Napheesa Only Remaining UConn Husky For Wade Trophy

[YellwJcket999]

Using ranks instead of the actual stats isn't great for this, especially with the huge gap between 1 and 2 in points per game.

And, no, neither blocks nor steals are as important as scoring.

The POY award is for the best all around player in the game. Blocks and steals are just as important. Defense wins championships. Defensive stats also show how players affect the game.

I think that it is very short sighted to merely look at points as the end all metric.

With that said and I have repeatedly said- Plum will win both the Naismith and the Wade.

I don't think that Plum is the best all around player of D1 basketball. Plum is the best scorer.

 

[Wally East]

The POY award is for the best all around player in the game. Blocks and steals are just as important. Defense wins championships. Defensive stats also show how players affect the game.

I think that it is very short sighted to merely look at points as the end all metric.

Maybe but your methodology isn't very good. Totaling rankings, even if you think all five categories carry equal weight, isn't the way to go.

Apart from that, yes, defense is important, obviously. So, if you want to say that one steal = preventing two points, I'm okay-ish with that (although, that would assume that every offensive possession ends in a bucket, which obviously is not true). And if you want to say that a block equals preventing one point (given that (A) not all shots go in and (B) not all blocked shots are recovered by the blocker's team), okay. If you want to say that a rebound equals one point, I'd be fine with that, too.

And, then, if you want to say that assists are equal to two points, because, yeah, obviously then, I'm good with that, too.

So, ppg + rpg + 2*spg + bpg +2*apg. Fair?

Plum is a scorer. She's also a really good passer and an okay defender. Gabby is a better passer, rebounder, and defender. Better enough to make up for the ENORMOUS difference in scoring? No. By this formula (which, admittedly is far from perfect), if plum were scoring in the neighborhood of Katie Lou and Napheesa, then the answer would be, "Well, hmm. Maybe."

If Plum wasn't also a good passer and a decent enough defender, I'd be more willing to say there's an argument to be made that she's not POY. But, she's a good passer and a really great shooter. She's shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from three. She should be shooting and scoring MORE.

Bottom line: If you want to say that Plum isn't an all-around player because she can't defend, and thus she shouldn't be POY, well, okay, you can do that. But, in that respect, you're going to have accept that Gabby isn't an all-around player and shouldn't be POY because she's not a scorer.

Bottom line bottom line: Plum is POY. KLS, Gabby, and Napheesa will all earn All-American honors but they're still playing games. That's the more important thing in the end.

 

[UcMiami]

Problem is it is not a scientific process capable of being answered by analysis of data so the columns and tables are interesting stats but so limited. Shooting percentages are generally as important as points, number of foul shots (representing fouls on your opponents) assist/TO, and ultimately eye test.
Blocked shots are fun, but the rebound of a blocked shot is usually a 50/50 proposition vs. a steal which is 100% a change of possession so they are not equal. Shut down defense is not really definable as it often does not include either steals or blocks, nor is the opposite of lock down defense, being a swinging gate. Fouls committed can be a huge factor in games and in a players effectiveness. And of course team performance and being 'clutch' whatever that means to each person.

You can use the tables and numbers to justify any decision you end up making by making little adjustments or pointing out 'supporting cast':

On this board and on many lists Uconn has three players under consideration - having two teammates to distract defenses and cover for you when you play defense should make you a more effective and efficient player - Napheesa shoots an incredible percentage partly because Lou is at the three point line demanding attention and Gabby is making perfect passes to her, Lou is effective and efficient partly because Gabby and Napheesa are demanding defensive attention in the lane, and Gabby is effective and efficient because she has Lou at the three point line and Napheesa threatening on cuts and post-ups. Assists are a direct result of the quality of your teammates converting your passes - and Uconn leads the nation in FG percentage.

So ... interesting discussion, but ... pick your favorite and then arrange the data to fit your story!

 

[ricky]

It would not matter if she was the focus of other teams. They could not stop her. If any one player on the team is stopped, there are three to four other players who step up.

Don't be so sure. She may graduate in two years and go hardship. Yes, the rules are going to change. Don't you believe me?

Collier is built for the pro game. She doesn't have much more to prove. She can score from anywhere, rebound anything, block anyones shot, and hussle her butt off. She is much stronger than last year and can take hit. Just look at that build. Maybe the only thing left is to raise her assists but not so important since she does all of this other stuff. She may move on after next year.

 

[tbabe72]

Collier is built for the pro game. She doesn't have much more to prove. She can score from anywhere, rebound anything, block anyones shot, and hussle her butt off. She is much stronger than last year and can take hit. Just look at that build. Maybe the only thing left is to raise her assists but not so important since she does all of this other stuff. She may move on after next year.

I think Napheesa is happy where she is at Uconn and she will be here next year. No big bucks in WNBA. I feel Naphessa will stay and get her degree and play for Uconn all four years.

 

[donalddoowop]

I think Napheesa is happy where she is at Uconn and she will be here next year. No big bucks in WNBA. I feel Naphessa will stay and get her degree and play for Uconn all four years.

I was just messing with Gordy. Collier will stay all four years. The WNBA has rules against coming out early unless a player is in her fourth year in school.

 

[ricky]

I was just messing with Gordy. Collier will stay all four years. The WNBA has rules against coming out early unless a player is in her fourth year in school.

I tend to agree. I mainly refer to potential for which she could be the first pick in the WNBA If the rules were different. But depending on her life situation, for which I know nothing about, could she go oversees? This is just a question of overall world eligibility. I'm guessing there's no age limitation overseas.