RebKell's Junkie Boards

[bbsamjj]

The B10 has about a week left of its season, and the top four teams are likely set with 1. MD, 2. IND, 3. Michigan, with RU likely to slip in at #4 ahead of Northwestern because of win percentage...or at least I think.

B10 names 10 players to the first team, 10 to the second team, and 10+ to HM.

Here are the players picked preseason for first team all B10:

Grace Berger, Jr., G, Indiana
Ali Patberg, Sr., G, Indiana
Monika Czinano, Jr., F/C, Iowa
Ashley Owusu, So., G, Maryland
NAZ HILLMON, Jr., F, Michigan
Nia Clouden, Jr., G, Michigan State
Veronica Burton, Jr., G, Northwestern
LINDSEY PULLIAM, Sr., G, Northwestern
DORKA JUHÁSZ, Jr., F, Ohio State
ARELLA GUIRANTES, Sr., G, Rutgers

POY: Preseason split between Hillmon, Pulliam, Guirantes

Predictions:

1st team: The preseason list of 10 is actually a pretty good list; the problem is there are at least (in my estimation) six other players who have a case: Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Leigha Brown (Michigan), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana), Diamond Miller (MD), Diamond Johnson (RU), and Jay Sheldon (Ohio St).

Of the preseason top 10, I would say only Patberg and Pulliam are having below par seasons. So an easy fix is to put Clark in for Pulliam; and have Holmes replace her teammate Patberg. But then I think it's weird to have MD with only 1 player on the first team, and Diamond Miller has been spectacular, so I'll have Miller take...Cziano's spot, who is scoring well but has mediocre rebounding numbers. So in short, my first team is:

1. Berger, Indiana; 2. Holmes, Indiana; 3. Clark, Iowa, 4. Owusu, MD, 5. Miller, MD; 6. Clouden, Mich St; 7. Burton, NW, 8. Juhasz, Ohio State; 9. Guirantes, RU, 10. HIllmon Mich

2nd team: 1. Cziano (Iowa), 2. Sheldon (Ohio St), 3. Diamond Johnson (RU), 4. Leigha Brown (Mich); 5. Pulliam (Northwestern), 6. Imani Lewis (Wisconsin), 7. Sam Haiby (Nebraska), 8. Johnasia Cash (Penn State); 9. Benzan (MD); 10. Jasmine Powell (Minnesota)

Some names for HM: Patberg, Indiana; Kayana Traylor, Purdue; Tekia Mack, RU, Sydney Hillard, Wisc; Isabelle Bourne, Nebraska; McKenna Warnock, Iowa; Chloe Bibby, MD; Sydney Wood, Northwestern

POY: Hillmon (Clark and Owusu also have a slot, but I think Hillmon gets it, maybe in a co-POY situation with Clark)
FOY: Clark
COY: Frese
DPOY: Burton

[mzonefan]

I think your analysis is spot on.

[PickledGinger]

Good news for the league if only 4 of the Top 20 players are graduating. And only Guirantes is their team's MVP.

Agree 99% with you. The 1% being that I think Owusu is Hillmon's biggest competition for PoY. Best player on the best team always gets the swing vote.

_________________
Unspoken expectations are just premeditated resentments.

[ripleydc]

I think Caitlin Clark will sweep POY and FOY. If she doesn’t get POY, my guess it will go to Hillman.

I don’t believe Owusu will get the nod. She hasn’t received a single POW award all season. Plus I think because the Terps are a team where, on any given day, anyone might grab game high scoring honors, Owusu’s contributions are sometimes overlooked.

[undersized_post]

I think your analysis is really good! A couple of thoughts, though:

I think Patberg gets 2nd team. I don't think she deserves it based on her numbers this season, however, she's had a stretch of 4-5 pretty good games recently, and the media is too obsessed with her having made her the face of IU to *not* give her 2nd team. I could see a split here btw coaches poll and media poll. So put Patberg on 2nd team and move Benzan to HM.

I agree with you that Czinano probably won't get first team. I'm an Iowa fan and she is my favorite player, but you're right that her rebounding and defense aren't quite enough, despite her incredible FG%. Also, there's a taboo with giving too many individual awards to a team that's not top 2 or top 3 in the conference.

I think there's a chance Sheldon "takes" 1st team from Juhasz, leaving Juhasz on 2nd team, especially since Sheldon carried OSU while Juhasz was out for a stretch in January.

I actually think Owusu might split POY with Hillman or surprise us and take it. Michigan is trending down lately and Maryland is trending up, and Owusu looks better and better each game, whereas Naz has stayed *just* Naz (which is still damn good). Again, as an Iowa fan, I'm pretty astounded by what Clark has done and I love her, but the voters won't overlook her defense and turnovers. I could see the media voting for her but not the coaches.

Other potential HM nods: McLaughlin instead of Traylor for Purdue; Gulbe for IU; Scalia for Minnesota; Greene or Miller for OSU

[ClayK]

[PUmatty]

I don't understand a rationale that would give POY to Clark over Hillman.

[ripleydc]

[PUmatty]

[undersized_post]

[bbsamjj]

I can see your predictions on Patberg/Sheldon all coming true without a problem. Any other year Cziano would be first team, but there's just been a ton of great individual performances this year, and she's outshined by Clark.

The reason I put Hillmon and Clark over Owusu is they are the undisputed best players on their teams. I could entertain an argument that Diamond Miller is at least just as valuable to MD as Owusu.

[PickledGinger]

Interesting that Pulliam went from unanimous first team to not even being discussed here for Honorable Mention.

_________________
Unspoken expectations are just premeditated resentments.

[undersized_post]