Five things to know heading into the madness
Championship Week is hitting its stride. Bubble teams are hoping they'll be along for the ride when the bracket is released Monday. And the awards season is quickly approaching.
With that in mind, here are five things you need to know -- at least from one analyst's perspective -- as March Madness heats up:
After crunching the numbers again late Friday night, my top seeds are North Carolina, LSU, Duke and Tennessee.
That leaves five teams contending for 2-seeds: Ohio State, Maryland, Connecticut, Rutgers and Oklahoma. If OU wins the Big 12 Tournament, that might give the Sooners a No. 2 seed and drop Rutgers to a 3-seed.
The 10-member Kodak All-American team won't be announced until the Final Four. In the meantime, here are the 10 players who we think make the cut:
| PLAYER | WHY? |
|
Seimone Augustus LSU, sr. |
A proven winner whose game is so smooth she often makes it look effortless. |
|
Monique Currie Duke, sr. |
A big-time player with a great all-around game after she expanded her range this past season. |
|
Jessica Davenport Ohio State, jr. |
Not many bigs have her ability to finish around the basket. |
|
Tasha Humphrey Georgia, so. |
She's versatile, one of the best 3-point shooting posts in country and has great footwork and hands. |
|
Ivory Latta North Carolina, jr. |
One of the nation's greatest, most tenacious and emotional leaders -- and she produces in big games. |
|
Courtney Paris Oklahoma, fr. |
Has exceeded expectations. She never comes just to play; she comes to dominate. |
|
Candace Parker Tennessee, fr. |
Her athleticism and ability to play any position really separates her. |
|
Cappie Pondexter Rutgers, sr. |
One of nation's top point guards, she has incredible command on the court. |
|
Candice Wiggins Stanford, so. |
So overlooked simply because of geography, but can do everything anywhere on the court. |
|
Sophia Young Baylor, sr. |
Love everything about her game, which will only continue to grow. A tremendous rebounder. |
| Also considered: Sylvia Fowles, LSU; Crystal Langhorne, Maryland | |
In my mind, Rutgers' Pondexter and North Carolina's Latta -- who also are the nation's top two point guards -- have emerged as the favorites. LSU's Augustus was the consensus national player of the year last season, but might not be the most deserving candidate this season. It's not often that an incumbent doesn't repeat -- and in Augustus' case, she certainly has the talent to do so. But keep in mind that Alana Beard unseated Diana Taurasi in 2004, though Taurasi had pretty much picked up every national award the previous season.
In addition to Pondexter, Latta and Augustus, the race should also include Duke's Currie and Oklahoma freshman Paris.
Which brings us to …
West Virginia's upset of sixth-ranked Rutgers in the Big East semifinals was huge. But it doesn't compare to one of the biggest snubs in the history of women's college basketball: Paris should have easily won the Big 12 Player of the Year honors. I'm not taking anything away from Sophia Young, who won the award. I'm a huge fan of the Baylor senior's game and everything she has accomplished. But it seems Paris is being penalized because of her age. If she was a junior, instead of a freshman, Paris would not only have won Big 12 Player of the Year, but would also more prominently be in the running for national player of the year awards.
But the fact remains that underclassmen are typically overlooked. Perhaps it's because we want to reward consistency, applaud an upperclassmen who has come through time and again. We figure that the freshman, though perhaps deserving, will be around awhile to be rewarded later. That's exactly what happened to Herschel Walker in the early 1980s. He was passed over his freshman season (finished third in voting) and sophomore season (second) before finally winning the Heisman Trophy in 1982.
Paris shouldn't be passed over any longer. She should be a Kodak All-American and among the top names for every national player of the year award.
Three players have really stood out this season with their defensive performances: LSU's Scholanda Hoston, Georgia's Sherill Baker and Rutgers' Matee Ajavon. Baker becoming the SEC's all-time steals leader is pretty unbelievable.
But Hoston, a 5-foot-10 senior, gets my vote for defensive player of the year. Sure, she averages fewer than 2.0 steals per game. But I'm so impressed with Hoston's ability to guard a variety of different types of players, from guards who like to post you to 3-point specialists to players who like to put the ball on the floor. She really knows how to use her size and length to her advantage and has helped keep some of the best players in the country in check. Hoston is athletic and physical and there's not a lot she can't do.
Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.