The Votes Are In: Paige Landslide Winner

[RockyMTblue2]

It's the Courant poll on the greatest freshman Husky of all time. Paige took 62% of the vote, Maya 21%, Stewie 9%, DT 5% and Sveta 3%.

UConn women’s basketball fans have voted, and they say Paige Bueckers is the best freshman player of all time

We asked the UConn Insiders to weigh in on the best freshman in UConn women’s basketball history. The top five players submitted in our reader poll — Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Ma…

www.courant.com

 

[psconn]

Recency bias? Paige is in this conversation for sure, but those landslide numbers may also reflect the cognitive tendency to give greater weight to more recent memories.

 

[EricLA]

Recency bias? Paige is in this conversation for sure, but those landslide numbers may also reflect the cognitive tendency to give greater weight to more recent memories.

Maybe, but realistically, IMHO, it could only come down to Paige or Maya. Maya was 2nd in the NPOY voting as a freshman to Parker. Paige should be 1st team AA, and is on the short list also for NPOY. None of the other UCONN rookies had numbers or accolades like that...

 

[Sonny44]

It's the Courant poll on the greatest freshman Husky of all time. Paige took 62% of the vote, Maya 21%, Stewie 9%, DT 5% and Sveta 3%.

UConn women’s basketball fans have voted, and they say Paige Bueckers is the best freshman player of all time

We asked the UConn Insiders to weigh in on the best freshman in UConn women’s basketball history. The top five players submitted in our reader poll — Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Ma…

www.courant.com

Premature, people have a short memory. Breanna won the NC for us. Lets wait a while.

 

[MSGRET]

Does anyone know when the Big East announces the annual awards for the Women's basketball?

 

[PJCLaw]

Maybe, but realistically, IMHO, it could only come down to Paige or Maya. Maya was 2nd in the NPOY voting as a freshman to Parker. Paige should be 1st team AA, and is on the short list also for NPOY. None of the other UCONN rookies had numbers or accolades like that...

MM was an AP 1st team AA , WBCA AA, and a USBWA AA her freshman year (and all of her remaining years, for that matter), so, I respectfully disagree that "None of the other rookies had numbers or accolades like that."

 

[uconnfan68]

MM was an AP 1st team AA , WBCA AA, and a USBWA AA her freshman year (and all of her remaining years, for that matter), so, I respectfully disagree that "None of the other rookies had numbers or accolades like that."

And she didn’t even start every game. Geno can be tough to please.

 

[PJCLaw]

And she didn’t even start every game. Geno can be tough to please.

Lol, for sure!!

 

[UcMiami]

Yup - wait until after the NCAAs - Nykesha Sales, Barb Turner and Anne Strother, CD2 and Tiff Hayes, Kelly Faris, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck, Kia Nurse, KLS and Collier are the only freshman that really contributed significantly to NC and Breanna Stewart as MVP of the FF is hard to beat.

Nothing against Paige, but this crowd generally lives and dies on NCs so she has all to play for.

I left out MoJeff because she was not that important as a freshman (and a few other freshman as well in the same boat.)

 

[Rb335]

Regular season, agreed. Her and Maya are in a class of their own as freshman in the regular season. To date, Stewart is in a postseason class of her own. If Paige can lead us to the NC, she will easily have had the best freshman season. Too early to tell, but regardless of the outcome, she deserves to be mentioned as one of the best freshman ever.

 

[EricLA]

MM was an AP 1st team AA , WBCA AA, and a USBWA AA her freshman year (and all of her remaining years, for that matter), so, I respectfully disagree that "None of the other rookies had numbers or accolades like that."

Hey not for nothing, but did you actually read my post?

Maybe, but realistically, IMHO, it could only come down to Paige or Maya. Maya was 2nd in the NPOY voting as a freshman to Parker. Paige should be 1st team AA, and is on the short list also for NPOY. None of the other UCONN rookies had numbers or accolades like that...

I mentioned Paige and Maya. None of the others (excluding Paige and Maya)... Sorry if that wasn't clear enough...

 

[Geesworld]

Must be Prisoner of the moment voting.

 

[southofnorth]

I have a bias towards Maya (favorite husky and really my favorite athlete—plus she was magnificent against the best competition even as a freshman!), but Paige carrying this team is something special. I’d pick either freshman for my team any day of the week. Plus, if the development of the other freshmen on the list are any indication of Paige’s future, then she’s in for quite a bit of success!

 

[Gurleyman]

Must be Prisoner of the moment voting.

Not really. We couldn’t find anybody in any class who ever had a crunch time performance for us like Paige did against SC. In the big picture, we were frankly backsliding as a program coming into this year pretty significantly (ended last year No. 5 with three blowout losses and lost our two best players), and she lifted us back up to No. 1. Her freshman season has been historically good.

I doubt she can match what Breanna did for a postseason as a freshman (if she does - wow). But Breanna wasn’t even All-Big East during the regular season (she was honorable mention, but not one of the 22 All-Big East picks). As a full body of work, I don’t think Paige’s freshman year can be touched except by Maya. It’s fair to argue she didn’t have the load to carry with Renee as an AA junior point guard and Tina as an AA forward, but it’s also fair to argue that Paige lost some strength of schedule without having to face Louisville and Baylor and maybe didn’t get tested as often.

 

[DefenseBB]

Premature, people have a short memory. Breanna won the NC for us. Lets wait a while.

Not premature, Stewie's regular season pales in comparison to Paige's. Stewie came alive during the Post-season but she also lost to ND 3 times and Baylor during the regular season so just everyone stop with Breanna even being in the same category as top Freshman all time. She is however, more deserving of UConn top player over all 4 years!.

 

[VidNick]

Not premature, Stewie's regular season pales in comparison to Paige's. Stewie came alive during the Post-season but she also lost to ND 3 times and Baylor during the regular season so just everyone stop with Breanna even being in the same category as top Freshman all time. She is however, more deserving of UConn top player over all 4 years!.

In Stewie's freshman year Uconn played one of, if not the toughest schedule in the Country. Uconn SOS this year is 67 last time I looked. They have played 1(?) top ten team and 4(?) top 50 teams. Uconn has played one game this year that is close to the caliber of the ND & Baylor teams in 2013. And I would argue South Carolina is overrated. It is no ones fault Uconn's schedule is weak. I am a big fan of Paige, however, her stats have been impacted by SOS.

 

[meyers7]

Does anyone know when the Big East announces the annual awards for the Women's basketball?

Should be tomorrow, Thursday, since the Tournament starts Friday.

 

[DefenseBB]

Let's compare Stewies freshman roster to Paige's
Sr Faris
Sr Doty
Jr Dolson
Jr Hartley
So KML
So Stokes
Fr Tuck
Fr Jefferson
That's 4 players with defined leadership roles plus KML who was a stud shooter. While CW and ONO have been in the system for now their 3rd year, I am a bit dubious on this year's team being nearly as seasoned as that team.

Without any doubt, what Paige has done is better than what Stewie did her FRESHMAN year.

 

[VidNick]

Without any doubt, what Paige has done is better than what Stewie did her FRESHMAN year.

You are relying on data that is not equivalent. Uconn 2013 played 10 games vs top 10 teams. Against players such as Achonwa, Diggins, McBride, Lloyd, Ogwumike, Thomas(Alysa), Griner, Sims. Basically, a group of some of the best women's players of the last 10 years. Paige has not played a single game against a team with a player the caliber of these.

 

[cbraarj]

Paige came to a team that had no AAs with 3 upperclassmen who haven't been consistent all year. She has played a lot of minutes and for UConn to continue to have success for the next 4 weekends she needs to continue being the leader of this team. Diana's frosh year the team was the best team ever for the Huskies. Stewies team was loaded too. Maya had a great year and was consistent all year. Individual year I would give it to Maya. Teamwise I give it to Stewie for the NC. Paige has a couple more chapters to write before being picked the best ever Freshman.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think most folks would agree that, at least before Paige, Maya was the most consistent UConn player, especially as a freshman. She was 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the AP POY voting (unmatched!) and, thus, was a 4-time 1st team All-American. She missed no games, playing in all 154. The team's record was 150-4, and she posted double-figures 150 times, an NCAA record. Stewie and Diana had more championships, but Maya was the most consistent.

 

[Cecil9]

You are relying on data that is not equivalent. Uconn 2013 played 10 games vs top 10 teams. Against players such as Achonwa, Diggins, McBride, Lloyd, Ogwumike, Thomas(Alysa), Griner, Sims. Basically, a group of some of the best women's players of the last 10 years. Paige has not played a single game against a team with a player the caliber of these.

She did in the Arkansas game, and although UCONN lost, Paige did well: team high 27 pts

 

[Geesworld]

Not really. We couldn’t find anybody in any class who ever had a crunch time performance for us like Paige did against SC. In the big picture, we were frankly backsliding as a program coming into this year pretty significantly (ended last year No. 5 with three blowout losses and lost our two best players), and she lifted us back up to No. 1. Her freshman season has been historically good.

I doubt she can match what Breanna did for a postseason as a freshman (if she does - wow). But Breanna wasn’t even All-Big East during the regular season (she was honorable mention, but not one of the 22 All-Big East picks). As a full body of work, I don’t think Paige’s freshman year can be touched except by Maya. It’s fair to argue she didn’t have the load to carry with Renee as an AA junior point guard and Tina as an AA forward, but it’s also fair to argue that Paige lost some strength of schedule without having to face Louisville and Baylor and maybe didn’t get tested as often.

Never have to sell me the fact that Paige is a good player. I'm was Lucky enough to witness her greatness in its infant stages on the hardwood, Gyms in Minnesota,

However Maya was just different and she knew it from day one. Offense, Defense, Rebounding, Shooter and Fierce Competitor right out the gate. Maya played in a much better Big East Conference whish she soaked up all the awards along with AA first team.

 

[UcMiami]

If Paige had Stewie's freshman team around her she would be playing significantly fewer minutes and putting up significantly lower numbers - Geno really doesn't want to play her that much but has little choice. Everything is 'relative' in this team game. Geno also wouldn't have had the option to sit an out of sorts Stewart as a freshman on this team.