Butler Bulldogs
Big East (23-8, 12-6)
It did not take long for Butler to prove that they can beat anybody on any given day. This is a Bulldogs squad that knocked off Northwestern, Arizona, Utah, Cincinnati and Indiana in November and December. Coach Chris Holtmann kept the good times going in the tough Big East too and Butler will be a team to watch in March.
Big Wins: 11/25 vs Arizona (69-65), 12/10 Cincinnati (75-65), 2/22 at Villanova (74-66)
Bad Losses: 12/7 at Indiana State (71-72), 12/29 at St. John’s (73-76), 1/28 Georgetown (81-85)
Coach: Chris Holtmann
Why They Can Surprise:
Butler rarely changes. This is a team that takes care of the ball, takes smart shots and plays solid defense. Tyler Lewis is a big reason why Butler continues to protect of the ball so effectively. He has not emerged as major scoring threat, but Savage will take care of the ball and find his teammates. Kelan Martin, Andrew Chrabascz, Kamar Baldwin and Avery Woodson will do much of the scoring. Martin leads the way with 61.1 points per game and he, along with Woodson, are the team’s top outside shooters. Chrabascz can knock down shots too, which makes it very difficult to defend the 6-7 senior. Baldwin is just a freshman, but he is a very interesting player. At 6-0, he is not big, but he has long arms and will use them to play great defense. He is not afraid to attack the basket either.
Why They Can Disappoint:
But the lack of size at Butler is a problem this year. Last season the Bulldogs boasted a very big backcourt and enough size in the frontcourt to get the job done. That is not the case anymore and the result has not been beneficial for Butler on the glass. Tyler Wideman has some decent size in the paint and players like Martin and Chrabascz are decent rebounders, but nobody is a dominate force on the glass and Butler does not have the size on the perimeter to make up for it like they did last season. The defense is good, but Butler can have trouble finishing their defensive play by grabbing the rebound. Eventually giving up second chance opportunities is going to catch up to this team.
Probable Starters:
Kethan Savage, Senior, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 1.5 apg
Kamar Baldwin, Freshman, Guard, 10.0 ppg, 1.4 apg, 3.6 rpg
Kelan Martin, Junior, Forward, 16.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Andrew Chrabascz, Senior, Forward, 11.0 ppg, 3.2 apg, 4.6 rpg
Tyler Wideman, Junior, Forward, 7.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Key Role Players:
Avery Woodson, Senior, Guard, 8.6 ppg
Tyler Lewis, Senior, Guard, 6.4 ppg, 3.9 apg
Nate Fowler, Sophomore, Center, 5.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Sean McDermott, Freshman, Forward, 2.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.9 (97th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.6 (82, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.9 (31, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.3 (204, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.8 (137, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.8 (91, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.1 (51, 3)
Rebound Margin: 0.8 (161, 5)
Assists Per Game: 13.3 (192, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.1 (7, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas Tech
2016 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Virginia
2015 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas
2015 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Notre Dame
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Bucknell
2013 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Marquette
2012 CBI First Round win over Delaware
2012 CBI Quarterfinal win over Pennsylvania
2012 CBI Semifinal loss to Pittsburgh
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Old Dominion
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Pittsburg
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Wisconsin
2011 NCAA Regional Final win over Florida
2011 NCAA National Semifinal win over VCU
2011 NCAA National Final loss to Connecticut
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over UTEP
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Murray State
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Syracuse
2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Kansas State
2010 NCAA National Semifinal win over Michigan State
2010 NCAA National Final loss to Duke
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to LSU
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over South Alabama
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Tennessee
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Old Dominion
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Maryland
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Florida
*all team stats through 3/5
