Butler Basketball

The biggest hurdle for the Butler basketball program in its first season in the Big East is no longer the absence of Brad Stevens. For the first year, at least, it will be playing without Roosevelt Jones.

The school announced Friday that the Butler forward will have season-ending surgery after suffering ligament damage to his left wrist on the team's trip to Australia.

The good news for the Bulldogs and new coach Brandon Miller is that they still get two years of Jones when he comes back. The bad news is they could be in for a rude awakening in the Big East.

The league is not exactly stacked this year, but outside of Seton Hall and DePaul there are no gimmes.

Marquette, Creighton, Georgetown and Villanova were all NCAA tournament teams a year ago who'll return enough players to make it back. Even with Jones, Butler was in a middle tier with St. John's and Xavier. In terms of talent, those teams had more, but the Bulldogs had the NCAA experience and the talent drop-off was not a major one.

That's no longer the case. Jones was clearly the most talented player on the roster, and he did so many things for for the Bulldogs.

Without a great point guard, Jones played sort of a point forward. He led the team in assists last season (3.5 per game). He was the one Butler player who could create for himself and others. He is unorthodox—see his shooting form—but he finds a way to produce and is just one of those guys who can carry a team down the stretch of a game with his ability to get to the paint.

Jones was also the team's leading returning scorer (10.1 PPG) and rebounder (5.6 RPG). Replacing his scoring and passing have to be major concerns for Miller. 

Without Jones, the pressure falls on sophomore guard Kellen Dunham, who will have to inherit more ball-handling duties and be the go-to scorer. 

Dunham is a good shooter—he made 57 threes as a freshman—but he could struggle as "the man" facing the competition Butler will now go up against. He would definitely benefit from someone else, like Jones, setting him up. Dunham did average 16 points per game on the team's Australian tour, but he had one game where he went 0-for-11 from three. 

That's what this season could be; a lot of games where the Bulldogs live or die with Dunham's shot. 

The expectations should definitely be tempered and finishing anywhere near .500 in the Big East would be considered a success. 

More than likely, the Bulldogs will be fighting with Seton Hall and DePaul at the bottom of the standings. That's not exactly what the program probably had in mind when the Bulldogs accepted their invite to the new league.

Butler’s decision to stay in the family and hire Brandon Miller to replace Brad Stevens deserves some praise.

It took some gumption for athletic director Barry Collier to avoid the temptation of chasing a more recognizable name. This isn’t the Butler that hired Stevens.

Success was expected when Stevens took over a program that had made six NCAA tournaments in 11 years. But, mostly, that success was expected on a regional level. Sure, the alums and anyone in Indiana expected Butler to continue to be good when Stevens was hired. On a national level, though, the Bulldogs were hardly relevant.

Fast forward five years and Butler has become a brand name in a recognizable conference—the new Big East—that’s going to get a lot of television time. Even Stevens would have been challenged by playing in a league that will be difficult to dominate. NCAA tournament appearances—and success once you get there—are now an annual expectation.

That made the timing of Stevens’ move to the Celtics a wise one, but that’s another story. Back at Butler, the story will be Miller and whether he succeeds or fails.

Following a Legend

Am I calling a 36-year-old who was a head coach for five seasons and never won a national championship a legend? You betcha. What Stevens did is unparalleled in the modern era. He took a team from the Horizon League to back-to-back national title games.

In the process, Stevens became one of the most recognizable names in college basketball.

"The Butler Way" was to not stray outside the family, and it’s hard to argue with the success rate. Collier started this run as a former Bulldog given an opportunity to be a first-time head coach. The same was true for Thad Matta and then Todd Lickliter. Stevens was actually a slight diversion from the trend as he did not play at Butler but, like the others, he had been an assistant there.

While this has worked remarkably well four straight times for Butler, it’s not a given that Miller will make it five. Take a look back at history from other name programs that have stayed in the family.

North Carolina replaced Dean Smith with longtime assistant Bill Guthridge, and that went rather smoothly. Guthridge won 80 games and took the Tar Heels to two Final Fours in three seasons and then he also retired.

Then Roy Williams turned UNC down, and the logical choice was Matt Doherty. Doherty had played at UNC, been an assistant for Williams at Kansas and had a successful first year as head coach at Notre Dame. The Heels got an up-and-comer and stayed in the family. After three years that included only one NCAA tournament appearance, Doherty was forced to resign.

Indiana went with a former Bob Knight assistant to replace Knight, and Mike Davis had a mixed bag of results in six seasons and Davis resigned.

The situation that Miller has inherited is a good one. The same could have been said for Doherty at UNC or Davis at Indiana. It’s difficult to predict how a coach will hand the pressure of following a legend when everyone is watching.

Be You, Be Stevens

Your players must be completely committed to the system. In my 11 years I've never had a player in our program that worked his tail off on the defensive end that wasn't a great teammate and student. Defense is about players that do their job on every play and that makes you feel proud to be part of the team.

That quote, transcribed by Texas A&M assistant women’s coach Bob Starkey, is from Stevens during a clinic at the University of Florida two years ago.

It says a lot about “The Butler Way.” Stevens succeeded by identifying under-recruited players who had ability. It’s important to recognize that the players he’s won with had legit talent. Gordon Hayward was a lottery pick. Shelvin Mack is in the NBA.

But more so than most coaches, Stevens was just as obsessed with finding good characters as he was great talent. Players had to fit in and had to buy in to how Stevens wanted to win.

Miller got hired because Collier is convinced The Butler Way—which has become "The Stevens Way"—is not just what it takes to win at Butler, but how Collier wants to win.

The temptation in a more competitive league at a program that has now become its own brand is to focus on stockpiling talent. The philosophy for a lot of programs—even the most successful ones—is to get a bunch of players and then figure out who fits and let the rest transfer.

That is what might be Miller’s greatest challenge because there was some luck involved with how well some of the players—like Hayward—developed under Stevens. He needs to find the gems and mix them with solid role guys who understand their niche. 

Miller has the advantage of chasing higher-level recruits because of where Stevens has taken the program. Just because a player is talented at a young age doesn’t mean he isn’t the right fit. Even Stevens was recruiting Trey Lyles, the No. 5-ranked recruit in the 2014 class by Rivals.com. Getting players like Lyles would be the reward for what Stevens created.

For the most part, Stevens did win with players who were unknowns until they arrived at Butler. The perception of how he did that was simply: He was brilliant.

Stevens was one of the best in the country at making in-game adjustments, and his use of advanced numbers put him ahead of his peers. There’s some truth to that. 

Stevens is a great X-and-O’s tactician with a great feel for situations. Watch the final minutes of any NCAA tournament game involving Butler for proof. He also used numbers to help him dictate what to do in certain situations. But there’s no secret number that can win you games or that led to Stevens’ success.

Miller needs to find what works for him. Numbers may not be Miller’s thing (We don’t really know at this point). He might not share Stevens’ ability to master the X’s and O’s. That doesn’t mean he cannot succeed.

Miller has had the privilege of working for extremely successful college coaches in Stevens, Matta and Illinois coach John Groce. The way to become a great coach is to take what you’ve learned and use those lessons to build your own coaching identity.

Collier saw something in Stevens that made him believe he could be a star. He obviously sees something in Miller as well. It’s hard to argue with his success rate. It’s also hard to argue that Miller cannot fail. His challenges are greater than any a new Butler coach has ever faced. 

New Butler basketball head coach Brandon Miller does have one thing going for him.

He is the only coach Brad Stevens has ever hired twice.

Butler Athletic Director Barry Collier put an ending to an already abrupt coaching search on Saturday, hiring Miller just three days after the departure of Stevens. To put this in perspective, Dwight Howard has probably taken longer than three days to order a meal at his local Arby’s at one point or another.

It was a shrewd business decision by Collier. I’m not referring to the hiring of Miller, because like with any coach heading into a new situation, the ones who know the least about basketball are probably the ones who have the most definitive predictions about how the coach is going to fare.

The shrewdness I’m referring to is the decisiveness, (warranted in this case), from Collier. 

Butler easily could have wallowed in the departure of one of the best head coaches in college basketball. The man who brought the Bulldogs to back-to-back championship games. The man who has the most wi.... You’re probably as sick of reading about Brad Stevens’ college coaching credentials as I am of writing about them, so I’ll save you the trouble.

Instead, they handled it like any classy institution would. They paid their respects to Coach Stevens and said all the right things.

And as suddenly as Stevens had shocked the basketball world by fleeing to Boston, he was replaced.

While there is still bound to be negative buzz about Stevens leaving the Bulldogs, Collier’s quick action has created a positive buzz around the program once again. People are excited for Miller Time.

Sorry. I’ll leave the bad college basketball puns to Jim Nantz from now on. Regardless, the focus is now on the future of Butler basketball instead of the past. That can’t possibly be a bad thing.

Much of the positive buzz comes from the notion that Miller and Stevens seem so eerily similar from a distant perspective.

They both played point guard in college, with Stevens playing at Division III DePauw and Miller playing his ball at Butler. They essentially took the same route to the top of the Butler program, starting as low-paid video coordinators and catapulting themselves up the coaching ladder at young ages. And Stevens obviously had to think highly of a guy he hired twice (once for his first season in 2007-2008, and again in April.)

The similarities are great. Still, no coach ever succeeded to his full potential by trying to copy someone else exactly. And while the women of Butler University are likely wishing he could look just like Stevens on the sidelines, I’m referring to his actual coaching style. He needs to be different than Stevens, but in a positive way.

Stevens was one of a kind.

Former Providence coach Tim Welsh echoed such sentiments in a recent New York Times Story:

“They’re going to lose that; I don’t care who they hire,” Welsh said.  “He was one of the top two or three coaches in college basketball; there’s no question about it.”

Still, As great as Stevens was, he never reeled in a top 25 recruiting class to Butler according to Rivals.com.

Now in the Big East, recruiting is the one area in which Miller can create an identity and put his own stamp on the Butler program. He may have his work cut out for him thrown into the fire for 2014 prospects, but a successful year on the court would do wonders on the recruiting scene for 2015 and beyond.

He appears to have the right attitude, judging by his recent quotes in a USA Today Story:

 

"My philosophy, coaching and things that I believe in and stand for, a lot of those things are similar to Brad's," Miller said. "A lot of people we talk to in coaching are the same. (Brad and I) have kept in touch throughout the years, and we not only have a professional relationship, but a friendship. We talk ball, we talk Xs and Os.

"With that said, we aren't the same person. We don't coach the exact same way. I'll make tweaks, I'll make adjustments. I believe if you don't do that, that's not coaching. Brad Stevens did a great job being Brad Stevens. My goal is to be the best Brandon Miller I can be."

Butler University's men's basketball program wasted no time in finding a replacement head coach for the NBA-bound Brad Stevens. The choice is a man who has experience as both a player and an assistant coach with the school. 

Butler's official men's basketball Twitter account had the news that Brandon Miller will be the team's next head coach:

The University released a statement shortly after the tweet to confirm that the 2003 graduate would be taking the job, via ButlerSports.com:

Butler University has named Brandon Miller '03 as head coach of the school's men's basketball team.  Miller, a former Butler point guard and assistant coach, replaces Brad Stevens, who left Butler to become head coach of the Boston Celtics.

Athletic director Barry Collier had this to say about the hiring in the release:

I am extremely pleased to announce that former Butler University men's basketball player and assistant coach Brandon Miller '03 has been appointed as head coach of the Butler men's basketball team, effective immediately.

I am confident that Brandon will carry on the Butler University basketball tradition of excellence, especially as we make the transition to the Big East Athletic Conference. As a player, assistant coach, and person, Brandon has exemplified the Butler Way and brings a blend of energy, talent and integrity to this role. With Brandon's leadership, Butler is well positioned to expand upon the success of the last few years.

The Butler basketball Twitter account posted this quote of gratitude from Miller once the news became official on Saturday:

In keeping with the Bulldogs' mold of hiring young head coaches, ESPN's Jeff Goodman was quick to point out some similarities between the incoming head coach and the exiting one:

Miller was a standout for the school for three years before working his way up the collegiate coaching ladder after graduation. He joined the Xavier staff as a video intern in 2003 and then moved with former head coach Thad Matta in that role to Ohio State the next year. 

The 34-year-old then had stints at his alma mater as an assistant and then again at Ohio State before spending last season as a special assistant to John Groce at Illinois. He was hired again as a Stevens assistant in April, well before whispers of Stevens moving to the Boston Celtics were imminent in Indianapolis. 

USA Today's Zak Keefer and David Woods reported earlier in the week that the school had narrowed down its choices to Miller and LaVall Jordan, who is an assistant on John Beilein's staff at Michigan. 

Keefer and Woods noted on Thursday that Miller reportedly had a strong interview with Collier, and his background as both a player at the school and in different coaching circles had to factor into the decision to appoint him as the new man in charge. 

Miller will be the first head coach of the Bulldogs as they move to the Big East Conference. 

He'll have a tall task to match the success of the outgoing head coach. Stevens went 166-49 during his six seasons at Butler and chose to continue his coaching career with the Boston Celtics rather than come back for a seventh season in college. 

Stevens turned an occasional NCAA tournament darling into a mid-major powerhouse, taking the program to the tournament final twice and facilitating the success that has the Bulldogs as one of the newest members of the basketball-favoring Big East. 

Miller's experience with several high-level college head coaches has helped his ascension to his new job, but his experience as a point guard will also be helpful moving forward. 

During his playing days, Miller averaged 11.6 points and 3.1 assists over three seasons. He was an All-Horizon League performer in college and was Butler's Co-Team MVP during his senior season. 

He also helped the school win its first NCAA tournament game in 39 years during the 2001 Big Dance; Butler beat Wake Forest 79-63 as a No. 10 seed in an opening-round matchup that year. Miller had 18 points to put Butler through to the next round.