POY Watch

[inthisopinion]

Why isn't Collier on this list? If anything outside of the Baylor game (which everyone was off for UConn), Collier has been rock solid and been UConn's most consistent player and questionably UConn's best player. She's averaging 17.7 pts, 10.1 reb and shooting over 57%. She's been the most consistent post player in the country. To me only Ionescu (and that can be debatable as I haven't seen much of her) should be ahead of her. Collier might be the most underrated All-American that UConn has had as I consider her soph season to be easily in the top 3 for a single season in terms of offensive stats at UConn. She hasn't come close to that level of efficiency, but she's gotten much better overall as a player.

 

[inthisopinion]

Collier is a great player but she is an undersized low post player who benefits from the outside presence and threat of KLS. Also, if you think that KLS would not be doing what Collier is as a down low player than you are not seeing things as they are. The fact is KLS can do all the things Collier does plus be the team's best passer and the best all-around scoring threat in the country. Oh, and also, the best team player in the nation. Remember opponents double KLS all the time. They rarely double Collier.

 

[inthisopinion]

Ionescu is the classic great player on a "non great team". If KLS was there in place of her she would be putting up similar if not better numbers because the offense would be built around and run thru KLS. Of course, that is not the case at UConn. Gustafson is in a similar situation but doesn't win as much. Also, remember, Ionecsu lost early in the season to a Mich.St. team that has 4 losses.

 

[LoTrader]

Ionescu is the classic great player on a "non great team". If KLS was there in place of her she would be putting up similar if not better numbers because the offense would be built around and run thru KLS. Of course, that is not the case at UConn. Gustafson is in a similar situation but doesn't win as much. Also, remember, Ionecsu lost early in the season to a Mich.St. team that has 4 losses.

I have to disagree with you about your comment that UO is a "non great team"? Relative to the field this year, UO is a #1 seed candidate for sure. I have watched at least 5 UO games this year, and, UO is much better this year than last 2 years, primarily because UO doesn't depend upon Sabrina to the same extent as in the past 2 years.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Ionescu will win in. If Arike wins it, I would love to hear the fans here have heart attacks. How entertaining lol. Not trying to defend her antics, but her two shots brought more attention to to the game than any of UConn's undefeated seasons could ever...

Really? Two shots did more for WCBB than UConn's two decades of success? More than the first UConn-Tennessee game? More than the UConn-Tennessee rivalry? More than Rebecca, Maya, Diana and Stevie? Let me just say that I politely - and firmly - disagree.

 

[eebmg]

Really? Two shots did more for WCBB than UConn's two decades of success? More than the first UConn-Tennessee game? More than the UConn-Tennessee rivalry? More than Rebecca, Maya, Diana and Stevie? Let me just say that I politely - and firmly - disagree.

I don't know. Until Stewie (or Geno) does Dancing with the Stars.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Interesting how the vote is trending. I suspect part of it is that this poll is on a UCONN board. If it were on other Team's board(s) it would likely be much different.

IMHO, if Ogunbowale wins any of the POY awards, it will be sad for NCAA WBB...not because she is a bad player, but because of the "bad things" she does when she plays. The drive to win is important, but not when it comes with potential injury to opposition players. Her on court successes are well documented (albeit the two biggest shots were LAST year)...but so too are her on court failures.

 

[shiverz45]

It has happened before. Parker lost SEC POY to Fowles (LSU went 14-0, Tennessee 13-1) but Candace took home the majority of the POY awards that year while Fowles didn't win any.

In regards to players being predetermined POY, I think it's a valid concern as of late, with last year being a good example. A lot of people felt Victoria Vivians was robbed of SEC POY, as she put up great numbers and her team dominated the conference. A'ja missed 3 games and her squad finished just 11-5, yet she still took home honors over Vivians. I thought KLS, Vivians and A'ja all had POY caliber years and should've split the awards, but A'ja swept everything.

To Ionescu's credit, she has had massive games against ranked teams and is having a stellar season. I don't think anyone can argue she doesn't deserve it at this point even if it's bothersome that it feels like a foregone conclusion.

A'ja deserved her player of the year and the stats does not say anything different. It goes to the best overall player not the best player on the best team. McCowan stats were better than Vivians so she might not have been the best player on her own team. SC finished 12-4 (not 11-5) because A'ja missed those games. If you seen SC and MSU play it is not even close who is the best player on the floor. To say Vivians was robbed is ridiculous.

 

[shiverz45]

It has happened before. Parker lost SEC POY to Fowles (LSU went 14-0, Tennessee 13-1) but Candace took home the majority of the POY awards that year while Fowles didn't win any.

In regards to players being predetermined POY, I think it's a valid concern as of late, with last year being a good example. A lot of people felt Victoria Vivians was robbed of SEC POY, as she put up great numbers and her team dominated the conference. A'ja missed 3 games and her squad finished just 11-5, yet she still took home honors over Vivians. I thought KLS, Vivians and A'ja all had POY caliber years and should've split the awards, but A'ja swept everything.

To Ionescu's credit, she has had massive games against ranked teams and is having a stellar season. I don't think anyone can argue she doesn't deserve it at this point even if it's bothersome that it feels like a foregone conclusion.

The team SC had last year without A'ja would barely if at all make the tournament. With A'ja they won the SEC tournament championship, were a number 2 seed, and made it to the elite 8. No question in my mind and most people mind she was the SEC and National player of the year.

 

[HopJim]

Collier is a great player but she is an undersized low post player who benefits from the outside presence and threat of KLS. Also, if you think that KLS would not be doing what Collier is as a down low player than you are not seeing things as they are. The fact is KLS can do all the things Collier does plus be the team's best passer and the best all-around scoring threat in the country. Oh, and also, the best team player in the nation. Remember opponents double KLS all the time. They rarely double Collier.

Not sure I want to argue for or against KLS versus Collier. Both are outstanding and if I could influence the voting, would ensure it was a tie. That being said, suggest IN listen to his/her own wording. Collier is always battling down low against players much bigger. Leading rebounder and shot blocker-KLS is getting better in both but neither a primary skill. Collier gets little help from anyone else. Hard to say one or another better or more valuable. Fortunately both are on UConn.

 

[bbballfan23]

Collier is a great player but she is an undersized low post player who benefits from the outside presence and threat of KLS. Also, if you think that KLS would not be doing what Collier is as a down low player than you are not seeing things as they are. The fact is KLS can do all the things Collier does plus be the team's best passer and the best all-around scoring threat in the country. Oh, and also, the best team player in the nation. Remember opponents double KLS all the time. They rarely double Collier.

Collier actually has more assists than Lou, along with rebounds, blocks & FG%. Lou leads in pts, steals, 3pt% & FT%. Collier is actually doubled in the post quite a bit so not sure what you mean? As @HopJim said, I'm just glad we have both of them! Hard to choose one's importance over the other. Agreed, she is the most under the radar clear cut All-American in the country. Doesn't bode well for her POY chances. Will have to have another 39-40 point performance like she did at USF her Soph Yr to really establish herself in the convo.

 

[jonson]

Ionescu is the classic great player on a "non great team". If KLS was there in place of her she would be putting up similar if not better numbers because the offense would be built around and run thru KLS. Of course, that is not the case at UConn. Gustafson is in a similar situation but doesn't win as much. Also, remember, Ionecsu lost early in the season to a Mich.St. team that has 4 losses.

Actually, I don't think that there are any "great" teams this year; there are, however, quite a few very good ones, with Oregon among them, even if UCONN may be the better team. If you took the time to look at this year's stats, or maybe watched some (or some more) Pac 12 games, you would see that Oregon is every bit as balanced as UCONN. For example, the scoring gap between Katie Lou and the next highest scoring player here (Collier) is about the same as that between Ionescu and the next two highest scoring Ducks (Hebard and Sabally). Katie Lou has taken 30 shots more than any of her teammates, Ionescu 31. It's perhaps worth also noting that, of the 6 current wbb players with 600 or more assists, 2 of them play in Eugene. And, this year, Katie Lou's numbers in that area trail one of them by 25 and the other by 86.

To be clear, I don't say any of this to argue that Katie Lou shouldn't be in the running for Player of the Year; I think she should. But I do object to your characterization of Ionescu's teammates.