ESPN Picks: POY, FOY, Final Four, etc.

[MilfordHusky]

Women's college basketball: Final Four picks, player of the year predictions

Who will become the face of the women's game? Which teams were unanimous Final Four picks? Can anyone prevent Rhyne Howard from winning player of the year?

www.espn.com

All 4 analysts pick UConn and S.C. for the Final Four. I think 3 pick Louisville and Stanford.

All of them pick Howard for POY and Paige for FOY.

Hays picks UConn to win the championship.

 

[donalddoowop]

I hope Hays prediction is correct.

 

[huskyd]

Sounds like a boatload of talent out there with whom to compete. It's interesting that for all the lauding of teams and players NOT named UConn, in the end the Huskies are picked to be on or near the top. Is this just a knee-jerk reaction to our may-be mighty team or a recognition that having great players is only the beginning? After all, there's only one Geno.

 

[MSGRET]

Sounds like a boatload of talent out there with whom to compete. It's interesting that for all the lauding of teams and players NOT named UConn, in the end the Huskies are picked to be on or near the top. Is this just a knee-jerk reaction to our may-be mighty team or a recognition that having great players is only the beginning? After all, there's only one Geno.

ESPN is PO'd that UConn left the AAC and went back home to the Big East. Their cash cow of the AAC left them and they only get a few games a year to have the top draw in Women's basketball on their networks. I'm kinda upset that I may not be able to see them as much as I want to, but I'm happy they left the AAC.

 

[Alydar]

Sounds like a boatload of talent out there with whom to compete. It's interesting that for all the lauding of teams and players NOT named UConn, in the end the Huskies are picked to be on or near the top. Is this just a knee-jerk reaction to our may-be mighty team or a recognition that having great players is only the beginning? After all, there's only one Geno.

When the question was about "which newcomers" the absence of Bueckers was conspicuous. I think the media is afraid they'll run out of Bueckers material.

ESPN is under the illusion that parity will lead to increased popularity when the opposite is true. Dominant teams are what grows sports.

 

[Cuango]

ESPN is PO'd that UConn left the AAC and went back home to the Big East. Their cash cow of the AAC left them and they only get a few games a year to have the top draw in Women's basketball on their networks. I'm kinda upset that I may not be able to see them as much as I want to, but I'm happy they left the AAC.

I think that, while you are certainly right that ESPN is unhappy with UConn’s continuing dominance, the reasons for them “turning” on UConn are far deeper than the switch in conferences.

 

[MSGRET]

I think that, while you are certainly right that ESPN is unhappy with UConn’s continuing dominance, the reasons for them “turning” on UConn are far deeper than the switch in conferences.

If UConn had stayed in the AAC, ESPN would have had exclusive rights to all conference games and the non conference home games, SNY would have lost many of those games to ESPN+. The deal was a money loser for UConn, while the rest of the conference teams got more money. The only people that were making out in the deal were ESPN and all the rest of the conference. It was both of them basically saying F.U. to UConn. UConn will make more money and most likely have more exposure in the Big East vs the AAC, while also cutting travel costs in half if not more.

 

[DeeHusky]

Lachina Robinson picked Syracuse as a final four team

 

[bluedevil]

I think that, while you are certainly right that ESPN is unhappy with UConn’s continuing dominance, the reasons for them “turning” on UConn are far deeper than the switch in conferences.

Please enlighten any of us who are unaware of some of the circumstances you allude to.

 

[donalddoowop]

Lachina Robinson picked Syracuse as a final four team

She might be right.

 

[sivad40]

When the question was about "which newcomers" the absence of Bueckers was conspicuous. I think the media is afraid they'll run out of Bueckers material.

ESPN is under the illusion that parity will lead to increased popularity when the opposite is true. Dominant teams are what grows sports.

Has your theory about parity proven to be true?

 

[Alydar]

Has your theory about parity proven to be true?

I offer you the NFL East as evidence against parity. The media is trying to sell it as a great battle but the reality is just 4 bad teams.
Despite some monumental rivalries over the decades the NBA took off during the Jordan era when Chicago had no equal. Baseball has flourished during Yankee streaks. Tiger made the PGA Tour what it is. Prior to Tiger the prevailing strategy on the pro tour was "finishing second is nice, don't risk losing it with a heroic attempt at a birdie".

 

[nwhoopfan]

Despite some monumental rivalries over the decades the NBA took off during the Jordan era when Chicago had no equal.

I thought the NBA took off before that because of the Bird-Magic/LA-Boston rivalry.

 

[Alydar]

I thought the NBA took off before that because of the Bird-Magic/LA-Boston rivalry.

To me as a Celtic fan that was the second golden era but the money really flowed during and after Jordan. There were never "Air Birds". Tickets at the B Garden were precious but a courtside seat didn't cost 10 Krugerands.

 

[nwhoopfan]

To me as a Celtic fan that was the second golden era but the money really flowed during and after Jordan. There were never "Air Birds". Tickets at the B Garden were precious but a courtside seat didn't cost 10 Krugerands.

Okay fair enough.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

The Top 25 players are distributed among 20 different programs. Only UConn has 3. South Carolina, Stanford, and Arkansas have 2 each.

Arkansas?

 

[donalddoowop]

To me as a Celtic fan that was the second golden era but the money really flowed during and after Jordan. There were never "Air Birds". Tickets at the B Garden were precious but a courtside seat didn't cost 10 Krugerands.

How could that be second when it happened first? The Bird and Magic era revitalized the interest in the NBA. I'm not talking about financially. Speaking of ESPN rankings, how dependable are ESPN predictions?

 

[Zinethar]

I watched the UConn men's game last night for something to do and rather enjoyed it. After that I went to ESPN+ and watched the Louisville game. Hailey Van Lith is a starter and looked quite good. I sure wish we could have seen her reunion with Paige! Would have been fun. Hailey Van Lith looks in better shape than she did while playing in the FIFA games.

 

[DeeHusky]

The Top 25 players are distributed among 20 different programs. Only UConn has 3. South Carolina, Stanford, and Arkansas have 2 each.

Arkansas?

Destiny Slocum and Chelsea Dungee are definitely among the top 25 players. Both should be first round WNBA picks

 

[MilfordHusky]

The Top 25 players are distributed among 20 different programs. Only UConn has 3. South Carolina, Stanford, and Arkansas have 2 each.

Arkansas?

Mike Neighbors moved from Washington to Arkansas. He's building a program. They should be a top-25 team most years.

 

[ConwayGmck]

How could that be second when it happened first? The Bird and Magic era revitalized the interest in the NBA. I'm not talking about financially. Speaking of ESPN rankings, how dependable are ESPN predictions?

The NBA was definitely revitalized during the Bird-Magic era, and Jordan continued that resurgence. Before the "Air Jordans" were the Converse Pro in the early to mid 1980s, then the Converse Weapon that was endorsed by both Bird and Magic:

​

So yes - there WERE "Air" Birds and "Air" Magics. They were Converse trainers. Of course, the Nike shoes - with Jordan the main sponsor - began to take over Converse's share of the NBA trainer market just a couple years after the Converse Weapon came out. But in either case, the NBA never manufactured and sold shoes, and did not take a big share of shoe revenue from ANY shoe that were worn by it's players. What they really capitalized on financially, were the marketing of their players, and the NBA was already skyrocketing financially thanks to Bird and Johnson, when Jordan first came into the league.....

 

[Alydar]

How could that be second when it happened first? The Bird and Magic era revitalized the interest in the NBA. I'm not talking about financially. Speaking of ESPN rankings, how dependable are ESPN predictions?

My first Celtic golden age was the Russell era.

 

[Buzzyboy]

How could that be second when it happened first? The Bird and Magic era revitalized the interest in the NBA. I'm not talking about financially. Speaking of ESPN rankings, how dependable are ESPN predictions?

Without Bird and Magic, I doubt anyone would have noticed Jordan .... they needed those two to make the NBA worthy of being tuned into .... the NBA was barely being watched when Bird and Johnson played in that NCAA final and instantaneously turned eyes back on professional basketball

 

[chrissaran]

Rhyne Howard needs to get on the court first.

 

[Go/huskies]

It’s some really talented freshman this season.