Bulldogs Face Wright State For Horizon League Championship

March 5, 2007

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TITLE GAME: Butler will be looking for its fifth Horizon League Tournament championship when it faces top-seeded Wright State in the league tournament title game on Tuesday, March 6, in Dayton, Ohio. The Bulldogs (27-5), seeded second in the tournament, will square off against the host squad in the Ervin J. Nutter Center at 9 p.m. (EDT). The game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN. Butler advanced to its ninth Horizon League tournament championship contest with a 67-66 victory in overtime over #3 seed Loyola in the semifinals. Wright State (22-9) dispatched UW-Green Bay, 67-51, in the other semifinal contest. Butler and Wright State shared the league regular season title, and the two teams split their two regular season meetings with each squad winning on its homecourt. The two foes are meeting in the Horizon League Tournament championship game for the first time. Butler owns a league-high four tournament crowns, while Wright State is seeking its first Horizon League Tournament championship.

Butler's last Horizon League Tournament championship came in 2001 at the Ervin J. Nutter Center.

POLL WATCH: Despite winning its only game last week, Butler slipped slightly in both the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today national college basketball polls released on Monday (Mar. 5). The Bulldogs fell from No. 16 to No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today poll and from No. 18 to No. 19 in the A. P. poll. Butler has been ranked in the "Top 20" of the two polls for a school- and league-record 15 straight weeks, including a stint in the "Top 10" in both polls during the week of Feb. 5!

RATINGS GAME: The Bulldogs, who held the No. 1 spot in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for more than three weeks in November and December, currently sit in 30th place in the computer ranking (as of Mar. 5). Butler was in the "Top 10" of the RPI for nine straight weeks. The Bulldogs are 14th in the Sagarin ratings.

ADVANCE NOTICE: Butler snapped a five-game losing skid in the Nutter Center and advanced to the Horizon League championship game with its overtime victory against Loyola. The Bulldogs, who overcame a five-point deficit in the second half, took the lead for good in overtime, 63-61, on a pair of free throws by A. J. Graves with 0:51 left. Butler's final 10 points came from the free throw line, including the final six by Graves who hit 12 of 12 in the contest.

BEST MARK: The Bulldogs (27-5) have matched the best 32-game record in Butler basketball history. Butler's 2002-03 teams also posted a 27-5 mark under head coach Todd Lickliter. The Bulldogs became the first team in Butler and Horizon League history to record 26 wins in the regular season this year.

Butler is one win shy of the Horizon League season record for victories held by Xavier (1989-90).

COACH OF THE YEAR: For the second consecutive year, Butler head coach Todd Lickliter was named Horizon League Coach of the Year. The Butler coach was tabbed for the league honor a year ago, after leading the Bulldogs to an 18-11 regular season record and a league runner-up finish. This season, he guided a team that was picked sixth in the league's preseason poll to a league-record 26 wins and a regular season conference co-championship! Lickliter is the third Butler coach to earn Horizon League Coach of the Year honors, and he served as an assistant coach under the previous two. Current Butler Director of Athletics Barry Collier was a four-time league Coach of the Year, while current Ohio State head coach Thad Matta earned the league honor in 2000-01.

Todd Lickliter is a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.

ALL-LEAGUE GUARDS: Butler's backcourt tandem of A. J. Graves and Mike Green both earned recognition on the 2006-07 All-Horizon League team, chosen by league coaches, sports information directors and media. Graves, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring (17.3), three-point field goals (2.93) and free throw shooting (.954), was one of three unanimous picks (along with Blake Schilb of Loyola and DaShaun Wood of Wright State) to the all-league first team. Green, who tops Butler in assists (4.00) and rebounding (5.8), earned a spot on the all-league second team. Butler was the lone team to have both of its starting guards named All-Horizon League.

NEW KIDS: Junior Mike Green, who transferred to Butler from Towson, was selected as the 2006-07 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. He ended the regular season as one of the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, free throw shooting and assist/turnover ratio. Junior forward Pete Campbell, who transferred to Butler from IPFW, joined Green on the league's All-Newcomer team. Campbell currently leads the league in three-point field goal shooting (.518).

ALL-DISTRICT: Butler juniors A. J. Graves and Mike Green were among 10 players named to the All-District 10 team, chosen by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Graves was named first team All-District 10, along with Carl Landry of Purdue, Greg Oden of Ohio State, DJ White of Indiana and Russell Carter of Notre Dame. Green earned second team recognition, along with Mike Conley, Jr., of Ohio State, DaShaun Wood of Wright State, Colin Falls of Notre Dame and Romeo Travis of Akron. The 150 Division I players honored from 15 districts are now eligible for the NABC All-America team To Be Announced at the conclusion of the 2006-07 season.

WINS LEADER: Head coach Todd Lickliter owns the top three single season win totals in Butler basketball history - 27 in 2002-03 and this year, and 26 in 2001-02. He's had four 20-win seasons in his six years at Butler.

IRON MEN: Butler has used the same starting lineup of A. J. Graves, Mike Green, Julian Betko, Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon in all but two games this season. Graves didn't start two games after having his wisdom teeth extracted on Jan. 11. Junior Drew Streicher was given the start in those two contests.

FINISHING TOUCH: Senior co-captain Brandon Crone closed out the regular season with seven consecutive double-figures scoring performances, including a team-high 17 points against Detroit. He continued that hot streak with team-highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds against Loyola in the league tournament semifinals. Crone has averaged 15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds over Butler's last five games, and he led the Bulldogs in rebounding in three of the past four contests. The 6-6 forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in Butler's two regular season games against Wright State.

LEAGUE MARK: Junior Pete Campbell broke the Horizon League record for three-point field goal shooting in league games by connecting on 50 of 86 (58.13%) three-point field goal attempts against conference foes. He narrowly eclipsed the previous record of 58.06%, set by Quitman Dillard of St. Louis in 1990-91.

HANDLE WITH CARE: Butler committed an uncharacteristic 10 turnovers in the league tournament semifinals against Loyola, snapping a streak of four straight games that the Bulldogs finished with fewer than 10 miscues. The Bulldogs have committed less than 10 turnovers in 13 of the past 17 contests and in 20 games overall this season.

Butler leads the NCAA Division I in fewest turnovers per game (9.3).

FIRST DEFENSE: The Bulldogs limited Loyola, the Horizon League's top scoring team, to 54 points in regulation play and 66 points overall in the semifinals of the league tournament. Butler continues to lead the Horizon League in team scoring defense (57.1) and field goal percentage defense (.403). The Bulldogs are second in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (.326).

Butler is 19-0 when holding an opponent below 60 points.

LEAGUE FIRST: Butler became the first team in Horizon League history to lead the conference in both scoring offense (69.4) and scoring defense (54.9) in league games.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Junior guard A. J. Graves has been named to the Wooden Award Midseason All-America Team. The 30 players selected are the top candidates for the 2006-07 John R. Wooden Award, presented to the nation's top player.

•A. J. Graves became the 31st Butler player to score 1,000 career points during Butler's win at UW-Milwaukee. He currently sits in 17th place on Butler's all-time scoring list with 1,284 career points.

•Junior A. J. Graves has moved back into first place in the NCAA Division I lead in free throw shooting (.958), after hitting 12 of 12 charity tosses against Loyola. He moved ahead of previous leader Derek Raivio of Gonzaga (.9577).

•A. J. Graves ranks fourth in the Horizon League in scoring (17.1). He ranks second in the league in three-point field goals (2.84).

•A. J. Graves has moved into third place on Butler's all-time list for three-point field goals with 198 career three-pointers.

•A. J. Graves stands fifth on Butler's single season list for three-point field goals with 88, eight three-pointers behind Bruce Horan (2003-04) in fourth place.

•A. J. Graves averaged 14.5 points in two meetings with Wright State this year.

•Mike Green stands third on Butler's single season list for free throws made with 184. He's three free throws shy of second place and five away from the school-record of 189, set by Darin Archbold in 1991-92.

•Mike Green has moved into 10th place on Butler's single season list for assists with 129, two shy of the No. 9 spot held by Travis Trice (1993-94).

•Mike Green ranks second in the Horizon League in assists (4.03), fifth in defensive rebounds (4.59), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.39), 10th in steals (1.16) and rebounding (5.7) and 11th in scoring (14.3) and free throw shooting (.751).

•Junior Pete Campbell, who led the Bulldogs in the Horizon League semifinals with 18 points, has come off the bench with 15 double-figures scoring performances in Butler's last 18 games. Campbell has averaged 14.1 points in Butler's last 10 games.

•Pete Campbell has hit 62 of 108 (.574) three-point field goal attempts in Butler's last 18 games.

•Pete Campbell has moved into ninth place on Butler's single season list for three-point field goals (71), seven behind Darnell Archey (2002-03) in eighth place.

•Butler leads the Horizon League in scoring margin (+11.8), three-point field goals (8.94), free throw shooting (.766), turnover margin (+3.81), and assist/turnover margin (1.32). The Bulldogs are third in scoring offense (68.8).

•Butler is the all-time leader in Horizon League victories. The Bulldogs have 215 league victories since 1979. Detroit is second with 177 league wins.