Posted by WMC  2/27/2023 5:45 pm | #1 |
Before my awards picks, I'll review a couple of other awards. The final Player of the Week went to Sam Breen, her third this season. Laura Ziegler won her 8th Rookie of the week. Brooke Flowers was named a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semi-Finalist. This is not a mid major -award. The other 9 semi-finalists are all from Power 6 schools. I include the 5 major football conferences and the Big East.
As a sports columnist used to write, many decades ago. Nobody asked me but. ...
I wanted to take a crack at picking awards before the A10 announces them. This is just one man's opinion. With all my biases. Feel free to disagree. There were couple of difficult facts that made choices more problematic. Rhode Island is a co-champ, but none of its players were in the top 25 in minutes. Madison Hattix-Covington had the highest average minutes at 28.2, while Maye Toure played an average of 26.6 minutes. What to do with Fordham's dynamic guards, so close stat-wise but different players? (I put them on different teams.). I tried to get at least one player from each of the top teams down but missed George Mason. Davidson placed one also. I would have picked Sara Te-Bisau of VCU until she got hert and only played 19 games. I also struggled about how many UMass and GW players made all conference teams, so I leaned in their favor.
I believe I ended up with 13 of the 18 on the presason all-conference teams. My head is exploding comparing statistics, so I will try to limit them,
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Sam Breen, UMass. Third in scoring in the conference. First in rebounds. Eleventh in assists and steals. First in minutes. Sixteen double/doubles with one of them a triple/double. She has been one of the most consistent stars in the conference. Team leader.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE - Breen; Brook Flowers, St Louis'; Maye Toure, Rhode Island; Megan McConnell, Duquense; Asaih Dingle Fordham; Elle Sutphin, Davidson.
Flowers had the best defender in the onferernce, and her scoring numbers increased as the season went on. Toure was the best player for URI and a key to their dominance. She was held to 11 points total in 2 late losses, which dropped her out of POY contention. McConnell is not a great scorer but lead in assists and was second in rebounds, Excellent defender. Dingle led the conference in scoring and most of her statistics were just a bit better than her teammate DeWolfe. Sutphin is an excellent scorer and rebounder.
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE - Anna DeWolfe, Fordham; Sydney Taylor, UMass; Mayowa Taiwo, GW; Talya Brugler, St Joseph's; Kyla McMakin, St Louis; Claire Jacobs, LaSalle.
Taiwo might have made first team if she had been more productive offensively all season. Taylor and McMakin can light up a scoreboard, but had a few too many off nights for first team status.
Third Team All-Conference - Madison Hattie-Covington, Rhode Island; Addie Budnik, Richmond; Destiny Philoxy, UMass; Ber'Nyah Mayo UMass; Mia Lakstigala, GW; McKenzie Smith, St Joseph's
I know, an overload of Minutewomen but both third teasers deserve recognition. Hattix-Covington is the steadiest and second best player on the co-champs.
HONORABLE MENTION - Taylor Jameson, George Mason; Kayla Spruill, LaSalle; Julia Martinez, St Louis. A lot of point guards worthy of mention including Molly Mascantnio, LaSalle (of the national leading 4.7/1 assist/turnover ratio), Katie Jekot, St Joseph's; Sayimi Lassiter, Rhode Island, Grace Townsend, Richmond.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Brooke Flowers, St Louis. Looking to be a good bet to lead nation in blocks per games.
DEFENSIVE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM - Flowers; Julia Martinez, St Louis, Megan McConnell, Duquense; Asiah Dingle, Fordham; Ber’Nyah Mayo, UMass, I'lyanna Lops. St Bonaventure. Hated to leave off Taowo and Philoxy Conference may only pick 5 players.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Laura Ziegler, St Joseph's. I really wanted to pick Nya Robertson but after 8 POWs for Ziegler, she's a lock for the award.
ALL ROOKIE TEAM - Zielgler; Nya Robertson, GW; Maggie Doogan, Richmond, Nalani Kaysia, George Mason (not bad for the senior who played 3 years of volleyball at Charlotte); Mia Nicastro, St Louis
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Sophie Phillips, Rhode Island. Hard to choose this since I don't really know everybody who's eligible, based one the number of games they started.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Co) - Toure/Phillips. Might as well let the teammates share it,
Just my judgments and I'd be pleased to hear disagreements.. Hope I'd didn't leave anyone worthy off. Be kind. Try to not call me an evil pant load.
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Posted by xAC 2/27/2023 6:22 pm | #2 |
All reasonable picks. Who knows how it'll go,
I didn't know that there was a "Sixth Player: award. but I'd think coming off the bench and being a top 10 scorer (#8), Robertson would get a lot of consideration.
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Posted by WMC 2/27/2023 7:32 pm | #3 |
I'm pretty sure there is a Sixth Player award because URI has cornered the market on past winners: Hattix-Covington, Squires and Megassa. Robertson would certainly be a good choice. I guess I didn't think of her as an off the bench player, but should have. Thanks for the input. I'm not sure there's a Most Improved Player award. Maybe I made it up. But if there isn't, there should be.
Last edited by WMC (2/27/2023 7:34 pm)
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Posted by WMC 2/28/2023 5:34 pm | #4 |
Official awards are out. I have no serious disagreements except no love for GW on the all-conference teams; and Richmond's Maggie Doogan (11.2 points, 5,8 rebounds) made 3rd team all-conference as well as the All Rookie team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - SAM BREEN
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE - Breen, Dingle, Toure, DeWolfe, Taylor, Brugler. I had the latter 3 on the second team. Five of them were among the top seven in scoring average, while Toure was 12th.
SECOND TEAM - Flowers, Sutphin, McConnell, Mayo, Budnick, McMakin. The first three were on my first team. Taiwo and Claire Jacobs were left off. McMakin was the only one I had on the second team. Mayo and Budnick were on my third team,
THIRD TEAM - Hattix-Covington, McKensie Smith, Spruill, Ziegler, Doogan and VCU's Te-Biasiu. I did not have the latter four on any of the teams but had Te-Biasu and Spruill on my own category of honorable mention.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - LAURA ZIEGLER All rookie team included Robertson, Doogan , Kaysia and Mia Jacobs of LaSalle.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - ASIAH DINGLE and BROOKE FLOWERS.. The rest of the team was Taiwo, Philoxy and Martinez. Only 5. My next choice would have been McConnell.
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR - NYA ROBERTSON (good call xAC.)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR - MAYE TOURE
COACH OF THE YEAR - TAMMI REISS. She's a good choice, but award could have gone to several coaches.
Last edited by WMC (2/28/2023 5:35 pm)
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Posted by xAC 3/01/2023 8:19 am | #5 |
I guess there are no major surprises. especially with the lack of respect toward GW. Although we are not deep in talent, if I were to start a team, I would choose Taiwo and Lakstigala over many of the 2nd/3rd team choices.
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Posted by WMC 3/29/2023 2:32 pm | #6 |
Sam Breen of UMass was chosen as the 2023 Becky Hammon MId-Major Player of the Year. Nice finish to her career, and to the season for the school and the A10. Breen was also named the ECAC Division 1 Women's Player of the Year.
Last edited by WMC (3/29/2023 2:32 pm)
