What is there to say about the Butler Bulldogs that hasn’t already been said? They were picked in the middle of the Horizon League pack last season and then put together the most remarkable run by a Horizon League team in the last decade. After winning the Horizon League title and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament what can the Bulldogs do for an encore? More of the same is what they hope.
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Bulldogs isn’t the loss of frontcourt starters Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon, but the loss of head coach Todd Lickliter. Lickliter won the national coach of the year award and parlayed that into a deal at Iowa. Lickliter is just one of many Butler coaches in recent memory to leave for bigger bucks and higher profile programs, but how many times can Butler dip into the assistant coaching well before they come up dry.
New head man Brad Stevens is just 30 years old is and is just six years removed from the entry level coordinator of basketball operations post for the Bulldogs. Being the head coach at perhaps the most recognized mid-major program in the country is certainly quick career advancement, but is it too much too soon? The season will tell us.
The Bulldogs return one of the best backcourts in all the country with starters A.J. Graves and Mike Green. Graves burst onto the national scene last season putting up 20 plus points against in-state rivals Notre Dame and Indiana before torching Gonzaga for 26 points en route to the pre-season NIT title and a top-ten national ranking for the Bulldogs. Those who’ve watched the Horizon League know Graves is a deadly shooter and it probably wasn’t as big a surprise as it was for the rest of the country. Graves enters the season as the pre-season player of the year for the Horizon League.
The shocker last season was Mike Green. The 6’1” transfer stepped into the point guard role and acted as if he was part of the Bulldog family from the day he was born. Green wound up second in the Horizon League in assists and in the top ten in assist-to-turnover ratio. Green’s ability to run the point practically flawlessly allowed Graves to work for his shot and vault himself into superstardom. Green earned second team all-league honors a season ago and is on the pre-season first team this season.
The third returning starter is sixth year senior Julian Betko. The 6’5” forward can do a bit of everything for the Bulldogs. Now completely healthy from early career injuries, Betko has a tendency to not be noticed until he hits that one three-pointer at some point the game that make opponent’s ask, “where was he?”
If there was an award for sixth-man of the year there is no question that forward Pete Campbell would have won. The 6’7” senior is as close to automatic from the three-point line as it gets, hitting nearly 52% of his opportunities from beyond the arc. Seeing just 14 minutes a game, the IPFW transfer provided an instant spark of offense every time he entered a game. Campbell drilled 81 triples last season, good for third in the conference, and averaged just over nine points a game. With the departure of Ligon and Crone it may be tempting to start the sharpshooter, but the spark he provides off the bench is invaluable.
One concern that Butler might have is the heavy minutes that both Green and Graves played last season. Redshirt sophomore Grant Leiendecker along with incoming freshmen Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant will hope to provide some much needed relief.
Leiendecker is considered a top notch long distance shooter and with a year in the system, could prove to be a surprise. Hahn is another Indiana guard that will look to continue the tradition at Butler of talented six-foot guards that everyone in the Horizon League hates. Vanzant, a 6’4” Florida product, is the only player in the history of his high school to play varsity basketball all four years.
One of the two vacancies in the frontcourt could be filled by senior Drew Streicher. The 6’7” 200 pound forward saw action in all 36 games last season chipping in four points and nearly three rebounds.
A couple of high profile newcomers hope to fill one or both of those spots as well. Freshman Matt Howard, an Indiana bred 6’7” 220 pound forward has been called one of the most highly touted recruits to ever sign with Butler and has already been tabbed as the mid-major newcomer of the year by some publications. Howard was chased by several high profile programs, but picking the most successful basketball program in the state of Indiana isn’t exactly a step down.
Alabama transfer Avery Jukes brings some athleticism to the Butler frontcourt with great rebounding ability and the ability to hit a mid-range shot. At 6’8” and 215 pounds he’s bound to see plenty of minutes in the thin Butler frontcourt.
Sophomore Willie Veasley saw action in 35 games last season and plays with a ton of energy that helps his 6’3” frame battle for rebounds despite often giving up several inches.
Elliot Engelman has the ability to play both inside and outside, but struggled to see time last season.
The Bulldogs don’t have the luxury of coming out of nowhere to surprise people this season. The Bulldogs start the season with a big bulls eye on their back as the team that every mid-major wants become and every major wants to beat and ask what the big deal is. It’s not an unusual position for the Bulldogs who routinely beat the majors in the NCAA tournament and have been tearing up the mid-major ranks for the better part of a decade. But for all the novices out there here’s a tip, pick Butler to win a couple games in your office pool for once. Then tell everyone you knew about them from way back when Barry Collier was guiding the little group of giant slayers from Indiana.
--Joe Dlugosz is the editor of Ramblermania.com, a website dedicated to Loyola-Chicago sports information. For more of Joe's writing, visit: www.ramblermania.com --ed.
