Badass Award for UConn vs. Texas Game. . .

[Zorro]

And, while I DO hate to repeat myself;

Gabby,
was not shabby!

 

[UCAP_Fan]

Butler, Butler,Butler.

 

[Wolfdog]

Although lately Gabby seems to hesitate to take open outside shots, she has been fantastic this season with her assists. She sets Napheesa up for success because she is quick to exploit Napheesa's off ball movement. She also does a great job on defense against women 5 - 6 inches taller and is a fantastic team defender.

 

[iamcbs]

If it's truly a Badass award then it should be Lou for the flagrant foul, I think she's tired of getting pushed around....

 

[JordyG]

By the way, anyone as over the moon as I was to see Kara Lawson and her predictably intelligent and insightful self covering this game?

 

[CL82]

Start of the second half Gabby made about a half dozen mistakes in a row and I found myself thinking, get Butler back in there.

 

[Carnac]

By the way, anyone as over the moon as I was to see Kara Lawson and her predictably intelligent and insightful self covering this game?

YES!!!!!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Kia is the heart and fire of the team and Napheesa is the glue and consistency. That has the potential to be a lethal combination when the time comes against some ranked opponents. Both had really good games on both ends!

Butler's improvements and contributions can't be ignored either. She played extremely well for the most part and her D made a difference for us today. It was really nice to see her get some good minutes to get her settled and hopefully bet the ball rolling for some even bigger improvements down the line. I wouldn't call it a pretty game by any means, but it had it's pretty moments.

I love your first sentence!

 

[JoePgh]

Napheesa played a game that Maya Moore would be proud of. Natalie made an indispensable contribution, and Kia was steady, but this was Napheesa's game.

She played at the same level against Florida State, and she hasn't had a bad game against anybody. Before long, if she continues to play at this level, more people will be making the Maya comparison.

 

[Husky fanatic]

Great job Natalie!!!

 

[bags27]

Napheesa played a game that Maya Moore would be proud of. Natalie made an indispensable contribution, and Kia was steady, but this was Napheesa's game.

She played at the same level against Florida State, and she hasn't had a bad game against anybody. Before long, if she continues to play at this level, more people will be making the Maya comparison.

Pheesa just doesn't at all remind me of Maya. Maya was poetry in motion, all grace and elegance. Pheesa is a stutter-stepper--really quick twitch reaction, suddenly slicing, deceptively and explosively quick. And she hasn't yet established her outside shot like Maya's--though she well may.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Napheesa played a game that Maya Moore would be proud of. Natalie made an indispensable contribution, and Kia was steady, but this was Napheesa's game.

She played at the same level against Florida State, and she hasn't had a bad game against anybody. Before long, if she continues to play at this level, more people will be making the Maya comparison.

There must be something in the water in Jefferson City.

 

[Kaizen]

Don't forget Crystal has 2 big three ...and she made me feel comfortable and relax.

 

[PacoSwede]

Pheesa just doesn't at all remind me of Maya. Maya was poetry in motion, all grace and elegance. Pheesa is a stutter-stepper--really quick twitch reaction, suddenly slicing, deceptively and explosively quick. And she hasn't yet established her outside shot like Maya's--though she well may.

I think she's more like Catch. He'll reach that level.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I have 4 people for the award.

1. Napheesa - She scored, boy did she score, rebounded, made steals and blocked shots.
2. Gabby - She was all over the floor. Gabby passes to Napheesa were amazing, she made steals and added 11 points.
3. Kia - Her defense is always amazing, she had 15 points and led the team when Saniya and Crystal wasn't on the court. That's the Kia I love to watch.
4. Natalie - When Texas banged, she banged back, rebounded, blocked shots and added 4 points.

*When Crystal and Natalie come in the game, the energy of the players really shifts. I would call that great chemistry .

 

[Kibitzer]

Upon further review, one additional Badass award for the victory over Texas goes to Natalie Butler!

I was reluctant to add Nat (26 minutes, 1 basket, 4 rebounds), thinking we might be compromising our standards and sliding toward "performance awards." Then several BYers got my attention by making persuasive, though not yet compelling (to me), arguments on Nat's behalf.

The clinchers came from Paul Doyle and Geno himself. In today's account of the Texas game in the Courant, Doyle nailed it when he described the timely and vital subbing of Butler at a critical moment early in the game. She gave the team "the requisite toughness" that changed the complexion of the game. During Geno's presser he reinforced that point by heaping praise on Nat, even using multiple "really" adjectives for emphasis.

That did it. Badass Butler to stand with Collier and Nurse.

An added thought. Read game accounts (Doyle and Fuller) and listen to interviews (Kia, Pheesa, Lou) to read and hear how often the word "tough" is used to describe this intrepid team. Topped by UT Coach Aston, who lamented that "They just out-toughed us."

 

[UcMiami]

You know Kib - we all get caught up in the stats that get recorded and forget how much of the game isn't measured by standard stats - while I am not a big fan of advanced stats because I think they record numbers that often don't make sense, I think in this game having a 'plus minus' number for Natalie would be very instructive. She didn't score much, she didn't grab every rebound, she didn't hand out a dozen assists (3 isn't bad), or block every shot (2) and she didn't get credit for a steal, but Uconn wasn't playing well when she entered, and they started playing a lot better, and TX was having their way in the paint before she entered, and they found it harder once she was on the floor. I think a plus minus in this game would tell that story. And isn't that really what a badass award is about!

(I don't actually like a lot of 'advanced metrics' in basketball - I think they can be much more misleading than standard stats, and 'tell' stories that just don't make sense. Any individual statistic in a team sport can be misleading but at least for me, standard stats are numbers I am used to adjusting for, while the advanced metrics get into areas that are much harder to 'regularize' to what actually is happening - they hide their own biases so it is harder to understand why they are lying.)

 

[Kibitzer]

You know Kib - we all get caught up in the stats that get recorded and forget how much of the game isn't measured by standard stats - while I am not a big fan of advanced stats because I think they record numbers that often don't make sense, I think in this game having a 'plus minus' number for Natalie would be very instructive. She didn't score much, she didn't grab every rebound, she didn't hand out a dozen assists (3 isn't bad), or block every shot (2) and she didn't get credit for a steal, but Uconn wasn't playing well when she entered, and they started playing a lot better, and TX was having their way in the paint before she entered, and they found it harder once she was on the floor. I think a plus minus in this game would tell that story. And isn't that really what a badass award is about!

(I don't actually like a lot of 'advanced metrics' in basketball - I think they can be much more misleading than standard stats, and 'tell' stories that just don't make sense. Any individual statistic in a team sport can be misleading but at least for me, standard stats are numbers I am used to adjusting for, while the advanced metrics get into areas that are much harder to 'regularize' to what actually is happening - they hide their own biases so it is harder to understand why they are lying.)

I just watched the game replay. Nat was on the court when UConn went from down 17-11 to up 26-13. Pheesa and Kia were scoring a lot during this 15-2 "team badass run," but Nat was on the court "providing the requisite toughness," and, yes, compiling a lot of "+" points.

 

[warbler1055]

Nat went in and changed the complexity of the game. She well deserved this recognition. Bravo!!!

 

[bags27]

Hey Kib: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." (Emerson, "Self-Reliance")
You, sir, have a great soul!

 

[Kibitzer]

Hey Kib: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." (Emerson, "Self-Reliance")
You, sir, have a great soul!

The Butler did it!

Thanks for your kind words.

 

[Carnac]

You know Kib - we all get caught up in the stats that get recorded and forget how much of the game isn't measured by standard stats - while I am not a big fan of advanced stats because I think they record numbers that often don't make sense, I think in this game having a 'plus minus' number for Natalie would be very instructive. She didn't score much, she didn't grab every rebound, she didn't hand out a dozen assists (3 isn't bad), or block every shot (2) and she didn't get credit for a steal, but Uconn wasn't playing well when she entered, and they started playing a lot better, and TX was having their way in the paint before she entered, and they found it harder once she was on the floor. I think a plus minus in this game would tell that story. And isn't that really what a badass award is about!

(I don't actually like a lot of 'advanced metrics' in basketball - I think they can be much more misleading than standard stats, and 'tell' stories that just don't make sense. Any individual statistic in a team sport can be misleading but at least for me, standard stats are numbers I am used to adjusting for, while the advanced metrics get into areas that are much harder to 'regularize' to what actually is happening - they hide their own biases so it is harder to understand why they are lying.)

Excellent obs UcMiami, your comment captured the essence of Natalie's play yesterday. Stats aside, her play was vital/pivotal in UConn's win. Bottom line: No Natalie, no win. As in football, there are three components in every game. Offense, Defense & Special Teams. All 3 MUST work together to forge a cohesive unit that can produce a victory. If one of those components fails, the team is weakened and the game can be lost.

No, Butler did not score a lot of points. Others players as you mentioned were talking care of point production. She was inserted into the game to sure up deficiencies in other areas those players could not. The momentum for UConn turned around once Butler entered the game. She helped stabilize UConn's defense which was having difficulty defending the paint against Texas' BIGS. Once Geno "declawed the tiger" (neutralized their BIGS), the game turned for UConn.

All parts working together produced a win for the Huskies. Geno, the master chef, blended the right ingredients at the right moments to get the desired results. Congratulations to chef Geno and his staff on a well coached and thought out game plan, and to the team for executing it. Everyone did their job Sunday.

 

[pacific 44]

Yo,Kib ,did you mean "sliding toward participation awards" instead of performance awards?

 

[Ozimoto]

If Natalie continues to play this way, she will become a fondly remembered alumna of UConn women's basketball after her career as a Husky is over.

As others have said, we don't need her to score a lot of points, just be enough of an offensive threat to keep the other team honest. Her value is what she brings to the table in toughness, rebounding, and protecting the rim. I agree that without her the Baylor game is probable a loss and this game would not have been a double digit victory.

 

[terif831]

I was at the game yesterday, watching all the things she was doing that don't show up on a scoresheet and taking much delight in them. And honest to God, the thought went through my head . . . she's the BADASS today!