Butler Basketball

The Bulldogs from Indiana have had a very solid history in NCAA College Basketball.  Some high notes, some low.  Like the loss against Florida in 2000 at the buzzer by Mike Miller.

But now we have entered a new era, the Brad Stevens regime. 

He has elevated this program to an elite status only rivaled by the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Duke, UNLV, Florida and a small handful of others.

Going to back-to-back Final Fours is extremely difficult for any school or program and is usually done by only top national programs that recruit the best players in the country.  Then they are usually kids that stay around for their senior year.

Enter Brad Stevens taking the Butler Bulldogs back to the Final Four. 

Yes, last year they lost by two to Duke in the national title game.  Yes, they lost their best player to the NBA.  Yes, this team struggled during the middle of the season and looked like they were a one hit wonder.

But the young, Jeopardy-looking “I’ll take Hoosier History for $400 Alex", Stevens has done the seemingly impossible. Taking a mid-major school, mostly mid-level talent, and elevated them to the highest stages of college basketball.

Yes, there are many great coaches that have done amazing things during specific times.  But they generally always come from the power six conferences and/or are whisked away the next season by the big boys.

Not Stevens.  He has put his name in the hat with the likes of Calhoun, Coach K, Izzo, Calipari and others of our time.  With LESS talent!  The questions remain how long he can be this successful and where he continues his quest for championships.

But at this school, with these kids, Brad Stevens has done the greatest coaching job—in a two year timeframe—in the history of NCAA Men’s College Basketball.

The knock on college basketball this season was that the talent level was the lowest its been in recent memory.  Fair enough.  It didn’t help that it coincided with arguably the most entertaining season of NBA basketball since Jordan was still lacing ‘em up for the Bulls.

This stark contrast on a nightly basis set the table for one of the least hyped NCAA Tournaments that I can remember.  At the time of the selection show, the only headlines college basketball could hang its hat on was UConn’s magical run through the Big East Tournament and Jimmer.

If any of us had the perception that this March wouldn’t be as magical as some of its predecessors, that notion was shattered on the first Thursday of the tournament.  Six games were decided by three points or less including four buzzer-beaters.

That trend has continued throughout the tournament with a pace that can only be described as frenzied.

The most interesting aspect of the whole situation has been the resounding and repeated proof that basketball is truly a game about emotion, passion and desire.  So often these days, the knock on sports is that the athletes don’t care.  They get paid too much, complain too often and have no sense of camaraderie or team spirit.

These, of course, are staples within the college game.  As stated though, with the NBA talent and interest level at an all-time high, it seems that basketball has moved more towards an entertainment option as opposed to a competition based sport (like football).

The college game itself has taken numerous hits the past few years as the country’s best high school prospects have repeatedly chosen to don a random powerhouse’s uniform for a semester and a half before skipping off to the NBA.  It’s increasingly rare to see the four-year senior leaders (or even juniors for that matter), especially at the schools atop the rankings.

If this tournament has proved one thing, however, it's that none of that matters.  The beauty of basketball is in the passion of the people that play it.  Watching teams like VCU, Morehead State, Butler and Richmond will themselves to victory by playing for each other has been a breath of fresh air.

I’ve watched what seems like every game so far in this tournament and seeing the emotion that rides on every possession has been intoxicating.  Nobody takes plays off.  Nobody acts ambivalent.  Every player, from Jimmer and Kemba on down, have displayed nothing short of white-hot fire and intensity for the past two weeks.

My playing days stopped after high school and over the last several years, some of those memories have started to fade.  However watching this tournament has been like looking through a year book.  It has allowed me to vividly remember a time when I cared about every possession, every shot and treated each game as if it was the most important thing in the world to me.  Because it was.

I think the fact that this tournament lacks a Kevin Durant, John Wall or Derrick Rose has allowed the team concept to capture the headlines.  Even traditionally star-driven programs such as North Carolina and Kentucky have relied on more than one outstanding player to get to where they are.

In the shadows of a Barry Bonds perjury trial that I don’t think anyone cares about, and an impending NFL lockout over the division of $9 billion, the NCAA Tournament personifies the beauty and purity of competition.  Luckily, there is no price tag on that.

I can’t remember a time where I have enjoyed an NCAA Tournament more than this one and this entire experience has rekindled in me a love for the game of basketball that I think may have been slightly lost.  There is no question I am more of an NBA fan, but I think when you spend too much time watching the pros you tend to think of the game as more of a business.  You analyze players against their salaries and teams off of their superstars.

The NCAA Tournament is literally all about W’s and lasting memories.  The only “Decision” we all have, is which team to pick to go all the way in our brackets.  I am more than excited for the Elite Eight but like reaching the last few chapters of an excellent book, I don’t want it to end.

At least not without a few more buzzer beaters.

-Brad Vipperman

Follow me on Twitter @TeamVip33 or email me at b.vipperman@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.

Last week, a couple of things happened while you were asleep. Butler squeaked by No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in a game where Pittsburgh shot 56 percent from the field and still lost. It’s becoming clear what’s going on for Butler. They’ve grown, they got some great players in there and a fantastic head coach.

Check out NBA State Of Mind for more of my writings

To be honest, some people saw it coming. I remember in 2000, watching a Butler school play Florida tough, until Mike Miller crashed their hopes. Even then, Butler was considered a school on the rise.

Fast forward to 2001, Butler defeated Wake Forest, then led by head coach Thad Matta. Matta left, but the talent didn’t as Todd Lickliter led Butler to their first Sweet 16 since 1961. 

Similar to Matta, Lickliter left the Butler program, leaving the job up to 31-year-old Brad Stevens in 2007. Since the Stevens hire, Butler has won a tournament game every year but 2009. What is it that kept Butler alive? What allowed them to keep up success even though they had three coaches in 10 seasons?

For one, all three head coaches were great coaches. Thad Matta has a couple Final Fours under his name at Ohio State, as well as a couple of top 10 draft picks (Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr, Evan Turner) under his name. Matta moved up in the coaching world.

Todd Lickliter didn’t move at all when he traded the Butler job for the Iowa job. Lickliter struggled getting Iowa off the ground, which resulted in his dismissal after three seasons. 

For many, Stevens was considered “groomed” for the Butler job when Lickliter brought him in as an assistant in 2001. During Stevens’ time as an assistant, Butler went 131-61 overall. At his time as an assistant, Stevens also got first hand experience recruiting, game management, setting up plays and doing many things that assistant coaches don’t do, preparing him for his eventual takeover of the program.

We also have to discuss Butler’s talent increase. One can say Butler lucked out when Matt Howard decided to leave Purdue and Xavier alone and headed for Butler. In his four seasons, Howard has been the consistent star for the team.

In 2008, Butler struck gold when pulling in a slew of three star talent in Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored and Gordon Hayward. Hayward turned out to be a superstar, leading Butler to the NCAA title game last season, and becoming the first top 10 pick in Butler’s history when he was selected ninth by the Utah Jazz.

In 2009, Butler snagged 6'11" Andrew Smith, who’s proven to be a solid player opposite of Matt Howard, and many expect him and Mack to take over once Howard leaves. In this past year’s recruiting class all players have played significant roles for this Butler team. Next season, Butler brings in another three star, three pieces by Roosevelt Jones.

However, Butler did miss Cody Zeller, a 6'10" five-star recruit. He did go to rival Indiana. With Indiana and Tom Creen slowly rebuilding with their 2012 class (considered a top three class), one must wonder if Butler can continue to be the best school in Indiana.

My thoughts? Yes they can. As long as Stevens is leading the charge.

Brad Stevens has the Butler Bulldogs in the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season.

Admit it, you’re shocked. Just as you were last year when he had them one miracle Gordon Hayward shot away from winning the national championship.

Maybe it’s time we get used to the idea of seeing Butler and Stevens, its coach who would most certainly get carded at every club or bar in the United States if not for his public figure status, lingering in late-March.

Since taking over as head coach in April 2007, Stevens, 34, has compiled a 115-24 record while leading the Bulldogs to four Horizon Conference championships and three conference tournament titles.

That’s all well and good, but take a look at what he has done against the big boys more recently.

Entering Saturday’s Southeast Regional Final against No. 2 seed Florida, Butler, the No. 8 seed, is 8-1 in the last two NCAA Tournaments. During last year’s surprise run to the final, Stevens beat two coaching legends—Tom Izzo and Jim Boeheim—and lost to another, Mike Krzyzewski, by a hair.

In this eight-for-nine run, he has also knocked off Jamie Dixon’s Pittsburgh Panthers, Frank Martin’s Kansas State Wildcats, and Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers, and sent three Cinderella wannabes—UTEP, Murray State, and Old Dominion—home for the summer.

I hate to break it to all of the aforementioned coaches, but Stevens is younger, smarter, hipper, and better looking than each and every one of you.

Well, he’s younger. Smarter? He’s getting there, but it’s too early to say for sure. Better looking? Almost by default because the rest of his competition is either ancient (Boeheim) or just downright scary (Martin). And Stevens is about as hip as Boeheim, with dancing abilities comparable to Mark Madsen’s.

As far as coaching basketball is concerned, it’s hard not to appreciate what he has been able to do at Butler. His teams often look as overmatched on the court as he looks on the sideline, but looks are deceiving.

Stevens’ best player from the past two seasons is Gordon Hayward, a 2010 lottery pick of the Utah Jazz. Great kid, great player, but let’s rewind the tape and play a quick game of “Who would you rather have on your team?” I’ll give you two names; one is Hayward, and the other is the name of Butler’s opponent’s best player. Ask yourself who is better.

Start with last year’s Sweet 16 game against Syracuse. Wesley Johnson or Hayward? I got Johnson.

Elite Eight against Kansas State: Jacob Pullen or Hayward? Pullen, all day.

National Semifinal versus Michigan State: Durrell Summers (Kalin Lucas was injured) or Hayward? I’d take Hayward now, but no one was playing better than the Spartans’ swing-man at the time.

Final versus Duke: Nolan Smith or Hayward? Do I even have to answer that one?

This year, Shelvin Mack is the litter’s prize. Again, nice player, but probably not in the top 25 of this NCAA Tournament field. His sidekick, Matt Howard, looks like he just got out of drug rehab, and Stevens doesn’t have a McDonald’s All-American to speak of.

That’s a problem when some of your opponents this time of year have them coming off the bench.

Yet Stevens is still coaching his crew of nobodies, while all of those coaching legends and McDonald’s All-Americans are home on their sofas drinking Shamrock Shakes and wishing they had a game to prepare for.

Most observers believe that if these deep tournament runs continue, it will be difficult for Butler to keep Stevens around. He signed an extension through the 2021-22 season just days after the finals loss to Duke, one that pays him in the ballpark of $1 million per season.

That is relatively low for one of the game’s top coaches, and it doesn’t compare to the money that Oregon, Clemson and Wake Forest were throwing at him last spring, offers that are sure to come with the conclusion of every season.

Stevens has sworn his loyalty to Butler, saying he would only leave “if they kicked me out.”

Given the encore performance he has orchestrated this season, it’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon.

For more, visit my website at www.pointbartemus.com, a sports forum.

Twelve years ago, a little known school from Spokane, Wash. caught the attention of the nation as they made an impressive run to the Sweet 16 of the Men’s NCAA Tournament. 

This would just be the tip of iceberg, as Mark Few’s Gonzaga Bulldogs would usher in a new age of college basketball, one where a mid-major team can be a regular force in the NCAA Tournament. 

Gonzaga has been a regular fixture in the tournament; however, despite all the accolades and praise the team has earned over the years, they have yet to make it past the Sweet 16.

Enter the Butler Bulldogs. 

Even before Gordon Hayward just missed what would had been the most polarizing shot in the history of college basketball, the Butler Bulldogs were making their own claim as the top dog of the mid-major schools. 

Since the 2000 season, Butler has qualified for the NCAA Tournament an impressive eight times, and of all those trips to the tourney, only once did they fail to qualify for the second round. 

Despite all of the success, it appeared that Butler was doomed to be the little mid-major brother to national darling Gonzaga.

Then the 2010 tournament started. 

Butler entered the tournament as a No. 5 seed, and as most NCAA enthusiasts will tell you, was an unfavorable draw, as No. 12 seeds tend to perform well against No. 5 seeds and their is usually one upset in the tournament. 

Butler was unfazed by this draw, as they impressively handled No. 12 seed UTEP by 18 points. Butler next drew the No. 13 seed upstarts from Murray State. The Bulldogs were able to prevail in a two point nail bitter that has become their M.O. in the tournament. 

Butler once again found themselves in the Sweet 16, this time paired up against No. 1 seed Syracuse. Unlike their mid-major brothers from Gonzaga, Butler was able to overcome a No. 1 seed and qualify for the Elite Eight for the first time.

Many thought that the Butler magic would come to an end as they played a scorching hot Kansas State squad in the Elite Eight. The teams would play in a back and forth affair before the Bulldogs proved the mettle and pulled away late in the second half. 

By virtue of their win against Kansas State, Butler had advanced to the Final Four for the first time in the school’s history, and as fate would have it, the finals would be held in the team’s backyard in Indianapolis. 

After sweating out another frantic and dramatic finish against tournament staple Michigan State, Butler had done the unthinkable and advanced to the national championship game against Duke. 

Many thought Duke would outclass Butler in the finals, but that was anything but the case. Gordon Hayward led a tenacious and motivated Butler squad that would not back down from the heavily favored Blue Devils.

The game was back and forth throughout and after Brian Zoubek intentionally missed the second of his two free throws, Hayward launched a half-court shot that was this close to leading the Bulldogs to the national championship.

Just like that the dream was over, and although the Bulldogs had become the new national darlings, the outlook for this season was not as promising. With Gordon Hayward declaring for the NBA draft, the Bulldogs would be missing the heart and soul of their team. 

The Bulldogs struggled at times this season, going on a four game losing streak against less than impressive competition in late January. Things looked bleak, as questions arose if the Bulldogs were even tournament worthy. 

Once the Horizon League Conference Tournament started all that changed. Butler established their conference dominance en route the to the title game, where they avenged two regular season losses to the University of Milwaukee and won the conference tournament.

The expectations for the Bulldogs this tournament were modest at best. Some pundits were skeptical that Butler would be able to beat No. 9 seed Old Dominion in the first round, and few if any thought they would be able to beat No. 1 Pittsburgh.  

Of course, no one was paying attention last season, as Matt Howard led the Bulldogs to two heart-stopping wins as Butler advanced to the Sweet 16 again. This past Thursday, Butler handled No. 4 seed Wisconsin by seven, which was essentially a blowout for Butler. 

We are now just hours away from Butler’s Elite Eight matchup with the Florida Gators, and maybe a few hours from Butler doing the unthinkable, qualifying for consecutive trips to the Final Four, a feat that is extremely difficult for any program, let alone a mid-major program. 

Regardless of what happens today and throughout the rest of the tournament, Butler has proven that it belongs in the conversation when it comes to most dangerous tournament teams. 

And it seems to safe to say that Butler has dethroned Gonzaga as top dog of the mid-major programs.

Somewhere, Adam Morrison is crying.

Butler beat Wisconsin Thursday night, 61-54, returning to the Elite Eight for the second straight year. At some point, what they call The Butler Way in central Indiana will make sense to the doubters everywhere else.

Back home, the folks seem to have gotten it.

But even in the Hoosier State, embracing The Butler Way was years in the making.

A year ago, I was sure that a near championship would lead to national respect. Sadly, I was wrong. Butler is still Cinderella, but hopefully not for much longer.

Respect is hard to win when you play in the Horizon League, lose your star player to the NBA and drop a game or two to teams like Youngstown State and Evansville. To a lot of the naysayers, it doesn’t matter that the Bulldogs went to the national championship game last year. They have yet to earn a pedigree.

Case in point: Despite a nine-point Butler halftime lead, Charles Barkley sat on his ever-expanding can in the TV studio and insisted that Wisconsin would come back and win the game.

He was almost right, as Butler squandered a 20-point lead, but I do hope he’s enjoying his crow right now.

While I’m tired of seeing and hearing the doubters, I do understand. Most of our sports reference points don’t have little schools like Butler staying in the winning column for very long. Every instinct tells the so-called experts, and just about everyone else, that this must be an aberration.

For some teams, that might be true. But I’ve come to believe that there really is something to The Butler Way.

The Butler Way starts with players who actually believe in team. No one player is bigger or better than the whole. The Butler Way is also about defense—swarming, suffocating, in-your-face, annoying defense.

Butler held Big Ten powerhouse Wisconsin to just 27 points for the first 30 minutes of the game. Butler defends the passing lanes better than any team in the nation. The Bulldogs also lead in floor burns.

The Butler Way is also about its coach. Brad Stevens has won more games than any Division I coach in his first four seasons.

There is a reason for that.

Stevens, who looks like the Boy Wonder, is the master of the game plan and preparation. He’s a coach who doesn’t need to yell at and berate his players. He’s cool, cerebral and focused on the sideline, and his players stay intense, even intimidating on the court.

So Butler moves on. The Bulldogs will play second-seeded Florida on Saturday. Of course, they will be the underdogs. But don’t be surprised if The Butler Way mesmerizes the Gators and finally convinces the country.

It's not like they haven’t done this before.

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The Butler Bulldogs stamped their ticket to the Sweet 16 this year in spectacular fashion, edging out a bruising Old Dominion team with a tip-in at the buzzer and muscling their way past No. 1 seed Pittsburgh with a clutch free throw late in the game.

However, despite defeating two of the most physical teams in the tournament, the Bulldogs’ improbable run has been largely overshadowed by the successes of fellow mid-majors VCU and Richmond.

In addition, numerous writers have focused their attention on the dramatic nature of Butler’s victories, choosing to revisit the officiating in the Bulldogs’ games and to scrutinize Pittsburgh for their early exit, rather than to highlight Butler’s impressive play.

Although Butler struggled at times this season after losing Gordon Hayward—the best player in school history and catalyst for the Bulldogs’ 2010 championship run—to the NBA, the team pulled things together in time for the NCAA tournament.

Butler finished the season on a nine-game win streak, cruising to the Horizon League title and securing a bid to the Big Dance.

Once safely in the tournament, the Bulldogs built on their penchant for late-game heroics, defeating Old Dominion with a Matt Howard putback as time expired.

Although Butler did not finish the game as coach Brad Stevens drew up, the Bulldogs demonstrated their basketball intelligence and big-game experience from last year’s tournament, staying calm under pressure and making the fundamental plays to win the game when their set play broke down.

As Howard explained: “When you’ve been in those situations and been through the battles and the close games and won them different ways, you have confidence that you’re going to be able to pull it out.”

In Butler’s next game against Pittsburgh, Howard again provided the crucial play, sinking a free throw with less than a second left on the clock to give the Bulldogs the victory.

Securing the rebound off Gilbert Brown’s missed foul shot, Howard attracted the attention of the officials by flailing his arms and tossing the ball in the air, giving himself the chance to win the game on the line.

Even when the game seemed out of reach, the Bulldogs remained collected, and Howard knew exactly what to do when the ball landed in his hands after Brown’s missed shot.

As coach Brad Stevens described: “These guys don’t fold, they are Bulldogs in every sense of the word.”

Over the past two years, the Bulldogs have demonstrated that winning in the NCAA tournament is about much more than talent alone. Although Butler has only sent one player—Hayward—to the NBA in the past 60 years (current players Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are questionable pro prospects at best), the Bulldogs continue to compete with the top teams in the nation.

Up to this point, Butler has beat three No. 1 seeds in the past two NCAA tournaments—more than any other team. In addition, the Bulldogs had arguably the most difficult road to the Sweet 16, defeating two of the top 10 rebounding teams in the country.

In order to be successful, Butler players have had to combine fundamental basketball with passionate defense, complete effort, late-game execution and veteran leadership.

Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, the Bulldogs’ two best players and natural leaders, coupled with cool-minded and well-prepared coach Brad Stevens, have been critical to the team’s achievements.

Possessing extensive tournament experience, this veteran nucleus has been able to will Butler through games in which they were clearly overmatched.

As Stevens clarified: “We're not better than Old Dominion. We're not better than Pittsburgh, we just had the ball last.”

In other words, Butler made the decisive plays at the end of both games to win, regardless of skill or matchup.

The Bulldogs can head into their game with No. 4 seed Wisconsin knowing that they have already beat the best team in their region and with the signature confidence that has allowed them to secure victory in the closing stages of games.

The Bulldogs have a legitimate shot at another Final Four run as long as they maintain their ability to close out games, an invaluable skill that makes them a threat to any team remaining in the NCAA tournament field.