Mikayla Blakes is USBWA Freshman of the Year

[HuskyNan]

Playing for UConn can hurt you on the individual awards. Sarah didn't play complete games pretty much every night, at least in her minutes played. She didn't shoot 15-18 times a game and she plays with the most talented roster in the country. The winner played on a mediocre team that allowed her to shoot as much as needed and like many said really didn't result in big wins.

For those that don't think Sarah cares I would strongly disagree. I think you will see in her play on Monday that she has a statement to make and I for one am looking forward to it.

I gotta ask - do you ever look up any, you know, facts before you post this stuff? Vandy beat Tennessee twice as well as #19 Alabama, hardly the work of a mediocre team. And Blakes shot 548 shots, exactly as many as her teammate Khamil Pierre, and Pierre played fewer minutes.

Blakes is a terrific player and is certainly first team All Freshman Team, if there is such a thing, but @Vowelguy is correct, the big numbers are eye-catching and sadly maybe the key criterion

 

[Hist-teacher]

Sarah all the way. Much more rounded and versatile player. But we got next!

 

[reelfan]

Would NOT trade Sarah for anything !!!!

 

[choochoo]

Well Our girl is still playing and Vandy's girl is sitting at home watching her while sipping on a Dr. Pepper! Just saying.

 

[Centerstream]

Just another example of writers voting based on headlines (from a certain network???) and not based upon season long "playing" and game stats.
Maybe they should look at the player's season complete box score and not just one column. ufb.

I have to revise my post. Even though I believe that the network had multiple stories about Blakes after her scoring sprees, during the UConn tournament broadcasts, the announcers mentioned multiple times that Sarah was the "likely" national freshman of the year. I wonder if it will be mentioned tonight???? I sorta doubt it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Who needs to score 50 when you have Paige Buckets on your team?!

 

[Steelerone]

Unless I miss my guess no Uconn player has ever won the scoring title. Most of them had to be satisfied with National Championships. For one thing, Sarah is a freshman on a team with a couple of all-American shooters. For another, Geno has always preached having the player with the best shot doing the shooting, not the best gunner. Having watched Sarah in just about every game this year I am only left with one thought. There is not a team in any conference where she would not start. In fact, I could also include some WNBA teams.

 

[Dove]

Would NOT trade Sarah for anything !!!!

"Okay. Noting that reelfan will NOT trade Sarah Strong. This is good."

 

[Dogstar]

Well, one thing, they were in the same situation at the end of a game and Blakes succeeded where Sarah failed. Both were fouled shooting a three-point shot at the end of a game. Blakes hit all three of her shots, Sarah did not. That is what made the difference.

Huh?....ohhh I get it....sarcasm

 

[Dogstar]

Playing for UConn can hurt you on the individual awards. Sarah didn't play complete games pretty much every night, at least in her minutes played. She didn't shoot 15-18 times a game and she plays with the most talented roster in the country. The winner played on a mediocre team that allowed her to shoot as much as needed and like many said really didn't result in big wins.

For those that don't think Sarah cares I would strongly disagree. I think you will see in her play on Monday that she has a statement to make and I for one am looking forward to it.

Bingo!!!! Statement made and delivered

 

[BrianUC]

Quite obviously SS is the best freshman. I don't know much about the USBWA but this vote only makes me question the validity of all their awards.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Sarah is probably happy for her. Blakes carried the Vandy team to their first NCAA in years and she had no AA to lean on. I would rather have Sarah, but you cannot deny what Blakes did was phenomenal.

 

[Zarathustra]

I gotta ask - do you ever look up any, you know, facts before you post this stuff? Vandy beat Tennessee twice as well as #19 Alabama, hardly the work of a mediocre team. And Blakes shot 548 shots, exactly as many as her teammate Khamil Pierre, and Pierre played fewer minutes.

Blakes is a terrific player and is certainly first team All Freshman Team, if there is such a thing, but @Vowelguy is correct, the big numbers are eye-catching and sadly maybe the key criterion

View attachment 108278

I am in the group that believes that there will be a " split vote" on FPOY.
In the running for FPOY for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
FPOY award are the five players from each of the BIG conferences:
Big 10: Natalie Potts of Nebraska, SEC: Mikayla Blakes of Vandy,
ACC: Toby Fournier of Duke, Big East: Sarah Strong, and Big 12:
Delaney Gibb. My understanding is that a 10-member committee
of the WBCA must choose between these players who were selected by the
H.C. of their respective conferences. Thus, the list above. Since Mikayla
was the favorite of the "writers", I'm assuming that a committee of
a women's "Coaches" association will choose the best all-around player. IMHO:
It would not only be the "right" choice. It would be the " STRONG" choice!!!
Go UCONN>

 

[FormerCTrez]

Sarah is probably happy for her. Blakes carried the Vandy team to their first NCAA in years and she had no AA to lean on. I would rather have Sarah, but you cannot deny what Blakes did was phenomenal.

If I recall correctly, I believe Shea Ralph coached her Vanderbilt Team in the NCAA last year. They won the play-in game against Columbia, 72-68, and lost to Baylor in the first round, 63-80.

 

[Tufkas]

What good are gaudy numbers when they don’t translate to wins? Not arguing with you, vg, just pointing out a dumb obsession with equating “lots of points” with “great basketball “

Complex issue, not unlike the neverending debate around what exactly constitues the "MVP" (literal vs. figurative, team record vs. indivudal performance). "Freshman of the Year" is even more nebulous. What constitutes? Metrics / stats can be tweaked to support whatever interest. I.e. Make the conclusion, choose the stats to match.

Even as I probably grant the point, best, I reckon, to consider the source, and return focus to team goals.