Step Up Award (Top Point Guard)

[Jennifer]

Barring a total flop, Sue Bird will win this one a third time.
Good to see 3 of the 11 are from the Big 12!

Monday, February 18

Two-time winner Bird leads list

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ESPN.com news services


DETROIT -- Sue Bird, two time winner of the Conseco Nancy Lieberman Step Up Award as the nation's top Division I point guard, again headlines this season's list of 11 finalists.

The finalists and eventual winner are chosen by AP sportswriters nationwide based on the player's floor leadership and play-making and ball-handling skills. The award, which is in its third year, will be awarded April 20 by the Rotary Club of Detroit.

The complete list of finalists: Alana Beard, Duke; Sue Bird, Connecticut; Stacey Dales, Oklahoma; Sheila Lambert, Baylor; Kara Lawson, Tennessee; Brandi McCain, Florida; Ashley McElhiney, Vanderbilt; Tamara Moore, Wisconsin; Sara Nord, Louisville; Lindsey Whalen, Minnesota; Lindsey Wilson, Iowa State.

[metromaniac]

Alana Beard hasn't played point since after the 5-6th game. Krapohl has done so. Beard playing the two. Course Stacey Dales plays everthing from one to five.

[swok34]

Think Stacey Dales playing so many different positions this year has probably hurt her chances at this award. Does Shelia Lambert run the point often this year???.....I know the Vandy nominee does run the point and Sue Bird. Not familiar with the rest of the teams. What year is Lindsey Wilson in?

[Zo31]

Lambert runs the point most of the time, however she has played the two spot when Collins is in the game.

[Jennifer]

I didn't think Kara Lawson ran the point either, or if she does she does so by default, like Beard. With them included, I'm surprised they didn't include Nicole Powell of Stanford.

[mred]

Originally posted by swok34:
What year is Lindsey Wilson in?

Are you asking what class she's in? She's a junior.

[kate dawg]

So question for you all...define what a point guard should be. What are your criteria for a good point guard? I'm just curious. For me, they should lead the team on the floor, take care of the ball and set up other players while drawing some attention to themself offensively to open things up. Defensively, they should be the best player on the floor. Scoring is a bonus, at least in the sense of a true point guard. Does the offense funnel through them? Of course.

The reason I ask is obvious. I think Mandy Nightingale is the epitome of the true point guard and gets screwed over because she doesn't average 17 points per game and isn't flashy, at all. I mean this girl is the epitome of NOT flashy...she is all blue collar, and sadly, it causes her to miss out on some of the recognition she deserves. She leads the league in assist to turnover ratio while dishing out almost five assists per game, and also leads CU in defensive rebounding. She leads CU in minutes and is the only player averaging over 30 a game on the team, playing over 200 minutes more than any one else on the team. She also makes her free throws at an 87.9 percent clip and leads the team in steals.

I'd take her over any ANY other point guard in the league. I mean it. She can lead any team and she takes care of the ball. She put CU on her back for the first 23 games of the season, and I can't wait to see what she does for her team tonight coming off a week of rest from games.

[schooner2]

Kate Dawg: I'd have to agree. Although it's a pretty close race between Wilson, Lambert, and Nightingale. Nightingale has by far the best assist/turnover ratio. As I stated before she would win my "hustle award" of anyone in the conference. Her shooting percentage though is quite a bit behind Lambert and Wilson. Lambert has the moves. The all offer different things. I'd prefer this award go to a "pure" point guard which I see all of the above being more of a pure point guard. As an example I no longer see Dales as a pure point guard. That's not a bag thing - it's just because of her height she is being used at other positions on the floor.

[carolann]

All good points about Nightingale but I have to put in a vote for Lambert. The Baylor offense totally runs through Lambert. She is flashy. She does score. I'm not going to hold that against her! She sets up her teammates by being such a target for the defense herself. Lambert creates wide open looks for other players and does dish.

[dem]

Here are some stats from major conference leaders in assists/turnovers (mostly point guards). Numbers are assists/turnovers, assists, and free-throw percentage:

SEC, Ashley McElhiney, Vanderbilt:
2.11, 4.6, 0.825

Big 10, Jess Strom, Penn State:
2.27, 6.6, 0.825

ACC, Vicki Brick, Maryland:
2.13, 3.8, 0.738

ACC, Alana Beard, Duke:
1.80, 5.1, 0.761

PAC-10, Leilani Estavan, Oregon State:
2.32, 5.6, 0.746

Big East, Diana Taurasi, UConn:
2.58, 5.1, 0.815

Big East, Sue Bird, UConn:
2.47, 6.0, 0.915

Big 12, Mandy Nightingale, Colorado:
2.93, 4.8, 0.879

Mandy has by far the best A/T ratio, 2nd in F-T to Sue Bird, competitive on assists.


[This message has been edited by dem (edited 02-20-2002).]

[Bob_Ballew]

Of course, I would have to choose Lambert over Nightingale as the best point guard in the league. Especially after tonights game. Lambert was much more instrumental in leading her team than Nightingale. The fans around me were discussing how good Mandy is and we were surprised at how well Baylor contained her and Roulier when the game was over.

Lambert is AWFUL good http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Jennifer]

Originally posted by Zo3157:
Lambert is AWFUL good http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

But she sure didn't do my Hoopla team any good tonight! I think I may have set an all time record low this session. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif

But, I'd put her on my next team in a heartbeat! She is darn good. Will be interesting to see where she goes in the WNBA.

[Bobcat4956]

I agree with Carolann. Nightingale is VERY good, but Lambert is in a class by herself. She takes a lot of pressure off of other players and is totally unselfish. While she is a prolific scorer, she does SO many other things for her team. As I have stated before, I think she is the best player in the Big 12.

[Zo31]

If I were a WNBA coach, I would do anyting in my power to get a player with the athletic gifts that Lambert possesses. As a coach, you can teach players to do a lot and motivate them, but you can't teach what Lambert has. She is has cat-like quickness that is phenominal. She made a bullet pass to Stratton last night that nobody, I mean nobody, ever expected. I will predict that she has tremendous success in the WNBA.

We have had the pleasure of watching Stacy Dales over the last four years become the floor leader of her team and we all know what she is capable of doing, but comparing Lambert and Dales is like comparing apples and oranges. Very difficult.

I would like to see Lambert play the point more than she has been in the last couple of weeks.

Go http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/bu.gif

[This message has been edited by Zo31 (edited 02-21-2002).]

[kate dawg]

I don't know if I agree with Lambert being more instrumental in the win than Nightingale was with her team. True, you have to give Lambert the nod because her team won. But Mandy RUNS that team...she involves everyone in the offense. the radio people pointed out that at one point, Nightingale figured out a Baylor play and as soon as play stopped, she ran over to the bench, not the coaches, but to the players, and told them all what the play was and what the signal for it is. I just think things like that, which aren't measured on a stat sheet, make Nightingale so great.

They are different kinds of players...I just think it depends on what you want. I'd take Lambert as my two-guard any day, but I'd rather have Mandy running the show.

[YCN]

Two years from now the USA could win a gold medal in the Olympics with Nightingale as a 1, Lambert at 2, Dales 3, Welle 4, and Ohlde 5.

Of course, this scenario won't happen, but there are several scenarios where the best players in the Big 12 could factor big-time into the gold.

This conference is like an all-star game over and over this year. Just wait till the Dance, we are going to kick some serious butt this year.

Bank on it.

[Jennifer]

Well, the USA could probably use Dales on their team, but if she's playing in the Olympics it'll be for Team Canada! http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[DblT81]

Originally posted by YCN:
Just wait till the Dance, we are going to kick some serious butt this year.

Bank on it.

Oh please let this be true, please, please, please. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/biggrin.gif