Natalie Butler is going to start & play well next year....

[ChicagoGG]

Tommy - I would say thank you for your interest in UConn Women's Basketball, but you obviously don't have any.

 

[meyers7]

Natalie will be one of UConn's all-time great centers, maybe the greatest. Scoff if you want, but look at what she did without much help.

hmmm, that's putting a lot of pressure on her. Maybe the greatest? That would make her an AA/NPOY/WNBA All-star/Olympian. You're talking better than Dolson, Wolters, and Charles?? Big shoes there. I'm hoping more like JMoore+, pushing towards Dolson. That would be fine with me. All we need really. Just an inside presence. Rebound, defend, some offense. Don't need the offense to run through her. She can easily be the 4th/5th option when she's on the floor.

Does she start next year? IDK. How far does Williams come this year and next? Will Samuelson or Collier be as good as advertised? A lot of competition for that 1 starting spot next year. Stewart, Jefferson, Tuck, Nurse pretty much have the other 4 places locked up (absent any injuries or total meltdowns). Does Geno want some height off the bench or starting? Does he want a straight replacement for KML?

It wouldn't surprise me to see any of Butler, Williams, or Samuelson start next year. I think Collier could too, but it would surprise me some.

But that's so next year. I'd rather just enjoy the ride this year.

 

[chrissaran]

Morgan is not a true center and won't play center in the WNBA. Natalie is a center, and it would allow Morgan to play against people her size or slightly smaller. She's already playing extremely well. Playing against smaller opponents will increase her productivity. As for Natalie, she will be great. Why settle for less.

 

[Zorro]

What Meyers said.

 

[meyers7]

Morgan is not a true center and won't play center in the WNBA. Natalie is a center, and it would allow Morgan to play against people her size or slightly smaller.

True but UCONN isn't playing with a true center this year, and has played without one in the past. No guarentee that they "have to" play with one in the future.

As for Natalie, she will be great. Why settle for less.

I hope you are right. I'll settle for her to be as good as she can be. But if that's not the greatest center UCONN has ever had, I'm fine with that. Most players who come to UCONN aren't going to be the best at their position UCONN has ever had. UCONN has had some really really great players. Most of them aren't going to be AA's or NPOY's.

 

[johnnyc]

Butler has to go up against Stokes in practice. A full season of that and it will seem like a picnic next season.

 

[chrissaran]

When a player as talented as Natalie comes along, you don't sit her on the bench. Geno has had very few transfers in his thirty years. There's a reason he accepted Natalie into the program. Who gave UConn the most trouble two years ago in the tournament? Brigham Young, who had a 6'7" center. Until near the end, that victory was no sure thing.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Because of the statements on this post, it's pretty apparent Butler should already be considered a first team AA this year along with Stokes and Ekmark!!! Nevermind that she hasn't played one game in a Husky jersey/under a different coaching staff/new system, she is "going to start & play well next year" so there's no reason wait todeclare her an AA!

Trying to figure out what you're beating the drum for TomTom.

 

[JS]

Trying to figure out what you're beating the drum for TomTom.

When he injected the same sort of sarcastic apparent trollery into a first and then a second thread, I said he'd have to find another way to contribute.

Now we have a third thread infected. We get it already. He thinks UConn fans are too enthusiastic about their team's players and prospective players.

One who takes the trouble to familiarize himself with what is going on on the Boneyard will see that David's post is a continuation of a debate that's been conducted (by Slu and others) in other threads, and is not just a random "boast" about a player.

Nor a boast at all. Yet Tommy seems to find such a post (factual though it may be, and on a UConn board) outrageous.

Is he more stimulating, or more just a nuisance? That is the question.

Marching to the beat of his own drum, or TomTom as you put it, Ozzie. Thing about marchers is they have to watch their step.

 

[Northeast86]

I don't think there's any question that Butler will be a better rebounder than Stef was because Stef, particularly in the early part of her time in Storrs, was not a very good rebounder for someone who was 6'5". She improved appreciably but even at the end, wasn't a great rebounder. Did she ever average double digit rebounds? This kid did it as a freshman and with a less than talented team. My concerns will be for her defensive quickness and if she manages that and scores inside ten feet, she's going to be okay with me. With the amount of talent she'll be sharing the floor with, I'm thinking she (and UConn) will be fine. The perfect accessory for our team.

Dolson averaged a little over 9 rebounds a game her senior year. Considering she was rebounding along with Stewart and Stokes, that 9+ is a pretty great rebounding stat.

I think Lobo might be the last UCONN player who averaged over 10 rebounds. I don't think even Charles ever hit the 10 boards a game mark.

 

[chrissaran]

Kiah wasn't on the team Stef's first year, and she played sparingly Stef's sophomore and junior seasons. It wasn't until Stef was a senior, that Kiah played meaningful minutes. Natalie probably won't accumulate gaudy numbers because no one on UConn has high-ranking individual stats. The gaudy numbers are in career stats and championship trophies.

 

[Icebear]

Dolson averaged a little over 9 rebounds a game her senior year. Considering she was rebounding along with Stewart and Stokes, that 9+ is a pretty great rebounding stat.

I think Lobo might be the last UCONN player who averaged over 10 rebounds. I don't think even Charles ever hit the 10 boards a game mark.

Early in her career frequently contributed to the rebounds collected by others with great boxing out leaving space for Kelly or others to sweep in cleaning up the boards. Doing so is not an unimportant contribution to team effort.

 

[meyers7]

Dolson averaged a little over 9 rebounds a game her senior year. Considering she was rebounding along with Stewart and Stokes, that 9+ is a pretty great rebounding stat.

I think Lobo might be the last UCONN player who averaged over 10 rebounds. I don't think even Charles ever hit the 10 boards a game mark.

Very true. Double digit rebounding is pretty rare at UCONN. It's usually spread out and people don't get enough minutes.

 

[Northeast86]

Early in her career frequently contributed to the rebounds collected by others with great boxing out leaving space for Kelly or others to sweep in cleaning up the boards. Doing so is not an unimportant contribution to team effort.

Completely agree. Her senior year she seemed more aggressive in going after the ball after the box out as opposed to boxing out then letting others grab it.

 

[Zorro]

As for Tommy, I, for one, do not find him stimulating at all. Nuisance, yup.

 

[baggerbob]

Completely agree. Her senior year she seemed more aggressive in going after the ball after the box out as opposed to boxing out then letting others grab it.

That allowed Stewie to get out on fast breaks, which led to many easy baskets, and the same when Stewie was in position, Stef got fast break baskets. This year Stewie hasn't had the same opportunities, unless Kiah is in the game.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Dolson averaged a little over 9 rebounds a game her senior year. Considering she was rebounding along with Stewart and Stokes, that 9+ is a pretty great rebounding stat.

I think Lobo might be the last UCONN player who averaged over 10 rebounds. I don't think even Charles ever hit the 10 boards a game mark.

Dolson did get better as a rebounder but she was never a great rebounder. Her rebounding average for minutes played was never close to what Stokes is for her amount of minutes played. That's just a fact. She was a well rounded player and was instrumental in the success of the Huskies in their last two championship seasons. She was a more proficient passer and scorer than she was a rebounder.

 

[jsloanjr]

We are lucky to have her and she gets a free year to grow and become a UCONN type post player........Lookout!!!

 

[EricSD]

Lauren Cox is better than Natalie Chou...

Just wanted to add something totally random and irrelevant as has happened in several other threads. Didn't want Davit's thread to feel left out of the insanity!

 

[JS]

As for Tommy, I, for one, do not find him stimulating at all. Nuisance, yup.

I concluded likewise about the former nuisance.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Natter on, Nabobs of Negativism, if natter you must. Save your posts and post them again this time next year. They will provide good laughs. (And good night, Mr. Saffire, wherever you are.)

Plagerist! But I like it none the less!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Curious to know if anybody has heard (rumors are welcome) or read (revisionist history is welcome) ANYthing about how she is doing in practice this year, other than hitting the weights hard and showing a great. supportive attitude? Would really enjoy anything anyone can provide on that....even third hand or worse.

Actually, while I just let it go in passing, whether it was the Geno Show or elsewhere, someone was saying how great it was to have her to deal with in practice and Stewie could do nothing down low against her.

Here it is: Geno:" When she is in the lane with Stewie, Stewie can’t guard her, Stewie can’t move her and when Stewie is in the lane, she can’t get anything done because she just physically manhandles Stewie." http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20141217/georgetown-transfer-natalie-butler-will-serve-uconn-well

 

[RockyMTblue2]

JS, I feel you (and TomTom) have stumbled into something that could enhance the quality of life on the Boneyard. VG JS VG.

 

[chrissaran]

I don't see Natalie guarding a lot of guys bigger than her, as Geno said. She's 6'5" and she's thick, not a stick.

 

[tomcat]

I'm really eager to see this young lady in action. I tend to be skeptical of new players, many of whom are touted as the next big thing with little or no history to back it up. Not so much with this player, who has some history for us to sink our teeth into, as well as positive reviews from people who should know. I'm uncharacteristically optimistic about this one.

 

[Bgillon]

I wonder if the Cox booster on the other thread is willing to believe Geno regarding his opinion on Butler per the link above. You know, the who said Cox would start ahead of Butler in two years and Butler would have to come off the bench.

 

[hoophuskee]

I wonder if the Cox booster on the other thread is willing to believe Geno regarding his opinion on Butler per the link above. You know, the who said Cox would start ahead of Butler in two years and Butler would have to come off the bench.

1-- He didn't say Cox would start ahead of Butler by her frosh year.
2--- Where does it say from Geno that he'd start Butler over Cox if Cox chose UCONN by some point in Cox's 2nd year? or Maybe early into her 3rd?

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Please, let's not start this again.

 

[Bgillon]

1-- He didn't say Cox would start ahead of Butler by her frosh year.
2--- Where does it say from Geno that he'd start Butler over Cox if Cox chose UCONN by some point in Cox's 2nd year? or Maybe early into her 3rd?

Geno didn't speculate because he realizes that it is folly to do that.

 

[connboy77]

If UCONN is lucky enough to get Cox, I really don't care if Butler or Cox starts as long as UCONN continues to dominate and win like they have for the past twenty years.