Michigan who?

The men's basketball team (4-0) wished every Butler fan and alumni a happy early Thanksgiving last night by beating down Michigan 79-65 in what seemed like an effortless fashion. The Bulldogs never trailed in the game and led the Wolverines by 22 points with seven minutes left.

Michigan pulled within three points five minutes into the second half, but six consecutive three pointers catapulted the Dawgs into a comfortable lead for the rest of the game. Every time the Wolverines made a run, Butler answered with outstanding three-shooting, connecting in 9 of 16 attempts in the second half and setting a Great Alaska Shootout record with 17 for the game.

Julian Betko and Pete Campbell finally reemerged in this game. Campbell led the team with 18 points, all three pointers, and Betko contributed eight points, which came at critical times when Butler needed a basket. A.J. Graves, who the announcers kept calling "Adam" (shows how much time they put into their jobs), collected a quiet 17 points. Mike Green proved that he is one of the nation's top point guards. He challenged Michigan's defense, penetrating and taking a layup or kicking out for a three-point shot. Green finished with 14 points and eight assists.

Every time the Wolverines thought that they'd stopped Butler's seniors, Matt Howard would come up with a big rebound or get a shot up in the middle of their post defense. He finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and allowed the Bulldogs to execute a two-pronged assault from behind the arc and under the basket. Freshmen Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant continued to help their team combining for five points.

The Dawgs truly looked unstoppable last night. But, foul trouble plagued them for the fourth straight game. Campbell fouled out with five minutes to go, and Betko tallied four. In previous games, Green, Howard and Streicher have committed too many fouls. Every Dawg needs to stay on the court, especially the seniors.

Fouls come with good defense, and the Bulldogs certainly showed that last night. They gave up points behind the arc and long-distance jumpers, but limited the Wolverine attack in the paint, where that team had a height advantage. The Dawgs also forced 12 turnovers.

Butler will face Virginia Tech at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The Hokies were picked to finish 10th in the ACC this season, but, playing in that conference, they can beat anyone in the country.