Hello, Bulldog Basketball fans. I am very excited to now be a part of your blogging experience, especially when that experience involves Butler Basketball!!
The coming 8 days are important ones for the men's team here at BU. They begin the second circuit of conference play tonight when Valparaiso comes to Hinkle for a 7 p.m. EST game. The Bulldogs (9-0 in the HL) beat the Crusaders, 75-62, in Valparaiso in what was an incredibly intense game earlier this month. I attended the game, and there is certainly no shortage of competition in this in-state rivalry. Look for tonight's game to be an especially exciting one, considering the Crusaders have a couple of starters returning from injuries.
Tonight's game will unfortunately be the last home game until Feb. 13th. The men will travel to UW-Green Bay for a Monday night game and then will return back to campus for a day before beginning a weekend on the road. The coming Thursday's game will be at the Univ. of Detroit, and then BU will finish the road trip with a game at Wright State next Saturday. (BU students, look for information on a fan bus to the Wright State game.)
Keep on cheering for the Dawgs these next 8 days; they are are big ones. Tonight's game vs. Valpo can be watched on ESPNU for those of you who aren't able to make it to Hinkle. Go Dawgs!!
P.S. Look for the women's basketball team (7-1 in the HL) to be playing at Hinkle next weekend (Feb. 6th & Feb. 8th).
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Will be posting again soon!
Just a small recap and post that we will soon be blogging about Butler Basketball soon!
The men played an away game against UIC on Saturday, Jan. 17. They pulled it out in the end with a 59-52 win, after trailing most of the game.
The women's team played on Saturday as well. They played the UIC Flames at home, and pulled out a 58-48 win.
The men played an away game against UIC on Saturday, Jan. 17. They pulled it out in the end with a 59-52 win, after trailing most of the game.
The women's team played on Saturday as well. They played the UIC Flames at home, and pulled out a 58-48 win.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
In recent news
Both Mike Green and A.J. Graves will be traveling to San Antonio this weekend, just not with the entire team. A.J. Graves will be participating in the 3-Point Championship on Thursday, April 3 on ESPN at 9 p.m. (ET). Green will take the court at the Alamodome on Friday, April 4, to play in the NABC All-Star Game. The game features two teams of college basketball's top seniors and will be played in the Men's Final Four venue for the first time. Tip-off for the NABC All-Star Game is 5:15 p.m. (CT) (all info posted on Athletics site).
In somewhat sadder news, one of the men's basketball players asked and was granted a release from the basketball team. Sophomore Elliot Engelmann was granted a release from the basketball team to transfer to another school. The school in which he will attend was neither given or hinted at there is one yet, in the press release. Career-wise, I must say this is a good move for him, because with the new freshman they are getting in along with the possible junior college player that they may get in for next season, he may not see that much playing time. This I am not sure about though, just a guess. I am somewhat sad to hear that he will be leaving though, best of luck to him in the future.
In somewhat sadder news, one of the men's basketball players asked and was granted a release from the basketball team. Sophomore Elliot Engelmann was granted a release from the basketball team to transfer to another school. The school in which he will attend was neither given or hinted at there is one yet, in the press release. Career-wise, I must say this is a good move for him, because with the new freshman they are getting in along with the possible junior college player that they may get in for next season, he may not see that much playing time. This I am not sure about though, just a guess. I am somewhat sad to hear that he will be leaving though, best of luck to him in the future.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
2007-2008 Season in Review
This was an incredible season for the Butler Bulldogs. Despite the sweet 16 run last season the Bulldogs were not ranked in the pre-season polls. The Dawgs started the season by defeating the Ball State Cardinals, Indiana State Sycamores and the Evansville Purple Aces. This year was the first time the Bulldogs defeated the Sycamores in at least 4 years.
The Bulldogs then proved that the deserved to be on the national stage by winning the Great Alaskan Shootout. They defeated Michigan, Virgina Tech (in OT) and Texas Tech. They did so by shooting the lights out at the tournament. While doing that they set a tournament 3 point record.
After the shootout the Dawgs battled Ohio State at Hinkle. This was a special game for many reasons. This was the first time a Big Ten team has come to Hinkle in over 10 years. The score at halftime was 30-20 in favor of Ohio State. The Dawgs shot 25.8% from the floor during the first half. At halftime Stevens talked about the law of averages meaning keep on shooting and eventually they will go in. To boost the player's confidence he had them crumble paper and throw it into a trashcan. The Dawgs came back and won 65-46. During the second half of the game Campbell was injured which kept him on the bench for a few weeks.
An early preview of league play began the next week. Butler barely escaped Detroit and then fell to Wright State in a nail bitter at the Nutter Center. After a week off for finals, the Bulldogs defeated Florida State at a Wooden Tradition Game at Conseco.
After the Ohio State game, Matt Howard was given the opportunity to start. During the games these games when Campbell was not available or was limited, Howard emerged as one of the teams stars. He presence at the post was one of the teams missing ingredient from last year. He proved corrected his play from earlier in the season by not getting into foul trouble. He started the rest of the year except for senior day when Campbell was given the starting job so all 5 seniors could start their final regular season game together.
The Bulldogs ended the calendar year by playing tough games at Florida Golf Coast and Southern Illinois. At the end of the Southern Illinois game Graves hit a shot from 28-30 feet away with defenders around him for the victory. This shot was described as the shot heard around the midwest. It was the top play on Sportscenter that night.
After the first of the year the Dawgs continued league play loosing only 1 of their remaining league games. This occurred was the game at Cleveland State. One of the highlights of this portion of the season has to be the game at Valpo which was televised on ESPN2 as part of ESPN's rivalry week games. The Bulldogs battled hard the entire game and game back from deficit. The Dawgs only lead for 17 seconds the entire game. At that point Campbell was left wide open and hit a trey for the win.
The Dawgs took a break from league play for the made for TV bracketbuster game in late February. This game turned out to be a battle of the Bulldogs as the Drake Bulldogs visited Hinkle. This was the premier game of Bracketbuster weekend as the both teams were ranked in the top 25. In fact, the Bulldogs were ranked 8th in both polls that week, their highest ranking ever. The Butler Bulldogs could not pull it out and lost 71-64. This was their only home last during the entire season.
The Bulldogs bounced back the following week and defeated Wright State 66-61 for the Horizon League regular season championship. After the game the Bulldogs cut down the nets in celebration. During that game Betko scored a career high 17 points. The win also secured home court advantage for the Horizon League Tournament.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season against Detroit at Hinkle. Although the game was a blow out 65-31. All 5 seniors were honored after the game. In this era of college basketball it is very unusual to have a team with five incredible seniors on it.
The Dawgs defeated UIC and Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament. After the Cleveland State the Bulldogs cut down the nets in the celebration. This was the first time since the league gave the regular season champion hosted the quarter, semi and finals of the league tournament that the Dawgs won the league tournament. This win gave the Dawgs the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
One of the priceless moments came during the season came on Selection Sunday. The Dawgs were stunned and silent when they saw the were awarded a 7th seed in the NCAA tournament. This was a huge snub as the Dawgs play during the season earned them a 4th-6th seed.
The Dawgs played South Alabama in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Dawgs proved they should have been awarded a higher seed as they defeated the Jaguars 81-61 in their home state. Pete Campbell shot 8-10 form behind the arc and finished the game with 26 points.
Two days later the Dawgs played Tennessee. This was a rematch of the NIT Season Tip Off Tournament semi-final game from the previous season. The Tennessee Volunteers jumped out to a 13-2 lead, but the Dawgs never game up. In fact Tennessee had a 13 point lead at the 11:27 mark of the first half. The Dawgs battled back and tied the game at the end of regulation, but game up short at the end and lost 76-71. The Bulldogs left everything on the court which is all anyone can ever ask.
The Bulldogs finished the year with a 30-4 record. This was the most a Butler team has achieved in school history. This was an incredible season one that I will remember for a long time. This was an incredible team to watch as they truly know how to play as a team.
This also ends my posts for the season. I want to thank Josh for giving me the opportunity to write on this blog. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on this blog throughout the season. I have enjoyed writing for this blog. I will continue to post during the off-season as news comes out and I look forward to blogging during the 2008-2009 season.
BU-TLE-aRe you a Bulldog? HELL YEAH!
The Bulldogs then proved that the deserved to be on the national stage by winning the Great Alaskan Shootout. They defeated Michigan, Virgina Tech (in OT) and Texas Tech. They did so by shooting the lights out at the tournament. While doing that they set a tournament 3 point record.
After the shootout the Dawgs battled Ohio State at Hinkle. This was a special game for many reasons. This was the first time a Big Ten team has come to Hinkle in over 10 years. The score at halftime was 30-20 in favor of Ohio State. The Dawgs shot 25.8% from the floor during the first half. At halftime Stevens talked about the law of averages meaning keep on shooting and eventually they will go in. To boost the player's confidence he had them crumble paper and throw it into a trashcan. The Dawgs came back and won 65-46. During the second half of the game Campbell was injured which kept him on the bench for a few weeks.
An early preview of league play began the next week. Butler barely escaped Detroit and then fell to Wright State in a nail bitter at the Nutter Center. After a week off for finals, the Bulldogs defeated Florida State at a Wooden Tradition Game at Conseco.
After the Ohio State game, Matt Howard was given the opportunity to start. During the games these games when Campbell was not available or was limited, Howard emerged as one of the teams stars. He presence at the post was one of the teams missing ingredient from last year. He proved corrected his play from earlier in the season by not getting into foul trouble. He started the rest of the year except for senior day when Campbell was given the starting job so all 5 seniors could start their final regular season game together.
The Bulldogs ended the calendar year by playing tough games at Florida Golf Coast and Southern Illinois. At the end of the Southern Illinois game Graves hit a shot from 28-30 feet away with defenders around him for the victory. This shot was described as the shot heard around the midwest. It was the top play on Sportscenter that night.
After the first of the year the Dawgs continued league play loosing only 1 of their remaining league games. This occurred was the game at Cleveland State. One of the highlights of this portion of the season has to be the game at Valpo which was televised on ESPN2 as part of ESPN's rivalry week games. The Bulldogs battled hard the entire game and game back from deficit. The Dawgs only lead for 17 seconds the entire game. At that point Campbell was left wide open and hit a trey for the win.
The Dawgs took a break from league play for the made for TV bracketbuster game in late February. This game turned out to be a battle of the Bulldogs as the Drake Bulldogs visited Hinkle. This was the premier game of Bracketbuster weekend as the both teams were ranked in the top 25. In fact, the Bulldogs were ranked 8th in both polls that week, their highest ranking ever. The Butler Bulldogs could not pull it out and lost 71-64. This was their only home last during the entire season.
The Bulldogs bounced back the following week and defeated Wright State 66-61 for the Horizon League regular season championship. After the game the Bulldogs cut down the nets in celebration. During that game Betko scored a career high 17 points. The win also secured home court advantage for the Horizon League Tournament.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season against Detroit at Hinkle. Although the game was a blow out 65-31. All 5 seniors were honored after the game. In this era of college basketball it is very unusual to have a team with five incredible seniors on it.
The Dawgs defeated UIC and Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament. After the Cleveland State the Bulldogs cut down the nets in the celebration. This was the first time since the league gave the regular season champion hosted the quarter, semi and finals of the league tournament that the Dawgs won the league tournament. This win gave the Dawgs the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
One of the priceless moments came during the season came on Selection Sunday. The Dawgs were stunned and silent when they saw the were awarded a 7th seed in the NCAA tournament. This was a huge snub as the Dawgs play during the season earned them a 4th-6th seed.
The Dawgs played South Alabama in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Dawgs proved they should have been awarded a higher seed as they defeated the Jaguars 81-61 in their home state. Pete Campbell shot 8-10 form behind the arc and finished the game with 26 points.
Two days later the Dawgs played Tennessee. This was a rematch of the NIT Season Tip Off Tournament semi-final game from the previous season. The Tennessee Volunteers jumped out to a 13-2 lead, but the Dawgs never game up. In fact Tennessee had a 13 point lead at the 11:27 mark of the first half. The Dawgs battled back and tied the game at the end of regulation, but game up short at the end and lost 76-71. The Bulldogs left everything on the court which is all anyone can ever ask.
The Bulldogs finished the year with a 30-4 record. This was the most a Butler team has achieved in school history. This was an incredible season one that I will remember for a long time. This was an incredible team to watch as they truly know how to play as a team.
This also ends my posts for the season. I want to thank Josh for giving me the opportunity to write on this blog. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on this blog throughout the season. I have enjoyed writing for this blog. I will continue to post during the off-season as news comes out and I look forward to blogging during the 2008-2009 season.
BU-TLE-aRe you a Bulldog? HELL YEAH!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Young Gunz
Hopefully we'll see another tough Butler team like this in the near future. Shawn Vanzant is reminding me more and more of Mike Green with his tough overall game. Zach Hahn has the shot strength and poise to fill Graves' shoes if he develops. Matt Howard is already a bona fide beast. How many years of eligibility does Jukes have left? Veasley is tough off the bench but did not get a chance to develop much this year. I don't think that I will ever be attached more to another Butler team since I am a senior and most of our best players are seniors as well, but thanks to these last two years I am a Butler fan for life! It was too bad to see an Elite Eight quality team fall so early in the tournament, but what a great game. Go Dawgs!
Tough game
Tennessee is damn lucky that we didn't play our best game. We tried, but things just wouldn't go our way.
I just wish it wasn't over. I'll really miss watching our five seniors play.
Thanks for everything fellas.
And young guys, you have some very big shoes to fill. Good luck, and I can't wait to see you progress in your time here too.
I just wish it wasn't over. I'll really miss watching our five seniors play.
Thanks for everything fellas.
And young guys, you have some very big shoes to fill. Good luck, and I can't wait to see you progress in your time here too.
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