Who gets on those 10 player AA teams this year?

[ndmb]

I think it will be a close call but yes I do think she is a top 10. she was 1st team all-sec (probably the toughest conference this year) SEC MVP of tourney, she has shattered double double records at TN and leads SEC in FG%. she is a beast. I am not going to deselect any of the other players mentioned in the thread, but she has had a better year than some of them. that's just my opinion though.

The SEC was probably the toughest conference this year?

Sagarin has you at 3rd behind the Big 12 and the ACC (and, by the way, the gap between you and the Big 12 is about the same as the gap between you and the Big 10).
The ACC finished the year with five ranked teams. The SEC finished with 4.
Massey also has the ACC ranked ahead of the SEC.
The ACC and the SEC tied with 8 teams apiece earning bids to the tournament, but unlike the ACC teams, Vandy and Florida snuck in by the skin of their teeth.

By what metric exactly is the SEC probably the toughest conference this year?

Edit to add: As for Harrison, you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings. It's hard to discuss her merits unless you give another player (say out of Stewart, Sims, Ogwumike, Hartley, Dolson, Thomas, McBride, Loyd, Hooper, and Liston) that you think she's had a better season than.

 

[LadyVols9]

The SEC was probably the toughest conference this year?

Sagarin has you at 3rd behind the Big 12 and the ACC (and, by the way, the gap between you and the Big 12 is about the same as the gap between you and the Big 10).
The ACC finished the year with five ranked teams. The SEC finished with 4.
Massey also has the ACC ranked ahead of the SEC.
The ACC and the SEC tied with 8 teams apiece earning bids to the tournament, but unlike the ACC teams, Vandy and Florida snuck in by the skin of their teeth.

By what metric exactly is the SEC probably the toughest conference this year?

Edit to add: As for Harrison, you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings. It's hard to discuss her merits unless you give another player (say out of Stewart, Sims, Ogwumike, Hartley, Dolson, Thomas, McBride, Loyd, Hooper, and Liston) that you think she's had a better season than.

well, i hate to point out the obvious but the AAC is certainly much weaker than the SEC. izzy's numbers have been acquired by playing tougher teams and players. i would imagine she would have even higher stats if she played the teams in the ACC or other weaker conferences. that's not a slight on UCONN or its players. it's just a fact.

 

[easttexastrash]

well, i hate to point out the obvious but the AAC is certainly much weaker than the SEC. izzy's numbers have been acquired by playing tougher teams and players. i would imagine she would have even higher stats if she played the teams in the ACC or other weaker conferences. that's not a slight on UCONN or its players. it's just a fact.

The SEC and ACC are pretty equally challenging. The ACC is probably a bit tougher, but both are tough leagues to play in. I would say tougher than the Big 12 or the Big 10 and certainly stonger than the AAC. The SEC has two number 1 seeds. The ACC has 1 and the AAC has one.

 

[easttexastrash]

The SEC was probably the toughest conference this year?

Sagarin has you at 3rd behind the Big 12 and the ACC (and, by the way, the gap between you and the Big 12 is about the same as the gap between you and the Big 10).
The ACC finished the year with five ranked teams. The SEC finished with 4.
Massey also has the ACC ranked ahead of the SEC.
The ACC and the SEC tied with 8 teams apiece earning bids to the tournament, but unlike the ACC teams, Vandy and Florida snuck in by the skin of their teeth.

By what metric exactly is the SEC probably the toughest conference this year?

Edit to add: As for Harrison, you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings. It's hard to discuss her merits unless you give another player (say out of Stewart, Sims, Ogwumike, Hartley, Dolson, Thomas, McBride, Loyd, Hooper, and Liston) that you think she's had a better season than.

Liston. She is better than Liston. I really don't see her as an AA candidate.

 

[choochoo]

Natasha Howard from Florida State is one of the 10 best. 21 points per game. Almost 10 rebounds per game. Big defensive presence. Will be a Top 10 pick.

But what did she do for the other players on the team. What is their record and what is her assist per game numbers? Being a good player is about sharing with your team mates ala Stewie or Mojet and Dolson.

 

[choochoo]

I would be stunned if anyone but Sims wins that award. But, I've been stunned before...but that was a police matter that I choose not to discuss.

Of course you think Sims should win hands down, you are a total homer. How did that work out with a team that has better guards and can play defense for a whole game.

 

[choochoo]

well, i hate to point out the obvious but the AAC is certainly much weaker than the SEC. izzy's numbers have been acquired by playing tougher teams and players. i would imagine she would have even higher stats if she played the teams in the ACC or other weaker conferences. that's not a slight on UCONN or its players. it's just a fact.

Well prepare to get your SEC ass kicked in Nashville. I watch your team over 10 times this year and unless your team and Holly figure out how to run a set play you are in big trouble. More of the same Vol bball shoot at the rim rebound and try to score will not work against ND and UConn. Simmons will be your down fall. As soon as you fall behind she will chuck it up till you are out of the game . When you play a team with equal athletic talent coaching wins game. How is that working out for Holly?

 

[ndmb]

well, i hate to point out the obvious but the AAC is certainly much weaker than the SEC. izzy's numbers have been acquired by playing tougher teams and players. i would imagine she would have even higher stats if she played the teams in the ACC or other weaker conferences. that's not a slight on UCONN or its players. it's just a fact.

Did you mean to say AAC the second time? If so, have we agreed that the ACC is stronger than the SEC. As for your argument about Izzy's numbers, in theory sure, but it kind of falls apart when you see UConn steam role quality competition and maintain pretty good numbers. If you think that Harrison is a better candidate than Dolson or Hartley, so be it, but I think the eye test pretty much solves that one. Harrison is very, very good; she's top 15. But she's not one of the top ten players.

 

[ndmb]

Liston. She is better than Liston. I really don't see her as an AA candidate.

OK, so let's start by looking at their stats:

L: 17.3 PPG, 57% 2PT, 48% 3PT, 85% FT, 5.2 RPG, 1.61 APG, 2.27 TOPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.55 SPG,
H: 13.9 PPG, 58% 2PT, NA 3PT, 67% FT, 9.1 RPG, 0.91 APG, 2.69 TOPG, 1.1 BPG. 0.97 SPG

So, what do those numbers tell us?

First Harrison is the better defender. Although this is mostly an eye test, it can be gleaned from some parts of the box score (a post having more steals than a wing player, for exaample). Second, Liston is a much, much more efficient scorer. Her true shooting percentage is 68%, whereas Harrison is at 62%. But in scoring efficiency is larger than that, because of two factors. First, many of Liston's shots come from self-creation or very higher percentage perimeter passing. Many of Harrison's shots come from relatively risky entry passes (and post players usually don't get credit for turnovers resulting in passes to them). This is why post players are expected to shoot a higher percentage than guards, and the fact that Liston is shooting almost as well from 2 as Harrison is is pretty startling. Second, Liston is carrying a higher scoring load than Harrison which will (necessarily) lower her scoring efficiency. To think of it another way, if Harrison had to increase her scoring to 17.3 PPG, she would have to take (possibly much) lower percentage shots to make up the difference. Any time a player is scoring at a higher rate AND more efficiently than another, it makes a big statement.

Just as importantly to me is how Liston has done it. After Gray went out, he numbers skyrocketed as she had to take more responsibility for the team. When Jones went out as well, she switched over to point-guard on a now very undermanned team and got her team past North Carolina twice. She has impressed tremendously with her senior leadership in the last few months and, while she is one of the last one's to get in, has performed consistently better than Harrison throughout the year.