Butler Bulldogs
Big East (20-13, 9-9)
Outside of their win over Villanova early in the Big East campaign, Butler struggled against the top tier teams in the conference. However, Coach LaVall Jordan’s team has taken care of business against the rest of the Big East and picked up some nice non-conference wins over the likes of Ohio State and Utah.
Big Wins: 11/26 vs Ohio State (67-66), 12/30 Villanova (101-93), 2/20 Creighton (93-70)
Bad Losses: 11/15 at Maryland (65-79), 2/13 Georgetown (83-87), 2/28 at St. John’s (68-75)
Coach: LaVall Jordan
Why They Can Surprise:
The Bulldogs continue to do what they do best…take care of the basketball and shoot effectively from everywhere on the floor. This team shares the ball very well, led by the backcourt trio of Aaron Thompson, Kamar Baldwin and Paul Jorgensen. Thompson has not developed into much of a scoring threat as a freshman, but he does dish out a team high 3.2 assists per game. Jorgensen and Baldwin are a couple of the efficient shooters. Baldwin averages 15.5 points per game, while Jorgensen adds 10.5. The versatility of Kelan Martin helps bolster the Bulldogs on both the passing and shooting front. The senior is a very good passer for a 6-7 forward, and also leads the team with 20.8 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The defense has taken a step back this year though and that could prove to be the undoing of Butler in the NCAA Tournament. The opposition will get plenty of open looks. The lack of a shot blocking threat is one reason why the defense has struggled at times. Tyler Wideman provides a presence in the paint on both ends of the floor, but he will not intimidate potential drivers to the basket. For Butler the game often comes down to who can shoot better. And it is tough to bet against Butler in a shooting battle.
Probable Starters:
Kamar Baldwin, Sophomore, Guard, 15.5 ppg, 3.1 apg. 4.8 rpg
Paul Jorgensen, Junior, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 2.6 apg, 3.2 rpg
Aaron Thompson, Freshman, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 3.2 apg
Kelan Martin, Senior, Forward, 20.8 ppg, 2.0 apg, 6.2 rpg
Tyler Wideman, Senior, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Key Role Players:
Nate Fowler, Junior, Center, 6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Henry Baddley, Sophomore, Guard, 4.2 ppg
Sean McDermott, Sophomore, Forward, 7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.6 (53rd in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.3 (174, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.2 (53, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.9 (232, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.3 (114, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.0 (128, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 77.4 (16, 3)
Rebound Margin: 2.1 (110, 6)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (140, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.3 (39, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2017 NCAA Round of 64 win over Winthrop
2017 NCAA Round of 32 win over Middle Tennessee
2017 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to North Carolina
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 3/4
