Butler Bulldogs WiretapMay 2011 Butler Bulldogs Wiretap

Butler Struggles In Fast-Paced Action

Mar 30, 2011 6:16 PM

Six of Butler’s nine losses occurred when opponents forced them to play at a faster pace than coach Brad Stevens prefers.

The Bulldogs average a pedestrian 64.6 possessions per game, so they were particularly ill-equipped when Louisville (84 possessions), Duke (72 possessions), Milwaukee (76, second meeting) and Valparaiso (73, second meeting) upped the tempo against them.

During their current winning streak, only two games -- a routine home victory over Illinois-Chicago (67) and the dramatic overtime win over Florida (67) in the Elite Eight -- have exceeded 65 possessions.

 

Joe Lunardi/ESPN.com

Tags: Ronald Nored, VCU Rams, Butler Bulldogs, Horizon League, Coastal Athletic Association, NCAA Tournament, NCAA

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Butler Enters Final Four With Historically Small Win Margin

Mar 29, 2011 4:02 PM

Butler has won their four tournament games by a total of 13 points, tying the record set last year by Michigan State for the smallest winning margin recorded by a Final Four team since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

The Bulldogs are now 9-1 over the past two tournaments. Eight of those wins have come by single-digit margins, and six have been decided by four points or less.

John Gasaway/Basketball Prospectus

Tags: Butler Bulldogs, Horizon League, NCAA Tournament, NCAA

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Defensive Effort Propels Butler Over Wisconsin

Mar 25, 2011 10:28 AM

Butler used a sound defensive game plan to build a 33-24 lead at halftime, grew that lead to 20 with under 12 minutes to play and survived a frantic last-ditch comeback effort for a 61-54 victory over Wisconsin.

Butler forced eight first-half turnovers, leading to 15 points on the other end during the first 20 minutes of play.

Matt Howard led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs, giving Wisconsin fits on the 3-point line in the first half by slipping away from a few high-ball screens and knocking down all three of his attempts beyond the arc.

Howard shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line, recorded two steals and stayed out of foul trouble against a Wisconsin offense that failed to attack the inside.

Dave McConnell/Victory Firelight

Tags: Matt Howard, Wisconsin Badgers, Butler Bulldogs, Big Ten Conference, Horizon League, NCAA Tournament, NCAA

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Butler Not Acting Like Underdog

Mar 22, 2011 10:40 AM

Eighth-seeded Butler returned three starters -- senior forward Matt Howard, senior guard Shawn Vanzant and junior guard Shelvin Mack -- from a team that took Duke to the final second in the national title game last season.

Howard (16.7 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game), Mack (15.6, 4.4) and Vanzant (8.9, 5.4) have played in 11 NCAA Tournament games to tie the program record set last season by then-senior guard Willie Veasley.

"They're not an underdog at all," said Wisconsin senior Jon Leuer, who played last summer with Mack on the USA Select Team that practiced against the U.S. team that competed in the World Championships. "They have talent all over their team. I played with Shelvin Mack and know what he is capable of.

"He is definitely one of the best guards, and Matt Howard is one of the best bigs that you're going to face. They have guys that can really fill it up and they're well-coached, too.

"So you mix that talent with good coaching and you're going to be in for a battle."

Jeff Potrykus/Journal Sentinel

Tags: Wisconsin Badgers, Butler Bulldogs, Big Ten Conference, Horizon League, NCAA Tournament, NCAA

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Ohio State, Kansas, Pitt, Duke Take Top Seeds In 2011 Tourney

Mar 13, 2011 6:06 PM

Ohio State is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament and will be placed in the East Region.

Joining the Buckeyes No. 1 seeds is Kansas in the Midwest, Pittsburgh in the Southeast and Duke in the West.

Pitt is the only No. 1 seed to not win their conference tournament, losing to eventual champion Connecticut in the quarterfinals.

San Diego State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Florida are the No. 2 seeds, while Syracuse, Purdue, Connecticut and BYU are the No. 3 seeds. Kentucky, Louisville, Texas and Wisconsin are the No. 4 seeds.

Kansas and Duke were also No. 1 seeds in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, while Ohio State was a No. 2 and Pitt was a No. 3.

The Final Four will be held in Houston on April 2nd and 4th.

Click here to view RealGM’s 2011 NCAA Tournament Page.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Michigan Wolverines, North Carolina Tar Heels, San Diego State Aztecs, Boston University Terriers, Richmond Spiders, Temple Owls, Xavier Musketeers, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Belmont Bruins, Kansas Jayhawks, Missouri Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Cincinnati Bearcats, UConn Huskies, Georgetown Hoyas, Louisville Cardinals, Marquette Golden Eagles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Pittsburgh Panthers, Villanova Wildcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Northern Colorado Bears, UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, Wisconsin Badgers, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, George Mason Patriots, Old Dominion Monarchs, VCU Rams, Butler Bulldogs, Princeton Tigers, Washington Huskies, Akron Zips, Hampton Pirates, Indiana State Sycamores, Brigham Young Cougars, Long Island Sharks, Morehead State Eagles, Arizona Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Bucknell Bison, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers, Vanderbilt Commodores, Wofford Terriers, Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners, Alabama State Hornets, Memphis Tigers, UAB Blazers, Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Little Rock Trojans, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Utah State Aggies, Syracuse Orange, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, American Athletic Conference, NCAA Tournament, NCAA

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Butler Wins 2011 Horizon League Tournament, Returns To Tourney

Mar 11, 2011 10:31 PM

After playing for the 2010 National Championship, Butler clawed their way into simply qualifying for the 2011 NCAA Tournament by winning the Horizon League Tournament. By defeating Milwaukee by a 59-44 final, Butler has now reached the Big Dance for five consecutive seasons.

Matt Howard was named Tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant, along with Anthony Hill (Milwaukee) and Brandon Wood (Valparaiso).

Click here to view RealGM’s comprehensive list of 2011 Conference Tournaments.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Matt Howard, Anthony Hill, Shelvin Mack, Shawn Vanzant, Brandon Wood, Butler Bulldogs, Cleveland State Vikings, Detroit-Mercy Titans, Green Bay Phoenix, Milwaukee Panthers, Illinois-Chicago Flames, Valparaiso Beacons, Wright State Raiders, Youngstown State Penguins, Horizon League, Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament, NCAA

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Norris Cole Headlines Horizon League Awards

Mar 3, 2011 12:54 PM

Norris Cole of Cleveland State won the 2010-11 Horizon League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards on Thursday.

Joining Cole on the the All-League First Team are Vaughn Duggins (Wright State), Anthony Hill (Milwaukee), Matt Howard (Butler) and Brandon Wood (Valpariaiso).

On the Second Team are N'Gai Evans (Wright State), Rahmon Fletcher (Green Bay), Eli Holman (Detroit), Shelvin Mack (Butler) and Ray McCallum (Detroit).

McCallum was also named Newcomer of the Year.

On the All-Defensive Team were Cole, teammate Trevon Harmon, Ronald Nored (Butler), and Howard and Holman.

Click here for more information on the Horizon League awards.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Norris Cole, Vaughn Duggins, Anthony Hill, Matt Howard, Brandon Wood, N'Gai Evans, Rahmon Fletcher, Eli Holman, Shelvin Mack, Ray McCallum, Geoff McCammon, Ronald Nored, Trevon Harmon, Butler Bulldogs, Cleveland State Vikings, Detroit-Mercy Titans, Green Bay Phoenix, Loyola (IL) Ramblers, Milwaukee Panthers, Illinois-Chicago Flames, Valparaiso Beacons, Wright State Raiders, Youngstown State Penguins, Horizon League, NCAA, NCAA Award

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