Natalie Butler continues to tear it up

[Centerstream]

There are way too many good players ahead of Natalie for her to be a 1st round pick or even a 2nd rounder. If she gets picked, my guess is it will be in the 3rd round. This should be one of the strongest draft classes in years and Butler has great numbers but is playing against dreadful competition. She put up similar numbers her freshman year (13.9 points and 13.4 rebounds) in the same conference, and that didn't translate to success when she played at a better program and faced better competition.

She's now back in that conference and is having similar results, which is great for her, but it doesn't showcase any performances against quality opponents for WNBA GMs to critique since she's playing against bunny teams. The one quality she did play against was Michigan, and she put up 13/9 which is well below her season averages. I'm guessing she's much better than she showed at Connecticut, but I don't think any GM has her on their radar for a top 20 pick.

She was a freshman at Georgetown, in the Big East. GMU is in the A-10.

 

[Plebe]

There are way too many good players ahead of Natalie for her to be a 1st round pick or even a 2nd rounder. If she gets picked, my guess is it will be in the 3rd round. This should be one of the strongest draft classes in years and Butler has great numbers but is playing against dreadful competition. She put up similar numbers her freshman year (13.9 points and 13.4 rebounds) in the same conference, and that didn't translate to success when she played at a better program and faced better competition.

She's now back in that conference and is having similar results, which is great for her, but it doesn't showcase any performances against quality opponents for WNBA GMs to critique since she's playing against bunny teams. The one quality she did play against was Michigan, and she put up 13/9 which is well below her season averages. I'm guessing she's much better than she showed at Connecticut, but I don't think any GM has her on their radar for a top 20 pick.

Just a minor factual correction: Natalie played in the Big East her freshman year and is now in the A-10 (an even weaker conference than the Big East).

Otherwise I agree with your main points. We can cheer Natalie on and celebrate her success while keeping things in perspective. I do think that Natalie, whether she gets drafted or not, will have a chance to play pro ball if she so chooses.

 

[Mainiac]

Also lets not forget Natalie's rebounds per 40 last year was the highest of all UCONN players at 12.43 per 40. Even if you discount this by say 10% to 36 minutes a game (or closer to what she is doing at GM) it is still a very respectable 11.2.

 

[Alydar]

I have no illusions about Butler ever being a major contributor in the W but there is a good chance she could play some years as a reserve post. There have been several UConn reserves that went on to play significant roles in the W, most recently Chong and Stokes, both of whom were dismissed by many as WNBA longshots at best. Butler is IMO comparable to Ruth Hamblin from Oregon St who plays for Dallas.

Butler averaged 16 min/g last season at UConn. That didn't happen because she stinks. Her biggest flaws were her hands and her inability pass and catch at UConn speed, but she was an effective rebounder and could run the floor and put a body on big opponents. And most importantly she will show up at practice ready to work hard. WNBA coaches like UConn players for that reason.

I expect that Natalie can have a long, profitable and productive career internationally. Posts who are not only tall but also big and in shape aren't as plentiful as guards with slick moves.

 

[Carnac]

Most BY’ers are thrilled with Natalie Butler’s great play this year. Count me among them. Today Nat got her 14th consecutive (!) double-double. The George Mason season record for double-doubles is 15. So with 16+ games of Conference play still to come, she’s well on her way to smashing that record to bits. In addition, she’s already 70% of the way to setting a new season rebounding record for the Patriots. In addition, I believe that today’s amazing 28 rebounds broke a 42-year old GM single game record.

On another thread Scoop wrote that “One player can make a big difference”. More than her individual achievements, that’s the kind of difference Natalie Butler is making for George Mason this year.

They haven’t had a winning season or winning Conference record (CAA & A10) in 13 years. They lost their 2nd all-time scorer to graduation in June. Still, they now finished the best OOC record in their history, the longest home winning streak in their history and at 12:3 are well on their way to not only a winning season, but possibly (I’d say probably) the most wins in a season in their history (22+). They’re over halfway there with at least 16 games to go. We’ll soon see how GM handles the likes of Duquesne, Dayton and Fordham but I think this year thanks to Natalie they’re going to have their best season in a long, long time.

It’s great that she’s found a school where her grad school studies dovetail with a basketball team that could really use what she has and what she learned at UConn. What an amazing difference this lovely woman is making at George Mason. Go Nat!

A 28 rebound game is unconscious! Natalie Butler is to this GM team what Elena Della Donne was to Delaware. When Della Donne was with the Blue Hens, they were competitive, and they dominated their conference. I believe they even made the NCAA tournament. Once she left, they went back to being mediocre, and have not been heard from since. As I commented in another thread, programs like Delaware and George Mason, simply can't compete for the elite or blue chip players that the top 10 programs in Division 1 do.

They suffer the same fate as other AAC schools not named UConn or USF do. They can't recruit anyone ranked in the top 100 of a class. Look at the last 2 classes (2016/2017) and see if any of them went to GM or Delaware. I can save you the trouble, they didn't. They have to get the 3rd or 4th best players from various high school teams, JC transfers and those at the end of the bench on your non elite AAU teams.

They are forced to play on an uneven playing field, by trying to do more with less. Look at the talent up and down UConn's bench, and look at the talent on Tulsa's bench. BIG difference. Do you think Megan Walker for one second ever entertained a thought of going to a mid-major?

Butler is the kind of player that George Mason never would have gotten the first time around. They didn't get her the 2nd time around. To say that Butler is the class of the A10 conference right now based on her performance thus far would not be an unfair statement. So, to Natalie Butler I say: You go girl!!!! Enjoy every minute this season has to offer. You deserve it!!

Here's the link to the George Mason WBB official website. [LINK]
There are some upcoming women's games that can be watched through this website.

 

[bballnut90]

A 28 rebound game is unconscious! Natalie Butler is to this GM team what Elena Della Donne was to Delaware. When Della Donne was with the Blue Hens, they were competitive, and they dominated their conference. I believe they even made the NCAA tournament. Once she left, they went back to being mediocre, and have not been heard from since. As I commented in another thread, programs like Delaware and George Mason, simply can't compete for the elite or blue chip players that the top 10 programs in Division 1 do.

They suffer the same fate as other AAC schools not named UConn or USF do. They can't recruit anyone ranked in the top 100 of a class. Look at the last 2 classes (2016/2017) and see if any of them went to GM or Delaware. I can save you the trouble, they didn't. They have to get the 3rd or 4th best players from various high school teams, and the end of the bench from many AAU teams.

They are forced to play on an uneven playing field, by trying to do more with less. Look at the talent up and down UConn's bench, and look at the talent on Tulsa's bench. BIG difference. Do you think Megan Walker for one second ever entertained a thought of going to a mid-major?

Butler is the kind of player that George Mason never would have gotten the first time around. They didn't get her the 2nd time around. To say that Butler is the class of the A10 conference right now based on her performance thus far would not be an unfair statement. So, to Natalie Butler I say: You go girl!!!! Enjoy every minute this season has to offer. You deserve it!!

Here's the link to the George Mason WBB official website. [LINK]
There are some upcoming women's games that can be watched through this website.

Not an accurate comparison as EDD led Delaware to the Sweet 16 and her last two years they went 31-2 and 32-4.

Just a minor factual correction: Natalie played in the Big East her freshman year and is now in the A-10 (an even weaker conference than the Big East).

Otherwise I agree with your main points. We can cheer Natalie on and celebrate her success while keeping things in perspective. I do think that Natalie, whether she gets drafted or not, will have a chance to play pro ball if she so chooses.

I mixed up Georgetown and George Washington...thanks for clearing that up. I do think she can find a spot overseas if she wants to continue playing.

 

[Carnac]

Not an accurate comparison as EDD led Delaware to the Sweet 16 and her last two years they went 31-2 and 32-4.


I mixed up Georgetown and George Washington...thanks for clearing that up. I do think she can find a spot overseas if she wants to continue playing.

My reference to EDD and Delaware was simply that one player can make a huge difference for a team. Everyone knows the story of how EDD wound up at Delaware. Like Butler, it was not her first choice. I'm not suggesting for a moment that Butler will get them or lead them to the tournament. Just that she is making a huge impact on her team, and that they are enjoying the fruits of her labor. How many 30 win seasons has Delaware had since EDD left?

Now..................that said, If by chance George Mason should win their conference tournament, they would qualify for an automatic bid, would they not? It's a little too early to look that far down the road. We'll cross THAT bridge when we come to it. Right now, let's enjoy the games in front of us. The season is already half gone.

 

[Carnac]

I have no illusions about Butler ever being a major contributor in the W but there is a good chance she could play some years as a reserve post. There have been several UConn reserves that went on to play significant roles in the W, most recently Chong and Stokes, both of whom were dismissed by many as WNBA longshots at best. Butler is IMO comparable to Ruth Hamblin from Oregon St who plays for Dallas.

Butler averaged 16 min/g last season at UConn. That didn't happen because she stinks. Her biggest flaws were her hands and her inability pass and catch at UConn speed, but she was an effective rebounder and could run the floor and put a body on big opponents. And most importantly she will show up at practice ready to work hard. WNBA coaches like UConn players for that reason.

I expect that Natalie can have a long, profitable and productive career internationally. Posts who are not only tall but also big and in shape aren't as plentiful as guards with slick moves.

Butler will get drafted. Since this will be a deep draft, I suspect she'll go somewhere late in the 2nd, or somewhere in the 3rd round. Especially if a team has a need for a post player. The fact that she has UConn pedigree will also enhance her chances of getting drafted. WNBA coaches love UConn graduates.

Remember, Chong went in the third round and made the cut!! Most players get better after they enter the W. Look at Tiffany Hayes. She's much better now then when she came into the league. So is Kiah Stokes and Saniya Chong. Saniya is burning her league up overseas, and Stokes has turned into a double-double machine lately.

 

[Plebe]

I mixed up Georgetown and George Washington...thanks for clearing that up. I do think she can find a spot overseas if she wants to continue playing.

An easy source of confusion. There are multiple "Georges" to sort out in the DC area: Georgetown, George Washington, George Mason

 

[Plebe]

Butler is the kind of player that George Mason never would have gotten the first time around. They didn't get her the 2nd time around. To say that Butler is the class of the A10 conference right now based on her performance thus far would not be an unfair statement. So, to Natalie Butler I say: You go girl!!!! Enjoy every minute this season has to offer. You deserve it!!

Here's the link to the George Mason WBB official website. [LINK]
There are some upcoming women's games that can be watched through this website.

Natalie has of course been a godsend for George Mason, but it should also be acknowledged that another newcomer has also contributed significantly to GM's relative resurgence: Freshman guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary is averaging 17.3 points per game (just behind Natalie's 18.7 ppg) and nearly 3 steals per game.

GoMason.com - The Official Athletic Site of George Mason University Athletics

 

[Ozimoto]

I am happy that she is having a successful season. As to the future, who can say? She is being productive and enjoying her last year of NCAA eligibility, that is the important thing.

 

[stamfordhusky]

There have been several UConn reserves that went on to play significant roles in the W, most recently Chong and Stokes, both of whom were dismissed by many as WNBA longshots at best.

Chong, yes - but I don't think close observers ever dismissed Stokes, an athletic shot-blocking post who was drafted in the 1st round after averaging 15 rebounds and 8 blocked shots per 40 minutes her senior year.

 

[Alydar]

Chong, yes - but I don't think close observers ever dismissed Stokes, an athletic shot-blocking post who was drafted in the 1st round after averaging 15 rebounds and 8 blocked shots per 40 minutes her senior year.

While I agree that Stokes was a much better player in college there was little support for her being a 1st round pick outside of the UConn fanbase. The common line was "how can a non-starter go in the 1st round? And when she was picked there were comments around the boards questioning the choice. Of course after her 1st few games in NY those voices shut up and sat down.
Butler played behind 3 AA's last year. That fact is forgotten by many.

 

[CocoHusky]

There are way too many good players ahead of Natalie for her to be a 1st round pick or even a 2nd rounder. If she gets picked, my guess is it will be in the 3rd round. This should be one of the strongest draft classes in years and Butler has great numbers but is playing against dreadful competition. She put up similar numbers her freshman year (13.9 points and 13.4 rebounds) in the same conference, and that didn't translate to success when she played at a better program and faced better competition.

She's now back in that conference and is having similar results, which is great for her, but it doesn't showcase any performances against quality opponents for WNBA GMs to critique since she's playing against bunny teams. The one quality she did play against was Michigan, and she put up 13/9 which is well below her season averages. I'm guessing she's much better than she showed at Connecticut, but I don't think any GM has her on their radar for a top 20 pick.

Natalie played at Georgetown (Big East) her freshmen year. Natalie now plays for George Mason (Atlantic 10).

 

[Plebe]

Since a number of people have expressed interest in watching some of Natalie's games:

George Mason @ La Salle is now underway and streaming for free:

La Salle Women's Basketball vs George Mason - Atlantic10.com

 

[Roger G]

There are way too many good players ahead of Natalie for her to be a 1st round pick or even a 2nd rounder. If she gets picked, my guess is it will be in the 3rd round. This should be one of the strongest draft classes in years and Butler has great numbers but is playing against dreadful competition. She put up similar numbers her freshman year (13.9 points and 13.4 rebounds) in the same conference, and that didn't translate to success when she played at a better program and faced better competition.

She's now back in that conference and is having similar results, which is great for her, but it doesn't showcase any performances against quality opponents for WNBA GMs to critique since she's playing against bunny teams. The one quality she did play against was Michigan, and she put up 13/9 which is well below her season averages. I'm guessing she's much better than she showed at Connecticut, but I don't think any GM has her on their radar for a top 20 pick.

There are twelve teams in the WNBA. At least twenty-four players would have to been seen as more valuable than Natalie for her to go in the third round. If Natalie is not seen as more valuable than twenty-four other players drafted in the Spring, I would... well, be very surprised. For one thing, she's tall. You can't teach that. And the pros really value height because of the style of play. Secondly, she has shown she can score. Thirdly, she is leading the country in rebounding. And against the one quality opponent she faced, Michigan, the one you brought up, a quality team that was certainly keying on her way more than anyone else, she came up one rebound short of a double double. Wow! That was pretty darn good. We have all seen players against quality opponents fall flat on their faces when everyone is focused on them. Did Natalie? Not by a long shot. She scored in double figures.

By the way, when Natalie was freshman of the year, it was in the Big East. She now plays in the Atlantic 10. And just for comparison, think about this. A center for the Dayton Flyers, an Atlantic 10 team, was picked by Brian Agler and the Los Angeles Sparks last year in the third round. She averaged 9.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. Those were not exactly Natalie numbers. As a freshman, Butler put up 13.9 and 13.28. This year's averages: 18.7 and 14.9. Outstanding, whomever one's opponents are and way better than the comparative third round Atlantic 10 center.

Barring injury, my guess is that Natalie should be going in the late first round or at worst early second.

 

[Roger G]

An easy source of confusion. There are multiple "Georges" to sort out in the DC area: Georgetown, George Washington, George Mason

I was going to bring up Jonquel Jones at George Washington, but I thought to myself, this is way too confusing.

 

[Rixxx]

It is half time GM vs LaSalle. GM 26, LaSalle 22. Natalie with 7 rebounds and two points. LaSalle is being very physical in the paint where Natalie roams.

 

[Centerstream]

Nat is sporting the two knee pad look against LaSalle and has a double double at the end of three quarters.

 

[Plebe]

There are twelve teams in the WNBA. At least twenty-four players would have to been seen as more valuable than Natalie for her to go in the third round. If Natalie is not seen as more valuable than twenty-four other players drafted in the Spring, I would... well, be very surprised. For one thing, she's tall. You can't teach that. And the pros really value height because of the style of play. Secondly, she has shown she can score. Thirdly, she is leading the country in rebounding. And against the one quality opponent she faced, Michigan, the one you brought up, a quality team that was certainly keying on her way more than anyone else, she came up one rebound short of a double double. Wow! That was pretty darn good. We have all seen players against quality opponents fall flat on their faces when everyone is focused on them. Did Natalie? Not by a long shot. She scored in double figures.

By the way, when Natalie was freshman of the year, it was in the Big East. She now plays in the Atlantic 10. And just for comparison, think about this. A center for the Dayton Flyers, an Atlantic 10 team, was picked by Brian Agler and the Los Angeles Sparks last year in the third round. She averaged 9.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. Those were not exactly Natalie numbers. As a freshman, Butler put up 13.9 and 13.28. This year's averages: 18.7 and 14.9. Outstanding, whomever one's opponents are and way better than the comparative third round Atlantic 10 center.

Barring injury, my guess is that Natalie should be going in the late first round or at worst early second.

Just a few caveat points:

1. I would be careful about drawing analogies to last year's draft, because this year's draft class is considerably better and deeper.
2. I would also be careful about comparing Natalie's stats to those of Saicha Grant-Allen last year. Dayton played a difficult OOC schedule, ranked as the #27 nonconference SOS in the country. George Mason's nonconference SOS is currently ranked #289 in the country.
   
3. Since the Michigan game was the season opener for George Mason, I'm not sure how much Michigan would have known to key on Natalie.

I generally refrain from draft prognostications, but I'd be surprised if she was selected first round. We shall see.

 

[MSGRET]

Nat is sporting the two knee pad look against LaSalle and has a double double at the end of three quarters.

What's the score? Unless you are ranked or a P5 Conference, ESPN doesn't post the scores until after the game is over. Sometimes up to 2 hours after the game is completed. But in the men's game they are almost always within minutes of the game time.

 

[Rixxx]

GM wins 69-56. Natalie with 17 and 16. GM = 13-3...Go Natalie!!!

 

[MSGRET]

If GM keeps on winning it would be neat to have a UConn and GM match up in March.

 

[Plebe]

What's the score? Unless you are ranked or a P5 Conference, ESPN doesn't post the scores until after the game is over. Sometimes up to 2 hours after the game is completed. But in the men's game they are almost always within minutes of the game time.

Here is the box score: Basketball Live Stats

Even when live box scores are not available on ESPN, you can almost always access the live stats through the team's website.

 

[Plebe]

If GM keeps on winning it would be neat to have a UConn and GM match up in March.

Even if GM does make the tournament, this is extremely unlikely to happen due to seeding.

UConn is almost certainly going to be a 1 seed. If GM makes the tournament, they'll probably be seeded somewhere between 11 and 14 and couldn't face a 1 seed until at least the Sweet 16, if they can manage two upsets to get there.