UConn stats...in defense of Anna & Carnac...

[Watchdog]

No, because if she only took two more shots it isn’t possible for her have made three more.

I think your math is wrong. How could she have shot two more shots between the last 8 OOC and last 9 OOC games but made three more.

It was an addition mistake on "makes" in the first 8 OOC games. I always get excited over double figures.
I wasn't able to edit my post and correct it (for some reason the "edit" function wasn't showing), but I did undercount her "makes" in the last 8 OOC games. She made 11-28, not 10-28 three's so her percentage was actually 39.3%, not 35.7%.

 

[CocoHusky]

I think part of the problem with your posts is that your definition of "a very good player" imo is odd considering if she was "very good" then a "very good UCONN player" is somehow in your thought process "NOWHERE NEAR" an All-American. Sure there are some that can be very good like a Stokes - but with Amak we're talking a "6'2 terrific 3 pt shooter" that potentially is going to have greater passing guards to feed her. It's at least "a possibility" that UCONN will want to feed a 6'2 tremendous shooter, isn't it? And if other players at her position are either struggling or have injury issues -- why wouldn't you want to feed the tremendous shooter and very good passer???? Isn't a 40% - 45% 3pt shooter tremendous? She was 41% last year so you know for certain she won't improve on 41%? You know that for sure considering this is a potential soph bump season?

The point is - you don't know for certain if her minutes will go down as the season progresses because you can't know with certainty the play of CWill or the health of Evina (Who knows if Geno is going to limit her minutes) and the contribution of Nika.

Let me ask you this-- if she gets "28- 29" minutes per game (for example CWill struggles and Geno is cautious with Evina in some variation of these) and AMak is a 40-45% from 3 point range- knowing what you know about her skills as of this moment-- do you think AMak can reach "Honorable Mention A/A" status?

No she will not. Kia nurse did all that and more DPOY and was not named as such. Likewise for Senior Saniya Chong.

 

[j66kicker]

No, because if she only took two more shots it isn’t possible for her have made three more.

Sorry - I didn't realize they were all the same games with just one added. Mea culpa

 

[CocoHusky]

Yeah. Crystal has a history of not getting the ball to her teammates.

I'm just glad Crystal didn't take any of that selective passing "nonsense" to the WNBA with her.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Many players improve from one season to the next. Some even make dramatic progress during the season. Anna Makurat came to UConn as a talented freshman having lived and played basketball in Poland. She adjusted not just to college life away from home, but also to living in a foreign country and communicating in a foreign language. She also went from playing "European style" basketball to the specific Geno/UConn way of playing. All in all, lots of adjustments and changes that impacted her play early in the season.

Consider Anna's first 8 game stats. (1/4 of the season)
1. Points = 30 or 3.75 per game.
2. Three point shooting = 7-28 or 25%. (Includes 0 for America start)
3. Inside the arc shooting = 4-13 or 31%.
4. Minutes per game = 20.75 per game.
5. Assists = 24 or 3 per game.
6. Anna started 3 of the 8 games and ended that stretch coming off the bench.

Now consider the last 8 games of Anna's season.
1. Points = 104 or 13 per game.
2. Three-points shooting = 22-45 or 49%.
3. Inside the arc shooting = 15-27 or 55%.
4. Minutes per game = 32.4 per game.
5. Assists = 38 or 4.75 per game.
6. Anna started all games except the Senior night.

UConn played 32 games last year. I divided the season in quarters, much like a game. Carnac hopes & predicts Anna comes back and pick up where she left off. That would be great. Maybe, she may actually surprise and be even better. That would be wonderful for this talented player..!

Go Huskies..!!

I want to thank you for redeeming my impressions of Anna, particularly because it shows that though Anna's start was slow, dealing with a variety of issues including adapting to the UConn team and to being away from family, in a completely foreign country to her ... I guess in a post earlier comparing Anna versus Megan, I was more caught up in the Anna that evolved over the latter part of her freshman year .... you could see the numbers suggesting that she has potential to be an amazing player for the Huskies and not someone to be slowly but surely disappearing into an insignificant bench player as some have suggested .... So appreciate your numbers confirming what I saw of her ...

 

[soxfan23]

I think part of the problem with your posts is that your definition of "a very good player" imo is odd considering if she was "very good" then a "very good UCONN player" is somehow in your thought process "NOWHERE NEAR" an All-American. Sure there are some that can be very good like a Stokes - but with Amak we're talking a "6'2 terrific 3 pt shooter" that potentially is going to have greater passing guards to feed her. It's at least "a possibility" that UCONN will want to feed a 6'2 tremendous shooter, isn't it? And if other players at her position are either struggling or have injury issues -- why wouldn't you want to feed the tremendous shooter and very good passer???? Isn't a 40% - 45% 3pt shooter tremendous? She was 41% last year so you know for certain she won't improve on 41%? You know that for sure considering this is a potential soph bump season?

The point is - you don't know for certain if her minutes will go down as the season progresses because you can't know with certainty the play of CWill or the health of Evina (Who knows if Geno is going to limit her minutes) and the contribution of Nika.

Let me ask you this-- if she gets "28- 29" minutes per game (for example CWill struggles and Geno is cautious with Evina in some variation of these) and AMak is a 40-45% from 3 point range- knowing what you know about her skills as of this moment-- do you think AMak can reach "Honorable Mention A/A" status?

No, I don't, because if CWill struggles and Geno is limiting Westbrook's minutes, then Makurat becomes the focus on offense and opposing teams will key on her. While being a great shooter and a tremendous passer, Makurat's offensive game is not very multi- dimensional and she is best served in the spot up shooter role ala KLS or KML. She will simply not get the open looks if CWill struggles and Westbrook is injured. Last year Makurat averaged 26.5 mins per game, I don't think an extra couple of minutes per game is going to boost her production enough from the 8pts 4rbs 3ast that she averaged last year to be named an HM AA.

 

[Watchdog]

Yeah. Crystal has a history of not getting the ball to her teammates.

This thread has become "the emperor's new clothes".

CD and CW, no matter how much some might want to pretend otherwise, did not pass the ball as much this past season. It's obvious when you look at assist numbers and shots per game and they played almost the same number of minutes per game each year.

Assists:
CD had 118 assists (3.9/game) as a senior versus 225 (5.9/game) as a junior
CW had 72 (2.3 per game) versus 86 (also 2.3 per game) as a freshman
Anna had105 (3.3 per game) as a freshman in about 75% as many minutes/game

Both were more scoring oriented this year in about the same minutes/game:
CD took 12.0 shots/game as a senior versus 11.2/game as a junior.
CW took 12.3/game as a sophomore versus 9.0/game as a freshman.
Anna took 6.6/game as a freshman.

Maybe they didn't trust Anna or others, or maybe it was because the bench was so short they felt they had to do more on their own. Whatever the reason, I recall a number of very obvious instances where Anna was open and looking for a pass, especially in the second half of the season when she had proven to be our best 3 point shooter other than MW, and the ball never came.

 

[soxfan23]

I want to thank you for redeeming my impressions of Anna, particularly because it shows that though Anna's start was slow, dealing with a variety of issues including adapting to the UConn team and to being away from family, in a completely foreign country to her ... I guess in a post earlier comparing Anna versus Megan, I was more caught up in the Anna that evolved over the latter part of her freshman year .... you could see the numbers suggesting that she has potential to be an amazing player for the Huskies and not someone to be slowly but surely disappearing into an insignificant bench player as some have suggested .... So appreciate your numbers confirming what I saw of her ...

Who suggested anything even remotely close to this?

 

[MSGRET]

Okay, we get it, YOU DON'T LIKE Walker!

I haven't said a bad word about Walker, I've

Okay, we get it, YOU DON'T LIKE Walker!

I never said anything bad about Walker, I've been defending Anna against your bias of her. When you want to compare her against Walker's Junior year stats and Anna's Freshman year stats is like comparing apples to oranges. You talk about Anna's bad games against teams as a Freshman, let's talk about Walker's as a Freshman not as a Junior. That's more like apples to apples.
,

 

[soxfan23]

I haven't said a bad word about Walker, I've

I never said anything bad about Walker, I've been defending Anna against your bias of her. When you want to compare her against Walker's Junior year stats and Anna's Freshman year stats is like comparing apples to oranges. You talk about Anna's bad games against teams as a Freshman, let's talk about Walker's as a Freshman not as a Junior. That's more like apples to apples.
,

And @CocoHusky and I have not said anything except we don't consider Makurat an AA caliber player yet, but for some reason you think we hate the kid, that's the point.

I think you may have gotten a little confused, please go back and re-read the thread, NOBODY was comparing MW's junior year stats to Makurat's freshman year stats as any metric of what Makurat COULD be as a player, we were using MW's stats as an illustration of what an AA player looks like.

 

[hoophuskee]

No she will not. Kia nurse did all that and more DPOY and was not named as such. Likewise for Senior Saniya Chong.

What makes AMak different than KLS?

1-- For Nurse- she was never the leader in 3pt attempts, was she (neither was Chong)? So if in my scenario of CWill is having an off-season are you saying without a doubt that there is no way a 6'2 excellent 41% 3 point shooter from last year and with a potential soph bump won't be the leader in 3pt attempts this year? How is that the same as Nurse and Chong you just provided if they were never the leader in 3 pt attempts - while isn't it possible that AMak can be the leader in point attempts?

2-- So if number 1 above is possible that AMak will be the leader in 3pt attempts - then wouldn't it follow that she is hitting at a consistent good clip?

3-- Takeaway the 2 tough games at the beginning of the season now UCONN doesn't have that many - isn't possible that overall her 3pt fg% will go up slightly from frosh to soph year? So at least 42% if not a little more- isn't that excellent?

4-- If CWill has an off-season which was my scenario then who is it that you KNOW FOR CERTAIN is going to be taking most of the 3pt shots? Haven't we heard specifically from Geno that he has said that Evina is not a pure shooter (UCONNCAT posted something to this effect - a quote from Geno)? And Paige -- you know for a FACT she is going to shoot 40% or above from 3 and be a "scorer" from 3 vice "shooter?" ***Isn't it possible that AMak is a superior 3pt shooter to Paige and Evina and if she is-- and CWill is struggling- why wouldn't they look for a tall wing that was 41% last year (and we expect a bump this, don't we?) -- in halfcourt sets and running fastbreaks?

5-- ****Why wouldn't UCONN want to feed a tall wing player who shoots at least 41% from 3 if she is the best 3pt shooter on the team? AMak is 6'2 and has a high release point. Why would UCONN who historically loves 3 point shooters and running - would the guards (Evina, PAige, Nika) not look to feed her if CWill is struggling?

6-- If there is an answer anywhere that Paige and Evina are near as good 3pt shooters and can be a "scorer" (I mean "Scorer" not a "Kyla Irwin" who can hit an occasional 3 if left wide open. AMak is 6'2 but playing on the wing. ) from 3 - then sign me up!! With the way they pass - this means more than likely we have at least 1 if not 2 1st team A/A caliber players!

 

[Bronxjeff]

There are times I firmly believe stats don't reveal the whole story. I look at it this way: By the middle to end of this past season, Anna looked to me to be one of the more poised and assertive freshmen with the ball in her hands than I can remember in recent memory. She facilitated very well, and didn't turn the ball over every ten seconds. Total success. You guys can debate stats all you want, to me she absolutely looked like she belonged on the floor with the veteran players. Not sure why some folks are trying to limit her ceiling.

I think she played so well, they might have forgotten she was a freshman!

 

[hoophuskee]

No, I don't, because if CWill struggles and Geno is limiting Westbrook's minutes, then Makurat becomes the focus on offense and opposing teams will key on her. While being a great shooter and a tremendous passer, Makurat's offensive game is not very multi- dimensional and she is best served in the spot up shooter role ala KLS or KML. She will simply not get the open looks if CWill struggles and Westbrook is injured. Last year Makurat averaged 26.5 mins per game, I don't think an extra couple of minutes per game is going to boost her production enough from the 8pts 4rbs 3ast that she averaged last year to be named an HM AA.

Well you double whammied me here. I have to say I got this response and immediately I cracked up - not because of YOU - please don't take it that way-- I guess it's that I wasn't clear enough.

I said "in some variation" in my prior post to you referring to Evina and CWill. You took my post and disregarded "in some variation" (not your fault) and took it to mean if both not only "struggled/hurt" but will be near bottom-of-the-barrel? I mean if CWill struggles it doesn't mean "she stinks." And if Evina is dealing with injury I didn't mean it to be she is "out" - instead just struggling a bit preventing her from being "a A/A force." But my comment of her "struggling" wasn't meant to suggest that she stinks either. Isn't it possible that the 2 might not be A/a's and yet still be "competent?"

That's what I meant by "in some variation." I didn't mean it for you to take it that they would fall off a cliff. Isn't it possible that CWill and Evina won't be A/A's but still can be competent? And as a result, isn't it possible that if they are "just" competent then they would still be productive? And if they are productive - and wiht very good play from Paige and ONO- won't it free up AMak more?

I think it MUCH MORE "improbable" that both Evina and CWill will be "bottom of the barrel" along with not getting very good contributions from Paige and ONO. To make that leap is an assumption of the worst thing possible. IS that how we're going to justify AMak from being "NOWHERE NEAR" an A/A?

**So to your point of "keying on her" -- if they have four players on the Wooden List- I have knocked down 2 of them to being just competent -- - don't you expect both Paige and ONO to be very good? Add that with a 6'2 wing (i.e. she has SIZE ot get off her shot) that shoots tremendous, and competent 4 or 5 other players (Evina, CWill, Aubrey, Edwards and Nika)- you think "Big East" teams and even everyone else is going to look to JUST stop AMak? Isn't Paige getting in the lane and ONO able to score (from the passing of the many guards we have on this team) enough of a concern vs getting beat by AMak?

ONO and Paige will probable be better than AMak. That's where the defense is going to key if Evina and CWill are just competent, right? ??? And if they ARE BETTER and the other players "mostly competent" - you think AMak is going to be "keyed on" in such manner to be shutdown "WITHOUT A DOUBT" thus preventing her from putting up "Honorable Mention A/A stats?"

 

[CocoHusky]

What makes AMak different than KLS?

1-- For Nurse- she was never the leader in 3pt attempts, was she (neither was Chong)? So if in my scenario of CWill is having an off-season are you saying without a doubt that there is no way a 6'2 excellent 41% 3 point shooter from last year and with a potential soph bump won't be the leader in 3pt attempts this year? How is that the same as Nurse and Chong you just provided if they were never the leader in 3 pt attempts - while isn't it possible that AMak can be the leader in point attempts?

2-- So if number 1 above is possible that AMak will be the leader in 3pt attempts - then wouldn't it follow that she is hitting at a consistent good clip?

3-- Takeaway the 2 tough games at the beginning of the season now UCONN doesn't have that many - isn't possible that overall her 3pt fg% will go up slightly from frosh to soph year? So at least 42% if not a little more- isn't that excellent?

4-- If CWill has an off-season which was my scenario then who is it that you KNOW FOR CERTAIN is going to be taking most of the 3pt shots? Haven't we heard specifically from Geno that he has said that Evina is not a pure shooter (UCONNCAT posted something to this effect - a quote from Geno)? And Paige -- you know for a FACT she is going to shoot 40% or above from 3 and be a "scorer" from 3 vice "shooter?" ***Isn't it possible that AMak is a superior 3pt shooter to Paige and Evina and if she is-- and CWill is struggling- why wouldn't they look for a tall wing that was 41% last year (and we expect a bump this, don't we?) -- in halfcourt sets and running fastbreaks?

5-- ****Why wouldn't UCONN want to feed a tall wing player who shoots at least 41% from 3 if she is the best 3pt shooter on the team? AMak is 6'2 and has a high release point. Why would UCONN who historically loves 3 point shooters and running - would the guards (Evina, PAige, Nika) not look to feed her if CWill is struggling?

6-- If there is an answer anywhere that Paige and Evina are near as good 3pt shooters and can be a "scorer" (I mean "Scorer" not a "Kyla Irwin" who can hit an occasional 3 if left wide open. AMak is 6'2 but playing on the wing. ) from 3 - then sign me up!! With the way they pass - this means more than likely we have at least 1 if not 2 1st team A/A caliber players!

1-2) Anna did not lead UCONN in three point FG attempts last year. She was not second. She was actually third behind ironically the two people who some folks are accusing of not passing the ball to Anna last year.
In Her senior year Kia Nurse was 2nd in 3pt FGA behind KLS and for a long while led the nation in 3pt FG %.
Saniya Chong was 3rd in 3 Pt FG attempts as a senior. I din't just throw out two random examples.
This is at least the third time you have mentioned CW having an off season. I don't know why you think that would be a good thing for Anna or the team. If CW is having another off season Nika, Paige and EW are the ones that will have to pick up the slack. CW does not play the same position as Anna.

3) 42% 3PT FG for an entire season would be solid and 1% higher than Anna shot last year it would not be excellent.

4) The offense doesn't work that way-Geno doesn't go into the season "designating" someone as the three point shooter. It is a read and react transition offense, where the corners and wings are all occupied with capable shooters-notice that's plural not singular. Anna is a capable wing shooter but so will CW, Paige and Nika. Recall that Anna replaced Kyla Irwin in the starting line up last year. That had nothing to do with being a 3Point shooter because quiet as its kept Kyla was the better 3pt shooter. I try to read every @UConnCat becuase i find "wisdom" in them and don't recall the post you are referring to. Evina shot 35% from deep in her two season at TN. 38% during her last season. That should be capable enough for UCONN offense and roughly the same as CW shot last year. Aubrey and ONO both needs to pick up deep shooting.

5) Because the offense is designed to be more equal opportunity and dependent on the defense making a mistake. If the opposing coach knows that Anna (or any other player) is always going to be beyond the arc that becomes easier to defend. What you are proposing is exactly what KLS did at the start of her freshman year. She wanted to linger on the perimeter and wait for the ball and shoot it. Geno didn't tolerate that from KLS and he won't tolerate it from Anna. KLS had to move all over the floor and hunt shots. That what Geno meant when he told her she not working hard enough.

6) IMO Paige will be a very good collegiate 3pt shooter. She will need to be for the UCONN offense to run full throttle.

 

[hoophuskee]

And @CocoHusky and I have not said anything except we don't consider Makurat an AA caliber player yet, but for some reason you think we hate the kid, that's the point.

I think you may have gotten a little confused, please go back and re-read the thread, NOBODY was comparing MW's junior year stats to Makurat's freshman year stats as any metric of what Makurat COULD be as a player, we were using MW's stats as an illustration of what an AA player looks like.

And if that is your point it is WRONG-- still.

You realize Walker was a 1st team A/A, right? SO are you suggesting that AMak is NOWHERE NEAR an A/A because you want to use 1st team A/A stats as a comparison?

She can't be be an Honorable Mention A/A because you want to use 1st team A/a stats as the barometer?

 

[CocoHusky]

And if that is your point it is WRONG-- still.
You realize Walker was a 1st team A/A, right? SO are you suggesting that AMak is NOWHERE NEAR an A/A because you want to use 1st team A/A stats as a comparison?
She can't be be an Honorable Mention A/A because you want to use 1st team A/a stats as the barometer?

Just out of curiosity what do you believe to be the criteria for "honorable" mention AA? You can answer by either providing an example of a person who was during a specific season or by providing a numeric criteria.

 

[Boreifs]

Yeah. Crystal has a history of not getting the ball to her teammates.

You should look at the stats before you jump in. She averaged two fewer assists per game as a senior than she did as a junior. She had no problem dishing the ball to Megan, CW or ONO, but was very hesitant to pass it to Anna.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Man, actual games can't arrive too soon, lest we start eating our own!

 

[Boreifs]

No she will not. Kia nurse did all that and more DPOY and was not named as such. Likewise for Senior Saniya Chong.

Putting Nurse and Chong in the same category is ridiculous. Nurse was a four-year starter, a National denfensive player of the year, starts for the Canadian National team and is a star in the NBA. Chong started one year at UConn and shared time with a Freshman. There is a world of difference between those two players; no basis of comparison whatsoever.

 

[CocoHusky]

Putting Nurse and Chong in the same category is ridiculous. Nurse was a four-year starter, a National denfensive player of the year, starts for the Canadian National team and is a star in the NBA. Chong started one year at UConn and shared time with a Freshman. There is a world of difference between those two players; no basis of comparison whatsoever.

The basis of comparison is the 3PT FG percentage of those players as compared to Anna -sorry that comparison appears to have alluded you.

 

[CocoHusky]

You should look at the stats before you jump in. She averaged two fewer assists per game as a senior than she did as a junior. She had no problem dishing the ball to Megan, CW or ONO, but was very hesitant to pass it to Anna.

Perhaps the absence of the two AA on the roster which had been the Norm since Crystal was a freshman was the difference eh? The poor season CW was having also had a negative impact on Crystal assists numbers because Geno moved her to SG (off the ball) for the majority of the last 1/3 of the season. Someone sitting courtside would surely not have missed that unless..... YOU WANTED TO!

 

[JonathanXIV]

You should look at the stats before you jump in. She averaged two fewer assists per game as a senior than she did as a junior. She had no problem dishing the ball to Megan, CW or ONO, but was very hesitant to pass it to Anna.

In my opinion, Crystal had to assume more of the offensive load last year as our two top
scorers had graduated. And part of her reduction in assists also had to do with playing on a team with less offensive firepower. And I watched the games too, and I didn’t see Crystal avoiding passing to Anna.

 

[hoophuskee]

Just out of curiosity what do you believe to be the criteria for "honorable" mention AA? You can answer by either providing an example of a person who was during a specific season or by providing a numeric criteria.

Tell me what UCONN's record is. Is it undefeated? I can make it easy and say if they went undefeated and she was the team's 2nd leading scorer, can't I? Is that unreasonable - assuming CWill had a competent but "offseason" as did Evina- and then say she would probably be a least an Honorable A/A?

If she is the 2nd leading scorer on an undefeated team-- more than likely she'll be at least Honorable Mention A/A, right?

Agree? They have 4 tough reg seasons games you think? ANd if they won all 4 - and she is the team
s 2nd leading scorer along with being a good passer I would guess at a minimum she played well- was huge in at least 2 of the games. IS that unreasonable?

 

[hoophuskee]

In my opinion, Crystal had to assume more of the offensive load last year as our two top
scorers had graduated. And part of her reduction in assists also had to do with playing on a team with less offensive firepower. And I watched the games too, and I didn’t see Crystal avoiding passing to Anna.

+5000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Absolutely she had to be more of a scorer. Without her scoring they were sunk.

 

[CocoHusky]

Tell me what UCONN's record is. Is it undefeated? I can make it easy and say if they went undefeated and she was the team's 2nd leading scorer, can't I? Is that unreasonable - assuming CWill had a competent but "offseason" as did Evina- and then say she would probably be a least an Honorable A/A?
If she is the 2nd leading scorer on an undefeated team-- more than likely she'll be at least Honorable Mention A/A, right?
Agree? They have 4 tough reg seasons games you think? and if they won all 4 - and she is the team
s 2nd leading scorer along with being a good passer I would guess at a minimum she played well- was huge in at least 2 of the games. IS that unreasonable?

No I don't agree.
If this team goes undefeated and wins a national championship at most there will be at most 3 AA but likely 2. The voters are not suddenly going to ignore their pre-season AA , watch list etc. Anna is not currently on any of the watch list and there are 4 UCONN players who are. A national championship would mean ONO as the teams only post presence had a hell of a year-there goes at least one of the AA spots. If this team were to win a Championship that would also mean Paige or Evina as the starting PG also had a hell of a year. If it's Paige then she likely gets NFOY and AA votes but not full AA because those award tend to favor upper class men. If it's Evina then she gets minted an AA and off to the WNBA she'll likely go.

 

[hoophuskee]

No I don't agree.
If this team goes undefeated and wins a national championship at most there will be at most 3 AA but likely 2. The voters are not suddenly going to ignore their pre-season AA , watch list etc. Anna is not currently on any of the watch list and there are 4 UCONN players who are. A national championship would mean ONO as the teams only post presence had a hell of a year-there goes at least one of the AA spots. If this team were to win a Championship that would also mean Paige or Evina as the starting PG also had a hell of a year. If it's Paige then she likely gets NFOY and AA votes but not full AA because those award tend to favor upper class men. If it's Evina then she gets minted an AA and off to the WNBA she'll likely go.

At this point tell me what we are arguing. Because when I said :"undefeated seasons" and I'm talking of A/A awards - it could only mean reg. season and not the NCAA Tourney championship. They have separate awards for the tourney I believe. So when you mention championship-- I was not referring to that. So-- what are we arguing?

Further, what I have been arguing all along is that soxfan23 said AMak will be "NOWHERE NEAR" an A/A. I imply/claim an Honorable Mention A/a is "near" an A/a. DO you agree with my definition? So your comment to me about 3 A/a's is not what I was arguing. I am not arguing that AMak will be an A/a. I am arguing that the point that soxfan23 said by stating she is NOWHERE NEAR an A/a when imo if CWill and Evina perform to competent levels but not higher than that then absolutely AMak can be an Honorable Mention A/A- thus be "Near" A/A status. It seems you are sticking up for his NOWHERE NEAR comment but I can't 100% tell. I do agree with you that some here have too much exuberance - averaging 25 ppg? No way no how no way no how no way she scores that. No way no how no way no how.

Though back to the possibility of AMak being near A/a or A/A - IMO it is NOT unreasonable to assume that CWill MIGHT NOT perform at Honorable Mention A/A level nor is it unreasonable to assume that Evina's knee might limit her ability to become an Honorable Mention A/A. This means more shots - especially from 3 for the tall wing in AMak that is also a very good passer.

For example- on fastbreaks you are going to look for the tall wing that is your best 3pt shooter that knocks them down at possibly 42% this year. Unless the opposing team is just going to give yo layups- but they don't do that then by her taking these 3's it's equivalent in terms of fg% to 63%. That's excellent. -

 

[Boreifs]

Perhaps the absence of the two AA on the roster which had been the Norm since Crystal was a freshman was the difference eh? The poor season CW was having also had a negative impact on Crystal assists numbers because Geno moved her to SG (off the ball) for the majority of the last 1/3 of the season. Someone sitting courtside would surely not have missed that unless..... YOU WANTED TO!

I didn’t miss it. For the last third of the season, Anna was essentially a point forward. Crystal was looking for her shot, which was her role. I can’t criticize that; UNLESS YOU EXPECT ME TO. It does look childish, doesn’t it? The cap is for children, not mature adults.

 

[Cuango]

What makes AMak different than KLS?

1-- For Nurse- she was never the leader in 3pt attempts, was she (neither was Chong)? So if in my scenario of CWill is having an off-season are you saying without a doubt that there is no way a 6'2 excellent 41% 3 point shooter from last year and with a potential soph bump won't be the leader in 3pt attempts this year? How is that the same as Nurse and Chong you just provided if they were never the leader in 3 pt attempts - while isn't it possible that AMak can be the leader in point attempts?

2-- So if number 1 above is possible that AMak will be the leader in 3pt attempts - then wouldn't it follow that she is hitting at a consistent good clip?

3-- Takeaway the 2 tough games at the beginning of the season now UCONN doesn't have that many - isn't possible that overall her 3pt fg% will go up slightly from frosh to soph year? So at least 42% if not a little more- isn't that excellent?

4-- If CWill has an off-season which was my scenario then who is it that you KNOW FOR CERTAIN is going to be taking most of the 3pt shots? Haven't we heard specifically from Geno that he has said that Evina is not a pure shooter (UCONNCAT posted something to this effect - a quote from Geno)? And Paige -- you know for a FACT she is going to shoot 40% or above from 3 and be a "scorer" from 3 vice "shooter?" ***Isn't it possible that AMak is a superior 3pt shooter to Paige and Evina and if she is-- and CWill is struggling- why wouldn't they look for a tall wing that was 41% last year (and we expect a bump this, don't we?) -- in halfcourt sets and running fastbreaks?

5-- ****Why wouldn't UCONN want to feed a tall wing player who shoots at least 41% from 3 if she is the best 3pt shooter on the team? AMak is 6'2 and has a high release point. Why would UCONN who historically loves 3 point shooters and running - would the guards (Evina, PAige, Nika) not look to feed her if CWill is struggling?

6-- If there is an answer anywhere that Paige and Evina are near as good 3pt shooters and can be a "scorer" (I mean "Scorer" not a "Kyla Irwin" who can hit an occasional 3 if left wide open. AMak is 6'2 but playing on the wing. ) from 3 - then sign me up!! With the way they pass - this means more than likely we have at least 1 if not 2 1st team A/A caliber players!

While I must profess that I’m a little confused, I urge you to consider what will happen if Anna is the only really good three point shooter on the team. If that were the case, Anna would be facing all kinds of defensive moves by every team we play. I love Anna and agree that she is being undervalued. However, for her to be able to play at a really high level, there have to be multiple scoring threats on the team. Otherwise, the primary defensive focus will be on her, and she (Anna) does not possess the kind of game that can counter that.

 

[hoophuskee]

While I must profess that I’m a little confused, I urge you to consider what will happen if Anna is the only really good three point shooter on the team. If that were the case, Anna would be facing all kinds of defensive moves by every team we play. I love Anna and agree that she is being undervalued. However, for her to be able to play at a really high level, there have to be multiple scoring threats on the team. Otherwise, the primary defensive focus will be on her, and she (Anna) does not possess the kind of game that can counter that.

1--- What do you define as a "really good 3 point shooter?" If you are just a "good" 3 point shooter but not "really good" - isn't that okay?

2-- We believe Paige can beat players off the dribble and score in the lane don't we? So why cant she be both a good 3pt shooter (just not as good as AMak) and also be a threat off the bounce (which AMak isn't much yet)? You are suggesting leaving Paige wide open for 3's because you are going to face-guard AMak? Paige isn't just a pg, right? We have potentially two other pg's to feed her and potentially AMak, right? Evina and Nika.

3-- If Evina is just average from 3 and CWill is average and AMak is at 42% and Paige at 40% -- that's not a good 3 point shooting team? If you are going to face guard AMak - isn't it less help on the others and as a result potentially inviting UCONN's big guards to penetrate?

4-- If Evina is also a penetrator - like Paige is-- aren't they a threat to score / get fouls in the paint? And we know Paige is a super passer and at least Evina is a "good passer" right? So when they pass --> See number 5 --->

5--- Isn't ONO more of a threat to score inside because the attention Paige will be able to draw and probably Evina too? Isn't it better for defense to defend the paint if the opposition is a major threat to score in there? And most games won't UCONN have a decided advantage in the paint and with their big guards vs the Big East and nearly everyone else not named Baylor or SC or maybe one other team that is a big threat to beat them?

6-- Isn't it true on fastbreaks that it is rare a center is back on defense or a power forward? And isn't it also true that on defense on fastbreaks that the most important thing to do is to prevent layups and bunny shots? Thus when Paige (or Evina) is taking the ball to the hole- doesn't the defense- probably smaller defender than them probably need help ensuring that Paige and Evina don't get layups or bunny baskets? If you need additional help won't it mean AMak will have good opportunities to shoot?

7---- Adding all this up - in particular if Paige is good and ONO is good and Evina is competent-- - you are suggesting that the defense is going to key in on AMak?

I don't agree with that if that is what you are thinking.

The defense will not be focused to stop AMak. They will be focused more on Paige and ONO (if if if if if CWill is competent but not having an Honorable Mention A/a season along with if if if if Evina is having similar non-Honorable A/A season possibly due to her knee slowing her down a bit.). **But just because a team sticks up a zone or has taller players doesn't mean they can stop UCONN from scoring inside without over-compensating with an extra player or 2 in the paint. ****Once they do that then AMak gets her looks. Most teams will challenge her to beat them rather than Paige or ONO imo.

 

[CocoHusky]

At this point tell me what we are arguing. Because when I said :"undefeated seasons" and I'm talking of A/A awards - it could only mean reg. season and not the NCAA Tourney championship. They have separate awards for the tourney I believe. So when you mention championship-- I was not referring to that. So-- what are we arguing?

Further, what I have been arguing all along is that soxfan23 said AMak will be "NOWHERE NEAR" an A/A. I imply/claim an Honorable Mention A/a is "near" an A/a. DO you agree with my definition? So your comment to me about 3 A/a's is not what I was arguing. I am not arguing that AMak will be an A/a. I am arguing that the point that soxfan23 said by stating she is NOWHERE NEAR an A/a when imo if CWill and Evina perform to competent levels but not higher than that then absolutely AMak can be an Honorable Mention A/A- thus be "Near" A/A status. It seems you are sticking up for his NOWHERE NEAR comment but I can't 100% tell. I do agree with you that some here have too much exuberance - averaging 25 ppg? No way no how no way no how no way she scores that. No way no how no way no how.

Though back to the possibility of AMak being near A/a or A/A - IMO it is NOT unreasonable to assume that CWill MIGHT NOT perform at Honorable Mention A/A level nor is it unreasonable to assume that Evina's knee might limit her ability to become an Honorable Mention A/A. This means more shots - especially from 3 for the tall wing in AMak that is also a very good passer.

For example- on fastbreaks you are going to look for the tall wing that is your best 3pt shooter that knocks them down at possibly 42% this year. Unless the opposing team is just going to give yo layups- but they don't do that then by her taking these 3's it's equivalent in terms of fg% to 63%. That's excellent. -

I'm a UCONN WBB fan-I'm not about that life of celebrating an undefeated "regular season". I'll leave that to the ND fans. What I'm arguing is: 1) You consistently and severely underestimate the level of performance it takes to achieve AA or honorable mention AA status. 2) Anna is not likely to get there based on 3Pt accuracy of even 45% because of the current composition of the UCONN roster.
My argument is based on statistics and history. Consider these two blind resumes.
Player Number 1 was from the #1 ranked team and shot 44.4 % from deep and led her team in scoring-that is not a misprint-she was the number 1 scorer on the number one team last year.
Player Number 2 shot 44.1 percent from deep and was the #4 scorer on the #2 ranked team.
Neither player received AA votes. Neither player was even voted among the top 10 best in their respective conferences. Player 1 had 1 teammate that was voted AA and another who received Honorable mention. Player Number 2 had 3 teammates ( maximum allowable) who were voted AA.
So when @soxfan23 says nowhere close those are two examples of what he's talking about. To make HH AA you have to be one of the top 15 best players in the NCAA. That's what I mean when I say some of your (& others) expectations for Anna are not realistic. Quite honestly I would settle for Anna making 1st Team Big East but to do so she would have to play better than ONO, Christyn, Evina & Paige-that is not a realistic expectation. I suppose anything is possible because we already have a few people thinking Anna played better than Megan Walker last year-hopefully you know better.