Butler prediction - drumrolls (multiple - one for each bold predictor)

[winlots]

No. Not unless you think there's some magic in "public" school for a player making a college choice.

No magic in U.S. News either, but going with that, out of approximately 275 "national universities" (public and private) UVA is ranked #23 and UConn #57. Not an extreme difference, and getting smaller.

UConn is well-regarded academically and rising. UVA is higher ranked and not rising (lost a little ground, actually, since the 90s).

To say UConn isn't rising fast enough to catch UVA in the next four years is to exalt (a) precise (b) overall (and not course of study) (c) rankings from one source, (d) as some as some kind of horse race.

UVA by a length in the U.S. News Derby . . . UConn moving up on the outside . . . can it catch UVA by graduation day? (And what good would that do?)

Wait a minute, how about the other horse race (mixing metaphors severely, indeed beyond redemption) -- the Best Basketball Derby?

UConn out in front by 83 lengths . . .are these horses in the same race? . . . UConn pulling away, if that's the right term, even further . . .

Frankly, these debates about how young players "should" think, when we have no clue (or only the faintest clue) what they're actually thinking, are kind of bothersome, even when the argument is for UConn rather than one that sounds curiously like something from the other school's recruiting staff.

JS: strong and interesting post from a top flight moderator. For the record: I'm not opposed to "shoulds" in life, let alone in sports talk ("He shoulda thrown to the cut-off man"); but this threads introduction was not about "shoulds" but rather about "what might happen and why." Not at all sure you were addressing me, but wanted to clarify my intent.

MIL: wow.....that's a sturdy prediction alright. Surprising "what might happen" for sure.

 

[HGN]

Obviously basketball is important to her or she wouldn't have left Georgetown.....The same thought process may hold true for signing with VA. Great academic rep but hasn't been a Conference winner or a regular NCAA Tournament participant in a few years either.

IMHO, VA might offer the same things as Georgetown. Good academic rep but no Conference crowns or deep runs in the NCAA's. UConn would appear to offer a good and clear solution and balance to this dilema. A good school with a great basketball history and a rep for winning Conference Championships and making DEEP NCAA runs winning Nine(9) Champioships.

I hope she chooses to balance her college career with a good education and competing for Championships each of her remaining 3 eligible years.

UCONN offers that balance.

 

[baggerbob]

If her desire is to reach her full potential as a person, and player, the best choice is UConn.

 

[Vowelguy]

If her desire is to reach her full potential as a person,

I'm sure that her desire is not reach her full potential as a person.
Just like every other player who doesn't choose UConn.

 

[MilfordHusky]

For the clock watchers, it's 4:30 and we don't know yet.

My interpretation is that it is not an easy decision and there may be differing opinions within the family. Natalie should take her time and decide when she's ready. It's an easy decision for us, but we're not in her shoes.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

If her desire is to reach her full potential as a person, and player, the best choice is UConn.

How in heck do you know this? I bet you have never met this person, have never seen her play, and you do not know her family or her personal history. Yet you tell her what her best choice is...

 

[winlots]

For the clock watchers, it's 4:30 and we don't know yet.

My interpretation is that it is not an easy decision and there may be differing opinions within the family. Natalie should take her time and decide when she's ready. It's an easy decision for us, but we're not in her shoes.

MIL: very well said, as usual. But clock watchers? CLOCK watchers??? Yarders??? At a moment like this? Nahhhhh.
Actually I didn't know a time had been indicated. Busy outside anyway.
Looks like you made a great call in your earlier post about today not being the day.............birdies in your ear? Hunch? Uncanny prescience?

 

[MilfordHusky]

MIL: very well said, as usual. But clock watchers? CLOCK watchers??? Yarders??? At a moment like this? Nahhhhh.
Actually I didn't know a time had been indicated. Busy outside anyway.
Looks like you made a great call in your earlier post about today not being the day...birdies in your ear? Hunch? Uncanny prescience?

Doc, as "The Voice of Reason," I just reasoned it out.

Seriously, it sounded as if there were differing opinions that needed to be resolved. I could be very wrong. We'll see.

 

[rbny1]

Yes , but she also had coaching instability at Georgetown as well and in my opinion thats what led to her leaving. I don't care how fast a riser UConn is academically it is not going to catch UVA in the 4 remaining years that Butler has left in college.

When my son was a senior in high school, the director of the school told the students not to get into a tizzy about their college choice. He said good students would get a great education even at a so-so college and poor students would get a so-so education even if they were accepted at a great college. In other words, it's the student not the college that makes a difference. Perhaps Butler will choose UVa. But she can get a great education at UConn if she's a motivated student, which I believe she is.

 

[MilfordHusky]

When my son was a senior in high school, the director of the school told the students not to get into a tizzy about their college choice. He said good students would get a great education even at a so-so college and poor students would get a so-so education even if they were accepted at a great college. In other words, it's the student not the college that makes a difference. Perhaps Butler will choose UVa. But she can get a great education at UConn if she's a motivated student, which I believe she is.

I spent a lot of time with my sons researching and visiting schools, partly as an over-reaction to my own situation decades earlier. I also was an alumnus interviewer for Brown. There are/were 2 major fallacies: (1) there is 1 perfect place for a student. Nope, some are better fits than others, and there are trade-offs, but perfection is unattainable. (2) All schools are the same, so it doesn't matter where you go. Nope, again, some will be better for a given person--the size, location, weather, course offerings, academic rigor, athletics, etc. vary, and a student needs to choose a school with characteristics to his or her liking. It's important to be in a good (not perfect) place for those wonderful years.

 

[iri10]

I think (ahem - speculate) that distance plays just as important a role as academics in this case.

If academics were the be-all, end-all, why not take a look at Duke? Closer than UConn, a much higher profile program than UVa who will have a use for Butler on their post-Williams team, better academics than either UConn or UVa. It seems to be an excellent compromise pick.

But Duke is still pretty far away even if it's not UConn far.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Butler with a candlestick in the library. The only Butler I feel confident making a prediction about.

 

[winlots]

Doc, as "The Voice of Reason," I just reasoned it out.

Seriously, it sounded as if there were differing opinions that needed to be resolved. I could be very wrong. We'll see.

MIL: Score another for the Voice of Reason. And, again seriously, I do think you might well be on the right track about some disagreement within the family. Fortunately, we never run into that within the Boneyard. I continue to feel that the daughter leans UCONN and is a "UCONN young woman."
Your last post mentioning Brown seems to have a lot of merit also. I still do interviewing for my Alma Mater....have been for a few decades and agree with your two points.

RBNY: an awful lot to endorse in your post also.

Anyone with any other take, for those who don't mind speculating, on why the decision appears to be delayed from what was initially anticipated? Good sign for us....not so good.....neutral. (UCONN still has a very strong lead among those who made predictions....but I don't know where we are on the track at this point, because I have not idea where the finish line is.)

 

[winlots]

Butler with a candlestick in the library. The only Butler I feel confident making a prediction about.

ROCK: a grin here on that one. Funny. I see you only go with the sure things.

 

[chip]

ROCK: a grin here on that one. Funny. I see you only go with the sure things.

On this website you can get really squashed for being 'thoughtful' or offering an original idea. Sarcasm seems OK, but thoughtfulness- particularly if you are not as knowledgeable on WBB as others can be pretty risky.

 

[winlots]

CHIP: hey, do your thing on here and take your risks. No fear.

ROCK: you had it right, Man...........the BUTLER did it!!!!!! Yahooooooo.................

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Writing this after Natalie Butler picked UCONN to spend the next 4 years of her college career it is once again apparent that if you are an elite WBB player no matter what reasons are given to chose a college the choice is this, if you want to be the best player you can possibly be, if you have dreams of playing pro BB either WNBA and/or overseas, or want to play for the USA international teams, you will chose UCONN to go to school and play for Geno Auriemma and the best coaching staff in Division I! UCONN has the proven track record of having their players go to the highest levels of competition! Any other choice is the safe, easy way out, to avoid the fish-bowl that is UCONN WBB! Notre Dame, Baylor, TN, TX, UCLA, Stanford, etc. are all NICE choices but have not shown they can consistently produce the top players that stand the test of time as the best in WBB!