Butler aggression

[BroadwayVa]

Well, I think we can stop worrying whether Butler can show the proper amount of aggressive play after the game tonight. Time to worry about something else. One possibility is our wonderful Gabby not having a great game.

Five things: 1. Natalie did what she was told to do--but the contact was incidental, as she turned.
2. Gabby and Kia---(cant believe I'm saying this) Geno will worry about them, if necessary--not to worry.
3. Katie Lou needs to get "hers" NOW. She had 19, looked like Stewie (Jr) in the last 3 games--with the non starter (plus Kia) she effectively took over the game and flew around ala Stew---She's a keeper.
4. Chong, Kia, Tuck, Collier all are expending effort and I see the horizon ahead.
5. I'm not a big believer the 4th NC is a guarantee---but if Lou, Collier, Nurse, Chong, Tuck dig in and help Mariah and Stew--why not???

 

[DaddyChoc]

I don't want to see ECU put in the same category as RU. The Recidivists were continually overstepping the lines of acceptable play (although I don't recall any of them chasing down a player and punching her in the nose, BG). ECU played hard and never gave up, and while some of their play was on the edge, we've seen as bad from ND often, and I don't think anyone REALLY thinks they play dirty. Heck, Taurasi has done worse to opponents than anything the ECU players did; she was just skilled enough at it not to get caught.

Give credit where it is do; ECU played a great game, given the task at hand and the weapons at their disposal.

thank you... (my tongue is sore)

 

[BroadwayVa]

I missed the game and forgot to DVR it. Sounds like it was one not to be missed. I do not like East Carolina... since they came into the league they have seemed to be overly aggressive and remind me of the Rutgers teams of old where our players would come back home with black and blues all over the place. Is that what happened here?

Oh except for the Foul on Butler and double foul with Lou--it was worth the missing not to see a team degrade it's self by fouling as their best form of defense---refs up to 4th qtr appeared to be homies.
If you saw the last game--or the USC game--this would have been not so great, except for Lou/Butler

 

[Sonny44]

We don't get CBSSN, so if anyone can share a video of Natalie's "effort" tonight, it would be greatly appreciated.

Still no video from the elite BY'ers?

 

[JavaMan]

I missed the game and forgot to DVR it. Sounds like it was one not to be missed. I do not like East Carolina... since they came into the league they have seemed to be overly aggressive and remind me of the Rutgers teams of old where our players would come back home with black and blues all over the place. Is that what happened here?

Oh except for the Foul on Butler and double foul with Lou--it was worth the missing not to see a team degrade it's self by fouling as their best form of defense---refs up to 4th qtr appeared to be homies. If you saw the last game--or the USC game--this would have been not so great, except for Lou/Butler

Well, for my money, Stewie to Mo to Lou in the last minute of the 1st quarter was priceless!

 

[boontonbomber]

I don't understand the call on Butler. Was it a technical or a flagrant foul? I thought that the announcer said technical. My understanding is that a technical foul cannot be called due to player contact during course of the game. If it was a flagrant, then Natalie should have been sent to the locker room.

 

[Trappist]

The ESPN theme song for the 2014 Women's Final 4 was Jason Aldean's "The Only Way I Know" in a version sung by Connie Brittain from the tv show "Nashville" - Maybe Natalie listened to the song and was influenced by the line: "Don't Back Up, Don't Back Down" - in fact the whole song would make a good motivator for the UCONN gals.

 

[JordyG]

It was a very chippy physical game the refs swallowed the whistle many times. Can't remember the last time UCONN had two technical fouls from two different players (KLS & Nat). The technical called on Natalie was a flop worthy of ND. The one on KLS was strange and unnecessary because KLS was having such a good game. To be clear I'm saying KLS initiate it and was a fault and I rather she save that for a game when she having a not so good game and needs to get herself or the team going. Not worried about Gabby at all. Napheesa played well also snagging 3 offensive rebounds (in a row) among taller players at point . Beginning to worry about Morgan-her 3 Ball looks flat, she is not finishing at the basket at her normal rate and she is getting out positioned for some rebounds in the post. The one thing Morgan continues to do exceptional well is to kick the ball out of the post-KLS should thank her.

To me Morgan is not elevating on her outside shot. Inside I'm accustomed to seeing her take that long step and extended to the basket for her layups. She's been shortening that step. To me, clear signs that her knee is an issue. And yeah, her footwork in the post is suffering.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't want to see ECU put in the same category as RU. The Recidivists were continually overstepping the lines of acceptable play (although I don't recall any of them chasing down a player and punching her in the nose, BG). ECU played hard and never gave up, and while some of their play was on the edge, we've seen as bad from ND often, and I don't think anyone REALLY thinks they play dirty. Heck, Taurasi has done worse to opponents than anything the ECU players did; she was just skilled enough at it not to get caught.

Give credit where it is do; ECU played a great game, given the task at hand and the weapons at their disposal.

BG did not chase anyone down. She simply took a couple of steps and punched Barncastle in the nose.

 

[j66kicker]

BG did not chase anyone down. She simply took a couple of steps and punched Barncastle in the nose.

Pretty much inadvertent...

 

[easttexastrash]

Pretty much inadvertent...

She barely touched the girl...

BG will forever be the measuring stick for aggressive play. Go BiG or go home...

 

[PalPa]

Not sure you need to that worried about Morgan. She's been facing much smaller, faster players in conference. Lots of 4-5 guard lineups by undermanned teams. She'll be fine when she's playing someone as big or bigger.

Yes, but I would expect her shooting percentage to be higher vs the smaller players. She is missing almost all of the shots in the post that she usually made about 80% of the time. I am another one worried about her. I think she has lost her shot at making an AA team.

 

[chrissaran]

Meghan Culmo refers to Natalie as the "Big Girl" all the time, as she did with Stef. After all, Natalie and Stef are big.

 

[tomcat]

Anyone who thinks that what Butler did isn't a foul must think the Battle of Gettysburg was just a little skirmish.

My wife and I were watching and, to my way of thinking, the ECU player should have been called as well, but Butler should have gotten something extra for literally pushing the other player top the ground.

 

[Replicant]

Cant a video, but it looked like she suckered into the retaliation. She'll be less conspicuous next time she flattens someone.

The ECU post player had been physical and chippy all day and was actually planning on hitting Nat with a forearm shiver. As she wound up to deliver it Nat instinctively turned into the blow with a full body bump, shortening the distance and catching Ms. Chippy in mid range-of-motion. Ms. Chippy folded like a lawn chair from the ensuing collision...partly acting, partly because that's the only direction she was headed anyways. I dug Nat's aggression on the play and the fact that she didn't walk away from the scene - looked like she was ready to handle any unfinished business in case Ms. Chippy needed another look at the plates on the truck that ran her over!

Breanna was the first on the scene to come and corral Nat.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Jason Aldean song that may be most fitting for the Huskies:

 

[Replicant]

Meghan Culmo refers to Natalie as the "Big Girl" all the time, as she did with Stef. After all, Natalie and Stef are big.

Think I'll start calling Nat "The Punisher"!

 

[UcMiami]

Think I'll start calling Nat "The Punisher"!

Or we could just recycle 'Bam Bam' from the early 1990s.

 

[easttexastrash]

The ECU post player had been physical and chippy all day and was actually planning on hitting Nat with a forearm shiver. As she wound up to deliver it Nat instinctively turned into the blow with a full body bump, shortening the distance and catching Ms. Chippy in mid range-of-motion. Ms. Chippy folded like a lawn chair from the ensuing collision...partly acting, partly because that's the only direction she was headed anyways. I dug Nat's aggression on the play and the fact that she didn't walk away from the scene - looked like she was ready to handle any unfinished business in case Ms. Chippy needed another look at the plates on the truck that ran her over!

Breanna was the first on the scene to come and corral Nat.

Aggression is always more acceptable when it's your player being aggressive. I still haven't been able to locate video of the incident.

 

[Replicant]

Aggression is always more acceptable when it's your player being aggressive.

I guess as a Baylor/Griner fan you'd know something about that.

 

[j66kicker]

Aggression is always more acceptable when it's your player being aggressive. I still haven't been able to locate video of the incident.

Don't bother if you're expecting anything resembling the ECU player getting "Barncastled." This was very mild - just enough to send a well-deserved message, but certainly not enough for a flagrant 2 or anything close.

 

[UcMiami]

Aggression is always more acceptable when it's your player being aggressive. I still haven't been able to locate video of the incident.

Probably have to watch the whole game to see it, really wasn't worth a 'highlight'. It happened after a Uconn basket and both players were still in the lane - the ECU player approached Butler as she turned to head back on defense with the intention of giving her a little shoulder bump and Butler saw it coming and gave her own shoulder bump with significantly more force. the ECU player appeared to be 'de-cleated' to borrow a football term and ended up on her backside. I suspect there was a little bit of dramatization in the action of the ECU player, but Butler had definitely put some force into her shoulder.

There were no elbows or arms or fists involved just solid shoulder to shoulder bump.

It was pretty similar to an earlier incident between Lou and a ECU player jogging up court, where Lou initiated the bumping and they were both assessed fouls, but with Butler there was a significant weight/height difference and a little more power behind the bump..

 

[RunItUp!]

What? Natalie Butler is not a "Big Girl" as our fav Kara Wolters has says many times, as well as Big "Mama Stef" Dolson. So, you think that Natalie Butler is not a "big girl"? I beg to differ.

As to whether she committed a foul or not is an entirely different question. I think she did but, Stewie, as was pointed out during the game and shown on the replays, came over to Big Nat and apparently said as a Senior to a Sophomore: "Knock that stuff off!", or somesuch.

Maybe that is what she said, but during the time when the refs were looking at the monitor to evaluate the play, I saw Big Nat smile, SMILE and that is what was needed. The girls need to be more nasty and mean when teams figure they can do what they want to and not play by the rules and expect OUR Huskies to do NOTHING about it - i.e. Kia getting her head ...; Gabby having her leg taken from under her; Mojo getting knocked around a few times; Stewie getting pounded on, etc. Show other teams that if you want to play that way then get a role player to do the same to their star player and send a message that two can play that game, but hopefully no one gets hurt because of it.

 

[RunItUp!]

Don't bother if you're expecting anything resembling the ECU player getting "Barncastled." This was very mild - just enough to send a well-deserved message, but certainly not enough for a flagrant 2 or anything close.

Good for Big Nat!!!

 

[boontonbomber]

Gotta ask again. What exactly was Butler given the technical for?