Maui Invitational Bracket Released

Today, the bracket for this November's Maui Invitational was released, and Butler has a first round game against Marquette.  If they were to win that game they could potentially play North Carolina in the next round.  While Marquette lost Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, they return everyone else, and it will be interesting to see if center Chris Otule can recover from the many injuries he has sustained at Marquette.

North Carolina will be led by James Michael McAdoo, who was very successful down the stretch of his Freshman season replacing John Henson due to injury.  While Marcus Page will run the point, expect to see a lot of Dexter Strickland at that position as well.  Also lookout for Reggie Bullock, who became a starter after the Strickland injury, Leslie McDonald, and P.J. Hairston on the wing.

While Butler did not get Chaminade in the first round, I still think they have a good chance to beat Marquette which has to replace over half of its scoring from 2011-12.  It will be tough to beat North Carolina, so my projection for Butler in the tournament is either third or fourth.

Here is the link to ESPN's article about the Maui Invitational:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/61669/bracket-reveal-maui-invitational

Here is a link to the Bracket:

http://espn.go.com/photo/preview/!pdfs/120725/2012_Maui_Bracket.pdf

Any News? Will be Some Soon!

While middle to late July has not produced very much Butler news, other than the Hopkins and Marshall at the Indy Pro-Am and a possible ESPN College Gameday visit to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the Gonzaga Game, the bracket for the 2012 Maui Invitational will be announced on Thursday July, 26.  The closer we are to Chaminade in the bracket, the better!

Another Butler Article

This one written by CBSsports.com's Jeff Goodman, talks about how Butler will be an improved shooting team with the additions of Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham.  Brad Stevens said that these two will take the pressure off the guys who were supposed to be shot makers last year.  (He is most likely referring to Hopkins and Stigall.)  Goodman also gave the same projected starting lineup I have which is:

Andrew Smith
Khyle Marshall
Roosevelt Jones
Chrishawn Hopkins
Rotnei Clarke

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/19594991/butlers-duo-of-clarke-dunham-solve-bulldogs-shooting-woes

Interesting Butler Article

Here is a link to a Butler Basketball article with Brad Stevens talking about some of Butler's top players for 2012-13

http://flyergroup.com/sports/x694481910/Stevens-Bulldogs-embark-on-new-journey

The lack of updates on this blog is most certainly due to the fact that college basketball news is pretty slow in mid July.  Hopefully things will pick up as the calendar turns to August and then September.

I believe Butler still has to make two new schedule announcement as well as announcing the dates of the home games vs. Ball State and Evansville.

Open dates: Sat. 12/1
                    Sat. 12/22 and a game towards the beginning of this week
                    Sat. 12/29

How I Became a Butler Fan, Butler Memories

How I Became a Butler Bulldogs Fan: History 2009-Present

While I remember seeing numerous highlights on SportsCenter of Butler during the A.J. Graves years (2004-08), the first Bulldogs basketball game that I remember watching to this day was the Butler vs. LSU game in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.  While the Bulldogs let one slip away in the last few minutes, there was definitely a lot to like about this team, especially with the entire roster returning for 2009-10.  I was impressed with Matt Howard’s ability in the low post to finish and to draw fouls, despite being undersized for the position he was playing (a 6-8 center) and not very athletic.  Shelvin Mack impressed me with his confidence shooting from the outside, and his willingness to never be afraid of a shot in a big moment.  (This would become a realization when hitting the game winning jump shot in a game against Detroit in January 2010.)  Then there was the enigma, Gordon Hayward.  Hayward was 6-8 with a guard’s skill set, including excellent ball handling, quickness, athleticism, and a deadly 3 point shot.  However, over the final five games of his freshman season, he only averaged 8.8 points per game, compared to Matt Howard’s 19.4 ppg during that same stretch.  In fact, he only had one shot attempt in Butler’s semi-final victory over Wright State in the 2009 Horizon League tournament.  While this speaks to his unselfish nature, I knew he had too much talent to take just one shot in a game.  I knew that if he ever became more assertive on the offensive end, he could be a dominant player in the Horizon League and a name recognized nationally.  What was even more disappointing about the final five games of Hayward’s freshman season is that he had just come off a game of 27 points against Stephen Curry and Davidson, on 11/12 shooting from the free throw line.  So it wasn’t that he had to become more assertive, he just had to stay assertive for 40 minutes on the court, looking for his shot in addition to looking for his teammates.

To start the 2009-10season, my expectations were very high for this team considering Mack and Hayward’s Team USA experience during the summer of 2009.  The first half of the 2009-10 season was pretty simple: Hayward and Mack exceeded expectations, Matt Howard was a huge disappointment due to his inability to stay out of foul trouble.  Also, Howard struggled against future NBA players such as Trevor Booker and Greg Monroe, as his shooting percentage was way down from what it was his first two seasons.  Nonetheless, Butler was able to stay perfect in the Horizon League with wins at Detroit and Loyola, two games I really do not think they deserved to win, as a charging call on Detroit’s Xavier Keeling when Gordon Hayward attacked the basket when Butler was down by one point, and Loyola’s Terrance Hill’s unlucky bounce on a game winning three point attempt were both gifts given to Butler, who could have easily lost both games.  An illness kept Gordon Hayward inconsistent through late January and February, and Shelvin Mack had his fair share of struggles during that stretch.  Someone had to step up during that time, and that guy was Matt Howard.  He had been staying out of foul trouble, playing 32.0 mpg during a 6-game stretch in January from 1/8-1/23.  However, he only averaged 10.5 ppg during those six games.  The turning point for Matt Howard’s season came on an ESPNU game at Green Bay on January 29, 2010.  Mack was not scoring much, Hayward was in foul trouble, but Matt Howard led the Bulldogs with 18 points in that game helping Butler to a comfortable victory.  From that game through the Horizon League Tournament, Howard returned to his old self, averaging 14.8 ppg and shooting 58% from the field during that time span, leading Butler in scoring. 

Butler was entering the 2010 NCAA Tournament not having lost a game in 11 weeks, and were maybe a little too confident entering the tournament, getting a wake-up call in the first half of both the UTEP and Murray State games.  As Butler resumed facing non-conference opponents, Hayward and Mack resumed their roles as the carriers of the scoring load for the Bulldogs, with Howard on the bench far too frequently in foul trouble.  Still, it was the Butler defense that led them to win after win, and eventually to a half-court miracle away from being NCAA Division I basketball champions.  It was during the 2009-10 season that I knew I would be a huge Butler fan for life.

Now I know I have talked a great deal about Hayward, Howard and Mack, but it is hard not to considering those players scored 59% of Butler’s points of those two seasons.  But there are many other players I feel I need to mention as a Butler Bulldogs fan:

Willie Veasley (2006-2010): I think Brad Stevens said it best during Senior Night in February 2010: “He may have improved as much as any we’ve ever had here.”  Also: “Just like his classmates, I can’t think of a better person to walk out of here the winningest player in Butler basketball history.”  Willie Veasley started out as an unassuming freshman under Coach Todd Lickliter, mainly a defensive specialist.  During his sophomore season, he outplayed Senior Julian Betko and received more minutes than Betko during the second half of the season.  But Veasley made leaps and bounds going into his Junior season as he became a major offensive threat for a team that needed it, and became a consistent three point shooter, after not having a single three point attempt during his first two seasons at Butler.  This continued into his Senior season, where he was the glue guy for a team that made it to the National Championship game.  His clutch baskets down the stretch of the Syracuse game not only made announcer Gus Johnson go nuts, but they are what sealed the deal for the Bulldogs in that game.  Going from 2.7 ppg as a Freshman to 9.8 ppg as a Senior, in addition to becoming one of the best defensive players in the Horizon League is what makes Willie Veasley the most improved player to ever walk in and out of the doors of Butler University.

Ronald Nored (2008-2012): No player was a better leader and floor general than Ron Nored.  A vocal point guard whose selfless nature got guys like Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack easy baskets.  While point guards are often called “coaches on the floor”, Nored actually was one, coaching AAU teams over the summer, and he is now a high school coach at Gordon Hayward’s Alma Mater, Brownsburg High School.  While I never thought he would score enough to make an All-Horizon League team, he made the Second Team as a Senior leading a very inexperienced team to multiple postseason victories in the College Basketball Invitational.  He accepted every role of leadership on and off the basketball court.  He was on Butler’s student council, and was involved in student teaching at nearby elementary schools.  In my opinion, he was truly the greatest leader Butler ever had.

Shawn Vanzant (2007-2011): Just like Willie Veasley, Shawn Vanzant spent three years as a backup point guard to Mike Green and then Ronald Nored, as a defensive specialist.  During his senior year, he became an excellent offensive option averaging 8.1 ppg and shooting 40% from the three point line.  He took Ronald Nored’s spot as the starting point guard, and was one of the main reasons the Bulldogs were able to turn around what looked to be a dying season in early February.  I think what best speaks to his improvement is that he played 34.0 mpg during the 2011 NCAA Tournament, showing that Brad Stevens trusted him on the court during the big games.

Avery Jukes (2007-2010): I cannot think of a bigger 10 points then what Butler got out of Avery Jukes in the 2010 National Championship game against Duke in the first half.  Without Jukes, that game could have been a blowout for Duke.  Matt Howard’s success did not keep Aver Jukes on the court for too long in his three years at Butler, but he was an excellent backup with a good shooting touch.  However, what Jukes has done off the court completely outshines what he has done on the court, now embarking on a professional career in Europe.  His work in establishing the Jukes Foundation for Kids is quite admirable, and he has worked hard to sponsor as many kids as possible for secondary school in Africa.  For more details about Jukes’ work, watch this piece from the Horizon League Network, narrated by Damon Lewis:

http://www.horizonleague.org/video.html?page=10&sport_id=2&teams[]=1

Garrett Butcher (2008-2012): Injuries may have limited Butcher's impact on the court, but he was always well respected for his work ethic and his positive attitude knowing that he could have been a great player had it not been for injuries.  His leadership was most seen during his senior season with a team filled with inexperienced players.  I think what he means to Butler is most clearly shown in the applause he got after making a long two point basket on Senior Night this past February.

Grant Leiendecker (2006-2011): In the same line as Butcher, Grant Leiedecker's story is one that could have been a lot better without injuries.  Yet, as a deadly shooter, he was always ready to play when called upon.  His hard work and dedication earned him the respect of his teammates, who were ready to cheer loudly whenever he would make a basket.  This was even the case on January 3, 2011, when Butler was losing badly to Milwaukee, but Leiendecker's 3-pointer in the second half still brought everyone on the bench to its feet.

Alex Anglin (2006-2011): All Alex Anglin needed was a shot. Well he got that shot on November 27, 2010 against Evansville.  Ron Nored was out with a concussion, so the Bulldogs were thin on the perimeter for that game.  Even though Butler lost the game, Anglin had a key basket in overtime and had many key rebounds and defensive moments throughout his 20+ minutes in that game.  This is what I feel defines Butler's walk-ons and differentiates them from walk-ons elsewhere.  They are always ready to play and have an effective impact on the game.  I think that can be seen even this past season with Eliot Kampen and Alex Barlow.  Nonetheless, it was this one game that defined Alex Anglin's career, after years of hard work in practice on the scout team.

Nick Rodgers (2006-2010): Another walk-on who contributed to Butler's on-court success with hard work in practice on the the scout team.  He was truly a selfless player who deserves every bit of credit he gets for improving the players who did play a lot in the game.




That is all for this blog, I know it is a lot to read, but I think fans should know why I am such a Big Butler fan.

Addition to Non-Conference Opponents Article from June 22

I found an article on the Bleacher Report which talks about 8 teams that will be taking a step back from their success in 2011-12.  I mentioned two of them when talking about some of Butler's non-conference opponents having a down year, Xavier and Vanderbilt.

Here is a link to the article, from the Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1241748-8-college-basketball-teams-set-for-a-major-letdown-in-2012-13

Another Schedule Addition, Apologies for Late Update

I cannot believe I did not come across this earlier but it is stated here that Butler will be playing University of Pennsylvania on January 2, 2013 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in a rematch of the CBI game this past March.

Assuming Butler's November is complete with the six current games (four associated with the Maui Invitational plus the Xavier and Vanderbilt Games), there will still be four more opponents to be announced for the month of December, two of which are home games against Ball State and Evansville.  The Bulldogs will likely have a game on Saturday 12/1, Saturday 12/22, Saturday 12/29, and an additional game during the week including Saturday 12/22.  Of course, these Saturday games could turn to Sunday, but that is highly unlikely given the general abundance of college basketball games on Saturday and the lack of games on Sunday (there are about 10 times more games on Saturday than on Sunday). 

In table form, this is what the schedule looks like now:

Date	Opponent	Notes
Sat 11/10	vs. Elon	Maui Invitational Opening Game
Tues 11/13	@Xavier (non-conference)	ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon
Mon 11/19		Maui Invitational Championship Round
Tues 11/20		Maui Invitational Championship Round
Wed 11/21		Maui Invitational Championship Round
Tues 11/27	@ Vanderbilt
Sat 12/1
Wed 12/5	vs. IUPUI
Sat 12/8	@ Northwestern
Sat 12/15	vs. Indiana	Crossroads Classic – Conseco Fieldhouse
TBA
Sat 12/22
Sat 12/29
Thurs 1/2	vs. Penn
Sat 1/5	vs. New Orleans
Sat 1/19	Gonzaga

*Final Exams: Week of December 10-14, no games played on these dates

** Home Games with date TBD: Ball State, Evansville