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[]=1Garrett 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.
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