ESPN: Stewie NPOY, Geno COY, KLS FOY! (merged threads)

[j66kicker]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...or-breanna-stewart-espnw-national-player-year

And The Winners Are:
Player of the Year Breanna Stewart
Coach of the Year Geno Auriemma
Freshman of the Year Katie Lou Samuelson
Mid-Major POY Kelsey Minato
Mid-Major COY Karl Smesko

 

[EricLA]

I love Lou a ton, but Anigwe was more deserving IMHO....

 

[MilfordHusky]

"Ultimately, he excels at the teaching part, which is how UConn can lose two players the caliber of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Kiah Stokes from last season's NCAA title team and still not miss a beat."

Well, they missed some beats, but Geno was one of the few who noticed. And he re-tooled.

 

[pvdoggy]

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...or-breanna-stewart-espnw-national-player-year

And The Winners Are:
Player of the Year Breanna Stewart
Coach of the Year Geno Auriemma
Freshman of the Year Katie Lou Samuelson
Mid-Major POY Kelsey Minato
Mid-Major COY Karl Smesko

Wow... KLS FOY seems like an injustice to the body of work that other freshman put up.

 

[j66kicker]

Wow... KLS FOY seems like an injustice to the body of work that other freshman put up.

The voting was done by ESPNW's panel of 3: Mechelle Voepel,
Graham Hays and Charlie Creme. Maybe they had a few pops and whipped themselves up into having a UCONN-fest. Hard to say ESPN is anti-UCONN anyway....

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree that Anigwe had more production this year, but Lou succeeded in a unique situation.

Hypothetical conversation with Geno:

"See these 3? They are the best trio ever and are trying to win an unprecedented 4th straight national championship. Don't screw it up!"

"See number 30? You are the heir apparent. I expect you to do everything she does, because next year, she'll be gone and you'll be the leader."

 

[MilfordHusky]

Wow... KLS FOY seems like an injustice to the body of work that other freshman put up.

I don't disagree that others had more productive seasons, but I think Lou currently is the best player and is playing the best basketball. Over the past month, she's been playing at an AA level. I think people are looking at her and seeing Stewie's trajectory. Lou will be on the pre-season NPOY ballots. I hope Morgan is too.

 

[dtbtbtb]

I don't disagree that others had more productive seasons, but I think Lou currently is the best player and is playing the best basketball. Over the past month, she's been playing at an AA level. I think people are looking at her and seeing Stewie's trajectory. Lou will be on the pre-season NPOY ballots. I hope Morgan is too.

Exactly! It was very impressive to see that Lou was one of the very best players in the AAC tournament and the fact that she does what she does on the by far the best team in the country with (arguably) the best 3 players in the country, is clearly being noticed by the experts.

 

[UcMiami]

I like the awards and the write ups a lot, but have to agree - Lou is not the most deserving freshman, though I will not be surprised if she is the best at the end of four years.

These ESPN awards are always a little odd - with such a small voting cadre of colleagues it becomes sort of group think.

 

[sarals24]

Truly amazing, seeing as how she didn't get a single vote in her own conference!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In a statistic besotted universe I find KLS's selection refreshingly thoughtful and entirely to my liking.

 

[connboy77]

Wow... KLS FOY seems like an injustice to the body of work that other freshman put up.

KLS like Breanna Stewart can do other things , but just score. She is a complete player and well deserving of the FOY award.

 

[EricLA]

Truly amazing, seeing as how she didn't get a single vote in her own conference!

LOL that's a great point! Laska was AAC FOY by a unanimous vote, even tho coaches can't vote for their own players.

 

[HGN]

CONGRATULATIONS to our Coach of The Year , Player of The Year , And Freshman of The Year................ HUSKIES ALL. And All Deserving .

 

[Kaizen]

Congrats to LouConn. Hope she can earn NPOY in next year ~~~~

 

[chrissaran]

Compare Lou's numbers to Laksa's and there's no comparison, and Lou is so much more than the numbers. Laksa is a spot-up shooter, and unless she's open, she'll have difficulty hitting her shot. Her 3 pt percentage is 42.5 and overall 39.7. That means her two pt percentage is low. Lou on the other hand is hitting 48.4 overall and her 3 pt percentage is consistently improving. Rebounds Lou 106-64, assists Lou 75-20, steals Lou 35-10, and 6 fewer turnovers. Most importantly she is becoming a complete player who needs to increase her upper body strength, so she can be more effective on the glass and in the post.

 

[pvdoggy]

I don't disagree that others had more productive seasons, but I think Lou currently is the best player and is playing the best basketball. Over the past month, she's been playing at an AA level. I think people are looking at her and seeing Stewie's trajectory. Lou will be on the pre-season NPOY ballots. I hope Morgan is too.

May be they should rename the award Freshman of the last Month then.

 

[divots]

Player GP-GS Min Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg

31 Anigwe,Kristine.... 31-30 929 30.0 233-409 .570 0-1 .000 169-224 .754 108 181 289 9.3 107 3 19 114 37 33 635 20.5

Team Record 15 – 17

30 Brianna Stewart 32 17 746 23.3 124-256 .484 68 176 .386 30-36 .833 16 90 106 3.3 40 0 75 39 5 35 346 10.8

Team Record 32 - 0

Perhaps the impact on team performance and the level of competition trumps individual player stats.....Anigwe is a terrific player but if I'm a college coach or WNBA GM my $$$ are on Lou......

 

[Jim]

Other freshmen might have put up better numbers than Lou, but what other freshman in the land could start for this UConn team?

 

[chrissaran]

If you compare numbers, Laksa to Lou there is no comparison, and Lou is much more than the numbers. Laksa's 3 pt 425%, overall 397%, low 2 PT %. Lou averall 484%. Rebounds Lou 106-64, assists Lou 75-20, steals Lou 35-10 and 6 less turnovers. Lou needs to increase her upper body strength to increase her numbers on the glass and to post up stronger. There's no question she has been the better player overall, even without the numbers.

 

[bags27]

I don't disagree that others had more productive seasons, but I think Lou currently is the best player and is playing the best basketball. Over the past month, she's been playing at an AA level. I think people are looking at her and seeing Stewie's trajectory. Lou will be on the pre-season NPOY ballots. I hope Morgan is too.

I'm not thrilled that Lou got the award: the last thing this California kid needs is more affirmation. But Milford makes the right point: in the last (say) 10 games, it's clear that Lou is a monster, monster talent, capable of playing a kind of game that no one in WCBB can play (certainly not better than [say] Stewie, but different). If it's for the season's body of work, clearly she doesn't deserve it. But judges often want to say that, looking back 4 years from now when she is the NPOY, they saw it coming....

 

[bags27]

Well, they missed some beats, but Geno was one of the few who noticed. And he re-tooled.

Yes, but when you have 3 AA's returning (one of them again the NPOY), plus the NFOY, plus Kia and Gabby, I mean come on. I think Geno is the lifetime greatest coach by a huge, huge margin. But if these folks were really looking to see what some coaches have done at schools that cannot recruit McDonald's AAs, it's kind of unfair to them. Like giving another Oscar [trade mark acknowledged ] to Meryl Streep: of course she's a great, great actress (my all-time favorite in fact), but she also commands only the very best parts.

 

[DishNSwish]

Sorry, but Lou as FOY I don't see. I like the way the USBWA does freshman of the week, they choose from the people that won their conference award for the week.

IMO, to be national freshman of the year at a minimum you need to be FOY in your own conference.

Anigwe, Cunningham, Shepard all worth candidates.

 

[johnnyc]

Congratulations to Coach, Stewart and especially KLS with a well deserved FOY award.

 

[pvdoggy]

I'm not thrilled that Lou got the award: the last thing this California kid needs is more affirmation. But Milford makes the right point: in the last (say) 10 games, it's clear that Lou is a monster, monster talent, capable of playing a kind of game that no one in WCBB can play (certainly not better than [say] Stewie, but different). If it's for the season's body of work, clearly she doesn't deserve it. But judges often want to say that, looking back 4 years from now when she is the NPOY, they saw it coming....