The reason why I don't buy into comparing each player's efficiency stats is because it's quite possible that USC played an overall tougher schedule because of all of the cupcakes in the BE. And yet Paige still didn't score anywhere near as many points. Juju needed to work harder than Paige to score that many points. Why didn't Paige do it against easier teams & she even admitted that she performed at less than 100% of her ability against Iowa.
Someone who is putting in max effort to win all season long is going to get more credit & more of the spotlight than Paige who wasn't exerting 100%.
So to talk about efficiency, perhaps ESPN is rewarding personal effort as being the highest form of efficiency.
Paige has gotten plenty fo accolades, and perhaps she'll get many more by the end of the year.
But in this pre-season ESPN poll, I don't see anything wrong with recognizing Juju for being the 2nd highest scorer in the nation last year,
And this year she's playing in the Big 10. while last year the Pac 12 was more competitive than the Big East.
Juju is a workhorse on the court, there's no doubt about it.
ESPN jpurnalists are like referees, they score punches, vote & add up the scores.
That doesn't mean that it was a unanimous decision, but the pre-season edge was given to Juju based on her personal effort & success last year for putting the ball in the hoop more than Paige.
She manufactured many more points.
It's as simple as scoring punches in a boxing match & Juju landed more punches.