With four teams alive and kicking in the quest to cut down the nets in Indianapolis, it is time to look at how each of them got to this point.
Butler Bulldogs
Previous tournament appearances
1962 (lost in the second round), 1997 (lost first round), 1998 (lost first round), 2000 (lost first round), 2003 (lost Sweet 16), 2007 (lost Sweet 16), 2008 (lost second round), 2009 (lost first round).
Tournament games
UTEP 77-59
Murray State 54-52
Syracuse 63-59
Kansas State 63-56
Ranked teams played during the regular season this year and results
11/26 #16 Minnesota L 73-82
11/29 #19 Clemson L 69-70
12/8 #13 Georgetown L 65-72
12/12 #15 Ohio State W 74-66
Un-ranked NCAA Tournament teams played against
12/19 Xavier W 69-68
2/20 Siena W 70-53
Stats of identity
Butler limits opponents to 59.6 points. That statistic ranks ninth in the nation and tops among the remaining teams. Curiously, the Bulldog opponents hit 41.5 from the field (84th) and 31.7 behind the arc (59). Both Duke and West Virginia doing a better job of limiting opponents from the field, but both give up more points than Butler – (Duke 61.2 and WVU 63.1).
Butler’s 69.4 points per game ranks 157th. The obvious conclusion would be that the Bulldogs slow down the game. It gets tricky when looking at their field goal percentage 44.9 (89th) and 3-pt. percentage of 34.5 (148th). Combine that with a rebound margin of 2.9 (77th) and it can get confusing as to how the Bulldogs have run off 24 in a row.
As a team, Butler hits 73.9 from the free throw line. The Bulldogs have a turnover margin of 1.7 (68th).
Gordon Hayward leads the way with 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. Hayward grabs 1.9 offensive boards. Matt Howard is second with 1.8.
Howard has hit a team-high 171 free throws. Hayward leads the starters with 82.7 percent (167-202) accuracy from the charity stripe. Zach Hahn hits 92.9 percent (13-14).
Shelvin Mack leads the Bulldogs with 68 three-pointers.
Hahn comes off the bench and knocks down a team-leading 42 percent (47-112) from long range.
Ronald Nored’s 133 assists (3.7 per game) is tops with Butler. The sophomore’s assist to turnover ratio is 1.8 :1.
Nored’s 63 steals set the pace as does Hayward’s 28 blocks.
Area of concern
Butler’s 18 fouls a game is 128th in the country. Howard gets 3.5 an outing.
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