Adamec on Natalie Butler...

[Sluconn Husky]

If she can give the team 10-12 points and 8-10 rebounds per game, UConn will be unbeatable with all the weapons it's got

That would be outproducing Stokes' best year. And Butler won't get near the minutes she got at Georgetown. As long as she's not a black hole on offense, can pass, set some screens, and get up and down the floor, she should be valuable.

 

[Woof 101]

NICE !!!

 

[hoophuskee]

No quality players have ever come from small programs. Didn't DePaul play Notre Dame fairly evenly for a school in the Georgetown world? Do any of you know where Phil Simms and Michael Strahan went to college? They didn't do too bad for players from very obscure colleges. If you read what I posted I said she has the possibility of becoming UConn's best center ever. What were Kara and Tina's numbers in their freshman seasons? Were they 13 and 13? I don't think either Kara or Tina averaged 13 rebounds. How was everyone feeling about Stef after her first two years? I know, everyone predicted her future success during her junior and senior seasons.

Again -- I think you're a bit too much here with Natalie an DePaul etc. I won't speak for Kara -- but for you saying she has the possibility of beating out Tina -- I doubt it. Hope she does. When you use Phil Simms as a case in point, okay I get it.

But think of it this way,
we got Phil Simms (Natalie)-- but we've already had Joe Montana (Tina).

 

[j66kicker]

She pays her own way to Tampa. Too bad she cannot travel with the team. NCAA rules suck!!! Everybody at the NCAA makes money and the athletes are the only ones who don't get a dime.

I thought NCAA loses money on the WBB tourney....??

 

[MilfordHusky]

Natalie doesn't have to be at a NPOY level. She has enough potential to be an All-American, but we'll see on that. My best guess is that she will be something like Stef was. Maybe the best she can achieve is to be like the first or second year Stef. Or maybe she can go beyond that. I seriously doubt that she will ever be the passer that Stef was, but I think that she is naturally a better rebounder. She'll be playing with Stewie and Morgan, plus Gabby and the frosh. They will take pressure off her. I expect her to be a starter and major contributor. It's already clear that she's a great teammate.

 

[Zorro]

She pays her own way to Tampa. Too bad she cannot travel with the team. NCAA rules suck!!! Everybody at the NCAA makes money and the athletes are the only ones who don't get a dime.

It is not the NCAA's job to not suck!

 

[baggerbob]

As Moriah says, she's 6-5, and she sings, and dances.

 

[CL82]

I'm looking to forward to seeing her play as well. She showed she had talent as a frosh at GT. Now she's been exposed to a year of the Geno approach to basketball and the intensity at which UConn practices. I think she'll have a pretty immediate impact.

 

[Stinger92860]

Even with the loss of Kalena, how good is this team going to be by the end of next year! And the depth.....

 

[Huskies Rule]

That would be outproducing Stokes' best year. And Butler won't get near the minutes she got at Georgetown. As long as she's not a black hole on offense, can pass, set some screens, and get up and down the floor, she should be valuable.

I love Kiah, and I respect all that she has accomplished. And while I would never devalue her significant contributions to the program, for Butler to outproduce her on the offensive end in "Stokes' best year" (if Kiah ever had a best year offensively) in terms of scoring, passing and screening would not be at all difficult, if Natalie earns starter's minutes. As great as Kiah is rebounding and blocking shots, she is equally nonproductive offensively. Butler averaged an insane 36 minutes pg at G-Town, and NO starter at UConn will ever get those kind of minutes. But with all the great players that'll be on the floor requiring attention from opponents next year, I suspect Natalie will have plenty of opportunities to score the ball and rebound. [As for black hole, getting up and down the floor- needlessly disparaging. Butler will never be a Lauren Cox, but I think she'll become a solid big]

 

[DobbsRover2]

Per the UConn article at the time her transfer became official, Butler will have three years of eligibility of course if she decides to use them all, which is probably likely.

As to the expectations for her, she sounds like she will do well, but as with freshman recruits it might be nice to let things play out for her as a transfer a bit before pushing the expectations maybe way too high. There have been many players over the year who were strong players and great contributors but whose careers are now marked as a "disappointment" because some fans decided too early that they needed to be the next Taurasi, Charles, Holdsclaw, or other legend. Maybe we should give them some room to find their own places in history and the record books.

 

[JoePgh]

My prediction is that Natalie will basically fill Kiah Stokes's role on next year's team. In approximately the same number of minutes, she will produce more points than Kiah, about the same number of rebounds, and far fewer blocks. The overall value of her contribution will be similar, i.e., very valuable.

In later years, her contributions could be greater (more like Stef's), assuming Geno does not recruit someone like Lauren Cox who will compete with her for minutes.

 

[uconnfan68]

If she transferred after her freshman year, she'd still have 3 years of eligibility left. She would be a junior academically, but that's pretty meaningless as far as we're concerned.

Basketball-wise, I expect her to be a big upgrade over Stokes on the offensive end and to nicely complement our other frontcourt pieces.

Not sure I'd expect that much from her offensively. Kiah can shoot too, she just doesn't because she's content to screen for the others. It's the defensive side, rebounding and shot-blocking, where I'd be happy if she's half the player Kiah is.

 

[stamfordhusky]

She pays her own way to Tampa. Too bad she cannot travel with the team. NCAA rules suck!!! Everybody at the NCAA makes money and the athletes are the only ones who don't get a dime.

NCAA rules are all voted on and passed by the member schools. If a majority of schools wanted to change this, it would change tomorrow.

 

[Huskies Rule]

My prediction is that Natalie will basically fill Kiah Stokes's role on next year's team. In approximately the same number of minutes, she will produce more points than Kiah, about the same number of rebounds, and far fewer blocks. The overall value of her contribution will be similar, i.e., very valuable.

In later years, her contributions could be greater (more like Stef's), assuming Geno does not recruit someone like Lauren Cox who will compete with her for minutes.

I hope that Natalie, using her own particular skill sets, can contribute as well as Kiah has. However, if UConn were fortunate enough to ever get a kid as incredibly talented as Lauren Cox, there would be absolutely NO competition for minutes because Stewie and Moriah would have graduated and there would be nobody on the team even close to Cox.

 

[rvwsleep]

I hope that Natalie, using her own particular skill sets, can contribute as well as Kiah has. However, if UConn were fortunate enough to ever get a kid as incredibly talented as Lauren Cox, there would be absolutely NO competition for minutes because Stewie and Moriah would have graduated and there would be nobody on the team even close to Cox.

No big close to Cox or "nobody on the team even close to Cox" ?

 

[Huskies Rule]

No big close to Cox or "nobody on the team even close to Cox" ?

Yes, really! I think Lauren Cox will develop into that once-in-a-generation type of player that Stewie is (though with very different skill sets). Cox's talents and 'motor' are pretty incredible, and whoaaa she's just a high school junior. She does it all, and in last July's FIBA U17 tournament I thought she was no doubt the best player on the court ( and that includes Salvadores and everyone else).

 

[rvwsleep]

Really! Call me crazy, but I think Lauren Cox will develop into that once-in-a-generation type of player that Stewie is (though with very different skillsets). Cox's talent and 'motor' are pretty incredible, and whoaaa she's just a high school junior.

I like Cox too but since you didn't answer my question directly ("Really" is a response but to what question ?) and you have given me the invitation, I'll say it, you're crazy.

 

[Huskies Rule]

I like Cox too but since you didn't answer my question directly ("Really" is a response but to what question ?) and you have given me the invitation, I'll say it, you're crazy.

I type very slowly. And I think you are WRONG- about Cox and about me.

 

[Waquoit]

Yes, really! I think Lauren Cox will develop into that once-in-a-generation type of player that Stewie is.

Aren't they in the same generation, Mr. Cox?

 

[Huskies Rule]

I type slowly, man. Really, as in no big close to Cox and nobody on the team close to Cox. JMO. One caveat- My perspicacity has been faulty since I got married.

We shall see, you guys. If she isn't playing in Storrs in a few, and I'm afraid she won't be, it'll be one we'll regret that got away. Just sayin'

Mr.Cox? hahaha. You wouldn't catch me living in Texas for anything.

 

[rvwsleep]

Yes, really! I think Lauren Cox will develop into that once-in-a-generation type of player that Stewie is (though with very different skill sets). Cox's talents and 'motor' are pretty incredible, and whoaaa she's just a high school junior. She does it all, and in last July's FIBA U17 tournament I thought she was no doubt the best player on the court ( and that includes Salvadores and everyone else).

I watched the FIBA U17 tournament and I thought that Cox was one of the 2 best on the USA side, along with Durr, in the Championship game. Did you have a chance to catch any of the earlier games in that tournament ? I did, there were games that you barely noticed if she was playing. In the entire tournament, Cox was 6th on the USA team in scoring at 7.1 points a game on 40% fg shooting. Here's a link to the stats for that competition.
" My perspicacity has been faulty since I got married". I apologize. I wasn't aware of your condition. Some people prosper under those conditions, while, to others, it proves fatal.

 

[rvwsleep]

Here's the missing link to the FIBA U17 games.

http://www.fiba.com/world/u17women/2014/playerstats

 

[Huskies Rule]

OK. I'm gonna say one last thing about this subject and then, like the raven, nevermore, my recreational vehicle friend, as I stealthily head into witness protection- (No death threats or hate mail, please) But if you told me UConn could only have one kid- Lou or Cox- I would choose Cox. Can someone please find my guide dog?

 

[uconnfan68]

I watched the FIBA U17 tournament and I thought that Cox was one of the 2 best on the USA side, along with Durr, in the Championship game. Did you have a chance to catch any of the earlier games in that tournament ? I did, there were games that you barely noticed if she was playing. In the entire tournament, Cox was 6th on the USA team in scoring at 7.1 points a game on 40% fg shooting. Here's a link to the stats for that competition.
" My perspicacity has been faulty since I got married". I apologize. I wasn't aware of your condition. Some people prosper under those conditions, while, to others, it proves fatal.

I suspect that tournament is like many others where the bigs just don't get to shoot. The game I saw she was spectacular... at both ends of the court.