Should UConn's Paige Bueckers win national player of the year? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Should UConn's Paige Bueckers win national player of the year?

bluedevil said:
People who are famous for being famous are often disliked..it goes with the territory...see Kardashian as another example.
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When Geno said the line, it was of course funny but there is a reason so many people liked her game in HS and she worked hard to be the best HS player in the country and earn her stripes as MVP in the USA basketball tournaments etc. And I am not saying Paige did not enjoy the attention, she certainly did and played a part in feeding it but it is not exactly the path Kim took to be famous. :rolleyes:

More importantly, never ever read the comments.
 
eebmg said:
When Geno said the line, it was of course funny but there is a reason so many people liked her game in HS and she worked hard to be the best HS player in the country and earn her stripes as MVP in the USA basketball tournaments etc. And I am not saying Paige did not enjoy the attention, she certainly did and played a part in feeding it but it is not exactly the path Kim took to be famous. :rolleyes:

More importantly, never ever read the comments.
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Lol we all knew how she got famous...maybe not a good example..
 
eebmg said:
When Geno said the line, it was of course funny but there is a reason so many people liked her game in HS and she worked hard to be the best HS player in the country and earn her stripes as MVP in the USA basketball tournaments etc. And I am not saying Paige did not enjoy the attention, she certainly did and played a part in feeding it but it is not exactly the path Kim took to be famous. :rolleyes:

More importantly, never ever read the comments.
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bluedevil said:
Lol we all knew how she got famous...maybe not a good example..
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:eek: I have no idea what you two are talking about! :D
 
bballnut90 said:
Every week my 1st Team AA list changes....I'd probably have the same team too after Clark's performances the last couple of weeks. Owusu is one who I think is right on the cusp too. I'd maybe put her on 1st team over Smith/Clark/Hillmon depending on tomorrow and the conference tournament. She's been sorely overlooked by a lot of press this year. I still have Boston/Dungee in the mix too. McDonald seems to be getting a fair amount of media love this year but I think she's have a borderline 2nd/3rd team type of season.
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McDonald had a much better season last year (and even the year before); if she gets AA this year will be only because she finally got the hype she deserved.

I'm a big fan of Owusu (19ppg, 6rpg, 6apg, 49% FG; 2.3:1 a/to); she's oddly been nominated for the top SG award over the top PG award, despite being one of the top PGs in the nation IMO. What hurts her cause for a 5 member first team is her teammate, Diamond Miller, is having a nearly as impressive season (17.7ppg, 6.1rpg, 50%FG, 39% 3-pt). The fact that they are both sophomores is...chilling for B10 fans.
 
I’m curious to research if there’s ever been a 20 ppg scorer for a No. 1 ranked team who didn't win a NPOY award. Might be tricky to find that out, though, the further back you go and the less is on line. Maya was at about 18 ppg the year Tina won it, but that would be chalked up to unusual circumstances.

It’s probably happened here or there - someone averaging 25 on the No. 3 team or something like that.
 
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CajunHusky said:
as far as Voepelle ... she tends to toot her own horn... ESPNW awards are chosen by like 3 people - nice but that's about it.
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With all due, NOTHING could be further from the truth.

I have known Mechelle Voepel (in person) since 2007 (had previously communicated with her via email and phone since 2002). Since 2007, we have made it a point to see each other a few times per year (pre-COVID), to both watch basketball games and go out to dinner. She is the one of the most unassuming people I know, someone who is always willing to listen to and consider the perspectives of others, while also including non-traditional metrics as part of her analysis.

Mechelle is not someone who "tends to toot her own horn" by an stretch of the imagination. Rather, she is far more self-deprecating than almost any ESPN analyst/commentator/columnist I know. And she is always quick to defer to others (and give credit to them) whom she believes to be more knowledgeable on a particular subject matter.
 
While I admired Mechelle for her confronting Kim Mulkey on her very disturbing support of Baylor, I do find Mechelle's opinions lacking facts to support them at times questionable or downright missing. She has an opinion and expresses it. I do not think she ever toots her own horn other than publishing articles with her opinion, which in itself, promotes WCBB. I did say above that Mechelle certainly should have listed Rhyne, Naz and others flaws/concerns the way she listed them for Paige. That is an omission that the editor should have called out for better and more fair reporting. IMO...
 
Vowelguy said:
I doubt Shaq had very many assists, steals, or 3s. I believe he was pretty good.
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Not the point, Shaq was great at what he did and HOF for what he did. Naz is very good at what she does, it's just that what she doesn't do is glaring in comparison.
 
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Paige is NPOY because without her UConn would not be ranked number 1. Shes the engine that runs the team. You cant say that about a team not ranked in the top 4/5 imo. Evans is a difference maker for LVille. Clark is a great player but her team is not gonna compete for a NC. TAM SC Stanford NC State all have great teams and great players but none have done what Paige has done. Think how much better the top teams would be if they had Paige. Thats all you need to know to know that Paige is the NPOY.
 
Gurleyman said:
I’m curious to research if there’s ever been a 20 ppg scorer for a No. 1 ranked team who didn't win a NPOY award. Might be tricky to find that out, though, the further back you go and the less is on line. Maya was at about 18 ppg the year Tina won it, but that would be chalked up to unusual circumstances.

It’s probably happened here or there - someone averaging 25 on the No. 3 team or something like that.
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So I did look this up using the Naismith Award as a starting spot. It’s very rare, although it actually happened in a quirky year to both Napheesa and KLS in 2017 when they both averaged just over 20 for No. 1 UConn and Kelsey Plum won it averaging 31.7. Obviously no argument there - both for Plum‘s explosion and UConn essentially having co-MVPs making it difficult to vote for one.

Alana Beard averaged 19.7 for No. 1 Duke in 2004 when she lost the Naismith to Taurasi, so in the same ballpark in scoring as Paige - but Beard won the Wade, the Wooden and the AP Player of the Year.

Stephanie White of No. 1 Purdue in 1998-99 averaged 20.4 and lost the Naismith to Holdsclaw who repeated for No. 2 Tennessee. White won both the Wade and the Honda, though.

Then you go back to 1989-90 for Venus Lacy who averaged 24 for No. 1 La Tech but lost to Jennifer Azzi of No. 2 Stanford, who averaged 14.7 and 6.0 assists and won most major awards. Lacy did manage to take the WBCA Player of the Year (which no longer exists for the DI level), but Azzi virtually swept.

So to find a 20 ppg scorer on a No. 1 team, other than KLS and Pheesa, who won nothing, you have to go back to Annette Smith of Texas in 1983-84, who averaged 24.9 in the Cheryl Miller era (Janice Lawrence of No. 2 La Tech (21 ppg, 8 rpg, 62 pct shooting) won a couple too that year).
 
Michigan got absolutely crushed today at home - two straight 20+ losses and really no good wins with Ohio State backsliding severely. Owusu continues to play well and maybe should slide up to first team AA. Howard maybe can get her spot back as SEC POY too.
 
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