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Preseason All Americans

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Huskies Rule said:
The Championship game stats:
- Stewie: 8 pts, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 1 t/o
- Turner: 14 pts, 10 rebound, 1 block, 1 steal, 2 t/o

FACT: Aside from scoring 6 fewer points, a clearly injured Stewie did EVERYTHING better than Turner on the stat sheet and on the floor to win.

FACT: Despite her bad ankle, Stewie played the entire game, impacting everything ND tried to do on both ends. On defense, Stewie controlled the boards with 12 defensive rebounds, blocked shots, and she deflected or altered at least 6 drives to the hoop, 3 by Loyd (I'm sure-I've watched the game 6-7 times :D). On offense, particularly for the 10 minutes Stokes played and wasn't defended, ND had Huffman and Cable doubling and pestering Stewie non-stop. Didn't work- aside from the one charge Cable drew, that only resulted in better looks for Stewie's teammates. So even as physically limited as she was in the 2nd half, Stewie's mere presence caused ND huge problems they struggled to adjust to, all game long. And it cost them.

FACT: Stewie impacted the game for the full 40 minutes. Turner was invisible for the first 20 minutes. Whether you buy the excuse that her first half non-performance was the result of "nerves" or of a healthier Stewie (as I believe), the bottom line is that Stewie played hurt and played great, doing everything her team needed of her to win. Stewie took so few shots in the second half because of her hurting ankle and because her team needed her to defend and rebound and block shots and NOT because of Turner's defensive wizardry. Turner's inability to do anything in the first half put her team in a 10-point hole it could never get out of. Turner's first 20 minutes cost ND big time, maybe the game. Had Stewie likewise completely disappeared for 20 minutes, they would be celebrating still in South Bend.

FACT: You simply cannot say that Turner, who contributed only 20 productive 2nd half minutes for her team, no matter how effective, was the best frontcourt player that day. The game is 40 minutes, and what Turner was unable to do for her team in the first 20 minutes negated her excellent 2nd half. What I will grant the Turner crazies is that she had the best second half of any frontcourt player. But one half of great play does not a title get!

Last thing- Besides the off-balance foul line bank-shot chuck with the shot clock running out, Turner did not make or attempt a single shot from beyond 2 feet, literally. She only scored on put backs, and looking at replays of four of her other games, if she isn't scoring on fast break layups or 2 foot put backs, she isn't scoring. Talented but she has an incredibly limited offensive skill set. She has potential, but if she doesn't develop a shot, even just a 6-8 foot shot, she will never be great.

-Moriah was the player of the game. Period. And Turner was absolutely NOT the "frontcourt player of the game." That would be Stewie.
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I usually agree with many of your posts here my friend but not this one as it relates to Stewie.

1--- Us husky fans more than anyone else recognize players that go for example 9-25 from the floor and wind up with 21 points - it's not that good at all. In this case you reference Stewie's rebounds - that she controlled the boards. I don't agree. She may have gotten 12 board but how many came after a 2nd or 3rd shot. Stewie and Tuck got annihilated on the glass. Turner was part of the frontline that annihilated them.

2--- While Turner was in no way player of the game - her defense on Stewie even in the 1st half deserves some praise. The game's best and greatest player - Stewie- didn't have an impact on offense even before the injury. Some 1sthalf credit has to go to Turner. Though ND's team defense and their knowledge of the UCONN offensive sets also had an impact. SO imo Turner was productive in some manner in the 1st half.

3--- I don't understand your point about a title. Even if you don't win a title you can outplay another player on the winning team. Not all 5 of the winning team necessarily outplay all of the other 5.

4-- Not that it matters much but I can remember one play Allen beat KML and dumped the ball to Turner. So it wasn't much of a putback. If Turners's game is that of putbacks and other close baskets and can outscore one of the greatest wcbb of all-time - kudos to her.
 
bballnut90 said:
How is that ridiculous? She had 14 points, 10 rebounds, shot 7-9 from the floor and defensively did an outstanding job on Stewart. On the season Stewart was obviously the superior player, but that game I'd argue Turner had the best showing of anyone besides Jefferson.
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I thought Turner had a strong NC game.Offensive rebounding and finishing around the basket.Needs to work on her 12 to 15 ft.jumpshot and she runs the floor very well.Defensively she did a decent job with Stewie better than most of the others that tried this year.
 
UConnCat said:
Powers needs to be more efficient. She took a ton of shots but made less than 40% of them and 30% on 3s. She's not a 2nd team AA.
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UConnCat- - - -I agree with what you said with the Powers that was on the court this season but she was asked to do TOO MUCH by the coaches because of the freaky # of injuries MSU had! I think in a normal season playing within herself she will have monster #'s! She is a huge talent that can easily go 1st or 2nd team AA!
 
Morgan Tuck will be a 1st team AA even with Stewie and MoJeff getting AA between AP/WBBCA/etc. She should make the 5 team AA with Stewie & MoJeff but talking suits aren't that bright! She'll make the 10 or 12 member AA teams!
 
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johnnyc said:
It is not necessary that Stewart have the leadership role in order for UConn to win. Tuck and/or Jefferson could also easily fill that role.
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Next year MoJeff will be the leader of this team.She was this year after New Years with Morgan leading from the start.Morgan will continue to be a leader something that just seems to be natural for her!Stewie will be alittle more vocal but her actions will speak volumes!Kia Nurse will start leading this team and should make a huge jump in this aspect of her game!It will be her team in 2016 and she will take over for Mo and take Dangerfield under her wing just like Mo did for her!Like Stewie said Moriah was MOP of the NC game!IMO only player to play a complete game that night!Morgan should have been AA this past year so why not 3 first team AAs
 
The fact of the matter is that voters won't choose 3 of the top 5 players from one team. But voters have chosen 3 of the top 10 players from one team at least 5 times, to my knowledge:

I think 3 Tennessee "Meeks" made it in the late 1990s.

Sue, Swin, and Diana in 2002.

Maya, Tina, and Renee in 2009.

Stewie, Stef, and Bria in 2014.

Stewie, Kaleena, and Moriah in 2015.
 
I know Breanna wouldn't mention it, but didn't she hurt her ankle? She didn't have her usual lift after that.
 
easttexastrash said:
I didn't think that Turner did anything to convince me that she was better than Stewart. In that game. Stewart does so many things that don't show up in the box score. She was EASILy the best player on the court.
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If not for Stewie's blocks, and rebounding that could have been a loss, the lack of anyone else rebounding gave Notre Dame second chance points.
 
Updated Predictions After 2015 Transferpalooza, a summer of USA Basketball, and some reevaluations:

1st Team:
Breanna Stewart, Sr, Connecticut-Stewart will be the heavy favorite to take home her third POY award and fourth championship. She is incredibly difficult to match up with, and will need to take a leadership role for UCONN to be successful next year.

Moriah Jefferson, Sr, Connecticut-I think Jefferson could give Stewart a run for her money in the POY competition next year. Jefferson is one of the quickest, smoothest, and best two way point guards in women's college basketball history. She can dominate a game defensively, and is ridiculously efficient. 59% FG, 50% 3pt, 84% FT, 3:1 A/To....and that's taking in her first 8-9 games which were nowhere close to being this good.

Brianna Turner, So, Notre Dame-This might be a bold prediction, but I think she will be the most improved player in women's basketball next year. I think her numbers soar as she'll get more minutes and take on a more prominent role without Loyd. She was arguably the best frontcourt player on the floor in the title game and has more untapped potential than anyone in women's basketball. She'll also be Notre Dame's go to next year without Loyd and Muffett is one of the nation's best at developing players.

A'ja Wilson, So, South Carolina-Another player who I think is primed for a breakout year. Wilson had a strong freshman campaign and an outstanding summer for USA Basketball. She will need to take on a more prominent role for USC to be a title contender next year. She has an ideal frame and skill set for a power forward. She rebounds well, can finish inside and has a mid range jumper. She has all the tools to be outstanding, and next year she might break out.

Kelsey Mitchell, So, Ohio State-Left her off 1st team the first time, but I think with Sierra Calhoun and others in the mix, Ohio State will be a better team and Mitchell will get more deserved recognition. She is one of the most talented scorers in the nation. She is on pace to break Stiles' scoring record, I think if Ohio State becomes one of the better teams in the Big Ten, she makes 1st team.


2nd Team:
Diamond DeShields, So, Tennessee-Moved her down from 1st team to 2nd, in part due to her off season injury and also due to Russell's emergence at the World University Games. I think DeShields is going to be outstanding at Tennessee. She was the National Freshman of the Year in an incredibly strong class, and is as physically gifted as anyone in the country. If she can get help from Russell and Graves, Tennessee should have their best shot in years to break the Final Four drought.

Tiffany Mitchell, Sr, South Carolina-Bumped her down to 2nd team since I think Wilson will take over as the go to player next year which could dip into Tiffany's numbers. Mitchell has had back to back outstanding seasons for South Carolina. She is the Gamecocks' only true perimeter threat who can beat you off the dribble and from the outside. An incredibly efficient guard in her own right, she'll need to have another strong year to bring South Carolina back to the Final Four.

Nina Davis, Jr, Baylor-Davis is one of the best rebounders and finishers in women's basketball. She has had back to back outstanding seasons, and should have the talent around her to lead Baylor into the Final Four this year. I'd look for her numbers to dip with the addition of Alexis Jones, but the improvement of Baylor as a team should give her more name recognition.

Imani McGee-Stafford, Sr, Texas-One of the more intriguing players in the nation. Moving her for 3rd team to 2nd might be a bold move, but physically she is a unique prospect at 6-7 and seemed to finally put the pieces together toward the end of last season. If she comes into this season 100% healthy and hungry, she'll be a very difficult match up and could challenge for Big 12 POY.

Morgan Tuck, Jr, Connecticut-Tuck might have the most polished offensive post game of any women's college basketball player. She also has a good midrange shot and can score from long range, making her an incredibly difficult match up. She is unexpectedly quick with her size and frame, and she finishes really well inside. She'll take on a bigger role next year with KML and Stokes gone, but as a result, she should garner more deserved recognition.

3rd Team:
Jillian Alleyne, Sr, Oregon-I have not seen much of Alleyne, but she has incredibly gaudy stats while playing in a decent conference. Unless Oregon significantly improves, I cannot see her garnering much national attention, but I know some think she has great upside at the next level with her ability to rebound the basketball.

Ruth Hamblin, Sr, Oregon State-I have not seen a ton of Hamblin, but she had a nice junior season as Oregon State had their best season in school history. If Oregon State has another terrific year, Hamblin could definitely be on more All-American teams next year.

Courtney Williams, Sr, Texas A&M-Texas A&M had an underwhelming year, but Williams is one of the best wings in the nation. She has an outstanding midrange game and is athleticism to blow by a defender.

Leticia Romero, Jr, Florida State-And outstanding passer and scorer, she is going to be a force in the ACC this year now that she has a 1/2 year under her belt at Florida State.

Alexis Jones, Jr, Baylor-We've only seen her play 1.5 seasons and she was superb at Duke. Coming out of HS, she was ranked above Loyd and just behind Stewart and Jefferson. She could easily be a 2nd or 3rd team All-American this year. Having her on the perimeter and Davis inside with Johnson running the point makes Baylor incredibly to match up with. I could see her replacing Nina Davis on one of the higher teams, as she'll surely get some touches this year that would normally go to Davis.

HM:
Alaina Coates, Jr, South Carolina-One of the best bigs in the nation. Coates can dominate inside and has potential to be a star if she demands more touches.

Mercedes Russell, So, Tennessee-Had a big tournament statistically this summer. I didn't get to see the games, but I'd look for Russell to make a major impact at UT this year. Could definitely make an AA team.

Courtney Williams, Sr, South Florida-One of the more underrated guards in the nation. She is a phenomenal athlete with a great midrange game.

Makayla Epps, Jr, Kentucky-A big guard who can light it up on a good night.

Lindsey Allen, Jr, Notre Dame-Much improved as an offensive threat as a sophomore, she'll need to take on a bigger role next year with Loyd gone.

Azura Stevens, So, Duke-Another outstanding freshman who could really light it up next year. A big forward with guard skills and finishes well inside. She has huge upside and could make a team next year.

Lili Thompson, Jr, Stanford-An athletic guard who can create her own shot. Had an up and down junior season, but will be Stanford's go to player next year.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Jr, Maryland-Very athletic guard who can score in a variety of ways. Should emerge as the go to player with Brown leaving.

Aerial Powers, Jr, Michigan State-Another outstanding player, but she plays on a poor team. Needs better team results to have a chance to make a top 3 team.

Mariya Moore, So, Louisville-She was one of the better freshmen in the country this season. Louisville has an incredible young core this year between her, Hines-Allen and Durr in the lineup.

Kelsey Plum, Jr, Washington-A great scoring guard. She'll need Washington to perform better to compete for an All-American slot, but a very talented guard.
 
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American citizenship is not a prerequisite, so Kia Nurse certainly deserves consideration at some level. No one can convince me that there are 15-20 NCAA D1 players that can outplay Kia (including a few she will scrimmage against daily at the Werth Champions Center in Storrs).
 
Don't know what team Kelsey Mitchell should be on but I am pretty certain that Ohio State will be pretty competitive !!!! They have everyone back from an end of the year, good team
 
How could Nurse not get at least HM in the above analysis. She put the Canadian National team on her back in the Pan Am games and scored 33 points! I am surprised about only one other poster mentioning her? Especially when someone brought up the incoming UCONN freshmen.
 
malevocalist# said:
Add Morgan Tuck to that first team list a well. What we saw from her was a glimpse of a things to come. Stay healthy, then somebody has a problem to deal with.
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Tuck definitely All American first team. If Nurse performs half as well as she did in the Pan Am Medal game we may have another candidate. Tuck was overlooked, cheated, by-passed, left-out of this year's A.A. first team (take your choice )
 
Kibitzer said:
American citizenship is not a prerequisite, so Kia Nurse certainly deserves consideration at some level. No one can convince me that there are 15-20 NCAA D1 players that can outplay Kia (including a few she will scrimmage against daily at the Werth Champions Center in Storrs).
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Forgot to add her to my HM list...could rise, but I don't see UCONN putting 4 players on the top 3 teams unless they all average 14-15+ ppg
 
3rd team at the lowest for Nurse. And after watching Collier in U19 I think she will fit right in with those listed for HM. If KLS is as good as Collier (and I suspect she is) there is a good chance UConn will have six of the top 25 players in the country. And Gabby Williams won't be far behind.

I've been meaning to start a thread on this topic but I'll put it out there now ... I'm convinced that if you take the top seven from UConn's 2015-16 team they are better than the seven best players from the rest of WCBB. It helps that they have, IMHO, hands down #1 and #2.
 
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bballnut90 said:
Even with Loyd and Zahui going pro, there is a lot of talent in women's basketball next year. Here is my preseason list:
1st Team:
Breanna Stewart, Sr, Connecticut-Stewart will be the heavy favorite to take home her third POY award and fourth championship. She is incredibly difficult to match up with, and will need to take a leadership role for UCONN to be successful next year.

Moriah Jefferson, Sr, Connecticut-I think Jefferson could give Stewart a run for her money in the POY competition next year. Jefferson is one of the quickest, smoothest, and best two way point guards in women's college basketball history. She can dominate a game defensively, and is ridiculously efficient. 59% FG, 50% 3pt, 84% FT, 3:1 A/To....and that's taking in her first 8-9 games which were nowhere close to being this good.

Nina Davis, Jr, Baylor-Davis is one of the best rebounders and finishers in women's basketball. She has had back to back outstanding seasons, and should have the talent around her to lead Baylor into the Final Four this year. I'd look for her numbers to dip with the addition of Alexis Jones, but the improvement of Baylor as a team should give her more name recognition.

Tiffany Mitchell, Sr, South Carolina-Mitchell has had back to back outstanding seasons for South Carolina. She is the Gamecocks' only true perimeter threat who can beat you off the dribble and from the outside. An incredibly efficient guard in her own right, she'll need to have another strong year to bring South Carolina back to the Final Four.

Diamond DeShields, So, Tennessee-A lot might not agree with me here, but I think DeShields is going to be outstanding at Tennessee. She was the National Freshman of the Year in an incredibly strong class, and is as physically gifted as anyone in the country. If she can get help from Russell and Graves, Tennessee should have their best shot in years to break the Final Four drought.

2nd Team:
Kelsey Mitchell, So, Ohio State-Had a hard time leaving her off first team, but I just don't see Ohio State being competitive enough for her to garner more recognition than the above players. She is one of the most talented scorers in the nation. She is on pace to break Stiles' scoring record, I think if Ohio State becomes one of the better teams in the Big Ten, she could easily wind up as a 1st Teamer.

Brianna Turner, So, Notre Dame-This might be a bold prediction, but I think she will be the most improved player in women's basketball next year. She was arguably the best frontcourt player on the floor in the title game and has more untapped potential than anyone in women's basketball. She'll also be Notre Dame's go to next year without Loyd and Muffett is one of the nation's best at developing players.

Lexie Brown, Jr, Maryland was phenomenal this year and returns the core of their team. Their leader and best player is Brown, who had a sensational sophomore year where she earned 3rd Team Ap All American honors. She can beat you off the dribble, score from outside and is very good on the defensive end. Maryland should be a favorite to return to the Final Four next year, and Brown will be leading the squad once again.

Morgan Tuck, Jr, Connecticut-Tuck might have the most polished offensive post game of any women's college basketball player. She also has a good midrange shot and can score from long range, making her an incredibly difficult match up. She is unexpectedly quick with her size and frame, and she finishes really well inside. She'll take on a bigger role next year with KML and Stokes gone, but as a result, she should garner more deserved recognition.

A'ja Wilson, So, South Carolina-Another player who I think is primed for a breakout year. Wilson had a strong freshman campaign but will need to take on a more prominent role for USC to be a title contender next year. She has an ideal frame and skill set for a power forward. She rebounds well, can finish inside and has a mid range jumper. She has all the tools to be outstanding, and next year she might break out.

3rd Team:
Jillian Alleyne, Sr, Oregon-I have not seen much of Alleyne, but she has incredibly gaudy stats while playing in a decent conference. Unless Oregon significantly improves, I cannot see her garnering much national attention, but I know some think she has great upside at the next level with her ability to rebound the basketball.

Ruth Hamblin, Sr, Oregon State-I have not seen a ton of Hamblin, but she had a nice junior season as Oregon State had their best season in school history. If Oregon State has another terrific year, Hamblin could definitely be on more All-American teams next year.

Courtney Williams, Sr, Texas A&M-Texas A&M had an underwhelming year, but Williams is one of the best wings in the nation. She has an outstanding midrange game and is athleticism to blow by a defender.

Leticia Romero, Jr, Florida State-And outstanding passer and scorer, she is going to be a force in the ACC this year now that she has a 1/2 year under her belt at Florida State.

Imani McGee-Stafford, Sr, Texas-One of the more intriguing players in the nation. She was outstanding to finish 2014-15 and has huge potential with her size, athleticism and skill set. If she plays consistently at a high level, she could challenge for Big 12 POY.

HM:
Alaina Coates, Jr, South Carolina-One of the best bigs in the nation. Coates can dominate inside and has potential to be a star if she demands more touches.

Courtney Williams, Sr, South Florida-One of the more underrated guards in the nation. She is a phenomenal athlete with a great midrange game.

Makayla Epps, Jr, Kentucky-A big guard who can light it up on a good night.

Lindsey Allen, Jr, Notre Dame-Much improved as an offensive threat as a sophomore, she'll need to take on a bigger role next year with Loyd gone.

Azura Stevens, So, Duke-Another outstanding freshman who could really light it up next year. A big forward with guard skills and finishes well inside. She has huge upside and could be really really good next year.

Lili Thompson, Jr, Stanford-An athletic guard who can create her own shot. Had an up and down junior season, but will be Stanford's go to player next year.

Alexis Jones, Jr, Baylor-She could easily be a 2nd or 3rd team All-American this year. Having her on the perimeter and Davis inside with Johnson running the point makes Baylor incredibly different to match up with.

Alisha Gray, Jr, UNC-Another player who should get more publicity next year. One of the better scorers in the nation, she has a very complete offensive game and should lead a strong UNC team next year.

Mariya Moore, So, Louisville-She was one of the better freshmen in the country this season. Louisville has an incredible young core this year between her, Hines-Allen and Durr in the lineup.
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Lexie Brown will not be playing for Maryland this upcoming season.
 
triaddukefan said:
or the season after that :D
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And Alisha Gray won't be at UNC. That opens up a couple of spots
 
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Suebird10fan said:
3rd team at the lowest for Nurse. And after watching Collier in U19 I think she will fit right in with those listed for HM. If KLS is as good as Collier (and I suspect she is) there is a good chance UConn will have six of the top 25 players in the country. And Gabby Williams won't be far behind.

I've been meaning to start a thread on this topic but I'll put it out there now ... I'm convinced that if you take the top seven from UConn's 2015-16 team they are better than the seven best players from the rest of WCBB. It helps that they have, IMHO, hands down #1 and #2.
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So you are saying the 7 best players in all of WCBB are on the UCONN roster ?
 
Kaizen said:
Kia Nurse should be in the Third Team or HM.... I watch several UConn's replays and agree that why Geno will start her in 2014-2015 session.
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was just going to post same if she plays like she dii last week.
 
I think many posters are missing the fact that Stewart's role changed dramatically last year. I think she took herself out of the scoring race in favor of doing everything else that was needed to win. She recognized that we have an abundance of scorers and she doesn't need to lead the team in scoring any more. She focuses on excellence in every other facet of the game. That's what makes her the best player in WCBB period.
 
triaddukefan said:
So you are saying the 7 best players in all of WCBB are on the UCONN roster ?
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No. I'm saying if you take our best seven (TBS, MoJeff, Tuck, Nurse, Phee, KLS, Gabby IMO). Then you take the seven best among the rest (Tiffany Mitchell, Nina Davis, Turner, Wilson, etc.). Then you say which is the better group. I'd take the UConn seven. Some folks, probably almost everyone who isn't a UConn fan, might pick the other seven but I'd take the UConn seven. Of course I'm factoring out that the UConn players have played together. Just assessing the overall ability of the two groups at this point in their careers.
 
bballnut90 said:
Updated Predictions After 2015 Transferpalooza, a summer of USA Basketball, and some reevaluations:
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I don't agree with some of your selections (like removing two seniors N. Davis and T. Mitchell from the first team) but if summer basketball plays a role in your evaluation how do you not find a spot for Kia Nurse on any of the three AA teams.
 
Kibitzer said:
American citizenship is not a prerequisite, so Kia Nurse certainly deserves consideration at some level. No one can convince me that there are 15-20 NCAA D1 players that can outplay Kia (including a few she will scrimmage against daily at the Werth Champions Center in Storrs).
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She will be on the list of many if the were paying attention to that performance at the PanAm games. However, she will take a back seat to Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, thus reducing her chances of being an AA, which is a shame.
 
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