Butler Bulldogs
Big East (22-10, 12-6)
The expectations were low for Butler heading into the season. And the medical leave of absence by former coach Brandon Miller did not boost anybody’s opinion of what the Bulldogs were expected to do this season. But for the team and Coach Chris Holtmann, none of that mattered on the court.
Big Wins: 11/26 vs North Carolina (74-66), 11/28 vs Georgetown (64-58), 3/7 at Providence (68-64)
Bad Losses: 12/14 at Tennessee (55-67), 12/20 vs Indiana (73-82), 2/21 at Xavier (56-73)
Coach: Brandon Miller
Why They Can Surprise:
The return of Roosevelt Jones, who missed the dismal 2013-2014 campaign with an injury, is the main reason for the massive turnaround. Jones, a versatile 6-4 forward, averages 12.6 points, 3.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds. He is even the second best shot blocker on the team. Jones is not a shooter, but he can attack the basket with ease. Kellen Dunham is the shooter. The 6-6 guard knocks down over 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and can shoot over most defenders. But the true strength of this team is on the glass. Andrew Chrabascz and reserve Austin Etherington are big men who can stretch the defense and really do not help out on the glass all that much. However, Kameron Woods is one of the best rebounders in the Big East.
Why They Can Disappoint:
It would help the defense if Woods was a more effective enforcer in the paint, but overall this is a very solid defensive team. Their biggest issue in the NCAA Tournament could end up being free-throws. Alex Barlow and Dunham are the only two starters that are decent at the line. Jones, Chrasbascz and Woods take a lot of free-throws and miss way more than they should. It is tough at the end of games when you can only have two or maybe three players on the floor that you are comfortable with taking free-throws. Points are never easy to come by in the NCAA Tournament and Butler cannot afford to leave too many at the charity stripe.
Probable Starters:
Alex Barlow, Senior, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.2 spg
Kellen Dunham, Junior, Guard, 16.7 ppg
Roosevelt Jones, Junior, Forward, 12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.7 apg
Andrew Chrabascz, Sophomore, Forward, 11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Kameron Woods, Senior, Forward, 7.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Austin Etherington, Senior, Forward, 2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Kelan Martin, Freshman, Forward, 7.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Tyler Wideman, Freshman, Forward, 2.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.8 (104th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.0 (45, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.0 (139, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.6 (107, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.7 (234, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.1 (95, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.4 (204, 8)
Rebound Margin: 6.6 (19, 1)
Assists Per Game: 11.5 (252, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.3 (58, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA Second Round win over Bucknell
2013 NCAA Third Round 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 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
