Paige Bueckers only freshman on Wooden Award top 15

[nwhoopfan]

I just checked Iowa 2019-2020 season record. 23-7, not good but still not bad compared with this year.

Lost their 2 best players from last year. This is a young team and quite different than last season. Doyle was a stud. Czanino is the only significant contributor returning from that team.

 

[Childhood]

Lost their 2 best players from last year. This is a young team and quite different than last season. Doyle was a stud. Czanino is the only significant contributor returning from that team.

Clark really played well I just watched the game. And Iowa is such a good offensive team.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Clark really played well I just watched the game. And Iowa is such a good offensive team.

Another 30+ game. She's been almost automatic down the stretch. You gotta give her credit, she's upping her scoring average while significantly improving her FG% late in the season, at a time of the year many players are showing signs of fatigue or nagging injuries.

 

[chrissaran]

Paige is under immense pressure to deliver championship number 12. What's the difference between 2-20 and 14-8? No matter what Caitlin does, Iowa is not going to win the championship. The same can't be said about Paige. What she does matters a great deal as to whether UConn can win their next championship.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Caitlin does not have the same pressure as Paige. Iowa is not going to win the NC, despite her prolific scoring numbers. 14-8 is very good but not great.

I agree. Caitlin is a great scorer, but that's about it. Assists come easy for a player who is literally the only scoring option. Most teams will let her score so long as they win the game. I believe that in order to be a great player, you have to learn how to play with other great players.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

Clark should be on the list and it's a joke she's not, I don't care what Iowa's record is.

 

[chrissaran]

As with Paige, your best player should be taking the most shots.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Clark is out of her mind down the stretch. 30 or more in 7 of the last 9 games, over 50% shooting overall and behind the arc in 6 of the 9. It's pretty hard to be a proficient volume shooter, especially at the end of a season. She's doing it. Most of y'all are not giving her an iota of the credit she's due. Iowa is only 5-4 in that stretch, but that's included Indiana twice, Maryland, Ohio St. (before they slumped) and Michigan, all ranked teams.

 

[JordyG]

The award criteria clearly states that the ”candidate must excel on offense and defense”. I would argue she isn’t there because of her defense. She is also 5th in the nation in turnovers per game (over 5 a game). It’s not all about offense. Every other player on that list plays on both ends of the court.

Yeah. Defense. That's why Kelsey Plum won in 2017 and Jimmer Fedette won in 2011. And T. J. Ford and Frank Mason and Trey Burke. Please.

 

[VidNick]

Catlin took over the game in the 4th quarter, scoring 19 points on 4-5 (3 threes) and 8-8 from the line. Scored 35 points on 19 shots.

 

[VidNick]

A lot of implication Paige is a great defensive player. By what criteria? She is a good ball hawk like Niki. But who has she shut down? The only time Uconn has needed a defensive shut down player was vs Arkansas. And there was no shut down defender in sight.

 

[bballnut90]

Clark should be on every top 5 list IMO with her recent stretch.

27.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 49% FG, 42% 3pt, and 86% FT against a solid SOS is truly insane. As a freshman no less. Compare that to Dana Evans:

Evans: 20.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 43.7% FG, 36% 3pt, 93% FT vs a significantly weaker schedule

Yeah Clark's team doesn't play good defense and is on the fringe of being top 25, but both her and Paige should both be locks for the 5 person 1st Team AA squad. Her ability to score so prolifically while maintaining efficiency is pretty unheard of. Other volume shooting guards who previously put up huge scoring numbers often did so on much lower percentages throughout their career (Plum, Mitchell, Mazzante, Banham, Andrea Riley). If there was a WNBA draft for all collegiate players held tomorrow I don't doubt they'd be the first 2 picks.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Other volume shooting guards who previously put up huge scoring numbers often did so on much lower percentages throughout their career (Plum,

But then there was her Sr. season...Almost 32 ppg while only missing 50/40/90 by a few FTs.

 

[fomalhaut]

So if Bueckers wins the Wooden and/or Naismith, would the Wade Trophy change its rules to make freshmen eligible going forward?

 

[VidNick]

I graduated from Uconn. I am proud to have done so. Never a career hindrance to me. It is a very good State School. It is not an elite State School (think Caltech, UCLA, Michigan, UNC) and definitely not an Elite University. In Ct, Yale is elite. There are several pretty elite small schools. Weslyan, Trinity come to mind.

I do not know any Corn Shuckers, and I am not saying you are a Corn Shucker, but saying Clark merits some consideration for Big ten honorable mention is something I think a Corn Shucker might say.

 

[Dogstar]

A lot of implication Paige is a great defensive player. By what criteria? She is a good ball hawk like Niki. But who has she shut down? The only time Uconn has needed a defensive shut down player was vs Arkansas. And there was no shut down defender in sight.

If you rewatch to game I do believe tht she only scored 7 pts while AG was guarding her, it was a total defensive collapse, not often tht Uconn allows 31 pts in a quarter.