RebKell's Junkie Boards

[cthskzfn]

Anyone else see this? Thoughts?

I realize picking the "10 Best" is a tough task, means little, and really is something good only for discussion.

What irked me is the disrespect shown MoJeff by 3 of the 4 panelists that were on the show. The 4 were Meghan Culmo (the current SNY color commentator), Kara Wolters (SNY UConn game studio host), Gary Apple (SNY UConn game studio host) and Doug Feinberg (AP). The rest of the voting panel consisted of:

Jeff Jacobs Htfd Courant
Paul Doyle Htfd Courant
Eric Frede SNY UConn p-b-p
Carol Callan USA Basketball

Of the TV panel, only Gary Apple had MJ on the list.

Jefferson is demonstrably the best PG in UConn women's basketball history. Shot as well/better as Bird, defended much better, is the team's all-time assist leader, and was the team's leader.

Among the reasons Culmo gave for not including her were:

Jefferson's bad freshman year. "Her numbers were so far below her other years, that's why I don't have her on the least".

"I look at what they do to make the team better."

"Other players added more to their team. In my mind, my criteria, what did they add to their team, and how valuable were they to their particular team and what did they have to do for them, and Moriah had a very strong supporting cast".

Wolters: "Look at who she played with", regarding MJ's 4 NCs. "Look at how many more games she played", regarding MJ being the all-time assist leader.

Hmmm. Stewie (and a bunch of us) knew MJ deserved to be named the MOP of the 2015 FF, and graciously said so as she held the trophy.

Additionally, Bird played 8 games as a freshmen before tearing her ACL. Did she make the team better from the bench? I guess she had a great freshman year compared to later on, eh Meg?

_________________
Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.

[linkster]

Time has a way of making people forget the flaws of past stars. Neither Bird nor Taurasi were outstanding defenders but to listen to Geno wax poetic you'd think they never made a mistake. When I sit and watch an entire game from that era I see players make the sort of mistakes that gets players today bench time.

I find it funny that the 2002 team is considered the GOAT but that MJ played with better players. IMO MJ was the best pg ever to play for UConn, and allow that Dangerfield is still an underclassman and has time to change my mind.

[pilight]

Shockingly none of them agreed with me that Tina Charles should be #1

_________________
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[GlennMacGrady]

Haven't seen the show, but I don't think that panel is particularly qualified. Only Culmo, Wolters and Jacobs are likely to have been regular observers of UConn for the past 20+ years. I doubt the SNY announcers ever watched a UConn game before SNY got the broadcasting rights six years ago. Callan?

To me, Diana Taurasi is the best point guard ever to play for UConn . . . or, when played at that position, for anyone else. She held the assist record until MJ broke it by 11 in 11 more games.

Bird is clearly second in my mind. Even though she only played three years, Bird was better than MJ in PPG, APG, 3FG% and FT%. Her superlative career in the WNBA, the Euroleague and the Olympics has confirmed her greatness. We'll see about MJ.

Both Bird and Taurasi's assist numbers were depressed by the very fact they shared point guard duties with each other for two years. They also were both strong and vocal floor leaders, which was never a strong point with the quiet Jefferson.

As a big Bria Hartley fan, I naturally think she is the one who gets the shortest shrift from historians. Hartley scored more points than any UConn point guard other than Taurasi. (Renee Montgomery was a close third.) Even though she was injured much of her junior year, Hartley finished her career eighth in scoring, sixth in 3FGM and fifth in assists on UConn's career lists. She was one of only four UConn players ever to make first team AA as a sophomore. And she is one of only three Huskies, along with Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi, to post at least 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.

_________________
http://www.youtube.com/MagicBusBasketball