OK, let me clarify. I didn't think Matt or I would be writing about Butler's basketball team so early, considering we're both fresh graduates and avid fans from there. But the Bulldogs' win versus Youngstown State tonight is worth mentioning (homerism aside) for all too many reasons.
For starters, tonight's thrashing was Butler's 14th straight win, and the team is now 15-0 in conference. No Butler team has jetted out to this kind of Horizon League play, and it's been roughly 15 years since a Horizon League schmoe has had this kind of dominance (UW-Green Bay went 16-0 in 1996).
Oh, right. They also clinched a tie for the regular season title. Already.
This is so significant because within the Butler fandom, hundreds upon thousands of Chicken Littles were overreacting when Butler hit one of its hardest out-of-conference schedules in school history back in late November and parts of December. That rough stretch, in which the team was still a respectable 8-4 overall after the team's loss to UAB, also gave enough reason for the camera-happy media schmucks at ESPN and other large outlets to turn their nose to their trendy preseason pick.
Oh how time heals wounds. The loss at UAB seems like a distant memory now. And the weird thing is, this team still isn't playing to its potential.Gordon Hayward has been living up to his hype. He is one of the most efficient offensive players in the country (tonight, he had 22 points, 17 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6-10 FGs, 8-9 FTs...hot damn). Shelvin Mack has had a terrific sophomore season, too, averaging more than 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game.
But Matt Howard, last year's Horizon League Player of the Year, has hardly played up to that title this year as he has been riddled in foul trouble (3.6 fouls per game) and consistently overextending on defense. The bench play has been average at best, and the usually solid 3-point shooting has been surprisingly lackluster (33.7 percent as a team on the year).
Who would've thought that Butler would potentially run the table in the Horizon league after such a nightmarish tournament in Anaheim? I certainly didn't, mainly because no other Butler team before had accomplished that harder-than-it-seems feat and also because it feels like this team can play so much better.
But this team is certainly as good as the preseason rankings indicated. Sure, Butler plays better when no one notices, but that simply won't happen anymore. A Sweet Sixteen run in 2007 and two solid tourney showings in 2008 and 2009 have finally caught everyone's attention. This team is a Midwestern Gonzaga, and it has been for a while now.
If Butler beats Siena in the BracketBuster Feb. 20 and also takes down the Horizon League tourney crown, there's no question that this team can breeze to the Sweet Sixteen again. Albeit, Butler has been tossing around ragtag Horizon League teams, but there's a lot to be said about dominating a conference. The early (and tough) out-of-conference schedule has appeared to pay dividends, and may I place my shoe in my mouth if this team's March run falls anything short of the Sweet Sixteen.
No comments:
Post a Comment