The Difference is Defense

[sun]

Have to agree Visiting Cock. Its almost like Paige's arms have gotten longer. If there was an award for best defense, Paige would be in the running.

There's the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Last year it was won by Alyah Boston.

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Skeets]

Maybe I'm nit picking here but one of the areas UConn can improve is for the players off the ball to stop watching the ball to the extent that the person they are guarding gets open. You might not be able to see this on TV (of course TV is also watching the ball) it's more obvious if you are there at the game. Sometimes it's legitimate help defense, but too often (in my opinion) it's bad defense. If help defense is not needed, the off-ball defenders have to continue defending their man, not stand around and watch the play.

A number of Louisville's open baskets in the first half were the result of "distracted" (for the lack of a better word) defenders. Louisville tended to miss those shots in the second half...

Is this the biggest problem? No, but it's something that can be worked on.

 

[visitingcock]

There's the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Last year it was won by Alyah Boston.

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That link says it was won by Cameron Brink. Doesn’t show Boston ever winning it. Hmmm. I thought I remembered Beal winning it last year.

Looking at the history, the award has been dominated by Bigs. Blocks. Defensive rebounds and maybe some overall notion of paint control. Maybe best big on a team with the lowest points allowed.

For a guard like Paige to win it, she would need a good but not necessarily the best number of blocks per game, a bunch of steals and UConn to have a very highly ranked defense.

She was great yesterday!

 

[oldude]

That link says it was won by Cameron Brink. Doesn’t show Boston ever winning it. Hmmm. I thought I remembered Beal winning it last year.

Looking at the history, the award has been dominated by Bigs. Blocks. Defensive rebounds and maybe some overall notion of paint control. Maybe best big on a team with the lowest points allowed.

For a guard like Paige to win it, she would need a good but not necessarily the best number of blocks per game, a bunch of steals and UConn to have a very highly ranked defense.

She was great yesterday!

The WBCA also awards a NDPOY. Over the years, the award has been given to a number of guards including: Lindsey Harding, Jennifer Risper, Monica Wright, Moriah Jefferson, Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse, Didi Richards & Veronica Burton

 

[HuskyNan]

That link says it was won by Cameron Brink. Doesn’t show Boston ever winning it. Hmmm. I thought I remembered Beal winning it last year.

Looking at the history, the award has been dominated by Bigs. Blocks. Defensive rebounds and maybe some overall notion of paint control. Maybe best big on a team with the lowest points allowed.

For a guard like Paige to win it, she would need a good but not necessarily the best number of blocks per game, a bunch of steals and UConn to have a very highly ranked defense.

She was great yesterday!

It looks like Boston won the Naismith award, Brink the WBCA award