Shabazz Napier tops Doug McDermott in class-by-class look at best seasons

[HooperScooper]

From SI. I don't think you'd get an argument from any of us. McDermott can have his national player of the year awards. Shabazz has the national championship instead.

http://college-basketball.si.com/2014/05/07/shabazz-napier-nick-johnson-julius-randle-best-classes/

Best senior season: Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
The difference between what Napier meant to his team and what McDermott meant to his team is actually fractional, by one measure. No player in the country was worth more wins to his team than Connecticut’s senior guard, going by Napier’s Win Shares total of 7.9. (The statistic measures how many victories are attributable to a player’s offensive and defensive contributions). McDermott was second with 7.7. But the Creighton star was at the Final Four to collect a couple player of the year awards while Napier was there ultimately to win a national championship. The Huskies guard led his team in scoring (18.0), assists (4.9) and steals (1.8) while finishing a very close second in rebounding (5.9 per game to DeAndre Daniels’ 6.0). His 3.1 defensive Win Shares tied for seventh nationally. Napier was more involved in every aspect of Connecticut’s success, and he hoisted the national title trophy at the end.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Fun fact: Shabazz was 8th in the country in offensive win shares, and 9th in defensive win shares. No other player ranked in the top 20 in both.

 

[Inyatkin]

Best senior season: Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
No player in the country was worth more wins to his team than Connecticut’s senior guard.

Something to keep in mind every time someone posts "We could be even better next year!!!"

 

[CallMeBruce]

Okafor (9.9) and Kemba (9.7) also led the country in WS in '04 and '11, respectively.

 

[jibsey]

Something to keep in mind every time someone posts "We could be even better next year!!!"

When Bazz was out of games last year and this it could be painful to watch. Not having him will be a big adjustment so I don't expect next year's group to click for awhile regardless of how we are rated.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

When Bazz was out of games last year and this it could be painful to watch. Not having him will be a big adjustment so I don't expect next year's group to click for awhile regardless of how we are rated.

Ya after kemba left and people were saying we were even more talented the following year they forgot how important kemba's leadership was. Sophmore bazz couldn't hold us together so we struggled. However, the scenario this time around has a senior boatright, who I think is going to continue his run from the tourney and make the transition to post-bazz uconn a whole lot easier. I hate to say it, but I honestly think the losses of giffey and kromah will be harder to deal with, because we don't really have anyone who can step into that glue-guy role just yet.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Too bad Kemba and Bazz aren't white...

 

[uconnell]

Too bad Kemba and Bazz aren't white...

???????????????

 

[mauconnfan]

Best Graduate Senior Season: Deandre Kane

Lasan Kromah's Garduate Senior Season: PRICELESS

 

[Rocktheworld]

???????????????

We'd have three POYs instead of one.

 

[uconnell]

As great as it is to be honored as Player of the Year, I'm sure they would all forgo the honor to be National Champions.

 

[stickyrice]

We'd have three POYs instead of one.

Okafor is black and lost to Jameer Nelson who is also black. Js

 

[Kitaman]

"But the Creighton star was at the Final Four to collect a couple player of the year awards while Napier was there ultimately to win a national championship."

Umm, that's what we do.

 

[Gurleyman]

Okafor is black and lost to Jameer Nelson who is also black. Js

Ray Allen lost to Camby, Rip lost to Brand, Donyell lost to Big Dog

What hurt Bazz and Kemba more than anything is that the award is based on the regular season. We weren't top 20 teams going into the conference tourney either year and neither had eye-popping stats at the end of the regular season to really get NPOY on a second-tier team (Kemba had a low FG percentage, Bazz a low ppg average). If they voted after the FF, it might have been different (or at least a lot closer).

 

[Danzz]

Something to keep in mind every time someone posts "We could be even better next year!!!"

We have no Bazz or Kemba next year. We have to get better as a team to makeup for Bazz leaving. Samuel, Boat and Brimah already grew a lot during the season and expect more growth over the summer.