In this world of NBA Draft early entry and one-and-done freshman, it is difficult to become attached to a college star. They simply don't hang around long enough. But when they do, that player becomes the fan favorite. There is nothing like watching a kid develop from a overwhelmed freshman into star as a senior. Those are the players that the fans connect with.
We reached out to some of the blogosphere's best, and over the next couple of weeks we will be running a series of posts saying goodbye to some of the country's best seniors.
Our third installment of "Saying Goodbye" is on Butler's workhorse Matt Howard. It is being provided by Dave McConnell from the fantastic Butler blog Victory Firelight. You can hit them up on twitter at @ButlerVictory
When the name Matt Howard gets tossed around, it can tend to sometimes be a bit of a polarizing topic for those around the Horizon League – and even around the country. Yet for the Butler faithful, the name Matt Howard embodies everything that is exceptional and unique about the Bulldog program, its players and the way it goes about its business.
Sure, plenty of opponents have had their frustrations with Howard. You’ve heard him called a flop. You’ve heard that he plays dirty. He’s everything opponents love to hate about a guy who goes hard for a full 40 minutes and beyond. And that’s just one reason why Butler fans adore and appreciate him perhaps more than any other figure in the school’s history.
Even for those who put Howard on a pedestal, there were some trying times during his career. Most notably, an absurdly frustrating penchant for committing dumb and unnecessary fouls. The kind of fouls that had no affect on a play, the kind that only resulted in putting him on the bench when his value in being on the floor was of utmost importance. But this year more than any other, Howard grew up and grew out of that. He proved everybody wrong, just like he had done in different ways throughout his four years as a Bulldog.
It has been noted time and time again what a quirky, and even odd, individual that Howard is. From riding his bike around campus in sub-freezing temperatures to not giving a damn about his socks that Goodwill wouldn’t put on its shelves, Howard marched to the beat of his own drummer. But for all of his supposed pitfalls, those are exactly what helped him be a cut above the rest. It’s about more than basketball for Howard – part of the embodiment of everything good about the Butler program – evidenced by his three-time honor as an Academic All-America. And that was capped of this season by being named the 2010-11 NCAA Division I Academic All-American of the Year.
On the court, Howard was just as decorated. He arrived on campus as a freshman as a top-100 recruit by several scouting services and joined a senior-laden team while earning the recognition of Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. As a sophomore, Howard blossomed into a star – named the league’s Player of the Year, midseason top-30 for the John R. Wooden Award and first team Mid-Major All-American by FoxSports.com while leading Butler in scoring, field goal percentage, rebounding and blocked shots.
Howard’s junior year was maybe his toughest individually, although the team had arguably its most success during his four-year run, and he was still named first team All-Horizon. The aforementioned foul troubled plagued him as he sometimes struggled to fit in as suddenly the third offensive option behind budding studs Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack.
As a senior, and with perhaps lowered expectations by some, Howard showed his value to the team in ways that will never show up on the stat sheet. Simply put, with the team muddling away at 14-9 and gone from the nation’s conscience, Howard put the Bulldogs on his back and willed the team to a highly improbable run to a second consecutive national title game appearance. He was all the guts with little glory. And he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
The experts thought Butler would be crippled by the loss of Hayward to the NBA after the 2009-10 season. They weren’t entirely wrong, but the real test from the program will come next year when No. 54 is no longer in uniform.
Matt Howard's value to this Butler team cannot be quantified by the numbers that he puts up.
Normally when you say that about a player, its because they are a role player. Because they are one of the guys that collect floor burns and takes charges. Its rare that the leading scorer and leading rebounder for a team in the Final Four can be undervalued, but that is the case with Matt Howard.
Howard is averaging 16.7 ppg and 7.7 rpg on the season, shooting 42.6% from three. While his scoring has been a bit down in the tournament -- he's averaging 15.8 ppg while Shelvin Mack has climbed to 21.3 ppg in the four games -- Howard's contribution to this team hasn't diminished in the least.
Howard is Butler basketball.
He stands 6'8" and 230 lb, but calling him unathletic would be a compliment. He's not successful because of his outrageous vertical or overwhelming quickness or blazing speed. He's successful because he knows how to play and, more importantly, because he is the hardest working player on the court just about every time he sets foot on one. And that determination rubs off on his teammates.
"He makes you play hard. I’ve never seen him take a play off – in a game, practice or even an open gym," Andrew Smith said of Howard.
"You don’t want to let him down," Shawn Vanzant said.
"Otherwise he looks at you with those eyes," Ronald Nored said.
All of those quotes were given to Jeff Goodman at the Southeast regional in New Orleans, and all of them are completely accurate.
One of the things said about Howard is that he always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time. Its true, and its not because he is lucky. Howard gets himself into the right position. Its a manifestation of his desire to never quit on a play. And its won the Bulldogs two games in this tournament. In the round of 64 against Old Dominion, Howard grabbed a loose ball and scored on a layup as time expired. In the round of 32 against Pitt, it was Howard boxing out Nasir Robinson and drawing a foul that resulted in the game-winning free throw.
Its more than just the attitude, however. Howard actually is a very talented basketball player. He can score in the post. He's added deadly three point range to his arsenal. He's left the foul issues that plagued him last year behind. And he's become a solid inside-out combination with Smith.
Howard's role on this team as a scorer and a post presence makes him an important piece.
But his work ethic and leadership is why the Bulldogs have made their second straight Final Four. Continue reading...
Last year, the first day of the NCAA Tournament was epic. BYU and Florida went to double overtime, Danero Thomas of Murray State beat Vandy on a buzzer-beater, Quincy Pondexter beat Marquette, and Ish Smith knocked off Texas in overtime.
And it looks like history is repeating itself. I'm certainly not complaining.
Butler and Old Dominion went back and forth for 40 minutes, trading the lead 22 times, an enormous number for a game that barely reached the 60 point mark.
After Kent Bazemore hit two free throws to tie the game with less than 30 seconds left, Brad Stevens did not call a time out, instead allowing his team to play out the final possession. It worked out well:
No one puts a body on Matt Howard, who slides in on the back side on lays in a buzzer-beater. Howard finished with 15 points and eight boards (five offensive), more than holding his own against ODU Frank Hassell.
Shelvin Mack had 15 points and seven assists while Andrew Smith added 11 points and six boards despite leaving the game late in the second half after having his eyebrow split open with a Bazemore elbow.
The play of Smith and Howard is crucial. The Bulldogs will, in all likelihood, advance to face Pitt in the Round of 32, and Pitt plays the same way as Old Dominion, crashing the offensive glass.
For the Monarchs, Hassell had 20 points, but the rest of their starters were 6-24 from the floor. Continue reading...
Missouri is the most exciting team in the country to watch this season. Not just because they play a hectic, up and down style -- its called the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" for a reason -- but because every game they play seems to come down to the wire. This is already this third time this season that we have used a game that the Tiger's have played in as Game of the Week.
Wednesday night's matchup was no different. Illinois jumped out to a 10 point lead early in the first half, but a 17-2 run by Mizzou that spanned the two halves gave the tigers a 35-29 lead early in the second half. Illinois answered with a 12-2 run of their own, and it was on. Both teams made big shot after big shot. It was like a boxing match between two fighters with glass jaws but not all that much skill. Illinois and Mizzou were both landing haymaker after haymaker, waiting for the other team to drop. Eventually, Missouri took a 62-58 lead when Brandon Paul missed two free throws with 48 seconds left. Michael Dixon tracked the ball down, but it was stolen from him in the back court by Mike Davis, setting up an exciting sequence (jump to the 1:30 mark, and don't mind the music in the back ground):
The intentional foul called on Tisdale may have cost Illinois the game, but it was the correct call. Two handed shoves in the back of a player moving at full speed are dangerous, and they are the precise reason that the intentional foul was added to the rulebook.
That sequence is the perfect example of Missouri basketball. A potentially momentum changing three is made off of a turnover, cutting Mizzou's lead to one with 44 seconds left. Most teams hold the ball for one shot in that situation. Missouri threw an inbounds pass to Marcus Denmon, who was already heading up the floor. He took one dribble and passed ahead to Laurence Bowers, who was wide open on a wing. Layup, foul, six point possession, game over.
It deserves to be noted: UAB 68, VCU 65
In a battle of anagrams, VCU took a 19 point with just 13 minutes left in the game. UAB was able to whittle that down to nine at one point, but eventually UAB took a 65-53 lead with just 5:08 left in the game. That's when Jamarr Sanders took over. He hit a three to cut the lead to nine, but neither team scored until Sanders scored four points -- one of two free throws and then a three -- when he picked up a steal on back-to-back possessions, cutting the lead to 65-60 with 1:30 left. After Aaron Johnson picked up a steal, he hit one of two free throws. UAB grabbed the rebound off of the miss and the ball ended up in Sanders' hands. He buried another three, and the lead was now just 65-64 with 1:15 left. VCU had possession, but they turned the ball over again, and with just 10 seconds left in the game, Sanders drove, drew a foul, and hit both free throws to take the lead 66-65. Two more Johnson free throws sealed the win.
All told, Sanders had 12 of his 29 points in the final five minutes. UAB had not been closer than nine points since the 14:50 mark of the first half. That's not quite Jay Williams-vs.-Maryland territory, but Sanders' performance was quite impressive nonetheless.
Player of the Week: Klay Thompson, Washington State
I know that Washington State was beaten pretty handily by Butler in the final of the Diamond Head Classic, but that does nothing to diminish the week that Thompson had. In the three games in Hawaii, he averaged 26.3 ppg, including 31 in the loss to Butler that kept things close. He was 25-46 from the floor and 13-25 from three. It was, without a doubt, an impressive performance, and Thompson's play this week is a huge reason why Wazzu's name is being tossed around as a potential top 25 team and a sleeper in the Pac-10.
What makes this performance by Thompson so impressive is not that he shot the ball well. We've known that Thompson was a good shooter. That is no secret. But, like we said after the win over Gonzaga, Thompson has become an all-around player. He's jumping passing lanes. He's creating for his teammates. Most importantly, however, he's been able to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim while handling physical, one-on-one defense much better than last year. Thompson started out the 2009-2010 season on fire, but once Pac-10 play came around his numbers dropped considerably. He likely will not find defense as physical as Butler's in the Pac-10 this season. He had 31 against Butler and kept the Cougars in the game despite subpar performances from Reggie Moore, DeAngelo Casto, and Faisal Aden.
The All-they-were-good-too team:
G: Darius Morris, Michigan: Granted, it came against Bryant, but Morris had 26 points and 12 assists in his only game of the week. It was the fifth time he's reached double figure assists and his fourth double-double of the season. Morris is now averaging 15.3 ppg and 7.5 apg on the season.
G: Jio Fontan, USC: Fontan averaged 17.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 3.5 spg while leading the Trojans to a 2-0 week, including a win at Tennessee, to bounce back from a tough loss to Kansas in Fontan's debut.
G: Doron Lamb, Kentucky: Lamb had 32 points on 11-12 shooting (7-8 from three) as he set the Kentucky freshman scoring record, previously held by Jamal Mashburn, in a win over Winthrop.
F: Travis Franklin, Colorado State: Franklin led the Rams to a win in the Cancun Governer's Cup by averaging 22.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 2.0 spg, including a 25-point, 9-rebound performance against Gary Flowers and Southern Miss in the final.
F: Justin Harper, Richmond: Harper averaged 20.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg, leading the Spiders in scoring in both games, as Richmond knocked off UNC-Greensboro and Seton Hall. Harper had 24 points and hit six three against the Hall.
Bench: Jimmer Fredette, BYU; Justin Hurtt, Tulsa; Chris Singleton, Florida State; Matt Howard, Butler
Team of the Week: Butler Bulldogs
Butler may have given life to their chances of earning an at-large bid this season with a win in the Diamond Head Classic out in Hawaii. With wins over Florida State and Washington State, as well as Utah, Butler landed themselves two quality victories against teams that will likely be in the tournament come March. Without much in the way of a resume booster from here on out, the Bulldogs are going to want to win the Horizon Tournament to be safe, but the resume is not what was important coming out of this week.
What's important is that Butler looked like the Butler we expected to see all season long. Matt Howard has really grown as a player in his four season with the Bulldogs. He's now knocking down threes, he's putting the ball on the floor and hitting mid-range shots and fadeaways. He's still a terrific rebounder. He averaged 18.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg this week, upping his averages to 18.1 ppg and 8.2 rpg on the season. Shelvin Mack broke out of his slump this week, scoring 17 points on FSU and 20 on WSU. Andrew Smith looks like he is going to be a force on the block in the Horizon this year. Chase Stigall and Zack Hahn are both knocking down jumpers now. Ronald Nored and Shawn Vanzant are just as pesky and athletic as they were last season. I'm not usually a big believer in the eye test, but this team passed with flying colors this week.
A disappointing week: I don't have an explanation for it.
The only reason I can think of is that teams that aren't as good as they think they are were distracted by the end of the finals and the start of the holiday season.
Regardless, it seemed like every time I looked at the college basketball scoreboard this week, another team had a disappointing performance.
We'll start with the obvious -- Renardo Sidney, Elgin Bailey, and Mississippi State. What else is there to say? These two embarrassed their team and their program and managed to get themselves sent home early from a Christmas trip to Hawaii for fighting in the stands. The Bulldogs are a mess this season.
Then there was Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, who managed to get themselves suspended for accepting discounts on clothing from a department store. The act itself isn't all that terrible -- the fact that these two are NCAA athletes is the only reason anyone is frowning upon them taking advantage of a hook-up -- but it is just another example of the lack of leadership within the Kansas State program. The Wildcats lost to UNLV on Tuesday due to a lack of talent. It wasn't, however, a lack of effort, as Kansas State, for the first time all season, looked like the Kansas State I expected -- scrappy defense, aggressive to the offensive glass, win with floor burns. Now can they do the same with Pullen in the lineup?
Tennessee may have had their season saved with a jumper from Scotty Hopson against Belmont. Tennessee had lost to USC by one point earlier in the week, their third straight loss, before the Bruins came back to take a late lead on the Vols. Hopson hit a runner with 5.7 seconds left, however, and gave the Vols a win. Right now, the Vol's problem is execution in close games. Their last three games have been decided by one point. Two of them are losses, and both of those games Tennessee had a shot to win the game late. The Vols have three games -- against Tennessee-Martin, the College of Charleston, and Memphis -- to get this thing figured out before Bruce Pearl's eight game suspension kicks in.
How about Virginia Tech's season? They have struggled all year long to find the rhythm many of us expected them to have, and over the holiday break news leaked that Dorenzo Hudson will miss the rest of the season with an injury to his foot. Seton Hall is in the exact same boat, as Jeremy Hazell -- who may be out for the season with a wrist injury -- was shot in an attempted robbery over the holiday break.
All told, 18 teams from the BCS conferences lost to team from outside the BCS conferences. Eight of those upsets occurred on Wednesday night. Don't forget, this was a week when there were essentially no games played on Saturday and Sunday. Usually, there are upwards of 175 games played on the weekend. And those struggles? They don't even count games like UCLA beating UC Irvine by one, or Arizona State losing to North Carolina A&T by 11 in the second half, or Minnesota struggling to knock off South Dakota State.
I'm not a particularly huge football fan. I use to like the 49ers a lot back in the days of Steve Young and Jerry Rice, but as their performance has fallen off, my interest level has waned. I never really had a college football team, seeing as UConn just got good a few years ago.
I can enjoy a football game with the best of them, especially when it involves some combination of grilling meat and drinking beer. Still, I'll be honest. The main reason I'll watch a football game is for the big hits. A wide out getting beheaded by a safety. A defensive end burying a quarterback. A running back leveling a linebacker trying to fill a hole. But the best -- the absolute best -- hits during a football game come on returns. A would-be tackler blindly trying to run down the ballcarrier before getting decleated by vicious block that resembles resembles playing chicken with a Mack truck.
Well, we had one of those last night.
Brian Zoubek missed the second of two free throws and Gordon Hayward had corralled the rebound and taken off up court. Kyle Singler was giving chase when Matt Howard decided to get in the way.
"I was just standing in the way, so I figured I would be useful," Butler forward Matt Howard said.
Just watch it:
Laid out.
Also amusing is the reaction of the manager at the very right of the Butler bench after Hayward's shot bounced off the rim. I don't mean to poke fun at a kid that is clearly devastated, but he looks like he got picked off by a sniper.
Anyway, here's a great picture of the screen (via @joesportsfan).
Matt Howard is the best big man that Butler has, and is probably their only threat to get a bucket in the paint. His presence -- not just as a scorer but as a rebounder -- is going to be vital to Butler's chances against Duke.
The problem is, Howard may not play.
The big man hit the floor hard at the end of the first half last night, banging his head on the floor and possibly giving himself a concussion. He is currently a "game-day decision". "We're just keeping him under observation today," Stevens said Sunday. "Probably won't practice today. Will be a day-of-game decision, it sounds like. ... We're hoping he's okay. He did have a good night's sleep. He's feeling a little bit better. One thing is, his health is numero uno. If he can't play, he can't play."
Howard played just 17 minutes last night, finishing with four points and two boards on 1-7 shooting from the field.
When asked if he suffered a concussion, Stevens said "I don't want to say. It's obviously enough that he's not going to practice."
Losing Howard would mean that Butler would have to rely even more on back up big men Avery Jukes and Andrew Smith. The pair has averaged just 3.2 ppg in the tournament, but have both shown flashes of being capable big men.
Butler was able to go small last night, playing three guards along side Willie Veasley and Gordon Hayward, but they won't be able to do that against Duke. As much of an advantage as they would have on the offensive end, I just don't see them being able to get a defensive rebound with that kind of size disadvantage.
In other words, Smith and Jukes will get a lot of minutes if Howard's a no-go.
We will post a video of the injury if we can find one later today.
The season is fast approaching. The first games are on Nov. 9th, and the BIAH live blog during ESPN's season kickoff is just two weeks away. So with just a week until actual games are played, we figured the best way to finish up our 2008-2009 season previews is to give you our Top 10 players at each position. You know how much we love a good Top 10 list here.
A few caveats. First, we're talking about how good these guys are as college players, not how well they project as a pro. Second, while it may be too much power for me, I am making the executive decision on what "position" a player is (and it may not necessarily be what he is listed as on a roster). Third, I am not putting the freshman in the list. As much as I've read about these guys and as many Youtube clips as I have watched, I have yet to see many of them play a real game (the all-star games don't count), and I don't think that I could give an accurate assessment until I see them play. Lastly, I love me a good argument, so if you think someone is too low or too high or the wrong position, leave a comment and let me hear about it.
10. Matt Howard, Butler: Howard is a guy that doesn't get a lot of press playing for Butler. But make no mistake, Howard is as good as any four in the country. Howard is what you might refer to as a land warrior - he isn't going to outquick or outjump anyone in the country, but he is so strong. An excellent rebounder with a solid back to the basket game, Howard's strength offensively is his ability to seal and hold position in the post. He is the rock for a talented Butler team.
9. Damion James, Texas: A lot was expected out of James last season, but he didn't quite live up to the hype he received in the preseason. A big reason for that is James was asked to play more minutes on the perimeter with the emergence of a big front line for Texas. The biggest strength of James' game is his ability to rebound the ball on the offensive end and how well he cuts to the basket and finishes at the rim. His back to the basket game is decent, but playing more minutes on the perimeter will limit his touches inside. James is dangerous offensively because he is not only able to shoot the ball, but he has some ability to put the ball on the floor and go around a bigger defender. James is forever a tweener - not really big enough to be a four, but lacking the true perimeter skills to be a three.
8.Lazar Hayward, Marquette: Last year, all anyone talked about when it came to Marquette was their guard play. While those three were definitely talented, Hayward might have been the most valuable player on the roster as the only real big man. Hayward, who is a converted small forward, in dangerous because of his perimeter skills. Without much in the way of a post game, Hayward does his damage shooting the ball and taking advantage of the mismatches when a big forward guards him on the perimeter. Also an excellent rebounder, expect big numbers out of Hayward this year as Marquette's go-to player offensively.
Lazar Hayward is counting to be counted on heavily by Marquette. (photo credit: ESPN)
7. Devin Ebanks, West Virginia: Ebanks is as raw as a prospect comes. In terms of tools, there are few forwards that match him. He has the wingspan of an albatross, can run the floor, has above average athleticism, and plays hard. All of that made him an excellent defender and rebounder, especially on the offensive end. But the rest of his game still needs to be developed. His ball handling ability is not much more than the one or two dribbles it takes to for to get to the rim. His jumper was so inconsistent last year that he himself actually decided that he would not longer shoot outside jumpers. But with Alex Ruoff gone, and an offseason of developing his skills, Ebanks should be ready to turn into one of the best forwards in the Big East.
6. Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest: Aminu is another guy I'm not completely sold on. Right now, he relies almost exclusively on his tools. He is long, athletic, plays with energy, and has excellent body control. Last year he was at his best when he was able to get out in the open court and outrun the defense. His skills were quite raw, however. While his handle and his jump shot no doubt improved with an off-season of working out, Aminu has a long way to go before he can be considered "talented" skillwise and a threat in the half court. All that said, we are talking about a guy that averaged 12.9 ppg and 8.2 rpg on a team with a big front line, Jeff Teague, and James Johnson. Imagine what he will do as the first offensive option.
Al-Farouq Aminu will need to rely on more than just athleticism this season. (photo credit: freewebs)
5. Trevor Booker, Clemson: Booker is one of the best athletes in the country. While there are a number of guys at the power forward position that have more talent than Booker, there are few that play with his aggressiveness and determination. Every second he is on the court, he is going hard - whether it is defensively, posting up, hitting the glass, cutting to the rim. Booker seems to have an endless supply of energy. He doesn't have the best back to the basket game, relying heavily on his physical tools (strength holding position, jumping over a defender) to score. Where he has become more effective, and where he needs to improve to make it at the next level, is in his perimeter game. If he can continue to get better putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket and keep improving his jump shot, Booker has a shot at winning the ACC player of the year award.
4. Greg Monroe, Georgetown: Monroe is the perfect fit for the Princeton offense that JTIII likes to run. Standing 6'11", Monroe has the offensive skills of a point forward. He can use the dribble to get to the basket, he can knock down a perimeter jumper, and he has excellent court vision and passing instincts. There are really three aspects of his game that Monroe needs to improve to become a dominant forward in the Big East. He needs to improve his ability with his right hand - he struggles dribbling and finishing in that direction. He needs to improve his strength and toughness in the paint offensively, defensively, and on the glass. Most importantly, he needs to be able to assert dominance on a game. There are few players with the talent that Monroe has, but how many times last season did you find yourself thinking "Greg Monroe has taken this game over"?
3. Craig Brackins, Iowa State: Brackins, at the college level, is a match-up nightmare. Standing 6'10", Brackins has the ball handling and the quickness to get by bigger defenders that try to come out and guard him on the perimeter. If you don't guard him, or if a smaller, quicker defender is on him, Brackins is a very dangerous shooter out to about 17 feet. Where Brackins has really developed during his first two seasons is with his toughness and his aggresiveness. He came with 17 rebounds of averaging a double-double last season, and has the makings of what could turn into a solid back-to-the-basket game.
2. Patrick Patterson, Kentucky: Patterson proved last season to be one of the most dominant and efficient players in the country. Patterson's just 6'8", but his length, his athleticism, and his strength make him so difficult to handle on the block. He has a solid righty hook and an above average turn around jumper, but his ability in the post centers around how good he is at establishing position. He seals hard, and really understands how to use his body to hold off his defender. He showed some improved ball skills last season, and if he can develop a consistent jumper this season, Patterson will be near unstoppable this year.
Harangody's biggest improvement during his career has been his jumper. (photo credit: basketme)
1. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame: If there is an argument against Luke Harangody as the best power forward in the country, I cannot think of it. The guy can average 25 and 12 this year, and I won't be surprised. By now, you should know Gody's game. An underwhelming athlete, Gody struggles going against bigger opponents with his back to the basket. But over the course of his career, the big fella has developed an excellent face-up game. He has developed range out beyond the three point line (and showed NBA three point range during the draft process). The biggest improvement in his game is his fitness - Gody looked as svelte and in shape as he ever has during the draft process.
Key Returners: Gordon Hayward (13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 45% 3's), Matt Howard (14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Shelvin Mack (11.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg), Willie Veasley (8.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Newcomers: Andrew Smith, Chase Stigall, Emerson Kampen
Butler returns their entire team from last year's 26 win season. (photo credit: IndyStar)
Brad Stevens has quite a program in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, making the Sweet Sixteen in 2007 under Todd Lickliter. They won 30 games in Stevens' first season at the helm before losing basically everyone, including Mike Green and AJ Graves. Not much was expected out of Butler last year, but on the strength of an excellent recruiting class, the Bulldogs won 26 games and their third consecutive regular season title. The best news? They bring everybody back.
Butler's recruiting class last season was anchored by Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, who both made the U19 team over the summer. Hayward, who stands 6'8", ends up playing the power forward spot for a good number of minutes, but he is much more of a perimeter oriented player. Easily one of the best shooters in the country (he knocked down almost 45% of his threes), Hayward uses the threat of his jumper effectively to sell pump fakes. His biggest limitation as a prospect is his limited athletic profile, but he makes up for it with incredible smarts and craftiness. He knows how to get a defender off balance using jabs, fakes, and hesitations, and once he gets in the lane is satisfied with finding an open teammate instead of forcing a tough shot in the paint. Defensively is where the issue lies. Hayward, as I said, is a match-up nightmare on the offensive end because he plays the four, but his slight frame doesn't hold up against some of the bigger guys on the block.
Mack is as good of a point guard as you are going to find. He is strong with the ball, an excellent defender, and a very good rebounder for his size. He isn't the quickest guy when he puts the ball on the floor, but he is big and strong enough (6'3", 215 lb) that if he gets his shoulders by a defender, he is going to get to the rim. Butler is going to be very talented this season, which means that Mack, once again, won't have to carry the load offensively as much as he will be asked to run Stevens' system. But, as he did last year, Mack is a good enough scorer that if things start to get bogged down, he can carry the team.
Butler likes to lay a four-out, one-in offense, meaning the surround one post with four perimeter players. The other two guys that will be starting on the perimeter are sophomore Ronald Nored and senior Willie Veasley. Nored is a tenacious defender that will harass opposing point guards. He is quick and can get to the rim and out in transition, but he really struggles offensively otherwise, hitting just 23% from deep and 46% from the line. Willie Veasley, a 6'3" wing, is the perfect senior for this team. He does everything well on the court - he can shoot when open, he rebounds the ball, he defends. He turns the ball over a little more than one would like, but beyond that he is exactly what you look for out of a senior leader.
The "one-in" on this team may be the most valuable guy on this roster. Matt Howard, a 6'8" junior and reigning league player of the year, is a bit of a throw back big man. A land warrior, Howard does not have the overwhelming athleticism of many guys playing on the blocks these days. To compensate, he is excellent at gaining position, sealing his man, and finishing inside. He is a strong kid, and has developed a very nice back to the basket game. As the only real threat in the post, Howard is going to be so important to how far Butler can make it this year.
The Bulldogs don't have the deepest bench, but they do have some quality role players. Zach Hahn, a 6'1" junior, is the Bulldogs resident sharp shooter. 6'0" Shawn Vanzant is a scrappy point guard coming off the bench. Avery Jukes, a 6'8" senior, is the guy that will spell Howard inside. And don't be surprised when 6'11" freshman Andrew Smith, who has a nice game on the block and plays with a great deal of energy, sees some quality minutes this season.
Outlook: Butler has been very good for a while now, but this is probably their best team to date as Hayward, Howard, and Mack form one of the best inside-outside-wing combos in the country. Their biggest issue is going to be inside, where they are smaller than most power conference teams. Hayward will need to play big on the block if the Bulldogs have any hope of reaching a Final Four. That said, expect the mismatch that Howard creates to force teams to go small to match-up with them. An excellent defensive team that plays with a great deal of smart, Bulldog fans should expect another Horizon League title, and 30 wins and a deep tourney run is well within their reach. Continue reading...
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