Bulldogs Make Fourth NCAA Sweet 16 Appearance
Butler-Syracuse Interview Video On CBS
SWEET RETURN: For the third time in eight years and for the fourth time overall, Butler is returning to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The Bulldogs, seeded No. 5 in the West Region, earned their trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, with a first-round victory over #12 UTEP, 77-59, and a second-round win over #13 Murray State, 54-52, in San Jose, Calif. Butler also reached the Sweet 16 in 2003, as a No. 12 seed, and in 2007, as a No. 5 seed. Oklahoma ended Butler’s run in 2003 with a 65-54 decision in the round of 16, while eventual national champ Florida ousted Butler in 2007, 65-57. The Bulldogs’ first Sweet 16 appearance came in 1962, when there were just 25 teams in the tournament. Overall, Butler is making its tenth NCAA Tournament appearance, a record for current Horizon League members.
Butler has seven wins in its last five trips to the NCAA
Tournament (2003-10).
BONUS SEASON: Butler has advanced to
post-season tournament play for the 12th time in 14 years.
The Bulldogs earned bids to the NCAA Men’s Basketball
Championship in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and
this season, and to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in
1999, 2002 and 2006. Butler’s post-season record since
1997 is 12-11 (8-8 NCAA, 4-3 NIT).
VICTORY MARK: The win over Murray State
gave the Bulldogs victory No. 30, matching the school and Horizon
League record set by Butler in 2007-08. Both 30-win teams
were coached by Brad Stevens.
TWENTY PLUS: The Bulldogs boast a 20-win
season for the fifth consecutive year and for the 12th time in the
past 14 years. Butler also won 20 regular season games for
the fourth straight year and for the sixth time in school
history. The Bulldogs are the only team in Horizon League
history to record five or more consecutive 20-win seasons, and
they’ve done it twice (1997-2003, 2006-2010)!
The Bulldogs have won at least 26 games in four consecutive
seasons.
RECORD RUN: Butler’s 115 wins over
the past four seasons have set a school and Horizon League record
for most wins in four consecutive years. The Bulldogs also
own the Horizon League’s two-year (59, 2006-08) and
three-year (86, 2007-10) records for wins.
POLLING DATA: Butler climbed to No. 11 in
the Associated Press (A.P.) national poll and to No. 8 in the
ESPN/USA Today “Top 25,” heading into the 2010 NCAA
Men’s Basketball Championship. The Bulldogs were ranked
in both polls for the first seven weeks of the season and have been
ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll for 19 straight weeks.
Butler has been ranked in the “Top 25” each year since
2006-07.
The Bulldogs’ current ESPN/USA Today ranking matches
Butler’s highest-ever national ranking.
LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore guard Ronald Nored
turned in big plays at both the offensive and defensive ends of the
floor in the final 30 seconds to help lead Butler past Murray
State, 54-52, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in San
Jose, Calif. Nored broke a 50-50 tie with a lay-up and a free
throw with 0:25 left on the clock, and then, with the Bulldogs
hanging on to a two-point lead in the closing seconds, he joined
teammate Gordon Hayward on a defensive double-team that stopped
Murray State from getting off a potential game-winning shot.
Hayward knocked the ball into Butler’s backcourt and dove on
it as time expired, sending Butler to the Sweet 16. Butler
appeared to take control of the game with a 9-0 run that put the
Bulldogs on top, 46-38, midway through the second half. But
Murray State answered with its own 12-1 run to take a 50-47 lead
with 2:48
left.
The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 as the higher seed in NCAA
Tournament play.
POINT PRODUCTION: Sophomore Ronald
Nored went 65 career games without leading Butler in
scoring. That streak ended in the second round of this
year’s NCAA Tournament, when Nored tallied a game-high 15
points to lead the Bulldogs past Murray State. The 6-0
point-guard hit six of nine shots against the Racers, including
three of four in the second half. His three-point play with
0:25 remaining gave the Bulldogs the lead for good, and boosted
Butler to its third Sweet 16 trip in eight years. Nored also
led all players in the game with six assists.
Ronald Nored has had three of the top four scoring
performances of his career in Butler’s last seven
games.
COMEBACK TRAIL: The Bulldogs overcame a
33-26 deficit in the second half against Murray State, matching
their biggest second half comeback this season. Butler also
trailed by seven in the second half at Milwaukee, before
winning.
Butler trailed at halftime in both of its NCAA Tournament
games in San Jose.
RECORD APPEARANCE: Senior Willie Veasley,
who scored 10 points in Butler’s victory over Murray State,
set a Butler record with his seventh NCAA Tournament game. He
had shared the previous Butler record for most NCAA Tournament
games with Joel Cornette (2000-03) and Butler Coordinator of
Basketball Operations Darnell Archey (2000-03). Veasley, who
had eight points and a team-high nine rebounds in the
Bulldogs’ first round victory over UTEP, is the first Butler
player to see action in four different NCAA Men’s Basketball
Championships.
Willie Veasley has helped Butler to a school-record 115 wins in
four seasons.
FIRST FIVE: All five Butler starters
recorded a double-figures scoring performance during the
Bulldogs’ two games in San Jose, Calif. Sophomores
Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward both scored in twin-digits in both
games. Junior Matt Howard reached double-figures (11) against
UTEP, while senior Willie Veasley (11) and sophomore Ronald Nored
(15) each came up with twin-digits against Murray State.
LOOKING LONG: Butler entered the NCAA
Tournament averaging 6.8 three-point field goals per game.
The Bulldogs had not hit more than nine three-pointers in any of
their previous 14 games, and they had just one game this season
with more than nine three-pointers. In the two games at HP
Pavilion, Butler averaged 10 three-pointers, including a
season-high 13 three-point field goals against UTEP. The
Bulldogs shot .392 (20-51) from three-point range in the two
tournament games.
STEALTH BOMBER: Butler, down by six points
at halftime to No. 25 UTEP, needed someone to help turn the
tide. Sophomore Shelvin Mack answered the call. The 6-3
guard opened the second half with back-to-back three-point field
goals to tie the game, and that was just the beginning. He
went on to hit four more three-pointers, and he finished the game
with seven threes in nine attempts. His seven three-pointers
were one shy of the Butler NCAA Tournament record shared by Darnell
Archey (vs. Louisville, 2003) and Pete Campbell (vs. South Alabama,
2008). Mack led all scorers in the game and matched his
career high (set earlier this season against Milwaukee) with 25
points. His seven three-pointers were a career-high, breaking
his previous career mark of five set against UAB (2008) and
Youngstown State (2010).
PERFECT FINISH: With a win at Valparaiso in
the final regular season game, Butler became just the fourth team
in Horizon League history to finish with an unbeaten league record
and the first to post an 18-0 mark! Loyola was 5-0 in
1979-80, Xavier finished 14-0 in 1994-95 and Green Bay was 16-0 in
1995-96. Butler’s six-game margin in the final
standings was the largest in league history!
Butler is the only unbeaten conference champ in Division I
this season.
TOP CHOICE: Sophomore Gordon Hayward, who
leads the Bulldogs in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (8.3), became
the fourth Butler player in five seasons to be named Horizon League
Player of the Year. He follows teammate Matt Howard
(2008-09), Mike Green (2007-08) and Brandon Polk (2005-06) as
recipient of the league’s top individual honor. Hayward
is the seventh Butler player all-time to be named Horizon League
Player of the Year.
LEAGUE FIRST: Butler’s success during
the regular season translated into three Bulldogs being named first
team All-Horizon League. Junior Matt Howard and sophomore
Gordon Hayward each earned first team recognition for the second
straight year, while sophomore Shelvin Mack captured his initial
first team honor. It was the first time one team had three
players named to a five-player All-Horizon League first team.
BEST DEFENSE: Sophomore Ronald Nored was
named Horizon League Co-Defensive Player of the Year (with
Detroit’s Woody Payne), and senior Willie Veasley joined him
on the All-Defensive Team selected by league coaches. The two
have helped Butler to the No. 1 spot in the league in team scoring
defense (60.0).
Butler had all five starters recognized on the All-League Team
for the first time.
GRAND EFFORT: Junior Matt Howard became the
32nd Butler player to score 1,000 career points earlier this
season. His 14 points in the first two rounds of the NCAA
Tournament boosted his career scoring total to 1,299 points, good
for 18th place on Butler’s all-time scoring list. He
trails Ted Guzek (1954-58) in 17th place by 12 points, and Tom
Bowman (1960-63) in 16th place by 35 points.
DOUBLE TIME: Sophomore Gordon Hayward, who
missed Butler’s final regular season game (the first of his
career) with lower back pain, returned to the Bulldogs’
lineup in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals and finished
with 10 points and 13 rebounds against Milwaukee. It was his
fifth consecutive double-double and the 15th double-double of his
young Butler career. The five consecutive double-doubles were
the most by a Butler player since 1973-74, when Daryl Mason
recorded six straight. Hayward had eight points and four
rebounds in the league championship game against Wright State.
Gordon Hayward leads the Horizon League with 12 double-doubles
this season.
LEADING ROLE: For the second straight year,
Butler’s Brad Stevens was named Horizon League Coach of the
Year. The 33-year-old Stevens became the fifth coach in
league history to capture the award in back-to-back years,
following Pete Gillen of Xavier (1993-94), Barry Collier of Butler
(1999-2000), Bruce Pearl of Milwaukee (2002-03) and Todd Lickliter
of Butler (2006-07).
FAST START: Butler head coach Brad Stevens
holds the No. 1 spot on the NCAA Division I list for Best Career
Starts By Wins, 3 Seasons. Stevens has 86 wins in his young
career, two better than the previous record held by Mark Fox
(Nevada) and Mark Few (Gonzaga). The Butler coach boasts an
.860 winning percentage.
Brad Stevens stands fifth all-time in Division I in three-year
winning pct.
ALL-DISTRICT: Butler had three players
named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches
All-District 12 Team. Sophomores Gordon Hayward and Shelvin
Mack were selected first team on the coaches’ honor squad,
while junior Matt Howard was picked second team. The Bulldogs
were the only team to have three players named to the All-District
12 squad. Howard was a first team All-District 12 player a
year ago, while Hayward was a second team pick. Earlier,
Butler coach Brad Stevens was named NABC All-District 12 Coach of
the Year, while Hayward was chosen to the All-District V team by
the USBWA.
FIRST DEFENSE: The Bulldogs, who lead the
Horizon League in team scoring defense (59.8), have held nine of
their last ten foes below 60 points. Butler is 17-0 this
season when holding its opponent below 60 points.
BULLDOG BITS:
•Butler is the only school in the Horizon League to have won
four consecutive regular season championships, and the Bulldogs
have done it twice (2000-03, 2007-10).
•Butler was unbeaten in the months of January and February
for the first time in school history.
•Matt Howard stands in second place on Butler’s
all-time list for free throws made with 476. He’s one
free throw shy of the school record (477) set by Bobby Plump,
1954-58.
•Matt Howard is in seventh place on Butler’s single
season list for free throws made with 164. He needs seven
free throws to tie Billy Shepherd (1970-71) in the No. 6 spot.
•Matt Howard is shooting .535 (84-157) from the field and
.802 (101-126) from the free throw line during Butler’s
current 22-game winning streak.
•Matt Howard leads the Horizon League in free throws made
with 164, while teammate Gordon Hayward is second with 154.
Hayward is sixth in the league in free throw percentage (.819),
while Howard is ninth (.804).
•Gordon Hayward stands third on Butler’s all-time list
for sophomore scoring with 502 points, while Shelvin Mack has moved
into the No. 4 spot with 480 points. Both players passed
teammate Matt Howard (475) on the all-time list.
•Gordon Hayward has averaged a team-best 14.2 points during
the squad’s current 22-game winning streak. He’s
shot .495 from the field and scored 20 or more points four times
during the streak. Hayward also has topped the team in
rebounding (7.8) during the streak.
•Gordon Hayward ranks fifth in the Horizon League in scoring
(15.2) and third in rebounding (8.3). He’s the
lone player in the league to rank in the “Top 5” in
both scoring and rebounding.
•Butler is 25-4 when Shelvin Mack scores at least 14 points
in a game, and 17-1 when he leads the team in scoring.
•Butler boasts three of the top seven players in field goal
percentage in the Horizon League. Senior Willie Veasley ranks
fourth (.496), junior Matt Howard is fifth (.496) and sophomore
Gordon Hayward is seventh (.471). Sophomore Shelvin Mack
ranks 12th (.465).
•Junior Willie Veasley has scored in double-figures in seven
of his last nine games. He’s averaged 11.6 points in
the five games since missing the Siena contest with a sprained left
knee.
•Willie Veasley was named to the 11th Annual All-Glue Team,
selected by Seth Davis (SI.com), recognizing players who “do
everything to win.” The other four players chosen were
David Lighty of Ohio State, Chris Kramer of Purdue, Reggie Redding
of Villanova and Rick Jackson of Syracuse.
•Sophomore Ronald Nored, who had nine assists in
Butler’s two NCAA Tournament games in San Jose, has averaged
4.3 assists/game during Butler’s 22-game winning
streak. Nored ranks second in the Horizon League in
assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and seventh in assists (3.7).
•Ronald Nored is tied for seventh in the Horizon League in
steals (1.6). Nored had two steals against UTEP and one
against Murray State in the first and second rounds of this
year’s NCAA Tournament.
•Ronald Nored has moved into 14th place on Butler’s
single season chart for assists with 125. He’s one
assist behind Tom Orner (1978-79) in 13th place, two behind Tim
Bowen (1991-92) in 12th place and six behind Travis Trice (1993-94)
in 11th place. Nored needs 12 assists to tie Thomas Jackson
(2000-01) in 10th place on the single season list.
•Junior Zach Hahn, who hit four of eight three-point field
goal attempts in Butler’s two games in San Jose, leads the
Horizon League in three-point field goal shooting (.439).
Hahn has shot .474 (36-76) from the three-point arc during
Butler’s 22-game winning streak.
•Butler has won its last 23 games when hitting at least nine
three-point field goals. The Bulldogs, who hit nine
three-pointers against Wright State in the league championship
title game, are 40-1 under head coach Brad Stevens when hitting
nine or more three-pointers in a game.
•The Bulldogs are tied for sixth in the NCAA Division I in
won-lost percentage (.875). Butler is tied for seventh in the
nation in total wins (28).
