Natalie Butler in uniform tonight. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Natalie Butler in uniform tonight.

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vtcwbuff said:
"Butler would have made a huge difference in there tonight, keeping Jones from dominating the post."

That is a huge assumption. Jones is a very skilled post player and Butler has yet to play a minute in a UConn uniform.
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It's what fans do. I suspect, and it is pure speculation, that Natalie will neutralize Jones should we meet again in the NCAAs. If we play a big lineup with Natalie, Morgan and Stewie, I think you have quite a potential edge if you don't get 3 pointered to death. It's the old problem: what do you give up to run that line up. Maryland is and will remain a difficult match and part of the answer may well be 1 or 2 of the freshman really maturing before March rolls around.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
What will be will be. I wouldn't choose this game to have Natalie make her debut. But, that's why my butt is in the stands.
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Had Natalie been in the GAME and lived up to reports of her abilities. If only to defend Jones (12 of 14 shooting) . She could have made this a different game for Uconn--two heavy women, too heavy to push around but able to push around Uconn.
Adams from A and M showed how an immovable object sometimes defeats tall (Griner).
 
vtcwbuff said:
"Butler would have made a huge difference in there tonight, keeping Jones from dominating the post."

That is a huge assumption. Jones is a very skilled post player and Butler has yet to play a minute in a UConn uniform.
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It's not ALL speculation! When Butler first arrived at Uconn she was said to be a top talent who was B.E. Center of the year
and other awards. If she lived up to those words and a bit more, since Geno has had over a year to teach her his way, she should have/could have, would have, MAYBE stopped or just slowed down JONES (12 of 14 shooting--who does that against Uconn????)
Even Geno speculated that KIAH STOKES could have made the game tougher for Jones, who out weighs Stokes by a bit.
 
BroadwayVa said:
It's not ALL speculation! When Butler first arrived at Uconn she was said to be a top talent who was B.E. Center of the year
and other awards. If she lived up to those words and a bit more, since Geno has had over a year to teach her his way, she should have/could have, would have, MAYBE stopped or just slowed down JONES (12 of 14 shooting--who does that against Uconn????)
Even Geno speculated that KIAH STOKES could have made the game tougher for Jones, who out weighs Stokes by a bit.
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I mean absolutely no disrespect to Natalie and I already love the kid because she wears a UConn uni but she was the 140th ranked player coming out of high school according to Blue Star. Kudos to her for making the Big East POY but Georgetown was 11-21 in her solo year there. The best team they beat was probably Princeton. She was also second on her team in fouls which UConn could not afford to give last night.

Natalie could have been very helpful or maybe she could have frozen up on national TV vs the #6 ranked team in the most famous arena in the world. Geno probably had no idea what he could expect and he's famous for not gambling with players from which he has zero idea what he might expect. He wasn't going to guess in such a close game.
 
Don't know whether Butler was held out because she isn't physically up to it or if Geno didn't feel the situation was optimal in which to insert her. But as Coach made clear in his post-game interview, he's playing games with March in mind, not December. I feel certain that Butler would have matched up well with Jones, and next time the teams play there's a very good chance that Natalie will be there--when it counts. Nothing, in Geno's mind, would have justified putting Butler in prematurely. In Geno veritas.
 
@HuskyNan I agree that it would have been a lot to ask of Natalie to play last night. Still, Geno doesn't take many transfers (understatement.) I think she'll do well when the time comes.

Do you have any idea when the bandage come off?
 
I seem to recall reading that she will wear a bandage or brace on that thumb this season. So I take its appearance as a sign that she is dressed to play.
 
If Auriemma thought Butler had the ability to contain Jones he would have put her in the game.
 
blakeon18 said:
I figure we are going to need Natalie...we got bullied a bit by the Maryland bigs and it may happen down the road too. Stewie is a magnificent defender but I don't want her matched up against reasonably skilled big bodies. Let her be a help-defender on those kids...not as likely to get in foul trouble. Our other bigs are too small. Natalie can bully back.

Can't say I was ever downright 'worried' last night but was 'concerned' till The Ossining Assasin put their lights out.
Couldn't be happier for Saniya.
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I like it! Alliterative with a tincture of assonance.
 
HuskyNan said:
I mean absolutely no disrespect to Natalie and I already love the kid because she wears UConn uni but she was the 140th ranked player coming out of high school according to Blue Star. Kudos to her for making the Big East POY but Georgetown was 11-21 in her solo year there. The best team they beat was probably Princeton. She was also second on her team in fouls which UConn could not afford to give last night.

Natalie could have been very helpful or maybe she could have frozen up on national TV vs the #6 ranked team in the most famous arena in the world. Geno probably had no idea what he could expect and he's famous for not gambling with players from which he has zero idea what he might expect. He wasn't going to guess in such a close game.
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My posting was pure a-- speculation, of the purest form. Yet, she did arrive by John Atavilla 's column, as highly praised by Doug Bruno, and being a Big EAST award winner--so she arrived not as 140th--but as a tried and experienced Center from a very good (not a AAC) league.
Geno without doubt held her out because of the wrapping on her hand showed--in uniform, MAYBE, if the game got completely out of hand to use her. I have serious doubts she would have faded by playing at MG. Princeton was a highly regarded team the last couple of years and GT was a team in turmoil with coaching issues---yet Natalie won awards, quite a feat wasn't that? Uconn gets awards as a number one team it's unusual (in my less than humble opinion) for a team in GT's status to have their Center to get acclaim????

After A year and about 7 months Geno has had plenty of time to access Natalies attributes or lack thereof--to him she is not a question mark or at least she should not be. By reports , in practice, she has been going up against Stokes (last year) and Stewie---Geno knows about Butler--reports too or maybe hopes she will fill the void of Dolson---but as the man says, we shall see what we shall see.

Wonderful thing about this kind of speculation---you can't be wrong, because it did not happen--so we'll never know if she would have made a difference in this specific game. Of course with speculation you can't be right either. Null finish.
 
blakeon18 said:
Can't say I was ever downright 'worried' last night but was 'concerned' till The Ossining Assasin put their lights out.
Couldn't be happier for Saniya.
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Yes, me too. My heart was so tight up because we were leading by only 4 pts, and anything can happen. Until Saniya hit the 3. I finally told myself YES we will win this game....
 
Butler will likely wear something on her hand for the rest of the season. I think that was stated at the time she was medically cleared several weeks back.
 
vtcwbuff said:
If Auriemma thought Butler had the ability to contain Jones he would have put her in the game.
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I'd clarify that with: his assessment would be based on the fact that she hasn't played this year and is just coming off injury, not necessarily pure ability/talent.
 
Natalie's hand was taped last night. Danny's roaming camera captured her in pregame warm ups that way.
 
When Natalie had her surgery they said she would wear a brace on her thumb for the rest of the season to prevent a reinjury. A good sign last night was that she was clapping with both hands, and when Saniya came to the bench after sinking her dagger three, Natalie slapped her on the butt with her left hand.:)
 
ericsandiego said:
One thing I noticed about Butler - she was clapping with both hands instead of clapping with one hand hitting her arm instead of her injured hand. That's a good sign!!
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I'm definitely glad to hear this. I didn't notice it myself -- a good sign is right.
 
MJL243 said:
When Natalie had her surgery they said she would wear a brace on her thumb for the rest of the season to prevent a reinjury. A good sign last night was that she was clapping with both hands, and when Saniya came to the bench after sinking her dagger three, Natalie slapped her on the butt with her left hand.:)
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Any good news are always welcomed ....
 
Jones shot about 12 layups. She's useless outside of 5 feet. At 6-5, all Butler would have to do is front her and she wouldn't get the ball unless it was a rebound. As for Stokes, other than the 15 footer she made, Jones might not have gotten a shot off her because she has no moves.
 
"It's getting better every single day," Auriemma said. "There was a point in time where we talked about that and (Monday) could have been it. But not having played, I didn't want the first day to be in this environment against a really good team. I don't think it would have been fair to Natalie. But all things staying the same, I think Wednesday will probably be her first real opportunity to get some playing time."

Seems Geno and I saw eye to eye on this one. He may have done a gut check a couple of times Monday night though.

https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/after-close-call-no-1-uconn-opens-aac-play-at-cincinnati/160721000
 
One thing Natalie brings, none of the others do, is when Natalie, Morgan, and Stewie are in the game together, who guards Stewie?
 
JavaMan said:
Natalie's hand and thumb were bandaged tonight. That's not a good sign. :(
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It was said before that Natalie will likely wear a splint on her thumb for the rest of the year.

So if her thumb is taped that is a good sign that she might play
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
"It's getting better every single day," Auriemma said. "There was a point in time where we talked about that and (Monday) could have been it. But not having played, I didn't want the first day to be in this environment against a really good team. I don't think it would have been fair to Natalie. But all things staying the same, I think Wednesday will probably be her first real opportunity to get some playing time."

Seems Geno and I saw eye to eye on this one. He may have done a gut check a couple of times Monday night though.

https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/after-close-call-no-1-uconn-opens-aac-play-at-cincinnati/160721000
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If she is healthy, this game is a perfect opportunity to make her debut. There will be no pressure, UConn should blow Cincinnati out of the water. I'm excited to see what she can do. Considering Jamelle Elliott is Cincinnati's coach, I wouldn't be surprised if Geno plays the bench a lot. We all know what Stewie, Moriah, and Tuck can do. I love seeing the other players develop.
 
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