Which women's basketball prospect could be the next...

[HuskylnSC]

I apologize for my previous response to you, it was a bit rude.

Here's where I'm coming from. The last 2 seasons I've seen numerous complaints on the BY about Ionescu's amount of playing time. I pointed out that several UConn starters were playing approx. the same number of minutes both seasons. If it wasn't excessive for UConn, then it wasn't excessive for Oregon either. I'm not sure if the complaints about her minutes were the same during her Fr. and Soph seasons. Her minutes were fairly consistent throughout her career.

Apology accepted. I didn't think you were rude at all. I admire passion. But you have just made exactly the point. Typically UConn players have fewer minutes in their first two years so their career totals are deflated in comparison to someone who plays 38 minutes a game as a freshman. Would you compare the year totals for one player who averaged 38 minutes a game to a player who average 25 minutes a game. Then claim the 38 minute player was a better performer because the scored more points or averaged more per game. I don't think so. The scenario is the same to say a player that played 4000 minutes is a better player than a player who played 3200 minutes because they scored more total points is my issue. One cannot make that claim based on career totals. Not to say Sabrina is a great college player because she was.

 

[EdSaid]

And those were all by one player, Nicole Powell. Ionescu smashed her Pac 12 record during her soph season. Your point that triple doubles are rare stands, but Ionescu is fairly unique in her ability to score, get assists, and rebound.

How about this? How many former UConn stars would've amassed 26 triple doubles if they had played for Graves at Oregon (I know most of them played before he was there, but never mind that)? I would guess none of them.

And what does Ionescu only having one triple double against a top 10 team have to do with anything? NOBODY plays games exclusively against top 10 teams. UConn's conference games during the AAC era...well I don't even need to say it.

edit--I took a quick peak at stats, the vast majority of Ionescu's rebounds were defensive, not offensive, so your point about the PG getting back on D is irrelevant.

I knew there was something I wanted to respond to, but couldn't find it. The debater from the Great Northwest, your up. Powell only had 6 of the 8 Stanford 3-2's. I don't but if you say Ionescu's rebounds were weighted defensively, you get that point.

You asked,
"How many former UConn stars would've amassed 26 triple doubles if they had played for Graves at Oregon"

Sue Bird
Diana Taurasi
Jen Rizzotti
Maya Moore
Moriah Jefferson
Brianna Stewart
Nykesha Sales
Gabby Williams
Shea Ralph
Napheesa Collier
Kia Nurse
Kia Stokes
Katie Lou
Crystal Dangerfield,
Svetlana Abrosimova
Swin Cash
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
Christyn Williams

Take your pick, any or all of them could have done it. Scoring is not an issue for any of them. They all have great ball skills and are great passers, total unselfish team players. Rebounds find them. All UConn players will tell you that stats don't mean anything at UConn. Geno could care less about individual stats. He takes them out when he takes them out. Freshmen don't play many minutes.

Consider this:
Season Assist Opp +/-
Uconn 19-20 599 357 +242
18-19 748 433 +315
17-18 843 385 +458
16-17 863 387 +476


Oregon 19-20 696 423 +273
18-19 717 518 +199
17-18 727 515 +212
16-17 611 502 +109

Its tough to know what Geno thinks are important stat wise, but I think he considers assist differential.
UConn's offensive bread and butter is cuts/pick and rolls/blocks, a nice pass and a high percentage easy shot. Assists do not come from one person, they come from any and all. On defense they switch and double team down low and try to prevent the easy shot. Simple in theory, hard to do. You need great athletes.

UConn averaged about 100 more assists per year (3 a game could make a difference). The +/- is huge. Fewer opponent assists means fewer easy baskets. Make them take the tough shot. I know Pac 12 vs AAC. I'll give you a margin of error for that.

 

[Carnac]

For the first time I sense what some of you have alluded; a decided Anti-Uconn bias from the author,

Which women's basketball prospect could be the next Sabrina Ionescu?

Which women's college basketball prospects have skill sets reminiscent of those of Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner or Skylar Diggins-Smith?

www.espn.com

UConn is seldom the "flavor of the month" with the writers at ESPN. It's been that way for a while.

 

[nwhoopfan]

You asked,
"How many former UConn stars would've amassed 26 triple doubles if they had played for Graves at Oregon"

Sue Bird
Diana Taurasi
Jen Rizzotti
Maya Moore
Moriah Jefferson
Brianna Stewart
Nykesha Sales
Gabby Williams
Shea Ralph
Napheesa Collier
Kia Nurse
Kia Stokes
Katie Lou
Crystal Dangerfield,
Svetlana Abrosimova
Swin Cash
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
Christyn Williams

I can't take you seriously. All of those players were skilled and talented. But putting them into an Oregon jersey wouldn't have transformed them into triple double machines. I could go all thru the list, but for starters Bird, Jefferson and Dangerfield were not strong rebounders (all 3 averaged less than 3 rpg for their careers). I doubt all 3 of them combined hit double figures in rebounding 26 times. There's just no way possible any one of them would've pulled that off.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Apology accepted. I didn't think you were rude at all. I admire passion. But you have just made exactly the point. Typically UConn players have fewer minutes in their first two years so their career totals are deflated in comparison to someone who plays 38 minutes a game as a freshman. Would you compare the year totals for one player who averaged 38 minutes a game to a player who average 25 minutes a game. Then claim the 38 minute player was a better performer because the scored more points or averaged more per game. I don't think so. The scenario is the same to say a player that played 4000 minutes is a better player than a player who played 3200 minutes because they scored more total points is my issue. One cannot make that claim based on career totals. Not to say Sabrina is a great college player because she was.

I feel like we're having 2 different conversations. I wasn't trying to establish Ionescu's place among the all time best college players. Of course playing big minutes early on will lead to bigger totals in career stats. I really only noticed frequent mentions of her minutes on the BY during her Jr. and Sr. season, that's why I was addressing that specifically. Certainly hitting the 2000/1000/1000 mark was only possible with playing a lot right from the beginning of her career. She had 16 triple doubles combined in her Jr. and Sr. seasons, so she still would've set that record even if she hadn't played as much early on.