Butler Bulldogs
Horizon League (27-6, 13-3)
Seed: #5
Midwest Region
RPI: 27
Big Wins:
11/14 Indiana (60-55), 11/22 vs Tennessee (56-44), 12/16 Purdue (68-65)
Bad Losses:
12/9 at Indiana State (64-72), 1/10 at Illinois-Chicago (67-73), 2/2
Loyola Ill (71-75)
Last NCAA
Appearance: 2003, Sweet Sixteen loss to Oklahoma
Coach:
Todd Lickliter (2-1 in 1 NCAA appearance)
Probable
Starters:
Mike Green,
Junior, Guard, 14.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, 5.8 rpg
A.J. Graves,
Junior, Guard, 17.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.2 rpg
Julian Betko,
Senior, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Brandon Crone,
Senior, Forward, 11.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Brian Ligon,
Senior, Forward, 3.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Key
Roleplayers:
Marcus Nellems,
Senior, Guard, 2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Drew Streicher,
Junior, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Willie Veasley,
Freshman, Guard, 2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Pete Campbell,
Junior, Forward, 8.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Why They Can
Surprise:
The Bulldogs
have won game after game, seen upset after upset, thanks to their stifling
defense. On par with traditional Butler defense, this group is not flashy.
They will not have many steals leading to fast breaks or magnificent blocks
that ignite the Butler faithful, but it is straight up tough defense. The
opposition shoots 40% from the floor and, if their shooters are hot,
Butler can beat anybody.
A.J. Graves,
Brandon Crone and Pete Campbell are all dangerous shooters from behind the
arc. Graves leads the way with 17.0 points per game. The 6-1 junior is not
just a catch and shoot guy launching up three after three; he will get to
the basket and has a solid mid-range game. Crone, a 6-6 forward, will do a
little bit of everything and the senior excels in the big games. Campbell
will provide a big spark off the bench and makes 2.2 three’s per game.
Why They Can
Disappoint:
Mike Green, a
6-1 point guard, leads the team in rebounding and that is not good. Green is
a dynamic scorer, a great floor leader and a very good rebounder for his
size, and that says more about the lack of forwards than it does about
Green’s ability to rebound. Crone spends a lot of time on the perimeter,
minimizing his rebounding abilities and Brian Ligon will do the dirty work
under the basket, but is not very effective crashing the glass. With
Butler’s style of play, they are going to suffer on the boards, but the more
they can control the damage, the better.
Who To
Watch:
Wings Julian
Betko and former walk-on Drew Streicher have both stepped up their game for
the 2006-2007 campaign. Neither are big scoring threats, but both have the
ability to hit from beyond the arc. The duo will not make many headlines,
but their defensive intensity is very valuable to Butler.
Joel’s
Bracket Says: First Round loss to Old Dominion
