Another glowing article on Natalie Butler

[bschwartz]

Read this after watching get UConn get beat on the boards last night

 

[VivaLsVgs]

Puhleeze.....she had 2 years and many opportunities to prove herself at Uconn. The reason Nat struggled was her bad hands and lack of confidence playing against top tier talent. I’m happy she’s doing so well at GM but to think that she would have made a significant impact this year is not realistic IMO.

 

[EricLA]

So glad she's doing well. Another great UCONN story! I hope she gets a double-double in every single game the rest of her career! Great kid who's easy to root for, and obviously learned a lot at UCONN!!

 

[JoePgh]

Puhleeze.....she had 2 years and many opportunities to prove herself at Uconn. The reason Nat struggled was her bad hands and lack of confidence playing against top tier talent. I’m happy she’s doing so well at GM but to think that she would have made a significant impact this year is not realistic IMO.

She would have had a very significant impact on the Texas game. If she had played 15-20 minutes, including some time where she and Azurá were on the court at the same time, Texas’s rebounding advantage would have disappeared. They would not have had a margin of 9 extra offensive rebounds, and probably about 10 fewer points. The game would not have been close.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Great article with some wonderful quotes from a mature young women who has learned a bunch along the journey.

 

[ctkaiser]

Watched her play vs George Washington last weekend. Same Natalie, sets great screens, great passer, nice short jump shot and a good rebounder. Still struggles when guarded closely and travels or loses the ball but she's a very effective player at this level. George Mason also had a talented freshman guard from Spain. Very entertaining game.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I'm ecstatic for her, and we can have 100 threads about her and her post-CT successes, but I don't believe she was a good fit for UConn.

 

[BroadwayVa]

She would have had a very significant impact on the Texas game. If she had played 15-20 minutes, including some time where she and Azurá were on the court at the same time, Texas’s rebounding advantage would have disappeared. They would not have had a margin of 9 extra offensive rebounds, and probably about 10 fewer points. The game would not have been close.

Nice supposition, Natalie deserves good words.
Who knows maybe with BOTH in, would Geno do that?< I could see TX getting beaten on the boards and being with Z giving Natalie some room to move and some confidence in what she was doing---big factor the rest of the year.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Great article with some wonderful quotes from a mature young women who has learned a bunch along the journey.

A very intelligent young woman. JoeP ---had an interesting hypothesis : In the tx game both Natalie and AZ at the same time---if Natalie picked up some confidence , within the Geno system, those two could have been a big factor--

 

[CocoHusky]

Puhleeze.....she had 2 years and many opportunities to prove herself at Uconn. The reason Nat struggled was her bad hands and lack of confidence playing against top tier talent. I’m happy she’s doing so well at GM but to think that she would have made a significant impact this year is not realistic IMO.

Puhleeze.... tell me Natalie did not impact the Texas and Baylor games last year and I'll tell you why you are wrong.

 

[CocoHusky]

She would have had a very significant impact on the Texas game. If she had played 15-20 minutes, including some time where she and Azurá were on the court at the same time, Texas’s rebounding advantage would have disappeared. They would not have had a margin of 9 extra offensive rebounds, and probably about 10 fewer points. The game would not have been close.

Really Really love that though @JoePgh of Nat and Azura in the game together. That would free up Gabby to be an additional perimeter defender which UCONN could have used against Texas last night.

 

[donalddoowop]

Puhleeze.....she had 2 years and many opportunities to prove herself at Uconn. The reason Nat struggled was her bad hands and lack of confidence playing against top tier talent. I’m happy she’s doing so well at GM but to think that she would have made a significant impact this year is not realistic IMO.

She had her best games against top tier talent.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Nat is leading the nation at 15.2 rpg. The next highest is 13.5 rpg.

 

[eebmg]

Generally agree with this thread but the idea of Butler and Z together is not a good one imho. Two bigs in the post clogs up the middle and you need to push one outside to the wing or key a lot to initiate high low. action. We already are concerned that Z spends to much time outside the lane and that collier and Z have some issues because both like to be in the lane as well. Look no further than Coates and Wilson at SC. It can work with a remarkable pair like Dolson / Stewart because a truly unique set of skills but that is not the case with Z/ Butler as far as I could see and I would not want our team to turn into a SC looking team offensively.

It is true that in the TX game in the first half, I had nostalgia for Butler who could at least whack a few of the TX players and give them some black / blues but
the grass is not greener. The rebounding issue in my opinion was due to shock. We are not use to it and it took a while to learn how to react and compensate which we did better in the second half when they got reintroduced to the concept of boxing out. This game was a godsend in giving us a taste of real life and we will get stronger.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I am so glad to hear Natalie is having a good season.

 

[jimazee]

Natalie would have played many useful minutes against Texas and some other games this year. Maybe Geno and some of his staff mentally 'looked down the bench' at some point (during or after the game) and thought that.

Natalie grew a lot at UConn. She hopefully enjoyed the experience. Perhaps she had a twinge of nostalgia watching the Texas game too. She found a great 'home' at GM. Good for her!

Life continues. Everyone can now adjust course... and play on with the cards (Cards?) they have.

Enjoy the day.

 

[JoePgh]

Generally agree with this thread but the idea of Butler and Z together is not a good one imho. Two bigs in the post clogs up the middle and you need to push one outside to the wing or key a lot to initiate high low. action. We already are concerned that Z spends to much time outside the lane and that collier and Z have some issues because both like to be in the lane as well. Look no further than Coates and Wilson at SC. It can work with a remarkable pair like Dolson / Stewart because a truly unique set of skills but that is not the case with Z/ Butler as far as I could see and I would not want our team to turn into a SC looking team offensively.

It is true that in the TX game in the first half, I had nostalgia for Butler who could at least whack a few of the TX players and give them some black / blues but
the grass is not greener. The rebounding issue in my opinion was due to shock. We are not use to it and it took a while to learn how to react and compensate which we did better in the second half when they got reintroduced to the concept of boxing out. This game was a godsend in giving us a taste of real life and we will get stronger.

Apparently Karen Aston did not get your memo. She had Caron-Goudreau and Jatarie White on the floor for large blocks of time (sometimes replacing one with Joyner Holmes), and they got a lot of rebounds that way.

Both Nat and Azura have reliable jump shots from the 10-foot range, which would allow them to do a high-low number more effectively than was possible with Gabby at the top of the key. One of them could take the shot, and the other could rebound the miss and probably get a few points that way. And I think that combo would have largely shut down the Texas offensive rebounding game.

 

[OfanMan]

Thanks for this. A big like to you AND the article.
Nat has 11 points and 12 rebounds for her 18th straight Double/Double...at halftime. Against Richmond.

 

[eebmg]

Apparently Karen Aston did not get your memo. She had Caron-Goudreau and Jatarie White on the floor for large blocks of time (sometimes replacing one with Joyner Holmes), and they got a lot of rebounds that way.

Both Nat and Azura have reliable jump shots from the 10-foot range, which would allow them to do a high-low number more effectively than was possible with Gabby at the top of the key. One of them could take the shot, and the other could rebound the miss and probably get a few points that way. And I think that combo would have largely shut down the Texas offensive rebounding game.

There is definitely a trade off issue to evaluate and there is certainly some value in having 2 big posts play together under certain conditions on the boards but I still think we have enough rebounding with Z and our front line. I think we have a tendency to want to run to the point we don't always box out and rely on our athleticism to out jump for rebounds. Most times that works but in the first half, we were getting waxed. We finally realized the transition game was not going to be a major component of the game and we settled into better position rebounding in the second half. Anyway, it is not productive to analyze a combination that can't exist.

 

[Monte]

She would have had a very significant impact on the Texas game. If she had played 15-20 minutes, including some time where she and Azurá were on the court at the same time, Texas’s rebounding advantage would have disappeared. They would not have had a margin of 9 extra offensive rebounds, and probably about 10 fewer points. The game would not have been close.

Which team would have won??