Doggydaddy's Den: Doggy's Doghouse 3/8/2021

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UConn 73 Marquette 39

Big East Champs!!! I love the ring of that.

Regular Season Champs? Check.

Big East Tournament Champs? Check.

National Champions? Don't count this team out. They are on a mission.

I don't know about you, but I really see something special in this team. They are as close a bunch of players that I have seen. The post game interview with Paige just told it all. They all really love each other and play for each other. Add that to the talents surrounding that special talent, Paige Bueckers and you have a formula for winning it all.

The celebration after the game was just so heart warming. Maybe it's the tough year due to Covid that makes this special, but for me, it was just so special to watch.

In this game, it was Christyn Williams that set the tone early with some terrific offense. She only ended up with 16 points, but that and her incredible defense that she has played the last 3 games makes her the second MVP on this team. She held Marquette's leading scorer Lott to 1-5 from the field for only 2 points. She shut down the best scorers on Villanova and St. John's as well. UConn has a defensive stopper.

Paige was just so under control. Yes, she had 6 turnovers (sloppy at times) but her 23 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds. What else can I possibly say that hasn't been said already. I remember Renee Montgomery starting in her 2nd game of her career at UConn, the last freshman to start for four years as a point guard. And she was terrific. But in her freshman season? She didn't lead the team like Bueckers does. Can't wait to see her in the NCAA tournament.

I could go on and on about every player. They all found a way to contribute. Like I said, the celebration was just true joy. Loved every moment.

So now, some time off. The selection show is on next Monday. UConn will be either the No. 1 seed of the entire tournament or the No. 2 seed behind Stanford. It won't matter. You have to beat the teams in front of you.

Videos

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

More HIGHLIGHTS

And even MORE HIGHLIGHTS

And now some PAIGE BUECKERS HIGHLIGHTS

UConn warmups and fun post game interview with Paige

and the team celebrating

I'll add more videos including post game interviews as they get published

Geno Postgame Interview

Christyn and Paige Interview

Paige Interview right after the game
She is something else

Marquette Coach Megan Duffy Post game Interview

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This is going to be a strange tournament.

Here is the schedule.

ROUND	DATES	SITE	VENUE
Selection Show	Monday, March 15	N/A	N/A
First Round (Round of 64)	March 21 and 22	San Antonio Austin San Marcos	Alamodome (Two Courts) Bill Greehey Arena Frank Erwin Center University Events Center UTSA Convocation Center
Second Round (Round of 32)	March 23 and 24	San Antonio	Alamodome (Two Courts) Bill Greehey Arena UTSA Convocation Center
Sweet 16	March 27 and 28	San Antonio	Alamodome (Two courts)
Elite Eight	March 29 and 30	San Antonio	Alamodome (Two courts)
Women's Final Four (National Semifinals)	April 2	San Antonio	Alamodome
National Championship	April 4	San Antonio	Alamodome

All in Texas. There will be a few teams that could play every game on the Alamodome courts. That could be a big advantage.

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Ok, I saw that ankle turn and then watched her is so much pain and said oh boy, she will be out a while. Then I watched her not able to put any weight on it and I said this is a serious injury. Then I watched her come out of the locker room using crutches with ice taped to her ankle and said, how sad is it that she might miss the rest of the season.

Then I read Geno's quote after the game "Nika is a pretty tough kid, as tough as they come...Nika is going to give it every opportunity overnight and then she’s going to play. And if she doesn’t play it’s because it’s serious.”

Because it's serious. Ok...he was setting everyone up for how bad this could be. And I bought into that hook, line and sinker.

I couldn't watch the game but I did read a few message boards and fans were posting that she was warming up. I figured it was her in a boot limping around at warm ups. Well.......

Good morning! pic.twitter.com/jOllWyEV0D
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 7, 2021

That smile told me everything I needed to know. She was in the starting lineup and played 18 minutes showing ZERO effects of that horrible ankle turn. WHAT?? I have to tell you I was stunned. She is quickly turning into my favorite player. She is funny, cute and incredibly tough. What's not to like??

I just love this kid.

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From the Marquette Perspective

I linked the article in the UConn LInk section

On Monday night, top seeded Connecticut started out the 2021 Big East women’s basketball tournament championship game by scoring the first nine points of the game against #2 seed Marquette.

That’s the end of the recap, because your final from Mohegan Sun: UConn 73, Marquette 39.

There’s literally nothing else to be said about this game. Nika Muhl hit a three to put the Huskies up at least 10 for good with 3:19 left in the first quarter. The margin hit 20 for the first time when Evina Westbrook drained a three to make it 27-6.... with 1:30 left in the first. Paige Bueckers put the difference north of 20 for good on a bucket with 5:47 left in the third quarter, and a triple by Muhl with 5:20 to go clicked things over to a 30 point game for the first time.

The only other thing to be brought up here is that maaaaaaaybe Marquette pissed UConn off last Monday when MU played them even for the final 30 minutes before the Huskies won by 10.

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By David in Naples

I’m not sure if the 2 week break before the NCAA tournament is a good thing or not. UConn’s defense is playing the best ball of the season & carried the Huskies to another easy victory. Marquette celebrated their 10 point loss in the regular season, figuring they had UConn’s number. Down by 19 after one period showed them the error of their thinking. Here are the defensive highlights.

1. Lott, Marquette’s best player had 2 points on 1-5 shooting. She had more turnovers (3) than points (2).
2. UConn’s smothering defensive forced 21 total turnovers.
3. Marquette went 2-9 from three range.
4. They missed 44 of 62 shots. That’s 29.5%.
5. UConn had 12 steals by 7 different players.

The offense was pretty good today as well. Here are the top stats.
1. 9 of 18 or 50% from long range.
2. Paige and Christyn scoring 39, same as all of Marquette.
3. Nika went 3-5 from beyond the arc.
4. 17 assists on 29 baskets.

Now on to the Big Dance..!

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By Phil

Most of the national player of the year awards are theoretically open to all classes with the exception of the Wade Award which specifically excludes freshman (and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year which is restricted to freshman), but these awards are traditionally given to upperclassman with occasional examples of sophomores winning. However, this year there's a lot of buzz about the possibility that Paige Bueckers might be good enough to win one of these awards. The typical sequence is that several nominees are identified and publicized, and then a final overall winner is chosen near the end of the season. Paige already been nominated as one of the 15 finalists for the Wooden award.

DD has written a couple blog posts explaining why he believes some player or another won't win the award. In his March 6, 2021 post, he explained why Aari McDonald was unlikely to win the award. He said in part:

"She is the epitome of a "volume shooter". She averages 19.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.7 APG. On the surface that is not bad but how do you give an award named after John Wooden, who valued efficiency so much. McDonald is shooting 38.9%. No, not on threes, but from the field. And she shoots 29.6% on threes."

That got me to thinking.

Many of the awards are deliberately nonspecific about how the winner is chosen. For example, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year is given to the "top women's college basketball player in NCAA Division I." That wording gives the selection committee pretty much carte blanche to choose whomever they think deserves the award.

DD thinks that it would be an affront to the legacy of John Wooden, who valued efficiency so highly, to select a volume shooter. DD may be right, but I was inspired to look closely at the selection criteria, at least to the extent they are made public.

The criteria, is posted on their website, surprisingly specific:

"Prior to being listed on the Final Ballot, each player must be certified by their university to meet the qualifications of the Award, including: candidates must be full-time students in an accredited NCAA college or university; candidates must be a full-time student making progress toward graduation and have a cumulative 2.00 grade point average since enrolling in their school; candidates must exhibit strength of character, both on and off the court; candidates should contribute to team effort; candidates must excel in both offense and defense; and candidates should be considered on their performance over the course of the entire season. Voting begins at the end of the season, and voters, consisting of nearly 1,000 members of the national college basketball media, will take into account the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament."

I have no doubt that the voters will make the selections primarily on eye tests. I would not presume to suggest that such an award should solely be driven by statistics. However, I hope that all the voters will note that the win share statistics specifically break out a player's contributions to offense and to defense. If contributions to both offense and defense are important, as the criteria clearly state, I hope the voters will note that Paige is the only player in Division I to appear in the top five of both the defensive win shares and the offensive win shares.

Offensive Win Shares

Defensive Win Shares

I confess I originally thought she would be a long shot for this award, but given the emphasis on contributions to offense and defense and team effort, there may literally be no other candidate who comes close to her.

And Doggy adds AMEN!!!

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