Natalie Butler To Make Her UConn Debut on Monday in TN

[j66kicker]

That would not be very fair to a young lady that came to UCONN to be part of the team. If she is healthy the staff owes it to her to put her on the court.

I'm looking forward to watching her play tonight. Am I expecting too much to anticipate seeing another Dolson?

Take it to the bank

 

[Kmoney]

Can you imagine the emotions Natalie is experiencing right now. It has been a long time coming.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Can you imagine the emotions Natalie is experiencing right now. It has been a long time coming.

I'd be tossin' cookies.

 

[stamfordhusky]

You don't mind losing a few battles if you can win the war!! I'd sit her until mid- January if it meant she'd be completely healthy for the stretch run during Feb thru March. Same goes for Boykin. They're going to need them at the end of the season more than they do now.

Do you have some evidence that she isn't healthy now?? They'll need Stewie and Mo more at the end of the season than now also. Why not sit them until February?

 

[WestCoastFan]

As always, the "journalists" are incorrect. Maybe against DePaul.

 

[Carnac]

That would not be very fair to a young lady that came to UCONN to be part of the team. If she is healthy the staff owes it to her to put her on the court.

I'm looking forward to watching her play tonight. Am I expecting too much to anticipate seeing another Dolson?

East Texas, you missed the gist of my comment. I completely understand her reason for coming to UConn. She IS part of them, and has been since her first day on campus. Let me put it another way. If I were Geno, I would NOT put her (or any other player) in a game until she had been completely cleared by the doctors and or medical staff. That would be my S.O.P., regardless of who it was.

What I was trying to say is, I would not rush her back too soon. I know she's chomping a the bit, and wants to play. We all want to see her play. Sometimes athletes who are injured, try back in the game too soon (Tony Romo, how'd that work out for him?), and reinjure themselves, or aggravate the injury because they didn't give the injury enough time to heal completely. Athletes are warriors. When injured, they want to get back into the field of play asap. That's the nature of the beast (especially pro athletes).

Sometimes they must be protected from themselves. Co-host and former NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic on ESPN's Mike & Mike daily morning TV program says that very thing all the time. When NFL players are injured, they want to get back into the field asap, even if they have to lie their way back out there.

I'm NOT suggesting for a moment that anyone in UConn's program would do this sort of thing, just that it happens at the pro level for sure, and probably at the college level somewhere (I don't have concrete proof of this), but I'm guessing that a player or two at some college convinced the doctors / medical staff that he was ok, and was sent back onto the field of play with an injury that had not healed completely. I'd bet there are posters here in the yard that are former college athletes that will confirm this.

THAT is what I meant when I stated that I would hold her out until mid-January (if it took that long for her injury to heal completely).
I would not want her or any of my other players to come back too soon out of any sense of duty, loyalty or obligation to the staff or team.

As I stated, the team will need her more the second half of the season than they do now. I'm sure the staff is as eager to put her on the court as she is to go out there.
But not until she has been cleared, and there is little or no possibility of her reinjuring the thumb (or any other injury) because it has not healed yet. Please understand this.

The same thing goes for Boykin. I would not try (or intimate) to rush her back. However long it takes for her to heal, that's how long it takes. If her condition does not improve, and she doesn't get to play this year, and wants to "redshirt", so be it. She comes back when she comes back. The health and well being of the girls should ALWAYS be the highest priority, and never in any way ever compromised.

 

[Carnac]

Agreed. As impressive? Their home-court run from the 1993-1994 season to the 2002-2003 season (10 seasons), during which they lost 3 times at home:

1/15/96 Georgia 75-UConn 67 at Gampel
1/10/99 Tennessee 91-UConn 81 at Gampel
2/2/00 Tennessee 72-UConn 71 at Gampel

Thank you nd2tty, Your post further illustrates and supports my observation. It's hard (but not impossible) to win at Gampel if you're a visitor.

 

[MilfordHusky]

That's true. ND did enjoy a relative amount of success not so long ago. Your "had our number not so long ago" comment, made me go back 8 years (2007-2008 season), to recount just how many games the Huskies have lost on their home court. I made the statement that Gampel Pavilion was / is not an easy place to play. Let's see how true that statement is......

In the last 8 years, UConn has played ND 14 times. UConn has won 9 of those 14. So yes sir, you're correct. ND did have UConn's number for a moment. However, that moment has passed. Notre Dame's last victory against UConn was at the XL Center on 3/11/13, 61-59. UConn has defeated ND their last 3 meetings, two of which were on national TV, on the biggest stage in WCBB .

Now, let's look at games UConn lost at home since the 2007-2008 season: (8 years)

2007-2008 (36-2) They lost @ Rutgers and to Stanford in Tampa. No home court losses.

2008-2009 (39-0) They went undefeated, so that speaks for its self. No home court losses.

2009-2010 (39-0) They went undefeated....again, so that speaks for its self. No home court losses.

2010-2011 (36-2) Lost to Stanford @ Stanford, lost to Notre Dame in Indy during NCAA tournament. No Home court losses.

2011-2012 (33-5) Lost to St. John's and Notre Dame at home. Lost @ Baylor, @ Notre Dame, and again to ND @ Denver during the NCAA Tournament. 2 home court losses.

2012-2013 (35-4) Lost to Notre Dame TWICE , and Baylor at home. They also lost to ND in South Bend. 3 home court losses.

2013-2014 (40-0) They went undefeated....again, so that speaks for its self. No home court losses. Five of those years, they lost no home games.

2014-2015 (38-1) They lost to Stanford in Palo Alto. No home court losses.

Recap - UConn has lost five (5) games in 8 years on their home court. I'd say that's pretty impressive. Six of those eight years they were undefeated at home.
While its true that several teams have come to UConn and enjoyed a victory, those instances have been few and far between, including the last two years, and so far this year.
That sir is why I felt comfortable in making the comment about Gampel and the XL Center being a difficult place for visiting teams to play.

That 2007-2011 period happens to be the Maya Moore era. Maya's teams were 150-4 and NEVER lost in the State of Connecticut.

 

[Carnac]

Do you have some evidence that she isn't healthy now?? They'll need Stewie and Mo more at the end of the season than now also. Why not sit them until February?

Stamford, it sound to me like you just want to argue for the sake of argument. Your question of why don't they sit Stewie and Mo is not logical or practical.

Butler is injured, Mo and Stewie are not. The fact that Butler IS NOT playing, IS evidence that she still is not healthy and ready to play. That evidence is easy to see.
When you see Butler on the bench, and Geno does not put her in the game, THAT'S my evidence that she is not healthy. It can't be any plainer than that!

 

[Carnac]

Natalie did not get into the game tonight. I was hoping Geno would put her in the last 5 minutes or so of the 4th quarter. Maybe we'll see her make her debut in Chicago.
Go Natalie, Go Huskies.

 

[warbler1055]

I was looking for Natalie all night and was kind of disappointed that she DNP. But I completely agree with Carnac that an injured player should not be returned too soon for risk of reinjuring themselves.

 

[JRRRJ]

Experience has taught me to respect the Las Vegas odds maker's lines. They're usually spot on, or very very close. They're professionals, and they're very good at what they do.

You do know that LV odds, other than the initial ones, are not set by what the bookie thinks the game result will be, but by what will get approximately the same amount of money on both sides of the bet? That's how the books make money off the vig...

The spread getting bigger simply means too many bettors thought it was too small before and put their money on the Huskies.

 

[Carnac]

You do know that LV odds, other than the initial ones, are not set by what the bookie thinks the game result will be, but by what will get approximately the same amount of money on both sides of the bet? That's how the books make money off the vig...

The spread getting bigger simply means too many bettors thought it was too small before and put their money on the Huskies.

I do now, thanks. That's how the casino owners stay in business, and new hotels & casinos are constantly being built in LV.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Stamford, it sound to me like you just want to argue for the sake of argument. Your question of why don't they sit Stewie and Mo is not logical or practical.

Butler is injured, Mo and Stewie are not. The fact that Butler IS NOT playing, IS evidence that she still is not healthy and ready to play. That evidence is easy to see.
When you see Butler on the bench, and Geno does not put her in the game, THAT'S my evidence that she is not healthy. It can't be any plainer than that!

Actually your post was not logical. She HAD an injury but has now been cleared to,play by the medical experts - who obviously know far more about the risks than you or me. But you say she should still sit - simply because she is needed more in February than now. By that logic, all of the top players should sit, so they will be rested and healthy for the stretch run. That would be silly for Stewart or for Butler.

 

[Carnac]

That would not be very fair to a young lady that came to UCONN to be part of the team. If she is healthy the staff owes it to her to put her on the court.

East Texas, I apologize for not doing a better job in articulating my comment. I knew what I meant when I wrote it, but that's not the way it read when I put it on paper.
I read it again. I can see how you read it. It should have read: "I'd be prepared to sit Butler out until she was cleared by the doctors or medical staff.
Once she was cleared, she would play in the next scheduled game.

In my mind, I'm thinking ahead and came to the conclusion that if it took until mid-January (the doctors release her) , I'd have no problem waiting that long. I hope this helps clear up the confusion. My bad. I promise to articulate my thoughts and expressions more clearly in the future.

 

[Carnac]

Actually your post was not logical. She HAD an injury but has now been cleared to,play by the medical experts - who obviously know far more about the risks than you or me. But you say she should still sit - simply because she is needed more in February than now. By that logic, all of the top players should sit, so they will be rested and healthy for the stretch run. That would be silly for Stewart or for Butler.

Read my post to East Texas I wrote a moment ago. That should clear up this confusion.

 

[Zorro]

How an owner could manage to bankrupt a casino is a wonder!

 

[Aluminny69]

How an owner could manage to bankrupt a casino is a wonder!

So, how did New York manage to bankrupt Off Track Betting?

 

[j66kicker]

How an owner could manage to bankrupt a casino is a wonder!

Donald Trump did it in Atlantic City

 

[Sluconn Husky]

From the Courant:


It had been suggested that sophomore Natalie Butler might have made her UConn debut on Monday night. But Auriemma decided against it, saying the 6-5 center still needed at least two more days to come back from left thumb surgery. Maybe she will play Wednesday in Chicago against DePaul.

 

[Kibitzer]

Ms Butler has apparently been cleared to play by medical professionals, including the one who performed surgery on her left thumb,, the team physician, and Rosemary Raigle.

Now, Natalie will not play until Dr. Auriemma decides that she is really ready. Really.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Via Adamec:

Butler went through warmups but stayed on the bench as the Huskies blew the game open.


"She wasn't ready yet," Auriemma said. "When she's ready, she'll go. She just doesn't look comfortable yet. Every time she catches the ball, it doesn't look right. I'm going to wait until it looks right. We're not going to rush it."

 

[MilfordHusky]

Via Adamec:

Butler went through warmups but stayed on the bench as the Huskies blew the game open.


"She wasn't ready yet," Auriemma said. "When she's ready, she'll go. She just doesn't look comfortable yet. Every time she catches the ball, it doesn't look right. I'm going to wait until it looks right. We're not going to rush it."

I hope that is soon. I don't like what Geno thinks. That's not good news.

 

[Aluminny69]

From Today's Current:

It had been suggested that sophomore Natalie Butler might have made her UConn debut on Monday night. But Auriemma decided against it, saying the 6-5 center still needed at least two more days to come back from left thumb surgery. Maybe she will play Wednesday in Chicago against DePaul. But when she does come back, it’s only going to make UConn’s rebounding even more dominating. They destroyed Chattanooga on the boards 45-23, including 12 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.

 

[Zorro]

Donald Trump did it in Atlantic City

Did he now? My, my!