Butler has a knack for proving people wrong. Plain and simple. Who would have thought this year would culminate in a second National Championship Game appearance? Who would have thought they would survive after losing Gordon Hayward to the Utah Jazz in the offseason? Who didn't write the Bulldogs off???
The Butler Bulldogs themselves.
The Bulldogs started off rough before their conference schedule kicked off, losing to both Louisville and Duke. Conference play had its bumps in the road as well, at one point losing 3 consecutive games. At a time like that most teams would cash in their chips, but Stevens and his team pulled themselves together rattling off 9 consecutive wins to earn the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
As an 8 seed, the Bulldogs ran into trouble in the opening round as they were pushed to the brink by Old Dominion. If not for Matt Howard's last second layup, no one would have been talking about the Bulldogs in April. Another close game awaited them against Pittsburgh as Matt Howard once again provided the heroics by calmly sinking his free throws in the closing seconds to ice the game. A Sweet Sixteen matchup with Wisconsin saw Butler finally control a game, minus the commendable Wisconsin run toward the end of the second half. An exciting overtime win over the Florida Gators and a Final Four victory against the upstart VCU Rams culminated in an unthinkable return to the National Championship Game.
The poor shooting first half had many wondering, just how did Butler have the lead going into half? Neither team played especially well enough to win that half and it was more of the same for the Bulldogs in the second as they set a National Championship Game record for lowest field goal percentage ever recorded. A true nightmare. It wasn't as though they were taking bad shots, there was simply a lid covering the basket that expelled anything thrown its way. A truly saddening lose for Butler fans around the country.
Be proud Bulldog fans, as Coach Stevens said its all about the journey, and your team experienced one of the greatest journeys in college basketball history.
Congratulations Butler.
Key Losses, Returners, Recruits, Roster, and Predictions after the jump.
Key Losses
Matt Howard: I don't know if I have ever seen a single player give as much for his team as Matt Howard did night in and night out. 16 PPG isn't outrageous to replace, nor are his nearly 8 rebounds a game. The Bulldogs may be able to replace his stats, but can they replace the intangibles? I'm a firm believer that stats aren't the only thing that make a good basketball player. Matt Howard epitomized "The Butler Way". He is Butler. Can they replace the heart and soul of this team?
***Shelvin Mack***: It's no surprise to hear that Mack has declared himself eligible to for the NBA draft. However, by not signing with an agent he retains his eligibility to return if he pulls out of the draft by May 8th. Therefore we can't necessarily count Shelvin out of the Bulldogs Picture yet. Mack also averaged 16 points a game, and by losing Howard and Mack, Butler would have to find some way to make up 32 each night as a team. Nearly one half of their average total points scored per game (72.8). By losing Mack the Bulldogs also lose one of their most clutch players. Who will take the big shot in crunch time now?
Key Returners
Ronald Nored: After becoming a 6th man towards the end of the year, Nored is ready to take back his spot as the starting point guard for the Bulldogs. He was a key player in two national championship games, and his experience is unquestionable. Look for Nored to easily fill in the leadership role on this team. Can he score though?
Andrew Smith: Few can argue that he was one of the most improved players for Butler of the course of last year. Averaging 1 point in just under 5 minutes per game as a freshman was nothing to write home about. By the end of his sophomore campaign Smith was putting up 8.5 points per game during his 23 minutes on the court. Smith proved to coach Stevens his capabilities to be a key player for the Bulldogs. Two areas Andrew needs to improve upon are his rebounding and defense. Butler needs him to become a defensive presence down low and stop anything that comes near the basket. If his output continues to improve along with his skills, look for a big season for Smith.
***Shelvin Mack***: See above.
Incoming Recruits
This incoming class is rather intriguing. While not exactly hyped nationally, Butler fans should be excited for the potential of this group of freshman.
Roosevelt Jones, SF: Jones is a powerful but undersized small forward. At only 6-4, what he lacks in height he makes up for in strength and willpower. Weighing in at 210, he is a stocky wing who likes to penetrate and finish at the basket. Known as a lockdown defender, Jones should be able to have an immediate impact on this Butler Bulldog team. Don't be surprised to see him starting from day one. His jump shot is one area he needs to improve on if he wants to become an even more reliable offensive player. Keep your eyes on him Butler fans, he should be a solid 4 year player.
Jackson Aldridge, PG: The crafty 6-1 Australian point guard appears to have a bright future as well at Butler. Never afraid to make the tough pass, Aldridge knows how to dish the rock. Extremely talented at driving and kicking while drawing a double team. Sometimes seems to force passes that shouldn't be attempted and could stand to develop a more consistent 3 ball. If Mack leaves, look for Coach Stevens to bring him off the bench earlier than expected.
Kameron Woods, PF: A somewhat unheralded 6-8 power forward from Kentucky, Kameron Woods has the type of athleticism rarely seen from a big man at Butler. With quickness and electricity for his size, Woods plays a lot like Khyle Marshall. Unfortunately, he weighs almost 30 pounds less than him. Woods needs to bulk up to be successful at this level. If he can put on the muscle, Woods could become one of the main options off the bench for the front line.
Andy Smeathers, SF: Bulldog fans who have seen him have probably already heard and thought: this kid plays a lot like Gordon Hayward. That's high praise comparing him to one of the best that Butler has ever produced. At 6-7 he comes in as a freshman with some quickness and is not afraid to take it to the rim. Has a bit of a 3 point shot as well. He is another freshman who could stand to put some weight on, as it will be hard for him to drive into a lane filled with much larger men. Defense is another area he needs to improve on. Smeathers has a lot of upside, but has Jones standing in his way of the starting spot. On the positive side, the Bulldog's lack of depth at the small forward spot should give him some opportunities to prove he belongs. He may have the most potential out of Butler's 4 recruits.
Wildcard Player
Chrishawn Hopkins: If Mack leaves, look for him to break out of his shell. Although Stigall will probably start, the seldom used freshman should see a huge jump in playing time. He is quick and can shoot the ball from distance. He could overtake the starting spot and have a big year.
Predicted Roster & Depth Chart
Shelvin Mack** G 6-3 215 SR
Ronald Nored G 6-0 174 SR
Garrett Butcher F 6-7 209 SR
Emerson Kampen C 6-9 189 JR
Chase Stigall G 6-4 195 JR
Andrew Smith C 6-11 239 JR
Chrishawn Hopkins G 6-1 165 SO
Khyle Marshall F 6-7 210 SO
Erik Fromm F 6-9 220 SO
Roosevelt Jones SF 6-5 210 FR
Jackson Aldridge PG 6-1 187 FR
Kameron Woods PF 6-8 180 FR
Andy Smeathers SF 6-6 175 FR
PG Nored - Hopkins - Aldridge
SG Mack(?) - Stigall
SF Jones - Smeathers - Stigall
PF Marshall - Fromm - Woods
C Smith - Kampen - Butcher
Overall Outlook
This Butler team has a lot of questions to answer.
Obviously A lot hangs on Mack returning or not, if he leaves who takes his spot? Replacing Howard's output will be hard enough, replacing Mack's 16 on top of that seems to be nearly impossible. If Mack does sign with an agent, this will leave the Bulldogs extremely weak at shooting guard with Stigall being the only pure option. Would they move Hopkins to the back up 2 and give the freshman Aldridge the chance to back up Nored at the point?
How will Marshall and Jones do in starting roles? I personally feel as though Marshall will have an excellent season. He proved his ability to be a big-time rebounder by grabbing 7 offensive boards against Florida in the Elite Eight, but can he consistently become an offensive threat as a Sophomore? Although Jones seems to be a perfect fit for this Butler system, it's hard to figure out how he will mesh as a freshman and whether Coach Stevens will trust him enough to take over a scoring load. Offensive questions rise once again as to whether or not he can score 10 a game as a freshman.
With the amount of playing time possibly heading towards unproven freshman, there may be reason to worry at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
On a more positive side, this is a team that could be returning as many as 9 players who experienced a national title run, with 6 of them being in two. That is no small feat. Experience and leadership will once again be the staple of Butler basketball, always giving them a chance for big things.
There is no doubt that Brad Stevens will inspire this team to go beyond expectations once again. Stevens has proven his skill as a motivator as well as a tactician and will get the most out of his team as possible.
With or without Mack, this team has a very good chance of winning the continually improving Horizon League, but he is the difference between a simple automatic bid and another deep run.
But then again, Butler does have a way of quiting its critics.
Without Mack:
12-6 Conference record
With Mack:
13-3 conference record
Hope you all enjoyed the first Preview Post, there will be plenty more where that came from.
0 comments:
Post a Comment