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.
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