Paige as NPOY

[NFHusky13]

Now that we have a decent sample size of the season and looking at the other teams around the country, I think its fair to say Paige has played herself into NPOY discussion.

With the impressive stat line, level of exuberance and panache in her game, plus social media and press coverage, she may have a real legit shot at it. The SC game is her last marquee shot; she plays well and UConn wins, I think its hers to lose.

 

[Sanka541]

people love to hate on UConn and I have seen a lot criticizing Paige saying shes not as good as they make out etc she is every bit as good as advertised, if not better, and it isnt her fault that she is at Uconn. Yes Caitlin Clark is scoring a lot but she plays on a losing team. If Paige played on a team where she could take as many shots as she wanted she would get 40+ every game. The fact she is doing what she is doing on a team full of talent in a system like this, just makes it even better.

 

[dtbtbtb]

The SC game could be a real statement game for Paige...if she does in that game what she id in the last 4, it will be very difficult for anyone to diminish her achievements.

 

[Bigboote]

She has to be on the short list. Top 30 in scoring, top 20 in assists and 5 rebounds a game are impressive. BUT she's in the top 20 in field goal percentage and leading the world in 3-point percentage.

And the scary part of it is, if you've seen the games and paid attention, the stats only begin to describe the impact she has on the team.

 

[CocoHusky]

There are three major NPOY awards, Wade (WBCA), Naismith and AP.
As a freshman Paige is not eligible for the Wade.
That leaves AP and Naismith which I would rate her chances as possible but not likely because...
Naz Hillman has absolutely blown up playing in a P5 conference.
Ryan Howard was the preseason front runner and has played up to expectations and will likely be SEC POY AGAIN.
Dana Evans and Elissa Cunane are leading the #1 and #2 ranked teams which are both ahead of UCONN.
All these awards tend to favor upperclassmen although the Wade is the only one that states it explicitly.

A win and big showing on Monday against SC will certainly help her chances but I don't think it clinches either award.

 

[bballnut90]

It comes down to the SC game in my opinion. Her numbers are insane but she needs to have a standout game against a great team in order to emerge as the favorite IMO. If she lights up SC (win or loss), she is probably the favorite unless Boston goes on an absolute tear.

What does bode well for Paige is that no one else is really cementing themselves as a POY favorite right now. There's no Sabrina Ionescu, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart etc. Dana Evans and Aliyah Boston are probably her strongest competition right now, but neither is having a standout POY type of season. Boston has been somewhat inconsistent and Dawn is having Zia Cooke take a lot more shots that I expected would go to Boston. Evans has been excellent but Bueckers is putting up much better numbers against comparable schedules.

Someone like Naz Hillmon has a shot since her numbers are insane but she hasn't had the exposure or hype that the above have. Her team has only played 11 games and has had 6 straight games postponed that I'm not sure if they'll be made up for not. I don't see her getting a lot of votes at this point in time.

Howard isn't a candidate right now IMO with her team really struggling and likely falling out of the top 20 this week. Chelsea Dungee will probably be on a lot of lists due to her UCONN game but isn't a viable candidate right now since Arkansas has struggled and her numbers aren't good aside from points per game.

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

Paige's goal should be the NCAA Championship game MVP, as I believe that her chances for the Naismith or AP award are not good, as they are announced on April 3rd (before the National Championship Game and voted on well before).

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Paige's goal should be the NCAA Championship game MVP, as I believe that her chances for the Naismith or AP award are not good, as they are announced on April 3rd (before the National Championship Game and voted on well before).

Good Point... BUT... I believe Paige's "Goal" is for the Team to win the Big East Conference Regular Season, the Big East Conference Tournament, and the National Championship. Any Individual accolades that follow will be "icing on a very tasty cake".

GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[oldude]

There is still a lot of basketball to be played. Normally, I would suggest that freshmen are unlikely to win NPOY. But Paige is not a normal freshman. While her stats are tremendous, they don’t do justice to actually watching her performance on the court. The more that people who vote on these awards see Paige play, the more votes she will get.

There is no doubt that ESPN and other media outlets that cover WBB are starting to beat the drum about Paige, because it’s good business for them to do so. IMO, if UConn runs the table, including beating SC on Monday, and then has an impressive run to another FF, with Paige putting up numbers like she has in the last 4 games, it’s going to be a horse race, with Paige having a decent chance of bringing home one or more NPOY’s.

 

[CocoHusky]

There is still a lot of basketball to be played. Normally, I would suggest that freshmen are unlikely to win NPOY. But Paige is not a normal freshman. While her stats are tremendous, they don’t do justice to actually watching her performance on the court. The more that people who vote on these awards see Paige play, the more votes she will get.

There is no doubt that ESPN and other media outlets that cover WBB are starting to beat the drum about Paige, because it’s good business for them to do so. IMO, if UConn runs the table, including beating SC on Monday, and then has an impressive run to another FF, with Paige putting up numbers like she has in the last 4 games, it’s going to be a horse race, with Paige having a decent chance of bringing home one or more NPOY’s.

NCAA and Conference tournament games do not count in the voting for POY awards, they have separate awards for those. This is strictly a regular season award in which Paige essentially has 1 game left on a National stage to shine.

 

[EricLA]

I don't think Paige cares about any of the awards. Most players at UCONN don't. But I feel like she's 1st team AA at this time. Bueckers, Hillman, Evans, Clark, Collier, Joens - seem to be the leaders for 1st team AA.

I think you have to consider Anastasia Hayes, Dungee, Howard, MAYBE Cooke if you want to reward SC, but honestly, Cunane's numbers are so low, it's just not realistic to put her on the list at this time (16 PPG and 7 RPG). Maybe consider Kiersten Bell, a guard, averaging 23 PPG and an insane 10.8 RPG.

Just because players play for a top team does not mean they should automatically get AA consideration, especially when their numbers aren't outstanding, or even really good.

Cunane and Boston are not putting up AA numbers at this time. They just are not. Honorable mention for sure. If you to reward Boston because of hype and publicity, that's one thing, but numbers-wise, she's nowhere close. You want to reward a player for rebounds per game, there are 18 who average more than Boston, including Collier.

There are teams that are really really good, like Stanford and SC and NC State, who do not have 1 player putting up monster numbers. Is it fair to reward them as 1st or 2nd team AA when you have players from lesser schools who are putting up monster numbers day in and day out? BtW, Haley Jones, leading scorer for Stanford, is averaging just over 14 PPG, over 8 RPB and ovoer 3 APG. Good enough for honorable mention for sure.

Oh sure, I get that better teams will have better competition, people are still pooh-poohing Paige's numbers "unless she has a great outing against SC". Well these other players have had terrible games against sometimes good, sometimes bad, competition, so I think that's unfair. Just my $.02. Paige not only should be 1st team AA right now, but should be a leading candidate for NPOY.

And by the way, isn't UCONN at, or near, the top for the net rankings? Doesn't that take SOS into consideration? The whole "but UCONN hasn't played anyone good" just doesn't hold up... I guess it boils down to which do you reward more - a player with monster numbers on an average team, or a player with average numbers on a top team? IMHO players with average numbers on a great team are helping them win NC's and conference championships. THAT'S the reward for that. For me, AA's should be based on the PLAYERS putting up monster numbers. Just my $.02...

 

[oldude]

NCAA and Conference tournament games do not count in the voting for POY awards, they have separate awards for those. This is strictly a regular season award in which Paige essentially has 1 game left on a National stage to shine.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t voters have some weeks after the end of the regular season to submit their votes? If that’s the case, it may be difficult for them to essentially ignore whatever they see in conference tournaments or the early rounds of the Big Dance. It’s like a judge telling a jury to ignore testimony they’ve just heard.

 

[ConnecticutBB]

Does anyone know how the selection is made...I did hear that Jeff Waltz is very verbal about Dana Evans being chosen.

 

[oldude]

Does anyone know how the selection is made...I did hear that Jeff Waltz is very verbal about Dana Evans being chosen.

No doubt. Not to be outdone, Geno did allude to the fact that Paige is playing as good as anyone in the country during his postgame comments yesterday.

 

[CocoHusky]

Does anyone know how the selection is made...I did hear that Jeff Waltz is very verbal about Dana Evans being chosen.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t voters have some weeks after the end of the regular season to submit their votes? If that’s the case, it may be difficult for them to essentially ignore whatever they see in conference tournaments or the early rounds of the Big Dance. It’s like a judge telling a jury to ignore testimony they’ve just heard.

That's not correct. The AP voters for POY are the same 30 people that select the weekly AP top 25. That AP voting is conducted at the end of the regular season. USA Today and WBCA (Wade) are aligned and that is "selective" coaches voting again at the end of the regular season. The Naismith is done by committee at the end of the regular season. If ballots were withheld for tournament then think of all the great tournament runs that could have influenced the POY voting - Freshman Stewie and Danielle Adams are examples.
The NCAA tournament gives out regional awards, and FF Most Outstanding player. Each Conference also gives out a conference tournament MVP which can be entirely different from conference POY or All Conference Regular season awards. You might be confusing when the votes are cast vs when the awards are announced. Most of the announcements are around the time of the FF but the votes are cast at the end of the regular season based entirely on regular season play.

 

[oldude]

Th

That's not correct. The AP voters for POY are the same 30 people that select the weekly AP 25. That AP voting is conducted at the end of the regular season. USA Today and WBCA (Wade) are aligned and that is "selective" coaches voting again at the end of the regular season. The Naismith is done by committee at the end of the regular season. If ballots were withheld for tournament then think of all the great tournament runs that could have influenced the POY voting - Freshman Stewie and Danielle Adams are examples.
The NCAA tournamnet gives our regional awards, and FF Most Outstanding player. Each Conference also gives out a conference tournament MVP which can be entirely different from conference POY or All Conference Regular season awards. You might be confusing when the votes are cast vs when the awards are announced. Most of the announcements are around the time of the FF but the votes are cast at the end of the regular season based entirely on regular season play.

Appreciate the detailed response. That being the case, Paige needs to average around 30 ppg, shoot lights out and UConn needs to win out for the remainder of the regular season for her to have a chance. It would also help if several top teams stumble and the Huskies end the regular season #1.

It’s a bit like drawing to an inside straight. But it is also not out of the question.

 

[bballnut90]

Cunane and Boston are not putting up AA numbers at this time. They just are not. Honorable mention for sure. If you to reward Boston because of hype and publicity, that's one thing, but numbers-wise, she's nowhere close. You want to reward a player for rebounds per game, there are 18 who average more than Boston, including Collier.

There are teams that are really really good, like Stanford and SC and NC State, who do not have 1 player putting up monster numbers. Is it fair to reward them as 1st or 2nd team AA when you have players from lesser schools who are putting up monster numbers day in and day out? BtW, Haley Jones, leading scorer for Stanford, is averaging just over 14 PPG, over 8 RPB and ovoer 3 APG. Good enough for honorable mention for sure.

Historically voters have always valued quality of team over individual stats for AA honors. Especially in recent years.

Boston was 2nd team AP-All America a year ago with fewer points, rebounds, blocks and assists than she's having this season. The only stat that's down is FG%. The competition is also much slimmer this year which bodes well for her too. I don't see any way she isn't on 1st or 2nd team.

Cunane is putting up comparable numbers to a year ago while playing on a stronger team this season. She earned 3rd Team last year and will likely be rewarded with the same or 2nd team if NC State continues to play well. Her numbers compare favorable to Satou Sabally's last year when Satou earned 2nd Team.

Players like Clark, Joens, Hayes, Collier and Bell are having great seasons, but big scorers from unranked teams are almost always overlooked in favor of standouts from top 10 teams.

Other recent examples of players who haven't had eye popping numbers but made AA teams include Lauren Cox, Kalani Brown, Gabby Williams, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck.

 

[Charliebball]

It comes down to the SC game in my opinion. Her numbers are insane but she needs to have a standout game against a great team in order to emerge as the favorite IMO. If she lights up SC (win or loss), she is probably the favorite unless Boston goes on an absolute tear.

What does bode well for Paige is that no one else is really cementing themselves as a POY favorite right now. There's no Sabrina Ionescu, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart etc. Dana Evans and Aliyah Boston are probably her strongest competition right now, but neither is having a standout POY type of season. Boston has been somewhat inconsistent and Dawn is having Zia Cooke take a lot more shots that I expected would go to Boston. Evans has been excellent but Bueckers is putting up much better numbers against comparable schedules.

Someone like Naz Hillmon has a shot since her numbers are insane but she hasn't had the exposure or hype that the above have. Her team has only played 11 games and has had 6 straight games postponed that I'm not sure if they'll be made up for not. I don't see her getting a lot of votes at this point in time.

Howard isn't a candidate right now IMO with her team really struggling and likely falling out of the top 20 this week. Chelsea Dungee will probably be on a lot of lists due to her UCONN game but isn't a viable candidate right now since Arkansas has struggled and her numbers aren't good aside from points per game.

if there's a negative for Hillman.............most of her scoring comes from within eight feet of the basket.......she's not really a multi dimensional scorer........

 

[Charliebball]

Appreciate the detailed response. That being the case, Paige needs to average around 30 ppg, shoot lights out and UConn needs to win out for the remainder of the regular season for her to have a chance. It would also help if several top teams stumble and the Huskies end the regular season #1.

It’s a bit like drawing to an inside straight. But it is also not out of the question.

Agreed...........she needs to play like this for the remainder of the season...........far more likely she'd make an All American team if she plays really solid the rest of the way.......

 

[CocoHusky]

Does anyone know how the selection is made...I did hear that Jeff Waltz is very verbal about Dana Evans being chosen.

Historically voters have always valued quality of team over individual stats for AA honors. Especially in recent years.

Boston was 2nd team AP-All America a year ago with fewer points, rebounds, blocks and assists than she's having this season. The only stat that's down is FG%. The competition is also much slimmer this year which bodes well for her too. I don't see any way she isn't on 1st or 2nd team.

Cunane is putting up comparable numbers to a year ago while playing on a stronger team this season. She earned 3rd Team last year and will likely be rewarded with the same or 2nd team if NC State continues to play well. Her numbers compare favorable to Satou Sabally's last year when Satou earned 2nd Team.

Players like Clark, Joens, Hayes, Collier and Bell are having great seasons, but big scorers from unranked teams are almost always overlooked in favor of standouts from top 10 teams.
Other recent examples of players who haven't had eye popping numbers but made AA teams include Lauren Cox, Kalani Brown, Gabby Williams, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck.

The other stark reality for WCBB is that AA selections are almost exclusively from P5 schools or UCONN.
Going back 25 years worth of WBCA AA selections or 250 selections only 7 of the 250 have been from outside the P5 schools or UCONN.

1. Amber Harris, Xavier
2. Courtney Vandersloot-Gonzaga
3. EDD Delaware
4. Allison Feaster Harvard
5. Ticha Penicheiro, Old Dominion University
6. Tajama Abraham, George Washington University
7. Clarisse Machanguana, Old Dominion University

 

[my2cents]

She is putting up historic efficiency numbers for a guard. Shooting 60% from 3's and 57% total ( which may be impossible to maintain) would put her in position to be considered, regardless of being a freshman.
I would put forward, that these numbers for a freshman strengthen her case.

 

[nwhoopfan]

people love to hate on UConn and I have seen a lot criticizing Paige saying shes not as good as they make out etc she is every bit as good as advertised, if not better, and it isnt her fault that she is at Uconn. Yes Caitlin Clark is scoring a lot but she plays on a losing team. If Paige played on a team where she could take as many shots as she wanted she would get 40+ every game. The fact she is doing what she is doing on a team full of talent in a system like this, just makes it even better.

Overall agree with your point but Iowa is 6-5 in conference and 10-5 overall, so while mediocre certainly not a losing team.



Also, NOBODY is going to get 40+ every game. NOBODY. Ever. That's some hyperbole you're engaging in there.

 

[Rb335]

She’s averaging 20 ppg, something that has only happened by a uconn player 8 times, ever. And her efficiency numbers in getting those 20 points are crazy. If she maintains that, combined with her good A/TO ratio, rebounding, steals, and total assists, she’s a lock in my book for at least AA honors. A win and big game for her tomorrow against SC is what she needs to solidify it. For now, the biggest argument against her could be the competition the team has faced.

I expect that next season, she will be the player getting the preseason hype for NPOY and it will be her award to lose.

 

[JordyG]

Overall agree with your point but Iowa is 6-5 in conference and 10-5 overall, so while mediocre certainly not a losing team.



Also, NOBODY is going to get 40+ every game. NOBODY. Ever. That's some hyperbole you're engaging in there.

...and that's still not acknowledging the fact that Clarke, though not shooting the percentage as Paige, is still putting up terrific assists numbers with a "losing" team. Though I would shy away from saying "ever". Every time I've said "ever" in sport somehow it's has become.

 

[CocoHusky]

if there's a negative for Hillman.............most of her scoring comes from within eight feet of the basket.......she's not really a multi dimensional scorer........

That's not a negative in my mind. That conference has not produced a defense or defender that is capable of stopping her within that 8 feet that's a knock on the conference not on her.