Five Bulldogs Honored On All-Horizon League Team
Butler’s historic performance in league play resulted in a
record showing on the 2009-10 Horizon League Men’s Basketball
All-League Team, released by the league office on Monday (Mar.
1). For the first time since joining the Horizon League in
1979-80, all five Butler starters have been recognized on the
All-League squad, selected by coaches, media, and sports
information directors.
Butler head coach Brad Stevens, who guided the Bulldogs to the
league’s first 18-0 record and a fourth consecutive regular
season championship, was named Horizon League Coach of the Year for
the second straight year. Sophomore Gordon Hayward was
selected as the league’s Player of the Year, and sophomore
Ronald Nored was picked as the league’s co-Defensive Player
of the Year.
Hayward earned first team All-Horizon League honors, along with
teammates Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack. Rounding out the
first team were Rahmon Fletcher of Green Bay and Norris Cole of
Cleveland State. It was the first time one team had three
players named to a five-player All-Horizon League first
team.
Picked second team All-League were Brandon Wood and Cory Johnson of
Valparaiso, Vaughn Duggins of Wright State, Chase Simon of Detroit
and Ricky Franklin of Milwaukee.
Nored shared league Defensive Player of the Year honors with Woody
Payne of Detroit. The two headlined the All-Defensive Team,
which included Butler’s Willie Veasley, D’Aundray Brown
of Cleveland State and Duggins.
The league’s All-Newcomer Team included Wood, Johnson, and
Simon, along with Eli Holman and Xavier Keeling, both of
Detroit. Wood was named Newcomer of the Year, and
Loyola’s Walt Gibler was selected as the league’s Sixth
Man of the Year.
Hayward, Butler’s leading scorer (15.8) and rebounder (8.5),
is the fourth Butler player in the past five seasons to capture the
league’s top individual honor, following Howard (2008-09),
Mike Green (2007-08) and Brandon Polk (2005-06). He’s
the seventh Butler player all-time to be named Horizon League
Player of the Year. Hayward currently ranks fourth in the
league in scoring and third in rebounding, while boasting a
league-high 11 double-doubles.
Howard earned first team All-League recognition for the second
straight season, after being named second team All-League as a
freshman in 2007-08. The 6-8 forward is Butler’s
second-leading rebounder (5.3) and third-leading scorer
(12.0). Mack, who was named to the league All-Newcomer Team
last year, currently stands second on the squad in scoring (13.9)
and assists (3.2).
Nored and Veasley have helped Butler hold down the No. 1 spot in
the Horizon League in team scoring defense (60.6). Nored
leads the Bulldogs in steals with 46, while Veasley is third on the
squad with 33.
Stevens, who has guided the Bulldogs to a league championship in
each of his first three seasons as head coach, is one of four
Butler coaches to have earned league Coach of the Year honors since
2000. Barry Collier was named league Coach of the Year in
2000, Thad Matta earned the honor in 2001 and Todd Lickliter was
tabbed as the league’s top coach in 2006 and 2007.
Stevens, boasting an 82-14 record heading into the Horizon League
Tournament, has more wins in three seasons than any previous coach
in NCAA Division I history!
The 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men’s Basketball
Championship begins Tuesday (Mar. 2) with four first-round games at
campus sites. The tournament moves to Indianapolis and
historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler campus for a second-round
doubleheader on Friday (Mar. 5) and the semifinals on Saturday
(Mar. 6). Butler, the #1 seed, will play its first tournament
game on Saturday at 8 p.m. The league championship game will
be played at the site of the highest remaining seed on Tuesday,
Mar. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET).
2009-10 Horizon League Men’s Basketball All-League
Team and Specialty Awards
First Team All-League: Gordon Hayward,
Butler; Rahmon Fletcher, Green Bay; Norris Cole, Cleveland
State; Shelvin Mack, Butler; Matt Howard,
Butler.
Second Team All-League: Vaughn Duggins,
Wright State; Brandon Wood, Valparaiso; Ricky Franklin, Milwaukee;
Chase Simon, Detroit; Cory Johnson, Valparaiso.
All-Newcomer Team: Brandon Wood, Valparaiso;
Chase Simon, Detroit; Cory Johnson, Valparaiso; Eli Holman,
Detroit; Xavier Keeling, Detroit.
All-Defensive Team: Ronald Nored,
Butler; Woody Payne, Detroit; Willie Veasley, Butler;
D’Aundray Brown, Cleveland State; Vaughn Duggins, Wright
State.
Player of the Year: Gordon Hayward,
Butler
Newcomer of the Year: Brandon Wood,
Valparaiso
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Ronald
Nored, Butler; Woody Payne, Detroit
Sixth Man of the Year: Walt Gibler,
Loyola
Coach of the Year: Brad Stevens,
Butler
(Photos by John Fetcho)
