned was regarding defense. I know that steals plays into defense a bit but it isn't a true measure on how impressive and how important Moriah is on the other side of court. She was such a monster on the defensive side with her quickness and her skills really neutralizing whomever had the sad fortune to have Moriah defending her.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Think she showed everyone why she deserves it!