Butler Picks UConn

[winlots]

MEYER: I won't ask how you were ending Tuesday night??? (Along with the Rangers/Pens game, how did you MISS this? Well, at least you work up.....always a good thing)

ERRRRR: that is supposed to say "WOKE up," MEYER. I have no idea in which direction your work, if you work at all.

 

[psconn]

Now I go to Vince Lombardi:

"Lady luck doesn't kiss bums sleeping on park benches."​

Exactly!

 

[MilfordHusky]

For those who think we are fully loaded and can forget about KLS or Durr, a few thoughts.

You can never have too many guards. It's important to have at least 1 in each class.

You can never have too many great guards.

You can never have too many great shooters.

Many of our great kids are at the talent level of Ann, Barbara, Asjha, Caroline, Kalana, Tiffany, et al. When you have a chance to get kids rated 98 and you think they fit your program, you shouldn't pass them up. Players like Diana, Tina, Maya, Moriah, and Breanna shouldn't be passed up.

Though the details are different, I think the sentiment is spot-on: With regard to Asia Durr, just because we were loaded after winning the 2000 championship, should we have passed on Diana?? I think the answer is clear.

 

[Kibitzer]

I am shocked, shocked to hear that good ol J.S. has gone to soliciting!

Shocked! Shocked! You and Claude Rains.

Classic scene from "Casablanca"

 

[winlots]

Why is she leaving G'town?

Being known for "provocative" posts in some quarters, and on some occasions, let's try this on for an answer and see how it fits: She is leaving because the coach there was aggressive in his approach to his players, as many coaches are (some of whom are well known in these parts); and he got humped by the PC police. (I have NO knowledge of the details of what happened at G'town.....other than that the coach seemed to have gotten into hot water for being "abusive." Am just stirring the pot, for discussion, or not as you wish, with an hypothesis having to do with present day America. For all I know, the coach is a creep....for all I know he is simply a guy who wants to win and offended someone with some comments.")

 

[meyers7]

ERRRRR: that is supposed to say "WOKE up," MEYER. I have no idea in which direction your work, if you work at all.

I figured. I go to work. Actually work?.....that's debatable.

 

[winlots]

And also size. Collier and Boykin are not true 5's in any sense of the way the position is played. Butler is. Whether she's more like Dolson, or more like Jess Moore, is almost irrelevant. UCONN needed size up front and they got it. As it turns out, she may end up being as good or better than most of the other bigs UCONN missed out on the past few years (McCall, Reimer, and Howard)...

ERIC: as you know, I usually pay great homage to your views. For the fun of it here, I'll take another side. You might be wrong about Boykin in a couple of ways (though correct, apparently, that she is not LIMITED to playing only in the post). For one, IF she is as tall as some in the know say (6' 3 and 3/4 was, I believe the tallest I saw from "reputable sources), she could certainly handle herself down low against almost anyone in the womens collegiate game.....she is known to be quite strong and athletic I believe).
I"ll also take issue with the portion of your post which seems to imply, though it does not explicitly say, that the major issue here is that we got needed size, and that the quality involved is not of the greatest consequence.
ANd I'll go well beyond you on your assertion that she might well end up to be as good or better than Bigs we've not gotten.....I think she is going to be the equal of the Bigs we HAVE gotten.....I'm thinking we've perhaps landed an All American here???

 

[winlots]

Durr is more a combo guard IIRC, but she certainly CAN play the 1 (and the 2). I think she's more similar to Taurasi than to Jefferson. I could see her and Nurse starting, much like when UCONN started Doty and Hayes - Neither is a PURE PG, but UCONN has not had very many of those over the years (Rizzotti, Williams, Swanier, Dixon and now Jefferson come to mind). And Jen was so long ago she might have been a combo guard too.

I would say players like Conlon, Taurasi, Hayes, Montgomery, and even Bird were combo guards, mainly because they were very capable scorers as well as leaders running the team. Not that Jefferson isn't a capable scorer, or Rizzotti for that matter but just trying to draw a bit of an analogy for differences...

ERIC: interesting reading. Thanks. I really don't have much data at all re Durr, other than my sense that she is a top flight ball player, a dynamo and rather diminutive. Not positive about any of that. You seen her play? ANYbody seen her play?

 

[winlots]

Doc; Are you maybe forgetting in the current excitement that we have four guards coming in this year, three of whom are either point guards or combo guards, and all of whom are highly rated? Not too long ago everyone was raving about how Nurse was going to be the heiress apparent to MoJet. Now all of a sudden she (and Sadie and Courtney) are chopped liver and it its "very, very important" that we get Durr? How much of a good thing do you have to have before it becomes too much of a good thing? Maybe it IS possible to have too many guards?

EL-Z: WhOA!!!!! Have in NO sense forgotten these four kids....have been and remain VERY high on this group.....WAY enthused and think three of the four, if not all four, will be TERRIFIC here. Quite a leap for you to come up with " sudden chopped liver" out of the content of my post. I see at least three of those kids as having the potential to help in the front court as well as in the back court.....simple as that. And my impression, perhaps wrong, was the Durr was a little speedo like Jeff...that's all. No chopped liver on THIS plate.

 

[winlots]

We'll obviously be fine in the guard department if Durr goes elsewhere. Having said that (and without any disrespect to the four extraordinarily talented young women coming in 2014), Durr is simply on a whole nother level. It was only a five game sample, and not against Div 1 level competition, but she led the U16 team in scoring with 18.4 PPG, while shooting 53% as as guard. And oh, by the way, that was in 20.4 minutes, giving her a points per 40 of 36.1. She also averaged 3.2 steals per game.

I wonder if this would be seen differently if KLS (who also has the potential to be a truly dominant player) wasn't also in this year. Our four 2014 guards are great, really, but when you have the opportunity to get a player of Durr's caliber (assuming the coaching staff feel she's a fit for the team), you get excited about it.

NDMB: very comfortable with all you say here in your reponse to El-Z.

 

[winlots]

Maybe Milford knows something we don't.

NBMB: well, MIL certainly know a lot that I don't. And I do think he has connections!

 

[sawxfan23]

ERIC: interesting reading. Thanks. I really don't have much data at all re Durr, other than my sense that she is a top flight ball player, a dynamo and rather diminutive. Not positive about any of that. You seen her play? ANYbody seen her play?

I don't think diminutive is a word I would use to describe a 5-10 guard.

 

[winlots]

I'm thinking she may sign it mid-way up a backboard....

HUSKYPHAN: ahhhh....one of your absolute gems. Terrific.

 

[Vowelguy]

While I'm glad she's coming to UConn and I understand the board's desire for enthusiasm ... I'm a bit surprised that some are already talking about her as a future All-American and WNBA player.

Yes, she was 2nd team all-Big East and FOY. But the Big East isn't what it used to be.
I'll note that Christine Rigby was West Coast POY when she transferred to UConn.

No, I'm not comparing her to Rigby - by all accounts she's much better. But I don't know I'd put it in ink that she'll be starting in 2 years. Collier and Boykin are reportedly very very good, and Geno isn't opposed to a 6'4, 6'2, 6'2 front line.

 

[sawxfan23]

ERIC: as you know, I usually pay great homage to your views. For the fun of it here, I'll take another side. You might be wrong about Boykin in a couple of ways (though correct, apparently, that she is not LIMITED to playing only in the post). For one, IF she is as tall as some in the know say (6' 3 and 3/4 was, I believe the tallest I saw from "reputable sources), she could certainly handle herself down low against almost anyone in the womens collegiate game.....she is known to be quite strong and athletic I believe).
I"ll also take issue with the portion of your post which seems to imply, though it does not explicitly say, that the major issue here is that we got needed size, and that the quality involved is not of the greatest consequence.
ANd I'll go well beyond you on your assertion that she might well end up to be as good or better than Bigs we've not gotten.....I think she is going to be the equal of the Bigs we HAVE gotten.....I'm thinking we've perhaps landed an All American here???

Boykin is 6'2.5 at best and I think the 6'3 and 3/4 you saw actually meant that she was a 6'3 tall 3{wing} or 4{power forward} position player.

 

[winlots]

Was out reffing after work, when I got home found out my step-son's car's brakes were gone. Spent most of the night looking at it and getting it towed to the shop. Didn't get a chance to get back on the BY til this morning.

MEYERS: oh. Sorry to hear that.....just got finished with a dead battery situation myself. I do have one suggestion for you. Have you looked in Tijuana for those brakes that were gone?? Was down there with a sailor one time many years ago; he told me about a buddy who had driven there once and returned to his car to find the engine gone. He hustled down to the local constabulary and described his plight. The response was, "Perhaps, Senor, eet fall out sonwhere." A true tall.

 

[winlots]

Butler, and Stewie are both gym rats, always trying to improve. Butler even though not playing next year, will keep Stewie, Kiah, and Morgan sharp, and that should be frightening to opponents.

BAG: for sure....AND vice versa, I'm thinking

 

[winlots]

As she dunks with the other hand.

JC:

 

[Sonny44]

Good article on Natalie by Carl Adamec

LINK

So why can't Geno comment if she has publicly committed to UCONN?

 

[winlots]

Boykin is 6'2.5 at best and I think the 6'3 and 3/4 you saw actually meant that she was a 6'3 tall 3{wing} or 4{power forward} position player.

SAWX - thanks--- could be...I HOPE note, but I understand what you are conveying.

 

[choochoo]

How many players have transferred in during the Geno era? I can think of 8 before Butler.

1. 
   [ ]Najarian
   [ ]Rita Williams '98
   [ ]Courtney Gaine '99
   [ ]Tihana Abrilic '99
   [ ]C Rigby '01
   [ ]R. Sadiq
   [ ]B. Hunter
   [ ]Jess McCormack

I think C Gaine was recruited and McCormack never came IIRC.

 

[Biff]

So why can't Geno comment if she has publicly committed to UCONN?

JS explained this in a post earlier in this thread.

 

[Vowelguy]

I think C Gaine was recruited and McCormack never came IIRC.

McCormack came. But she also left during her sit-out year.
Thanks for correction on Gaine. I was thinking of Sarah Northway.

 

[johnnyc]

Being known for "provocative" posts in some quarters, and on some occasions, let's try this on for an answer and see how it fits: She is leaving because the coach there was aggressive in his approach to his players, as many coaches are (some of whom are well known in these parts); and he got humped by the PC police. (I have NO knowledge of the details of what happened at G'town.....other than that the coach seemed to have gotten into hot water for being "abusive." Am just stirring the pot, for discussion, or not as you wish, with an hypothesis having to do with present day America. For all I know, the coach is a creep....for all I know he is simply a guy who wants to win and offended someone with some comments.")

I don't think that is directly the reason but maybe indirectly as she stated in an article that it was tough to go through the coaching change when Jim Lewis took over at Georgetown. So she was probably not thrilled at having to go through another one. Like you I don't know..... just what I gather from bits and pieces.

 

[UcMiami]

I think C Gaine was recruited and McCormack never came IIRC.

McCormack never played - left after her sit-out year I believe.