NCAA D1 Player of the Year Poll

[DeeHusky]

I'm not a frequent poster here, more of viewer actually, but some of the posters here are totally biased. I've been a UConn fan since DT was a sophomore and I was 9 years old at the time. I would still choose Plum over Samuelson because she has been the better player this year; this is not about seniority. It's simply about who was better, you have to look at things like rebounds she's averaging 5.3, at 5,8 and Samuelson only gets 3.9 at 6'3. Those things matter. IMHO Gabby Williams deserves the award more than any other candidate because she's done everything, but she's being overlooked because she didn't score as much as the others. In the biggest games this year, you could "eye test" that she was doing everything possible and should be NPOY.

 

[1-of-the-6]

I don't know how "non-interest" gets into this, but, in any case, I think Wally East, NWhoopfan, Orangutan, and the other Plum defenders deserve better than this. I don't post a lot here (obviously) but read daily and have been a UCONN fan since the beginning of the Geno era (I grew up in Wethersfield) and an Oregon fan (where I live now) for almost as long as that. With Washington being Oregon's "Notre Dame" I certainly do not think of myself as a "homer" as far as the school to the north is concerned.

But what too many people in this thread have said about Plum is imo completely wrong and can only (I hope) be based on not having watched many of Washington's games this year. The Plum of her first years in the Pac12 may indeed have been akin to Ohio's Kelsey Mitchell. This year, however, she has been extraordinarily efficient and done everything possible to carry a team in which she only gets consistent help from one other player. There was a moment toward the end of the tournament game with Oregon in which she slid 10 ft across the floor to get to a loose ball which she then batted to a teammate for an easy layup. It was exactly the kind of play that UCONN fans expect (and see) all the time, but also the kind of thing Plum has been doing (in addition to the scoring) all season. Is her ceiling higher than, or even as high as, Katie Lou's or Napheesa's? Probably not. But she is a very fine player nevertheless and in my view an entirely appropriate choice for player of the year.

Good post. In summary, Plum is a much better player this year than in prior seasons. In every way, including maturity and leadership. Even Osahor has said as much.

I might be remembering a different dive, slide, and batted-pass. Left side, foul line extended. She knocked it to Natalie Romeo in the corner who made a three, thanks to a friendly Celtic-like bounce high off the rim then back down through. It brought a standing O from the crowd.

 

[1-of-the-6]

I'm not a frequent poster here, more of viewer actually, but some of the posters here are totally biased. I've been a UConn fan since DT was a sophomore and I was 9 years old at the time. I would still choose Plum over Samuelson because she has been the better player this year; this is not about seniority. It's simply about who was better, you have to look at things like rebounds she's averaging 5.3, at 5,8 and Samuelson only gets 3.9 at 6'3. Those things matter. IMHO Gabby Williams deserves the award more than any other candidate because she's done everything, but she's being overlooked because she didn't score as much as the others. In the biggest games this year, you could "eye test" that she was doing everything possible and should be NPOY.

I would still choose Plum, but agree with you about Williams. In choosing a UCONN player my order would be Williams, Collier, Samuelson. In a very close cadence. Best pro would be just as tough a call; I see them all having nice careers if that's what they want. As a matter of fact, If you took the UCONN Core-4 and added Plum, you could win a lot of WNBA championships.

 

[UcMiami]

I'm not sure. What are you going to do with Jewell Loyd?

Jewell and Plum would be the backcourt of the future, and having Plum learning behind Sue for a few years would likely extend Sue's career by lessening her burden in games. Jewell has struggled when Sue isn't on the court and is tasked with running the offense, and Plum, for all her scoring in college is a pretty good point guard - the scoring has become an essential aspect of her team because she is so good at it.

 

[UcMiami]

jonson - I agree with your post, for some reason we seem to be treating our guests to this board rather harshly the last couple of months. Not sure why, but it is not a change for the better.

As far as UConn players - I am a serious homer and love this year's team and will be disappointed if we don't get three players onto the 10 man first team AA. That said, I don't see any of them being NPOY this year:
Gabby - she has played some absolutely incredible games, the ND game being perhaps the most astonishing display, and if she were able to sustain that level in every game or even in most games, she would be a serious contender. But she doesn't. Her standard level is in my opinion still AA first team quality - if she hits that level consistently next year she will be a prime candidate for NPOY. Geno has said as much by the way, he talks of her drifting back to 'normal' rather than realizing she could do that every game. It is like her 15 foot jumper - she will go a few games talking and making it consistently, then miss an early one in a game and decide she shouldn't take any more, and it disappears for a few games. I agree with Lobo - her award this year should be DPOY.

Collier - she is just silky smooth and incredibly accurate. I think she too should be a first team AA, but in a strange way she is not an initiator on the team - she is the recipient of some amazing passes and does a really remarkable job of finding the spots to be available for them and to then finish the play. I sort of doubt that she will be a serious contender for NPOY in college, because she is not the leader and probably will not be - she doesn't have the authority of her predecessor in the undersized forward spot, Morgan.

Samuelson - the teams designated scorer and shooter extraordinaire. Again AA quality play, but just not dynamic and consistent enough yet to be a serious contender for NPOY. While people point to Gabby filling all the boxes in the stat sheet, and Collier scoring on pace with Lou and with incredible accuracy, Lou has taken on the role played by DT, and Maya, and Stewart - when she hits a few shots in the first quarter, you can just sense the whole team relax just a little bit - Lou is good to go, and we are going to be fine. When she struggles early, the team is a little on edge - they still figure out how to pick it up, and Lou figures out how to contribute in other ways until she finds her range, but it isn't as smooth an offensive game. And her perimeter play opens up everything inside for both Napheesa and Gabby. She has expanded her game this year and hopefully that continues through the next two years. Sky is the limit for her, but not this year.

Love these three players, but don't see any of them getting the individual award this year.