Butler Basketball

Butler, Purdue Tough Enough

... team what it took to survive in March. So when the Boilermakers steadied themselves, retook the lead and reached their first Sweet 16 in seven years, Painter wasn't surprised. He simply knew the Boilermakers, finally, were tough enough. "No question, having that grit back after not having it for a couple of years helps," Painter said. "We put a lot of skill on the court, but we also have guys who are competitive.". Painter, after all, grew up a fan of former Hoosiers coach Bob Knight, went on to play for Gene Keady and then served on Keady's staff briefly before succeeding his former coach. Experience has taught Painter just how delicate it can be to find the proper balance. After finishing last in the Big Ten in 2013-14 with guys who were content to rely more on their athleticism than mental toughness, Painter changed course. He brought in gritty overachievers who embraced old-school principles built on effort and led Purdue to its first outright conference title since 1996. Nothing reinforced those beliefs more than last ...

Butler Remains In The Running For Top Prospect In Illinois

... prospect. Post to Facebook. Butler remains in the running for top prospect in Illinois Butler remains in the running for Illinois' top 2017 prospect. Check out this story on Indy __link__: __link__ m Nzl 9 c. Cancel Send. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation. This story is part of the series. Butler remains in the running for top prospect in Illinois. David Woods , __link__ 7:30 p.m. ET March 21, 2017. Indy Star Butler Insider David Woods discusses the Bulldogs' Sweet 16 matchup with North Carolina. Matthew Glenesk / Indy Star. 267 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENTEMAILMORE. INDIANAPOLIS – Butler’s 2017 basketball recruiting class is already its highest-ranked ever (21 st by 247 Sports and 28 th by Rivals). And the Bulldogs remain in the running for a player who would become the biggest prize of the group. Mark Smith of Edwardsville, Ill., is perhaps the most sought-after ...

Underdog? What Underdog? Butler's Kamar Baldwin Has Always Been A Star

... any time talking about himself. The next day, when Holtmann called Baldwin into his office to explain that there would be a comedown, that he wouldn't end every game of his college career with the winning shot, he found a freshman who had already comfortably moved on from the biggest moment of his college basketball career. Baldwin attempts a layup against Middle Tennessee during the second round of the 2017 NCAA tournament on March 18, 2017.(Getty Images). Though he never begged to be in the starting lineup—"I'm just as happy being a cheerleader on the bench as I am being on the floor," he says—Baldwin's play made the argument for him early on. After just nine games, he had wormed his way into the starting lineup, capable of combining stellar defense—watch him help seal Butler's home upset of Villanova on January 4 by snagging a steal off Big East Player of the Year Josh Hart and finishing with a reverse layup—with impossibly athletic offense, like his behind-the-head-layup in a win at Xavier on February 26. As he became Butler's biggest impact freshman since ...

How To Watch Winthrop Vs. Butler, Game Time, Tv Info, Live Stream

... Here are some things to keep in mind about each team. Viewing information. When: Thursday, March 16, 1:30 p.m. ET. TV: TNT. CBS All-Access:  Click Here. What to know about each team. Winthrop: The Eagles earned their 10 th NCAA Tournament bid with a dominant run through the league tournament. Winthrop is loaded with veterans from top to bottom, led by point guard Keon Johnson. Johnson is a guy who can catch fire and take over games, and in March it’s all about how far your guards can carry you. Butler: The Bulldogs swept Villanova, but also lost to Indiana State, St. John’s and Georgetown. They also beat Arizona, Vanderbilt and Northwestern - very high ceiling, very low floor. Chris Hotlmann’s club is methodical on offense. Kelan Martin is going to be a top-50 player next season in college basketball. Kamar Baldwin stars as a freshman. MML is available on i Phone, i Pad, watch OS, tv OS, Android handsets, Android Tablets, Chromecast, Amazon Tablets, Alexa skill for Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Windows 10 devices, ...

Heart Devices’ At The Ready, Butler Coach Might Be One Game Away From Facing Kentucky

... UK Coach John Calipari leaving Memphis for Kentucky in 2009 left some Tigers’ fans feeling jilted. But Calipari said he had a warm welcome at a gathering Wednesday night. “I understand that people were upset that I left,” he said. “I get that … and I accept that.”. Calipari spoke of how he gave Memphis fans many happy moments, including a Final Four ride in 2008. “I think we did all right here,” he said. “Had some good times.”. Three schools offered him coaching jobs while he led the Memphis program, Calipari said. He turned them down. “But Kentucky is one that you leave for,” he said. “It just is.”. Ball’s shot. UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball’s unusual shooting motion begins with him bringing the ball to the left side of his body before shooting across his body. Backcourt mate Bryce Alford, whose father, Steve, was one of the best shooters in Indiana history, taught his son to use textbook form. “His form is much different from mine, and ...

Despite Past 2 Losses, Butler Could Be Awarded Highest Seed Ever

... year’s, either. On this Selection Sunday, the NCAA committee could award Butler a No. 4 seed, which would be its highest ever. Although the Bulldogs (23-8) are coming off successive losses, the consensus of more than 100 mock brackets places them as a No. 4. Butler has twice been seeded as high as No. 5, in 2007 and 2010. Butler is 14 th in Ratings Percentage Index, which might have an outdated formula but is used by the committee and consequently counts. Also favorable for Butler (through Friday’s conference tournament games). > > No. 9 strength of schedule. > > Ten Top 50 wins, a total exceeded by four teams. > > Sixteen Top 100 wins, a total exceeded only by North Carolina’s 17. > > Average RPI win of 95, a figure bettered only by Kansas (94). > > A 10-5 record in road and neutral-court games. > > Five wins over four regular-season conference champions — Villanova ...

After Wife's Death 'butler Helped Me Fill That Void

... Cancer does that to families. He doted on her every day during the battle, the way a good husband of 41 years is supposed to. He lost her in February 2010. He was heartbroken. Still is. “If you’d been through what I’d been through,” he says, looking back at the hardest of times, “I was tired.”. It was John Seal’s second love that helped pull him through the pain, the team that was about to charm the country, a group of bracket-busting underdogs on the verge of stealing the month of March from college basketball’s heavyweights. Those Butler Bulldogs didn’t care about favorites or million-dollar budgets or tradition-rich programs. They just played. They just won. John Seal (left) poses with Butler Board of Trustees member Jay Sandhu before the Bulldogs' game in Utah earlier this season. (Photo: Provided by John Seal). It was a month after John buried his wife, in March 2010, when his alma mater ...

How Butler Continues To Thrive Without Brad Stevens

... who fit and developed them over time. Leading scorer and rebounder Kelan Martin is a junior who’s grown into a central offensive role over the last two years. Forward Andrew Chrabascz has transformed over a four-year career. Every major contributor on this year’s team except one is at least a sophomore, and all of them have made year-over-year strides. Butler’s made some shrewd roster moves around the edges to help the cause. Playmaking guard Tyler Lewis transferred from NC State before Holtmann took over, and he’s become an important bench player down the stretch. Guard Kethan Savage is a George Washington transfer who’s replaced Lewis in the starting five and allows Holtmann to play a bit bigger. (Lewis is 5’11, and Savage is 6’3.). Butler is set up to keep being good, no matter how this year ends. The Bulldogs will lose a lot after this season, to be sure. Chrabascz, ...

State College Boys’ Basketball Season Over After Falling To Butler In Ot

... final shot. “A couple bounces didn’t go our way at the end of the game and that’s March Madness,” Walker said. “Any given night, the team that plays the best and takes advantage of opportunities is going to win.”. Butler limited State College’s opportunities with its physical defense, denying Sekunda and Friberg the chance to get free for much of the night. That was a focal point of Butler’s game plan in addition to not fouling. Clement knew the Little Lions thrive at the foul line. Friberg led that effort all season and came into the night 142 of 161 (88 percent) at the line — but the 6-foot-6 junior didn’t attempt a free throw Thursday night. Still, he helped his team force overtime, drilling a 3-pointer to tie it with less than two minutes left in regulation. “Finally I got loose,” Friberg said with a smile. “I’m glad I could knock it down.”. Though the Little Lions fell short in overtime, Sekunda proudly looked back at the team’s Mid Penn title. State College beat some of the best teams in the state to capture that ...

Butler's X-factor To Upsetting Unc

... After being the favorite in their two games in Milwaukee, they’re the obvious underdog to reach the Final Four in the one region that was almost entirely chalk. Butler is the No. 4 seed in a region that still includes its top three seeds, No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 UCLA. The history of those three programs speaks for itself. The future, however, has yet to be written. If Butler is going to emerge, Baldwin will be at the center of that effort. It all starts Friday against the Tar Heels. For Baldwin, this means another matchup with a high-level point guard. Like Johnson and Potts, Joel Berry II is a scorer who facilitates so much of what his team does offensively. Berry averages 14.4 points and 3.7 assists in 29.9 minutes per game. Like Johnson and Potts, Berry is his team’s best three-point shooter. That means Baldwin will again have to fight over the top of every screen while understanding how dangerous Berry and the rest of the North Carolina offense can be when he turns the corner. According to Synergy Sports, Berry ranks in the 91 st percentile in isolation, 89 th percentile as a spot-up shooter and 79 ...

Is Butler A Mid-major? Is Middle Tennessee? One Gets To Sweet 16

... Butler and Middle Tennessee State would have been characterized as a mid-major matchup. In 2017, maybe it still is. But the questions now are. Who is major? Mid-major? Where do perception and reality intersect? Do labels matter. “I don’t get hung up on it much,” Butler coach Chris Holtmann said Friday. “I think guys understand how good our league is. And usually the league affiliation, to some degree, puts that moniker on you one way or the other.”. No. 4-seeded Butler (24-8) meets No. 12-seeded Middle Tennessee State (31-4) on Saturday in the South Regional. Winner advances to the Sweet 16 and a regional semifinal Friday at Memphis. Butler has not been to the Sweet 16 since 2011, and Middle Tennessee has never advanced that far. The Bulldogs have never lost to a lower seed, posting a 9-0 record since 2007. More often, they have been underdogs, or the role ...