Not too surprisingly, the Butler Bulldogs defeated Hanover by a score of 97-73 on Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. While I won't get into too much depth since this game was a blowout and I couldn't watch in on TV, here are some major themes I noticed from the game.
Efficient Starters, including Rontei
All five starters scored in double figures and shot at least 50% from the field, led by Rotnei Clarke and Khyle Marshall with 19 points apiece. Rotnei Clarke has been an inefficient scorer so far this season, so it was great to see that he shot 5/6 from three point range and 6/8 overall. Marshall has continued his early season success with overwhelming athleticism, and this game was a step in the right direction for Andrew Smith, who has had some early season struggles.
Defense?
According to Butler IndyStar writer David Woods, this was the fourth consecutive game in which Butler's defense has given up more than 70 points, and that has not happened since 1995. Giving up 73 points to a Division III team is quite uncharacteristic for a Brad Stevens coached Butler team, and the Bulldogs' offense is not good enough to carry them this season. They need to step up defensively, especially with some of the offensive talent they have to face in the next month, before the A-10. (Indiana, Northwestern)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Illinois (Sorry for late posting)
Butler was defeated 78-61 by Illinois in the Maui Invitational Championship game. Here is my analysis, after having watched the entire game live on ESPN.
Shot Distribution
Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham combined to take 30 shots, while Andrew Smith took just 4 shots. Smith and Marshall combined for just 10 points in the game, while Clarke and Dunham continued to fire threes at will. For Butler to be successful, they need a balanced attack on offensive, with the interior game of Smith and Marshall and the exterior game of Clarke and Dunham.
Stevens Needs to Decide on a Backup Point Guard
He still has not made it clear who will handle the ball when Rotnei Clarke is subbing out or playing off the ball. While Aldridge received minutes against Marquette and UNC, Alex Barlow received more minutes in the Illinois game. It is not fair for either one of them to have them just play a couple minutes each at point guard each game.
Who is the Three Point Shooter?
While Butler held Illinois top two three point shooters (Richardson and Paul) to 4/14 from three, they left forward Tyler Griffey open on multiple occasions, and he ended up shooting 4/5 on 3 pointers. Griffey had not shot many threes this season, but Butler still needed to recognize that he was capable and close out harder on him, as a couple of his threes were huge momentum swings in favor of Illinois.
Dunham off the Mark
Kellen Dunham was 0/9 from behind the arc, something I bet he's never done before in his basketball career. As poorly as he played, backup Chase Stigall is not really challenging for minutes. Stigall, who has been known for his defense the past couple of seasons, has been quite susceptible to allowing dribble penetration so far this season.
Shot Distribution
Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham combined to take 30 shots, while Andrew Smith took just 4 shots. Smith and Marshall combined for just 10 points in the game, while Clarke and Dunham continued to fire threes at will. For Butler to be successful, they need a balanced attack on offensive, with the interior game of Smith and Marshall and the exterior game of Clarke and Dunham.
Stevens Needs to Decide on a Backup Point Guard
He still has not made it clear who will handle the ball when Rotnei Clarke is subbing out or playing off the ball. While Aldridge received minutes against Marquette and UNC, Alex Barlow received more minutes in the Illinois game. It is not fair for either one of them to have them just play a couple minutes each at point guard each game.
Who is the Three Point Shooter?
While Butler held Illinois top two three point shooters (Richardson and Paul) to 4/14 from three, they left forward Tyler Griffey open on multiple occasions, and he ended up shooting 4/5 on 3 pointers. Griffey had not shot many threes this season, but Butler still needed to recognize that he was capable and close out harder on him, as a couple of his threes were huge momentum swings in favor of Illinois.
Dunham off the Mark
Kellen Dunham was 0/9 from behind the arc, something I bet he's never done before in his basketball career. As poorly as he played, backup Chase Stigall is not really challenging for minutes. Stigall, who has been known for his defense the past couple of seasons, has been quite susceptible to allowing dribble penetration so far this season.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. North Carolina
Butler was able to survive a furious second half comeback to beat North Carolina 82-71. This was the first game I was able to watch live on TV this season, and I was busy with my notepad, so I have quite a bit to say about this game. Here is my postgame analysis with major themes from the game.
Kellen and Rotnei from Downtown; Stigall too
These trio combined to shoot 11 for 18 from downtown, but good shooting should be expected, at least from those first two guys. Nonetheless, three point shooting is definitely a major reason why Butler was able to jump out to a 29 point lead in the first half.
Andrew Smith is the new version of 2009-10 Matt Howard
Smith did have 13 points tonight, but fouled out for the third time in four games this season. The Bulldogs need him on the floor, as Erik Fromm's post defense was sub par. Like Howard, Smith also showed good ability to pass the ball on several occasions during the game.
Fromm, Woods both struggle shooting
Ever since the midway point of last season, I have dreaded every single jump shot Kam Woods has taken, since I know that they are just not going to go in. Fromm on the other hand, is a capable shooter who should be able get out of his slump, especially if that starts by attacking the glass and getting layups, which he was able to do tonight.
Stigall, Clarke on Defense
Chase Stigall started on the 2011 NCAA runner-up team because of his defensive ability, but he had multiple defensive breakdowns in this game, allowing Dexter Strickland and P.J. Hairston to drive by him to the basket. Rotnei Clarke had similar difficulties guarding point guard Marcus Paige, especially towards the end of the game.
Butler struggles to Break the Press
This looked very similar to the 2011 NCAA Tournament game against Wisconsin. Butler blew a big lead because of their inability to break the press from North Carolina. Their key mistake was continually passing into the corner, which adds two extra defenders in the sideline. The Bulldogs need to get the ball in the middle to a big man since they do not have elite ball-handling guards.
Barlow back to Walk-On; Aldridge far from Major Minutes
Alex Barlow has played a total of one minute in the two games in Maui. With Clarke playing about 35 minutes per game, don't expect Jackson Aldridge to ever get double figure minutes.
Butler will play the winner of the Illinois/Chaminade game that is taking place as I am writing this blog, playing for the Maui Invitational Championship. I will be watching the entire game live on TV, and I can't wait to see if the Bulldogs can make it three in a row.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Marquette
Rotnei Clarke hit a game winning three pointer, as Butler beat Marquette 72-71. I was not able to watch the game but I will be watching the next two games. Here is my postgame analysis based on the box score.
Rotnei Clutch, but not Consistent
Rotnei Clarke did hit the game winning three pointer, but 7-21 shooting and 4-14 from three definitely leave something to be desired. He needs to be able to score 20 points without taking 20 shots for Butler to be successful offensively this season.
Khyle, Khyle, Khyle
After a sub par effort against Xavier, Khyle Marshall bounced back with 24 points on 11-15 shooting. An assertive Marshall will suck defenses into the paint leaving more open looks for Clarke and Dunham, and also help Andrew Smith on the opposite block.
Barlow? Aldridge?
Alex Barlow did not play in this game, and Butler's official post game release does not mention anything about an injury. It seems as though Brad Stevens went with Aldridge instead, looking for some much needed offensive. However, Aldridge did not do much, so look for Stevens to go back to Alex Barlow at Point Guard.
*Update: This tweet from IndyStar writer David Woods confirms that Barlow not playing was a coaches decision. https://twitter.com/DavidWoods007/status/270657402662174720
Kellen, Kam were MIA
Kellen Dunham attempted one field goal in 27 minutes, while Kam Woods only played 3 minutes. Woods' playing time was diminished largely due to the fact that Khyle Marshall played 31 minutes, but 3 minutes is his career low for minutes played, with the exception of the Indiana game last year. Dunham, on the other hand, got plenty of playing time, but was rather uninvolved on the offensive end, much like Gordon Hayward was in spurts during his freshman season.
Rotnei Clutch, but not Consistent
Rotnei Clarke did hit the game winning three pointer, but 7-21 shooting and 4-14 from three definitely leave something to be desired. He needs to be able to score 20 points without taking 20 shots for Butler to be successful offensively this season.
Khyle, Khyle, Khyle
After a sub par effort against Xavier, Khyle Marshall bounced back with 24 points on 11-15 shooting. An assertive Marshall will suck defenses into the paint leaving more open looks for Clarke and Dunham, and also help Andrew Smith on the opposite block.
Barlow? Aldridge?
Alex Barlow did not play in this game, and Butler's official post game release does not mention anything about an injury. It seems as though Brad Stevens went with Aldridge instead, looking for some much needed offensive. However, Aldridge did not do much, so look for Stevens to go back to Alex Barlow at Point Guard.
*Update: This tweet from IndyStar writer David Woods confirms that Barlow not playing was a coaches decision. https://twitter.com/DavidWoods007/status/270657402662174720
Kellen, Kam were MIA
Kellen Dunham attempted one field goal in 27 minutes, while Kam Woods only played 3 minutes. Woods' playing time was diminished largely due to the fact that Khyle Marshall played 31 minutes, but 3 minutes is his career low for minutes played, with the exception of the Indiana game last year. Dunham, on the other hand, got plenty of playing time, but was rather uninvolved on the offensive end, much like Gordon Hayward was in spurts during his freshman season.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler @ Xavier
I really don't need to watch this game to realize that this Butler team has not changed as much from last season as I had hoped. I have not gotten a chance to watch this game, and after hearing about, I probably will not watch it at all. Nonetheless, here is my analysis of the Butler vs. Xavier Game.
Is it 2008 again?
Kellen Dunham is having success that no Butler freshman has had since Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack in 2008-09. Dunham is averaging 14.5 points through two games, and played a significant 32 minutes against Xavier. He has the potential to be a Hayward/Mack player, and if he does, the Bulldogs will be quite successful for years to come.
Smith on Track; Stigall on Downfall
While he still has not reached double figures in scoring, Smith's nine point effort was a good sign that he is heading in the right direction offensively. Still, he got outplayed by Xavier's Jeff Robinson, also and Indianapolis native. On the other hand, Chase Stigall is slowly falling out of the rotation, losing minutes to Kellen Dunham. This is a guy who played 33 minutes in an NCAA tournament game in 2011, but has only averaged 15.6 minutes per game over his last 17 regular season games dating back to last season.
Inconsistent Rotnei
Let's face it. The Bulldogs aren't going to win many games where Rotnei Clarke scores seven points on 1/7 three point shooting. He needs to score for the Bulldogs to well. Yes, I know the Bulldogs were an NCAA Tournament team three consecutive years with a point guard who didn't score much (Ron Nored), but those teams had other consistent perimeter scoring. As of now, this years team does not, maybe outside of Dunham.
Bad Loss is an Understatement
Considering Xavier lost all five starters from last year's team and was picked in the bottom half of the A-10, this is one of the worst losses Butler has had in many years, and 47 points as a team is unacceptable. This about as bad a loss as the Bulldogs have had since the game at Youngstown State in February 2011, a team that went 2-16 in the Horizon League.
Is it 2008 again?
Kellen Dunham is having success that no Butler freshman has had since Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack in 2008-09. Dunham is averaging 14.5 points through two games, and played a significant 32 minutes against Xavier. He has the potential to be a Hayward/Mack player, and if he does, the Bulldogs will be quite successful for years to come.
Smith on Track; Stigall on Downfall
While he still has not reached double figures in scoring, Smith's nine point effort was a good sign that he is heading in the right direction offensively. Still, he got outplayed by Xavier's Jeff Robinson, also and Indianapolis native. On the other hand, Chase Stigall is slowly falling out of the rotation, losing minutes to Kellen Dunham. This is a guy who played 33 minutes in an NCAA tournament game in 2011, but has only averaged 15.6 minutes per game over his last 17 regular season games dating back to last season.
Inconsistent Rotnei
Let's face it. The Bulldogs aren't going to win many games where Rotnei Clarke scores seven points on 1/7 three point shooting. He needs to score for the Bulldogs to well. Yes, I know the Bulldogs were an NCAA Tournament team three consecutive years with a point guard who didn't score much (Ron Nored), but those teams had other consistent perimeter scoring. As of now, this years team does not, maybe outside of Dunham.
Bad Loss is an Understatement
Considering Xavier lost all five starters from last year's team and was picked in the bottom half of the A-10, this is one of the worst losses Butler has had in many years, and 47 points as a team is unacceptable. This about as bad a loss as the Bulldogs have had since the game at Youngstown State in February 2011, a team that went 2-16 in the Horizon League.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Elon
The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Elon Phoenix 74-59 on Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Here is my game recap with major themes from the game:
Shooters Make all the Difference
Newcomers Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham have really added three point shooting ability that the Bulldogs were severely lacking in 2011-12. They combined for eight threes and 39 of Butler's 74 points on Saturday. Butler will be very difficult to beat if those two are able to spread the floor so well.
Where has Smith been?
Andrew Smith fouled out in nine minutes against Elon, and has yet to score in double digits in three total games so far. While Khyle Marshall has been a pleasant surprise, it would be great if both Smith and Marshall could play well at the same time.
Barlow makes a move toward Streicher territory
Alex Barlow's career path from walk-on to getting major minutes is quite similar to that of former Butler forward Drew Streicher. Both are not in there to score the ball, but for defensive purposes. Against Elon, Barlow played 17 minutes, and had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and just one turnover. If he keeps this up, he will eventually crack the starting lineup the same way the former walk-on Streicher did.
Roosevelt Jones is the Point Guard?
While Rotnei Clarke is technically the starting point guard for Butler, Roosevelt Jones could very well lead this team in assists since Clarke is more of a combo guard. Jones had six assists against Elon and seems very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Butler will next play a non-conference game against at Xavier on Tuesday at 4:00 PM ET. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. I am not available to watch the game live, so I will DVR it and watch it later. Expect a game recap of Butler vs. Xavier by Wednesday night.
Shooters Make all the Difference
Newcomers Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham have really added three point shooting ability that the Bulldogs were severely lacking in 2011-12. They combined for eight threes and 39 of Butler's 74 points on Saturday. Butler will be very difficult to beat if those two are able to spread the floor so well.
Where has Smith been?
Andrew Smith fouled out in nine minutes against Elon, and has yet to score in double digits in three total games so far. While Khyle Marshall has been a pleasant surprise, it would be great if both Smith and Marshall could play well at the same time.
Barlow makes a move toward Streicher territory
Alex Barlow's career path from walk-on to getting major minutes is quite similar to that of former Butler forward Drew Streicher. Both are not in there to score the ball, but for defensive purposes. Against Elon, Barlow played 17 minutes, and had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and just one turnover. If he keeps this up, he will eventually crack the starting lineup the same way the former walk-on Streicher did.
Roosevelt Jones is the Point Guard?
While Rotnei Clarke is technically the starting point guard for Butler, Roosevelt Jones could very well lead this team in assists since Clarke is more of a combo guard. Jones had six assists against Elon and seems very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Butler will next play a non-conference game against at Xavier on Tuesday at 4:00 PM ET. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. I am not available to watch the game live, so I will DVR it and watch it later. Expect a game recap of Butler vs. Xavier by Wednesday night.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Freshman Guard Chris Harrison-Docks to Transfer
It was announced today that freshman guard Chris Harrison-Docks is transferring from Butler. “I believe that another school would better complement me both personally and athletically,” Harrison-Docks said in a statement released by the university. While he was not expected to play very many minutes this season, he could have been more important for the Bulldogs in future seasons. All in all, this is not a huge loss for Butler as they have three point guards this year (Clarke, Aldridge, Barlow) and will have three next year (Aldridge, Barlow, and 2013 Recruit Rene Castro). The day before the first regular season game is an odd time to transfer, and it really makes one question his commitment to the Butler program, and any other school he transfers to. This loss means very little compared to the loss of Chrishawn Hopkins, and this does not have a major effect on how Butler's season will turn out.
Stay tuned tomorrow for my Butler vs. Elon game recap.
Stay tuned tomorrow for my Butler vs. Elon game recap.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Indianapolis
I knew coming in that Butler should not overlook UIndy at all, since they beat Valparaiso at the ARC in an exhibition game in November 2009. This game was close for a while, but Butler's defense won them the game at the end. Nevertheless, here is my box score analysis.
Highs and Lows: While Khyle Marshall has looked great on the offensive end, getting to the free throw line and shooting well from the field, Andrew Smith has struggled to get involved on offense. He scored just 5 points, and was only 1/4 at the free throw line. If Butler is going to be successful in the Atlantic 10, both Smith and Marshall will have to be consistent scorers in the post.
Three Point woes: Kellen Dunham and Rotnei Clarke were a combined 4 of 14 beyond the arc, and the team was a total 4/16. If Butler continues to shoot threes like this and the way they shot them last year, they will likely be under .500 in the A-10.
Defense: As poor as Butler's offense was, their defense remains tough, holding and Indianapolis team with multiple Division 1 transfers to 47 points. The Bulldogs have shown that they are very capable of winning games in the 50s and 60s, and it looks as though they will have to continue to do so.
Shorter Rotation: The Bulldogs essentially played a nine man rotation, which included Alex Barlow but did not include Erik Fromm, who played double figure minutes last season. Barlow's defense should earn him about 10 minutes a contest, and look for Fromm and Andrew Smeathers to get minutes as well this season.
Highs and Lows: While Khyle Marshall has looked great on the offensive end, getting to the free throw line and shooting well from the field, Andrew Smith has struggled to get involved on offense. He scored just 5 points, and was only 1/4 at the free throw line. If Butler is going to be successful in the Atlantic 10, both Smith and Marshall will have to be consistent scorers in the post.
Three Point woes: Kellen Dunham and Rotnei Clarke were a combined 4 of 14 beyond the arc, and the team was a total 4/16. If Butler continues to shoot threes like this and the way they shot them last year, they will likely be under .500 in the A-10.
Defense: As poor as Butler's offense was, their defense remains tough, holding and Indianapolis team with multiple Division 1 transfers to 47 points. The Bulldogs have shown that they are very capable of winning games in the 50s and 60s, and it looks as though they will have to continue to do so.
Shorter Rotation: The Bulldogs essentially played a nine man rotation, which included Alex Barlow but did not include Erik Fromm, who played double figure minutes last season. Barlow's defense should earn him about 10 minutes a contest, and look for Fromm and Andrew Smeathers to get minutes as well this season.
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