KK or Ashlynn for BE FOY?

[oldude]

So KK was doing one of the player pressers yesterday when she was asked an interesting question, “Do you and Ashlynn have a friendly wager as to who’s going to be Big East Rookie of the week?” Wiser than her years, KK just laughed and said, “We just play hard and congratulate each other.”

 

[meyers7]

Co-FOY

That's a possibility.

 

[meyers7]

Oh, we all have an answer to that, we just don't say it.

 

[DefenseBB]

A few things have surprised me on this thread:
1. This is a "fun thread inquiry" with no wrong answer as it is simply an opinion on January 9 (the day it was posted) yet many of the BYers are acting all defensive and taking the fun out of it (per usual).
2. The huge disparity in votes between Ash and KK has me very confused as KK has won the BE FOW award 4 times to Ash's 3. I would have thought the vote would have been closer.
3. Everyone gets so serious on these threads instead of enjoying the journey. Thank you for the thread @oldude much appreciated!

 

[meyers7]

A few things have surprised me on this thread:
1. This is a "fun thread inquiry" with no wrong answer as it is simply an opinion on January 9 (the day it was posted) yet many of the BYers are acting all defensive and taking the fun out of it (per usual).
2. The huge disparity in votes between Ash and KK has me very confused as KK has won the BE FOW award 4 times to Ash's 3. I would have thought the vote would have been closer.
3. Everyone gets so serious on these threads instead of enjoying the journey. Thank you for the thread @oldude much appreciated!

Only #2 surprised me a bit. But then I thought about it, and yea, shouldn't have been surprised.

 

[darkstar1]

Color me shocked as well. KK leads in just about every statistical category, so I'm interested to see why Ashlynn is getting almost everyone’s vote.

They are both deserving for sure, but stats are deceptive, especially when viewed cumulatively. I based my choice on what I am seeing now.

 

[#12in21]

How about KK gets BE DPOY and Shade gets BE FOY. That sounds about right to me!

 

[Zarathustra]

View attachment 94898

This race might not be "the tortoise vs the hare" (Aesop), but we know who is the "hare", as in " very speedy ".
As the fable tells us we can't predict a winner from the start of a race........ The other Head Coaches vote
for this award. Maybe some vote by statistics.... others vote, perhaps, on who caused them the most Headache!
Bring on the aspirin!

 

[Zarathustra]

They are both deserving for sure, but stats are deceptive, especially when viewed cumulatively. I based my choice on what I am seeing now.

Some Head Coaches look beyond the stat line... this award will be a fair combination of stat and intangibles ( whatever that
means to you!) I was interested to read the comments in the thread about the history of "co-freshman of the year
awards" in the past. I guess we don't have to pick which "child" (with all due respect to these young women) is our "favorite child" for FPOY!! I change my vote to " Co-Player "!!

 

[Zarathustra]

I concede the point on the steals and the importance that they represent. Yes KK is a gnat when she is after the ball while being the quickest player on team UCONN. My point on Ash, she is very often defending players in the front court, players often much bigger and taller than her. Wining many more matchups than not. I guess it comes down to what impresses you most, both are tenacious and unafraid both outplaying most of their matchups. It comes down to what impresses you most.
I take your numbers at face value, and they are impressive. I am more of a gut feeling type of analyzing fan. I love watching both our jaguar KK and our Humvee Ash. Both are Huskies, include Q and it shows just how amazing our freshman class is. Take your pick on which is better. I respect your pick on this post and your incredible BB IQ. It's fun for me to debate these questions with you and other BY legends. Hat's off.

I think opposing Big East H. C.s are " gut feeling types ". Which freshman Husky put their "GUTS" into KNOTS!

 

[MooseJaw]

I think opposing Big East H. C.s are " gut feeling types ". Which freshman Husky put their "GUTS" into KNOTS!

I think in the last game against the Friars, that the gut-wrenching player was KK, with Ash close behind. I see or feel that to this point that KK is meeting expectations while Ash is exceeding expectations. Opposing coaches, choose your poison. In different games one or the other will knot your guts, yep either or both. I enjoy watching Ash just slightly more.

 

[AgStatesman]

Clearly they should both win. There is precedent in the Big East for Co-players of the year on the men's side. Also 92-93 co rookies on the women's side. It's a no brainer.

P.S. Down one or two with 20 seconds to play. Im okay with KK driving for the game tying or winning score but equally okay with Ashlynn spotting up on the wing for KK to kick out to her for the win.

 

[Bald Husky]

If we can be injury free for the rest of the year, we will have a good shot for the FF. With 2 freshmen in the starting lineup opposing coaches would ordinarily put their best defenders on Liya and Paige. Lucky for us, and maybe God is just throwing us a bone, but right now Ash and KK are scoring as well as the vets, so now the other team will have to guard them as tough as they do PB and AE. Not to mention the new Nika shooting more and making more. She still is playing great defense, and she is still finding assists. Against the Friars she had 13, while getting a few steals and scoring 10 points, all in the first half. But getting them in the first, it put the Friars on notice that she has to be guarded. So, the new Nika, the great play of the freshmen, all this gives Paige room to move around and hunt her shot. As I said, if we stay healthy for the rest of the reason our team will be one to watch vying for their 23 FF.

 

[augustaTC]

So KK was doing one of the player pressers yesterday when she was asked an interesting question, “Do you and Ashlynn have a friendly wager as to who’s going to be Big East Rookie of the week?” Wiser than her years, KK just laughed and said, “We just play hard and congratulate each other.”

Exactly,,,I'm sure each wouldn't mind winning, but really games come first and whatever happens with awards is a distant second,

 

[DefenseBB]

Perceptions are hugely divergent. As @MooseJaw just stated where they feel KK is "meeting expectations" which I assume is based on her high recruiting Rank of #6 (Hoopgurlz AND Prospect Nation) whereas Ash was "exceeding expectations". Again, MooseJaw would have to further qualify how they defined "expectations" for Ash, but my assumption is also using rating which in Hoopgurlz was #15 but in Prospect Nation was #8. HG does use a number rating as well where KK was "97" and Ash was "96".

So yeah, to me the perception may be Ash is exceeding her expectations by many but looking at the rankings is it really THAT surprising that the #15/#8 recruit is performing as well as the #6/#6 recruit? That seems to me to be picking "the fly dung out of the pepper" meaning we are looking to separate something not that separable.

@Zarathustra made an interesting point as well about how each player played against a particular team. In the 5 Big East games, Ashlynn has earned higher Efficiency scores (Butler-15; Creighton-18; PC-22) whereas KK earned 2 (Georgetown-19; Marquette-9).

For the 5 Big East games Ash has a higher score of 15.6 to KK's 14.4, whereas on the season, KK has 14.1 to Ash's 10.9. The disparity comes from KK's much larger assists (49-21) and steal totals (44-10). But as noted, Ash has picked up the pace in the Big East games.

My thinking is Ash might not look like the typical baller but ranked #15/#8 is proof to anyone who watched her, saw a highly skilled player worthy of McDonald's AA accolades and Team USA invites. Both are doing exactly what we need and more will be expected if we want to get back to the Final Four.

 

[cohenzone]

It's like asking to pick whose your favorite child.

Also depends on the day.

 

[Skeets]

Not so fast oldude, I have to take the other side in reference to defense. While KK sticks her hands towards the ball more trying for steals, and getting some, Ash is a much better switcher on players and man's up better IMO. When taken to the hoop by taller players both suffer slightly. For what it's worth there really isn't a winner or loser on defense both are proving better than expected. I posted over a year ago that I thought that Ash could very well become the future face of the Huskies. I was taken to task by a number here on the BY, who thought that KK was so much better. What a problem for us and Geno to have. We have both, and no one else does. We are blessed to be able to debate about them.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Expectations were higher for KK. That makes Shades performance look more impressive. In reality they are both playing lights out. It's a pick'em situation. I did pick Shade.

 

[Skeets]

I concede the point on the steals and the importance that they represent. Yes KK is a gnat when she is after the ball while being the quickest player on team UCONN. My point on Ash, she is very often defending players in the front court, players often much bigger and taller than her. Wining many more matchups than not. I guess it comes down to what impresses you most, both are tenacious and unafraid both outplaying most of their matchups. It comes down to what impresses you most.
I take your numbers at face value, and they are impressive. I am more of a gut feeling type of analyzing fan. I love watching both our jaguar KK and our Humvee Ash. Both are Huskies, include Q and it shows just how amazing our freshman class is. Take your pick on which is better. I respect your pick on this post and your incredible BB IQ. It's fun for me to debate these questions with you and other BY legends. Hat's off.

Wow! "Our jaguar KK and our Humvee Ash." Sorta like UConn's own version of "Fire and Ice". you are nailing it in this thread.

 

[browns]

Shade slightly over KK

 

[Happydad745]

FOY award for Big East, but USC has a player who will probably be FOY for the NCAA.

 

[Centerstream]

FOY award for Big East, but USC has a player who will probably be FOY for the NCAA.

Which "USC"?
I am not trying to be argumentative, just wondering which school you are referring to. Both USCs have a pretty good freshman, don't they?

 

[Zarathustra]

Shade slightly over KK

So, do you mean that "ASH" is a " SHADE " better?? ..... My excuse is that I just could not help myself!!

 

[Happydad745]

Which "USC"?
I am not trying to be argumentative, just wondering which school you are referring to. Both USCs have a pretty good freshman, don't they?

USC-Univ. of Southern California SC-South Carolina

 

[Rowdy831]

Getting to the rim is a skill too.

Absolutely! My comment was more about the shooting %, not the skill of either player. They both have been very impressive but it shouldn't be a surprise since both of them were top recruits last year.

 

[MSGRET]

The poll had the correct outcome, Ash got her 4th FoW, tying her Freshman partner KK for the lead.