NCAA Preview: Butler Bulldogs
Posted by rtmsf on March 16th, 2009BUTLER (#9 seed, South, Greensboro pod)
vs. LSU (#8 seed)
March 19th, 12:20 P.M.
Vegas Line: LSU -2
Thanks to Vegas Watch for providing these graphs that measure the moving average of a team’s spread (moving avg.) over time vs. the spread for each individual game (indiv). If a team’s moving average is higher than zero, then Vegas currently has a higher opinion of them than Pomeroy, and vice versa.
General Profile
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Conference: Horizon League, at-large bid
Coach: Brad Stevens, 55-8 at Butler
08-09 Record: 25-4, 15-3
Last 12 Games: 8-4
Best Win: 74-65 at Xavier, December 23rd
Worst Loss: 67-71 v. Loyola (Ill.), February 15th
Off. Efficiency Rating: 109.6/ 59th overall
Def. Efficiency Rating: 93.2/ 46th overall
Nuts n Bolts
Star Player(s): Matt Howard- 14.6 points/game, 6.7 rebounds/game, 1.5 blocks/game, 54.8% FG; Gordon Hayward- 13.2 points/game, 6.5 rebounds/game, 1.5 steals/game, 44.5% 3PT
Unsung Hero: · Ronald Nored- 26.9 minutes/game, 4.2 points/game, 3.1 rebounds/game, 2.6 assists/game,
Potential NBA Draft Pick(s): None
Key Injuries: None
Depth: 26.4%, 275th overall
Achilles Heel: The Bulldogs have never been a particularly tall team, but this year is no exception. The team’s two best “big” men are Howard and Hayward, both of whom are about 6-foot-8 and do a great job on the glass for their size. If Howard or Hayward is not having a great game, the team is in trouble. Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley are good players, but they can go cold quickly as well (see Cleveland State).
Will Make a Deep Run if…:
They will make a deep run if they play like they did in the middle of the season. Say what you want about Brad Stevens’ club but they always play fundamental basketball, and they never fold under pressure. Butler will be a tough team to stop if they crash the glass, and run their offense effectively.
Will Make an Early Exit if…:
However, this team is also a candidate for an early exit, moreso than Bulldog teams of the past. They could go out in the first round if Hayward struggles like he did in the Horizon Championship game, and if Veasley and Mack can’t bail the team out with their shooting, they are stagnant offensively.
NCAA History
Last Year Invited: 2008, Lost in round of 32 to Tennessee
Streak: This will be their third consecutive appearance.
Best NCAA Finish: Sweet 16, they have done it twice (2003, 2007)
Historical Performance vs. Seed (1985-present): n/a
Other
Six Degrees to Detroit: None
Distance to First Round Site: 856 miles from Greensboro, North Carolina
School’s Claim to Fame: They have one man on their alumni list everyone wishes they could have. No one else gets to say they produced Jimmy Chitwood…er, Bobby Plump, the hero of the 1954 Milan High School State Championship team. Not only did Plump give the country the first Cinderella team ever, but he helped spawn one of the greatest sports movies of all time.
School Wishes It Could Forget: In the middle of March of this past year, while campaigning in support of her mother, Chelsea Clinton stopped by Butler University. Everything was going well, until some nosy Nancy asked Ms. Clinton a question about whether the Monica Lewinsky scandal had damaged her mother’s reputation. Butler administrators probably winced when they heard the question. The Clinton’s probably won’t be taking in any games at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the near future.
Prediction: The Bulldogs are underseeded, and so they will have to play a grueling game against uber-athletic LSU. The Tigers don’t really impress with their defensive intensity and discipline. Butler will get by the Bayou Bengals, but with Ty Lawson back, they won’t be able to take down the Tar Heels.
Preview written by… Mike Lemaire
