I can't say I was surprised by this outcome. An experienced Bulldogs squad against an inexperienced Vanderbilt team that lost its top six players from last year, three of whom are in the NBA right now. Butler won with little stress in the second half, beating the Commodores 68-49.
Clarke continues, Dunham too
Rotnei Clarke's brilliance from downtown continued on Saturday night, shooting 6-9 from behind the arc. Kellen Dunham also played well scoring 12 points, going 2-5 from three. This really illustrates what was wrong with Butler last year. The Bulldogs made 8 threes in this game, all from Clarke and Dunham. (Neither of them played last year)
Chase Stigall's four year long shooting slump
After going 0/3 behind the arc in this game, he is now at 20.7% on threes for the season. He is at 29.1% for his career. In a career that has consistently shown subpar shooting for Stigall (with the exception of moments during his sophomore season), he has gotten worse as his career has gone on. His shooting is so bad, it makes me wonder if he will still be seeing minutes by season's end. To put it in perspective, Zach Hahn's career low in 3 point % in a season was 32.6%, while Chase Stigall's career high in 3 point % for a season is 32.0%.
Woods and Marshall clean the glass
Both athletic big men had a huge impact on the boards, with Marshall pulling down 11 rebounds and Woods pulling down 9. On a night where Andrew Smith and Erik Fromm combined for 4 rebounds, it was good that at least two of Butler's four bigs were rebounding the ball, and that's usually all it will take on a given night.
There wasn't really any other significant statistics from the box score, but I will point out that Alex Barlow has not averaged 18.8 minutes per game over the last six games.
Butler hosts Pennsylvania on Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in a rematch of last years College Basketball Invitational matchup.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Future of the Point Guard Spot at Butler
After having Ronald Nored start the majority of four seasons at point guard and having a power-conference transfer in Rotnei Clarke come in and start for one season, the point guard position will be wide open next season, with three potential candidates: Alex Barlow, Jackson Aldridge, and incoming recruit Rene Castro.
While Barlow is getting minutes now and starting alongside Rotnei Clarke, I don't know that he is necessarily the future Butler starting point guard for a couple of reasons. First, Butler is losing a lot of scoring after this season with the departure of Rotnei Clarke and Andrew Smith. Essentially being a non-scorer, I don't know if the Bulldogs can afford to leave him on the floor for long stretches of time next season, especially if they are struggling to score. This is similar to last season, and also why he didn't play much for the first 34 games last season. Since the Bulldogs didn't score much last season, Barlow being on the floor would have only made it worse. In my mind, Barlow would be best served next year bringing energy and a strong defensive presence to the floor of the bench.
Jackson Aldridge is an enigma. Many fans thought he could be the future point guard for Butler, leading them on offense. However, he is shooting just 13% from the field this season in limited minutes. While he has kept turnovers down compared to last season, but will not stay on the floor with poor offense since he is not exactly making up for it on defense. If he puts his offensive game together, shooting the ball well and having a better assist-to-turnover ratio, Aldridge could potentially start at point guard next year. However, those are a lot of ifs, and he will have to improve very quickly as he is currently towards the bottom of Butler's depth chart.
Rene Castro is apparently a combo-guard who has the ability to penetrate the lane greater than Barlow or Aldridge. At 6'1, he might not be a traditional point guard, maybe more of a scoring point guard similar to Mike Green (2006-2008). Considering that Butler is doing well with a scoring point guard this season and that Roosevelt Jones is a point forward, there is no reason why Castro couldn't do what Ronald Nored did and be Butler's starting point guard right from day 1. Still, he will be a freshman and he will still need time to adjust to the college game, so I wouldn't expect too much too early on.
In summary, none of these three players have locked up the starting PG spot for next season, all have weaknesses that they need to improve on, and it will be an exciting battle next fall for the starting point guard position.
I am going an NBA game on Saturday night, so I will watch the Butler @ Vanderbilt matchup on ESPNU recorded on Sunday morning and probably have a game recap up on the blog by Sunday afternoon.
While Barlow is getting minutes now and starting alongside Rotnei Clarke, I don't know that he is necessarily the future Butler starting point guard for a couple of reasons. First, Butler is losing a lot of scoring after this season with the departure of Rotnei Clarke and Andrew Smith. Essentially being a non-scorer, I don't know if the Bulldogs can afford to leave him on the floor for long stretches of time next season, especially if they are struggling to score. This is similar to last season, and also why he didn't play much for the first 34 games last season. Since the Bulldogs didn't score much last season, Barlow being on the floor would have only made it worse. In my mind, Barlow would be best served next year bringing energy and a strong defensive presence to the floor of the bench.
Jackson Aldridge is an enigma. Many fans thought he could be the future point guard for Butler, leading them on offense. However, he is shooting just 13% from the field this season in limited minutes. While he has kept turnovers down compared to last season, but will not stay on the floor with poor offense since he is not exactly making up for it on defense. If he puts his offensive game together, shooting the ball well and having a better assist-to-turnover ratio, Aldridge could potentially start at point guard next year. However, those are a lot of ifs, and he will have to improve very quickly as he is currently towards the bottom of Butler's depth chart.
Rene Castro is apparently a combo-guard who has the ability to penetrate the lane greater than Barlow or Aldridge. At 6'1, he might not be a traditional point guard, maybe more of a scoring point guard similar to Mike Green (2006-2008). Considering that Butler is doing well with a scoring point guard this season and that Roosevelt Jones is a point forward, there is no reason why Castro couldn't do what Ronald Nored did and be Butler's starting point guard right from day 1. Still, he will be a freshman and he will still need time to adjust to the college game, so I wouldn't expect too much too early on.
In summary, none of these three players have locked up the starting PG spot for next season, all have weaknesses that they need to improve on, and it will be an exciting battle next fall for the starting point guard position.
I am going an NBA game on Saturday night, so I will watch the Butler @ Vanderbilt matchup on ESPNU recorded on Sunday morning and probably have a game recap up on the blog by Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Evansville
This game sure meant a lot to all Butler players and fans, who had their hearts broken the last two years by Evansville in overtime. There were definitely feelings of revenge, and I'm sure the players and coaching staff are thrilled about this close win. Lets just say I won't be sad to see Evansville's Colt Ryan graduate, as he has averaged nearly 20 points per game in four games against the Bulldogs in his career. I was not able to watch this game, and this one minute highlight video was the only action I saw from this game. Nonetheless, here are some important points I noticed from yesterday's game.
Smith and Clarke continue to carry the offensive load
Both players had 20 points in the game, and both hit timely three pointers in the second half to keep Evansville at arms distance from the lead. Smith has gotten better and better as the season has gone on, while Clarke has been consistently outstanding on the offensive end.
Kam Woods. Where have you been?
It seemed as though he was falling farther down the depth chart, but rebounded well to have his best game of the season, contributing 10 points and 12 rebounds. His production was absolutely necessary as Khyle Marshall and Erik Fromm's impact on this game was negligible. It is a good sign that Butler has four big men capable of having a great night so that all four do not have to perform well at the same time.
Dunham contributes, albeit inside the arc.
Kellen Dunham scored 13 points, while shooting 0-4 behind the arc, but making five free throws and four 2-point field goals. This is a sign of offensive maturation, as he is able to score when his three point shot isn't on. I think you saw this same development from Gordon Hayward during his sophomore season at Butler, where he did not shoot threes well, but still scored a ton of points.
Butler is off for the Christmas break and will be back in action next Saturday at Vanderbilt on ESPN2. This is a very winnable game against a team that lost all five starters from last season.
Smith and Clarke continue to carry the offensive load
Both players had 20 points in the game, and both hit timely three pointers in the second half to keep Evansville at arms distance from the lead. Smith has gotten better and better as the season has gone on, while Clarke has been consistently outstanding on the offensive end.
Kam Woods. Where have you been?
It seemed as though he was falling farther down the depth chart, but rebounded well to have his best game of the season, contributing 10 points and 12 rebounds. His production was absolutely necessary as Khyle Marshall and Erik Fromm's impact on this game was negligible. It is a good sign that Butler has four big men capable of having a great night so that all four do not have to perform well at the same time.
Dunham contributes, albeit inside the arc.
Kellen Dunham scored 13 points, while shooting 0-4 behind the arc, but making five free throws and four 2-point field goals. This is a sign of offensive maturation, as he is able to score when his three point shot isn't on. I think you saw this same development from Gordon Hayward during his sophomore season at Butler, where he did not shoot threes well, but still scored a ton of points.
Butler is off for the Christmas break and will be back in action next Saturday at Vanderbilt on ESPN2. This is a very winnable game against a team that lost all five starters from last season.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
How things have changed for Alex Barlow
Alex Barlow played a total of 17 minutes during the regular season last year, with all being mop-up minutes. He then played 60 minutes in Butler's three CBI games last March. And now, he is a starter who hit the game winning shot against the #1 ranked team in the country. And if you don't believe when I say things have changed, here is a quote and response from Butler's official message board in March 2012, just as he began receiving consistent minutes.
+1. Please no. The guy wouldn't make the UIC roster.
Source: http://buhoops.yuku.com/reply/117816/Re-Alex-Barlow-#.UM0DNG_AfoI
Remember, this is when UIC was still an awful team (unlike now) at the basement of the Horizon League. I will leave the usernames of these posters out for this blog entry because I do not want to call out those who made largely inaccurate predictions, but this just illustrates the expectations for him coming out of high school, and the level he is playing at now. I couldn't be more proud for Drew Streicher 2.0, and I know all Butler Bulldogs fans feel the same way. Way to put in the hard work to achieve your dreams, Alex.
If Alex Barlow gets a scholarship, I will be pi$$ed. The guy is a freaking DIII level talent!!!!!!
+1. Please no. The guy wouldn't make the UIC roster.
Source: http://buhoops.yuku.com/reply/117816/Re-Alex-Barlow-#.UM0DNG_AfoI
Remember, this is when UIC was still an awful team (unlike now) at the basement of the Horizon League. I will leave the usernames of these posters out for this blog entry because I do not want to call out those who made largely inaccurate predictions, but this just illustrates the expectations for him coming out of high school, and the level he is playing at now. I couldn't be more proud for Drew Streicher 2.0, and I know all Butler Bulldogs fans feel the same way. Way to put in the hard work to achieve your dreams, Alex.
The Unexpected come through as Butler defeats Indiana
The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Indiana Hoosiers in overtime at Bankers Life Fieldhouse by a score of 88-86 on a game winning floater by the defensive specialist Alex Barlow. Butler will be ranked in the Top 25 following this result, and this is a huge win for a team that is still trying to prove they can win without Hayward/Howard/Mack.
Where did that com from?
Alex Barlow and Chase Stigall came into this game scoring a combined 3.5 PPG. However, the two scored 7 of Butler's last 10 points, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. First it was a driving layup by Barlow to tie the game at 80. Then it was a three from the top of the key by Stigall to give Butler and 86-84 lead. And finally, Barlow got an extremely benevolent bounce on a floater against Jordan Hulls to give Butler the lead for good.
Clarke prevails despite Oladipo's defense
Victor Oladipo was fantastic on defense keeping Rotnei Clarke in front of him, but Rotnei still managed to score 19 points, including a key three pointer in the overtime when Butler was down four. He hit many clutch threes and contributed greatly to this victory as he has done all season.
Woods and Aldridge in the "Dawghouse"
These two players played a combined six minutes in the game today, mainly because of the improvement of Erik Fromm, who took minutes from Kameron Woods, and Alex Barlow, who took minutes from Aldridge. I wouldn't say that Woods and Aldridge will sit on the bench all season, but it does seem as though Brad Stevens has trimmed his rotation from 10 down to 8.
Smith holds his own against Zeller
While Zeller outscored Smith 18-12, Smith out rebounded Zeller 9-5. While Smith was plagued with foul trouble, he was definitely able to hold Zeller in check while he was in there. This should be a confidence booster for Andrew Smith that he was able to compete against the second best center in college basketball. (I believe Mason Plumlee is #1)
Butler will be off until next Saturday when they host Colt Ryan and the Evansville Aces at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Where did that com from?
Alex Barlow and Chase Stigall came into this game scoring a combined 3.5 PPG. However, the two scored 7 of Butler's last 10 points, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. First it was a driving layup by Barlow to tie the game at 80. Then it was a three from the top of the key by Stigall to give Butler and 86-84 lead. And finally, Barlow got an extremely benevolent bounce on a floater against Jordan Hulls to give Butler the lead for good.
Clarke prevails despite Oladipo's defense
Victor Oladipo was fantastic on defense keeping Rotnei Clarke in front of him, but Rotnei still managed to score 19 points, including a key three pointer in the overtime when Butler was down four. He hit many clutch threes and contributed greatly to this victory as he has done all season.
Woods and Aldridge in the "Dawghouse"
These two players played a combined six minutes in the game today, mainly because of the improvement of Erik Fromm, who took minutes from Kameron Woods, and Alex Barlow, who took minutes from Aldridge. I wouldn't say that Woods and Aldridge will sit on the bench all season, but it does seem as though Brad Stevens has trimmed his rotation from 10 down to 8.
Smith holds his own against Zeller
While Zeller outscored Smith 18-12, Smith out rebounded Zeller 9-5. While Smith was plagued with foul trouble, he was definitely able to hold Zeller in check while he was in there. This should be a confidence booster for Andrew Smith that he was able to compete against the second best center in college basketball. (I believe Mason Plumlee is #1)
Butler will be off until next Saturday when they host Colt Ryan and the Evansville Aces at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Update on Crossroads Classic
I wrote a preview for the Butler vs. Indiana matchup back in September. Here is a link to that post, where I previewed the (likely) starting lineups: http://budogs.blogspot.com/2012/09/crossroads-classic-preview-butler-vs.html
These starting lineups have held true with the exception that Kellen Dunham/Alex Barlow have taken Stigall's place in the starting lineup, and it will be one of those two that will matchup against Jordan Hulls. Clarke will still be on Ferrell, and Jones will still be guarding Oladipo. I'm definitely looking forward to the Marshall/Watford and Smith/Zeller matchups as well. I can't wait to see this game, as it will be a great test for a Butler squad that has done fairly well so far this season.
The game is on CBS at 2:00 PM ET.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Butler vs. Northwestern Preview
I apologize for not writing about Butler vs. IUPUI, but I have been very busy, and it seems as though there wasn't much that was very interesting/out of the ordinary to write about.
The Butler Bulldogs are facing the Northwestern Wildcats today at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern is another team I followed pretty closely, so I am going to preview the likely starting matchups in this game.
Center: Andrew Smith vs. Alex Olah
While Alex Olah is a promising freshman and an improvement from Northwestern's last two centers (Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti), Andrew Smith is a senior who has as much experience as any college basketball player. Smith does give up 32 pounds to Olah, but is a much more polished offensive player than Olah is.
Forward: Khyle Marshall vs. Jared Swopshire
These two players are similar statistically, with Marshall being more athletic and Swopshire being a better jump shooter. All in all, these two players are both very good and I am looking for to see who wins this matchup, as it is a crucial one for both teams.
Guard/Forward: Roosevelt Jones vs. Drew Crawford
Roosevelt Jones will have his hands full guarding Drew Crawford, who is Northwestern's best offensive player, and can creat his own shot with ease, even though his shooting percentage is down from last season. Crawford will be guarding someone in Jones who handles the ball a lot considering he is not the point guard. Another very close matchup, and Jones will have to hold Crawford under 15-17 points for Butler to have a good shot at winning.
Guard: Alex Barlow vs. Reggie Hearn
An interesting matchup of a walk-on against a former walk-on. Now, it is completely possible that Kellen Dunham starts instead of Barlow, but for the sake of this preview, lets just say it is Barlow. Hearn has been scoring the ball well this season, but Barlow is one of Butler's best defenders ever. It will be interesting to see if Hearn's offense of Barlow's defense wins out in this matchup
Point Guard: Rotnei Clarke vs. Dave Sobolewski
Two good three point shooters, Sobolewski a better passer, Clarke a better scorer. Neither one is known for their defense, so I would expect a lot of points and assists out of both them. Overall, Clarke is the better player, and if he can outplay Sobolewski, Butler is in good shape to win this game.
Backup Guard: Chase Stigall vs. Alex Marcotullio
I know I said I was only previewing the starters, but the career paths of these two players is eerily similar. Both played big minutes towards the end of their sophomore season, they both averaged exactly 5.2 ppg last year, and they are both struggling from the field this season in increasingly limited minutes. One of these two could be a huge spark off the bench to help their team win the game.
The Butler Bulldogs are facing the Northwestern Wildcats today at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern is another team I followed pretty closely, so I am going to preview the likely starting matchups in this game.
Center: Andrew Smith vs. Alex Olah
While Alex Olah is a promising freshman and an improvement from Northwestern's last two centers (Luka Mirkovic and Davide Curletti), Andrew Smith is a senior who has as much experience as any college basketball player. Smith does give up 32 pounds to Olah, but is a much more polished offensive player than Olah is.
Forward: Khyle Marshall vs. Jared Swopshire
These two players are similar statistically, with Marshall being more athletic and Swopshire being a better jump shooter. All in all, these two players are both very good and I am looking for to see who wins this matchup, as it is a crucial one for both teams.
Guard/Forward: Roosevelt Jones vs. Drew Crawford
Roosevelt Jones will have his hands full guarding Drew Crawford, who is Northwestern's best offensive player, and can creat his own shot with ease, even though his shooting percentage is down from last season. Crawford will be guarding someone in Jones who handles the ball a lot considering he is not the point guard. Another very close matchup, and Jones will have to hold Crawford under 15-17 points for Butler to have a good shot at winning.
Guard: Alex Barlow vs. Reggie Hearn
An interesting matchup of a walk-on against a former walk-on. Now, it is completely possible that Kellen Dunham starts instead of Barlow, but for the sake of this preview, lets just say it is Barlow. Hearn has been scoring the ball well this season, but Barlow is one of Butler's best defenders ever. It will be interesting to see if Hearn's offense of Barlow's defense wins out in this matchup
Point Guard: Rotnei Clarke vs. Dave Sobolewski
Two good three point shooters, Sobolewski a better passer, Clarke a better scorer. Neither one is known for their defense, so I would expect a lot of points and assists out of both them. Overall, Clarke is the better player, and if he can outplay Sobolewski, Butler is in good shape to win this game.
Backup Guard: Chase Stigall vs. Alex Marcotullio
I know I said I was only previewing the starters, but the career paths of these two players is eerily similar. Both played big minutes towards the end of their sophomore season, they both averaged exactly 5.2 ppg last year, and they are both struggling from the field this season in increasingly limited minutes. One of these two could be a huge spark off the bench to help their team win the game.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Postgame Analysis: Butler vs. Ball State
Butler beat Ball state by a score of 67-53 to improve to 5-2 on the young season. Here is my quick recap of major themes in the game.
Andrew on Track
Andrew Smith has scored double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season, and his shooting percentage is slowly starting to rise. Smith's 12 points on 6/9 shooting gives me hope that he can return to his form of last season, and continue to be a double figure scorer.
Kellen Dunham's Struggles...
have continued since the North Carolina game. He is now 1/15 on threes since that game, and 6/26 from the field overall. He will need to shoot better than that and perform at a high level now that defenses are giving him more attention.
The Aldridge/Barlow saga continues
While Alex Barlow had his best game of the season (5 points, 3 assists, 3 steals in 18 minutes), Jackson Aldridge only played 2 minutes, contrary to the increased minutes he had been playing recently. Brad Stevens has clearly not decided which of the two will be getting major minutes, and it seems as though it is unlikely for both of them to see double figure minutes at their size. This could be a good thing if it means they will push each other harder in practice for those minutes.
Side Note: Northwestern, Butler's opponent next Saturday, lost at home to the UIC Flames,Butler's former Horizon League opponent, 50-44.
Andrew on Track
Andrew Smith has scored double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season, and his shooting percentage is slowly starting to rise. Smith's 12 points on 6/9 shooting gives me hope that he can return to his form of last season, and continue to be a double figure scorer.
Kellen Dunham's Struggles...
have continued since the North Carolina game. He is now 1/15 on threes since that game, and 6/26 from the field overall. He will need to shoot better than that and perform at a high level now that defenses are giving him more attention.
The Aldridge/Barlow saga continues
While Alex Barlow had his best game of the season (5 points, 3 assists, 3 steals in 18 minutes), Jackson Aldridge only played 2 minutes, contrary to the increased minutes he had been playing recently. Brad Stevens has clearly not decided which of the two will be getting major minutes, and it seems as though it is unlikely for both of them to see double figure minutes at their size. This could be a good thing if it means they will push each other harder in practice for those minutes.
Side Note: Northwestern, Butler's opponent next Saturday, lost at home to the UIC Flames,Butler's former Horizon League opponent, 50-44.
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