Tomorrow's Matches

So, as everyone knows, the men's basketball team takes on Ohio State tomorrow evening at Hinkle. But not far from home, the women's team is taking on Indiana State at Valparaiso (why Valpo, ISU is in Terre Haute?) anyway, just wanted everyone to be thinking about the women's team as well. The women have only one loss on their record (against Purdue), and will be looking for a third straight win. I am just throwing this idea out there, but does anyone think we should get someone from the women's team to blog as well? I think it's only fair but, just curious. Anywho, good luck to both Bulldog teams tomorrow!

Birthday wish(es)

Today's my 22nd birthday, so please, don't overwhelm the blog with congratulations.

When I blow out my Bday cake candles, I'll be wishing for a Butler win against the Buckeyes this Saturday, tickets to a Ben Folds concert magically appearing in my possession, and...

MORE COMMENTS ON OUR BLOG! If anyone is reading this thing, please send in some input.

Go Dawgs! and happy bday to me!

Buckeyes limping into Hinkle

Ohio State (4-2) will come to Indy with consecutive losses to Top 25 teams, 70-47 against No.9 Texas A&M and 66-55 to No.1 North Carolina. Don't let the latter score fool you. The Buckeyes didn't have a great game against the Tar Heels. They managed to put together some quick rallies to pull within striking distance, but ultimately they couldn't consistently score. I'm sure Carolina's big men had something to do with this, which worries me for the Butler game.

Kosta Koufos played two very average games against these opponents scoring 10 with five rebounds against the Aggies, while the team shot 24 percent from the field with four three pointers in 19 tries. Koufos netted four points with three rebounds in the Buckeyes' home game against the Heels. The team shot 27 percent from the field with 10 three pointers in 33 attempts.

Jon Diebler emerged in that game however. After a lackluster start to the season, he scored 19 points, but it took him 14 tries to make five three pointers. So, he's far from hot right now.

Jamar Butler continues to be the heart and soul of the OSU offense. So, shutting him down my lead to a shut down of the Buckeyes. Koufos may bounce back against the smaller Bulldogs, but he's far from dominant right now. And, Diebler is anything but lights out. Thad Matta may not have anyone else to turn to besides Butler in Saturday's game, and hopefully it's our Butler doing all the scoring.

So, if we can compensate for our height disadvantage, the Dawgs should put another mark in the win column. They have a very explosive offense that can mercilessly hurt their opponents from beyond the arc, and have established a post game with Matt Howard and Drew Streicher along with A.J. Graves and Mike Green's ability to penetrate the paint.

OSU freshman earns Big Ten player of the week recognition

Check out the blurb

T-minus three days and counting to the showdown in Hinkle!!!

Green on Red

"Winning the Alaska shootout tournament is a huge jump start to our season. The experience was great and the people there embraced us. We played well as an unit and still have a lot of room for improvement. Our celebration for winning the Alaska shootout was very shortlived, because the amount of focus needed to prepare for our next opponent Ohio State."

Mike Green

Dawgs own the ACC so far, and the word on LIckliter

The Lady Bulldogs (5-1) came back to Indy with an impressive notch on their resume. The team beat Miami (Fla.) 62-59 in the Miami Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 24. Lade Akande received her second Horizon League Player of the Week recognition of the season this week as well. The Dawgs were picked to finish third in the Horizon League. But, they have played good games in this young season against Bradley and Purdue (both on the road) and Ohio, while Akande, Candace Jones and Tara Miller have stood out so far.

Now to the men's team. I'm a very, very very excited about this Saturday's game against the Buckeyes.

First of all, Ohio State got spanked by Florida in the National championship game last year, while the Bulldogs played well against the Gators giving the Rowdy Reptiles a run for their money (and yes that's a cliche, but come up with a better descriptive for me). Guess what... some very key components to last year's runner-up team are gone (Greg Oden and Mike Conely Jr.).

Second, the Bulldogs looked great while up in the "Deadliest Catch" region. They soundly beat Michigan, grinded out a win against Va Tech and showed Bobby Knight that Hoosiers in blue can play very good basketball. They got stronger as that tournament progressed. It appears to me that the Dawgs slid into Anchorage off of a mediocre win against Evansville, and then really came together as a team under Brad Stevens' game plan. They knocked off teams from three of the sport's deepest conferences: ACC, Big Ten and Big 12.

Third, the offense was outstanding. The Dawgs were constantly in motion with the ball forcing their opponents to play a run-around defense, while almost everyone contributed in the scoring column. The team lit the nets on fire from behind the arc, but also scored in the post and cut to the basket for backdoor and down-the-lane layups. The seniors played incredible basketball.

Despite these elements, I'm worried about the answer to the Buckeyes' 7' freshman Kosta Koufos and 6'8'' Othello Hunter. In addition to Hunter, Jamar Butler, David Lighty and Matt Terwilliger are return players from that runner-up team. So, this game won't be a cake walk for the Dawgs. Thad Matta will certainly prepare for Butler's three-point attack, which means that the team will also need to create points in the paint against a very tall defense, while having to defend two players taller than every Bulldog.

This game will be a lot of fun, and don't be upset or surprised to see Butler upset by the visiting Buckeyes. OSU has prepared well for this game, playing Syracuse and No. 9 Texas A & M with a match against No. 1 North Carolina this Wednesday. The Dawgs certainly deserve their No. 16 ranking, and I think they should be at least No. 10. No matter what the outcome, every Butler fan should be proud of this team and excited for the Horizon League schedule.

The men play OSU this Saturday in Hinkle at 7:30 p.m. (parking sucks! get there early; and good luck finding a seat to students not in the Dawg Pound, someone forgot about us when coming up with the new ticket plan), and the women play Indiana State at 2 p.m. on Dec. 1, in Valparaiso.

In case you're wondering how Todd Lickliter is fairing at Iowa, the former Butler head coach lost his third straight game, to Wake Forest tonight. I wish Coach Lickliter the best of luck, but he's missing out on another great season in Indy. Iowa is 5-3.

Ranking rises to No. 16

The Bulldogs are now ranked 16th in both the Coaches and AP polls. The Great Alaska Shootout Champs have played near flawless basketball thus far this season. We have been favored in each of our six games, and in all six A.J. Graves, Mike Green, Pete Campbell and co. have taken care of business. Up next is a Saturday evening showdown with Ohio State.

The Buckeyes boast one of the top freshmen big men in the country in Kosta Koufas, and an experienced cast led by point gaurd Jamar Butler.

First year head coach Brad Stevens has already out coached offensive innovator John Belein of West Virginia and Hoosier legend Bobby Knight. His next challenge is former Butler head man Thad Matta.

Saturdays game is something to be celebrated. A Big Ten team is coming to Hinkle Fieldhouse to play the best mid major team in the country in December. Not only that, but OSU is the defending national runner-up. I commend Matta and the entire Ohio State program because lets face it; who would ever want to do that?

While it looks like the 16th ranked Bulldogs have a lot to lose coming into Saturdays game, they really don't. If they win they add another impressive win to an already impressive NCAA tournament resume. if they lose, then that would qualify as a good loss. Ohio State defeated previously ranked Syracuse last weekend.

Don't panic Bulldog fans, Butler isn't going to lose, they are way too good. But if it happens, well, it simply happens. Butler will move on to bigger and better things.

Great Alaska Shootout Champions

Butler defeated Texas Tech 81-71 to win the Great Alaska Shootout. The dawgs were led by Mike Green with 23 points and A.J. Graves with 18 points.

The dawgs jumped out to a lead in the first half; however, the Red Raiders reduced the dawgs' lead to 2 at halftime. The halftime score was 34-32.

In the second half the dawgs played some incredible defense forcing the Red Raiders to shoot with little time left on the shot clock. The dawgs also made some amazing shots including treys that were shot from a significant distance behind the 3 point arc.

Tonight the dawgs were much more aggressive on offense and did not necessarily wait for the shot clock to expire to shoot. This was due to the high amount of open looks they were given.

Howard had a much better game as it took him longer to foul out. He is continuing to develop a huge presence in the post. He scored 11 points.

Mike Green had an incredible tournament and earned the most outstanding player in the tournament award. Tonight he shot 8-14 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line. His baskets came from behind the three point line, via penetration and jump shots. He also took care of the little things.

The undefeated Bulldogs next game is Saturday night at 7:30 vs. Ohio State at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

More than turkey for the Bulldogs, during Thanksgiving Break

Well it seems the women's basketball team did not let the Purdue loss phase them too much, a road-trip may be exactly what they needed, and of all places - Florida. Just yesterday, 11/23, the women took on Monmouth down in Coral Gables, Fla for the University of Miami Thanksgiving Tournament. With a 63-52 win against the Hawks (just in case your curious, Monmouth is in New Jersey), the women's team is moving right along with another game today against Miami at 7 p.m. Lade Akande and Tara Miller pushed the lead against the Hawks to unreachable starting the second half with a 13-0 run. A couple of three's from Miller and seven points by Akande helped the Bulldogs keep the lead for good. The Bulldogs did not let up during the entire game which earned them their third win (3-1). Now the girls look for another win in tonight's championship game.



They are not the only Bulldogs completely away from home, the men's team is showing their skills in a state with a completely different climate (than Florida) - Alaska. The Great Alaska Shootout has so far, been going pretty well for the Bulldogs with a stomping defeat over Michigan and a challenging overtime win over Virginia Tech. The men are playing in the championship game at 12:30 a.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Alaska). They take on Bobby Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech had an upsetting win late last night over No. 14 Gonzaga, the same team Butler defeated last year to win the NIT pre-season championship. If anything, tonight's game will be just as challenging as the never-ending game last night against Virginia Tech. When it came down to the last few minutes of the game, with two strong players fouled out (Drew Streicher and Matt Howard) the Bulldogs did all they could to keep the lead for the win. All they had to do was hold the ball for the win. But with less than a minute to go and within two points of tying the game, the Hokies pressed the Bulldogs which resulted in an unfortunate turnover. This lead to the tie and a foul. Luckily for the dogs, Jeff Allen missed his possibly winning foul shot and led to overtime. The Bulldogs took over from there. Mike Green scored 12 points and Pete Campbell scored four in overtime to finish off the win.

Texas Tech is the next challenge, they controlled the tempo of the game against Gonzaga last night. Much like the Bulldogs, they take their time with the shot clock looking for the best possible shot. They are strong defensively and offensively, but so are the Bulldogs. It is anyone's game. The one advantage Texas Tech had last night was that Gonzaga was not playing to their full potential. Defensively and offensively, they were weak allowing the Red Raiders to stomp all over them. The bulldogs are stronger than that, and hopefully they are not intimidated by Bobby Knight. Make sure to watch tonight's battle on ESPN 2. Good luck to both the women's and men's teams as they compete for the championship tonight.


Picture: A.J. Graves (No. 4) had 17 points in Butler's win over Virginia Tech on Friday, Nov. 23 in the Great Alaska Shootout. Photo courtesy of Barney Arntz

Dawgs advance to the championship game

The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Virgina Tech Hokies 84-78 in overtime to advance to the championship game in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Bulldogs will play Texas Tech at 12:30 AM EST Sunday morning on ESPN2.

The dawgs had 3 players in double figures. Pete Campbell scored 26 points, including 7 treys. Mike Green added 23 points and A.J. Graves scored 17 points. Green and Graves scored the majority of their points in the second half and in the overtime.

The first half went back and forth. There were several lead changes and a few ties. The Bulldogs did have a 2 point lead at halftime.

Throughout the second half, the Bulldogs built up an 11 point lead. During the last 5 minutes the Hokies went on a run which forced the game to Overtime. The Hokies had an opportunity to be up by 1 point, but were not able to make a free throw as part of a 3 point play with less than 2o seconds in regulation

During the Overtime Butler jumped out to a lead right away. The closest the Hokies ever got to Butler's lead was 3 points.

Some thoughts from the game:

1. Matt Howard and Drew Streicher both fouled out of the game during regulation. Howard and Streicher are very important on defense and this concerned me as the game progressed. Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn played extremely well in overtime and Willie Veasley played extremely well during regulation in their place. Even though Veasley only played briefly he has definitely improved his game since last season.

2. The Dawgs prove they can play against players with a height advantage. 8 of the 13 Hokies are listed as being taller than 6 feet 5 inches.

3. Pete Campbell continues to be amazing when shooting 3 pointers. Last night he went 7-13 behind the arc.

4. During the first half the Bulldogs missed several key shots from the free throw line. This can be difference maker in close games such as this one.

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.

Butler Men Impress Nation in Blow Out Of Michigan

There's no quetsion, wait,it's not even close. The No. 23 Butler Bulldgos are better than they were last year. It' almost unthinkable, a Butler win over Michigan? That's not all, it was a double digit win. Behind 18 Pete Campbell points, all 3-pointers, and another 17 from A.J. Graves the Bulldogs cruised into the semi-finals of one of the premeir preseason tournaments (The Great Alaskan Shootout) in Anchorage. The 79-64 victory at times looked easy despite a couple of Michigan runs in the second half. How was Butler, a small, slow mid major college able to beat a heralded, athletic, and huge Michigan program. The simple answer to that question is freshman forward, Matt Howard. Howard put up the first double double of his career with 12 points and 12 boards. He's the first Bulldog freshman to ever accomplish that and is the reason that Butler is a serious contender to not only win the Alaskan tournament, but make a late (and I mean a late) post season run. Mike Green also continued his versatile play with 14 points and 8 rebounds. However, the story was purely Howard. The freshman look like a man among boys against a Wolverine team whose starting small forward was taller than Howard. On ESPN, Butler showed the country that they are once again for real. They showed that they can stretch a two point lead to 11 in a matter of mintutes. They are the ultimate heartbreakers. Once Michigan began to close the gap BU would go on a seemingly effortless three point barrage against the almost inviting 2-3 defense. Another athletic program in Virginia Tech will attempt to show that Bulldogs, "a group of players that weren't recruited by anyone else", are flukes on Friday night. With a win, Butler will not only show the Hookies, but the entire nation again, that they are a legitimate FINAL FOUR contender.

Drew Schmelzer

Bulldogs Defeat Wolverines

The Bulldogs defeated the Michigan Wolverines 79-65 in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the Virginia Tech/E Washington game on Friday night.

Wolverines and Dawgs battle in Alaska

You know what? We're No. 22, according to The Associated Press. We should win tonight's game.

Michigan has already lost on the road to a ranked team, 74-52 against No. 5 Georgetown.

Freshmen Kelvin Grady and Manny Harris were the only standouts in maze and blue that night, scoring 16 and 13 points. Redshirt freshman Anthony Wright was the next closest player to double digits netting seven. Ron Coleman and David Merritt, Michigan's only seniors, combined for no points. Two Michigan juniors didn't dent the scorebook either. Jevohn Shepherd scored four points, and Jerret Smith didn't play. The only other two "standouts" DeShawn Sims and Ekpe Udoh, both sophomores, combined for six points.

The Wolverines shot less than 28 percent from beyond the arc and less that 37 percent from the entire field. They also made five of 10 free throws and turned the ball over 14 times. Georgetown outrebounded them 45 to 31. Michigan did outscore the Hoyas in the second half, but Butler is a second half team too.

Despite struggling in Evansville, the Dawgs turned up their defense in the second half and shut down the Purple Aces offense, especially their post play. Butler forced some turnovers and controlled the game until the players could find a way to score. A.J. Graves guided his team through that storm, as he's done so many times in the past. We should have all of our components in place to win this first game in Alaska.

The Wolverines should also play right into our hands. Their upperclassmen leadership and experience didn't show up in Georgetown. They only made five three pointers, while shooting terribly from the charity stripe. They gave up the ball too.

The Dawgs' defense should settle in nicely with this opponent. We just need someone to help A.J. score.

First-year Michigan head coach John Beilein is a great leader, but his new team has only played four games under his tutelage. His past West Virginia teams mirror the Bulldogs, relying on the three pointer to fuel the offense. I don't think he's going to be able to beat our hardened, veteran team with two freshman.

Look for the Wolverines to match Graves, Mike Green, Julian Betko, Pete Campbell and Drew Streicher with Harris, Coleman, Sims, Grady and redshirt sophomore Zack Gibson (scored two points against the Hoyas).

Side note

Does anyone else think that the men's road, basketball shoes are ugly? Those shoes are almost a travesty to those awesome black jerseys. But, I digress.

Defense saves the day

Evansville is only a 2-hour drive north of my house. So, I made the trip up with my family to see the Bulldogs play the Purple Aces last Saturday. It was an exciting game, and UE challenged us in the first half. But, Butler has a deep well of talent to draw from this year along with great senior leadership, shown by A.J. Graves and Drew Streicher in this game, and solid defense.

The team left the river city with a hard-fought 60-47 win.

The Purple Aces sprinted out of the gates opening a 10-3 lead in the first three minutes and maintaining the advantage until the 10-minute mark, when the Dawgs finally pulled even at 17 points. Both teams grappled for the lead through halftime before BU went up 31-28 on a Graves three pointer with six seconds left.

The Aces were able to run with the Dawgs in the first half by exposing their post defense. UE scored all of its points in the paint, outside of two threes and four free throws. BU struggled from behind the arc making five of 17 three-point attempts. Graves kept his team in the game by scoring 14 of his 22 points, while the team netted 13 points off turnovers. Streicher scored five of his eight in the first 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs shut down UE's post offense in the second half and held the lead for the rest of the game. They opened up a 10-point advantage at 44-34 with 14 minutes left. Then, the Dawgs widened the spread to 15 at 58-43 with two minutes remaining.

Butler continued to shoot badly from behind the arc making five of 13, but held the Purple Aces to less than 28 percent from the field with just six points in the paint. The Dawgs defense shut the Aces down until their offense found a way to score.

Senior Mike Green and freshman Matt Howard played the entire game in foul trouble, but contributed a much-needed 11 points combined. The freshman provided the biggest lift on defense, blocking two shots and guarding 6'11'' Pieter van Tongeren who netted four points in the second half.

The Bulldogs have played two tough games on the road in this young season. Both contests were in very unwelcome environments, and the team didn't shoot well from the field. The players have found a way to win, however, and Graves has led them in all three games while the defense has provided the rallying point.

They should be prepared to battle Michigan (on ESPN 2), in Anchorage, at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Great Alaska Shootout. Even if their shooting matches the normal temperature of that climate, Graves and the Dawgs should be able to find a way to win.

Picture: The Bulldogs (3-0) won their second road game of the season 60-47 last Saturday. The team will play Michigan in the Great Alaska Shootout at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday... on ESPN 2. Photo by Barney Arntz

Men's Basketball Rankings

The men's basketball rankings were released today. Butler is ranked 22 in the AP poll and 23 in the coaches poll. The polls can be viewed by clicking here.

Dawgs in the polls

The men's team remains ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25, but breaks into the Coaches poll at No. 23 and sits at No. 19 in the Parrish's Top 25. The ESPN/USA Today poll places Butler at No. 23.

Green on the Purple Aces

"Last night game was very challenging for us as a team. Evansville did a good job of jumping out on us at the start and getting an early lead. I struggled to stay on the floor due to fouls and our young guys came in and picked up the slack. It was a tough game and we pulled it out."

Mike Green

Saturday's Games

The #25 ranked men's basketball team won tonight in Evansville 60-47. A.J. Graves with 22 points was the only player in double digits for the Bulldogs. Drew Streicher scored 8 points. Pete Campbell, Mike Green and Zach Hahn scored 7 points each.

Evansville dominated the first half of the game. Evansville had the lead early in the first half 10-3 then the Bulldogs came from behind to take a 31-28 lead in the locker room while in the process 7 lead changes occurred. The Bulldog ended the half on a high note as A.J. Graves hit a trey with 3 seconds left in the half.

The Bulldogs stated off slow again in the second half leading 35-32 with 17 minutes reaming in the half. The Bulldogs dominated the rest of the way as Drew Streicher and A.J. Graves each hit treys to extended the lead to 41-32. From there Butler had at least a 7 point lead for the rest of the game.

The Bulldogs remained unbeaten and are 3-0. Evansville remained winless and are now 0-2.

The Bulldogs leave Monday to travel to Alaska for the Great Alaskan Shootout tournament. Their first game is 11:30 (ET) Wednesday night against the University of Michigan. The game can be seen on ESPN2.

One thing that concerned me about tonight's game is the slow start. There will be games in the future that if the Bulldogs start out slow, their chances of winning will be significantly reduced. This is particularly true for games on the road where the environment can be very hostile.

The Bulldogs must also be careful not get into foul trouble. Mike Green and Matt Howard where in foul trouble tonight. Howard fouled out late in the game. Sometimes this cannot be avoided when the officiating is poor. The radio commentators questioned a few of the calls tonight. However, this is not excuse for every single foul.

I found it very odd that when Butler was leading by 15 with less than one minute in the game that Evansville began to use full court press. They deserve credit for not giving up; however, realistically, they were not going to get 15 points in 1 minute.

One statistic that was discussed in the post game show on the radio is rebounding. Butler won the battle of the boards tonight 28-26. This is a good sign for the Bulldogs as they had this generates second and third chance points when the rebound is offensive and prevents the opposing team from having second and third chances to score in 1 possession. If the Bulldogs keep having the winning the rebound battle, it will help them win games.

The Women's basketball team was also played tonight. They lost to #23 Purdue in West Lafayette 69 to 53. The Bulldogs were lead by Susan Lester who scored all 14 of her points in the second half. Brittany Bowen was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 11 points.

The Bulldogs stated the game lead early in the game 3-2, however Purdue took the lead. At one point Purdue lead 27-8. A halftime the Bulldogs trailed by 10.

During the second half the Bulldogs attempted to come back after Purdue stated the half by scoring 14 points. The Bulldogs immediately responded by scoring 14 points. During the second half, they where only able to cut Purdue's lead to 11.

During the game the Bulldogs shot 26.6% from the field and Purdue shot 46.6% from the field. Looking at this statistic it is not surprising the Bulldogs lost.

This was the first lost on the season for the Bulldogs who are now 2-1. Purdue improved to 2-0.

The Bulldogs' next game is in Coral Gables, FL on Friday when they face Monmouth as part of the University of Miami Thanksgiving tournament.

Women to face No. 23 Purdue

Both the men's and women's basketball teams are tied for a 2-0 record now. Both teams' season started out with challenging games and it only looks good from here. The first road game for the girl's was against Bradley where they finished it out with a strong win (56-46). The girl's started the game with a 5-0 lead, never to give up the fight. Lade Akande scored all 13 of her points in the first half. Candace Jones and Susan Lester finished with 12 points to assist the Bulldogs in the win. Bradley cut the lead within one point (13-12) in the first half, but that's the closest it got. This win against Bradley that gave the Bulldogs their first 2-0 record since the 1992-93 season, was just one for what hopes to be many more wins during the season. It certainly prepared them for the next opponent. This Saturday night, the team faces No. 23 Purdue. The Bulldogs lost to the Boilermakers last season at Hinkle, Purdue was also ranked highly then. The only game Purdue has won this season so far was against Valparaiso (65-62). All I can say is good luck to both teams on Saturday.

Picture: BU head coach Beth Couture addresses her team during a break. Photo by Liz Goerlitz

More like Weak Saplings

The Bulldogs aren't that good. At least that's what Indiana State guard Gabe Moore said about his opponent after the game. Moore only scored 10 points in a 76-48 losing effort, a far cry short of his 24-point performance against the Dawgs last season. I think we have a case of the pot calling the kettle black here. But, I digress.

Bottom line, BU looked great last night. I was thoroughly impressed. And welcome home A.J. Graves. He scored 26 points on 6-of-9 three pointers in the Dawgs first home game of the season. He was lights out. I expected Pete Campbell to step up and score in the clutch, but A.J. had an answer every time ISU tried to spark a rally.

As for the Sycamore offense, they looked about as confused, in the first half, as their players on the bench, who couldn't figure out where their extra chairs went after timeouts. Moore was in foul trouble for the first 20 minutes, but still failed to lead his team offensively in the second half. The Butler defense deserves a lot of credit, although Moore said that his team's lack of communication really hurt them. The Dawgs hounded the Sycamores in every possession, sticking like glue to their assignments, and forced two shot clock violations in the first half.

The Bulldog offense was electrifying. A Matt Howard blocked shot followed by his dunk at the other end, a Campbell layup in transition and a Mike Green cut to the basketball for two points with a foul shot brought the crowd to its feet. Then, after ISU forced BU to take a timeout on an in-bounds play, Campbell threw a snowbird pass to freshman Shawn Vanzant who broke through the Sycamore defense across half court and caught the ball in stride for an easy layup, scoring the first points in his Butler career. He finished the night with six points, and freshman Zach Hahn also netted his first career points with a three pointer. The offense had some lapses, as usual, especially after halftime, but they fought through it and put a beat down on the Sycamores.

Indiana State should be a very competitive team this season, but the Bulldogs coasted to a victory. I'm starting to get very excited about the rest of this season.

Picture: A.J. Graves led the Bulldogs with 26 points in 6-of-9 three-point shooting. Photo by Liz Goerlitz

Dawgs Take Care of Business vs. Sycamores

A 2-0 start was expected. Double digit, rather easy victories were expected. But the way that the Butler basketball squad won its first two games showed that this team is, dare I say, BETTER than last years sweet sixteen team. They took care of Ball St. in a grind it out type fashion. The shots weren't falling so the Bulldogs relied on stingy defense and solid foul shooting. Against a more athletic Indiana State team the Dawgs overwhelmed the Sycamores with a 3 point shooting barrage and more of a fast break type offensive attack as Butler moved the ball with efficiency. We won two completely different style ball-games against two completely different style of teams. Not to mention we won both games without a second half threat from either opponent.
Let's not get to hasty, this was just Ball St. and Indiana St., but there is no doubt that this team is more mature and poised than last year, under coach Brad Stevens. After Saturdays game in Evansville the Bulldogs will travel to Anchorage Alaska to play in a loaded field among the likes of Michigan (Butler's 1st round matchup), Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky and Gonzaga. That's where we will find out exaclty what this team is made of. Could we actually be better than last season?

Drew Schmelzer

Picture: The Bulldogs defeated Indiana State 76-48 at Hinkle on Wednesday. Mike Green (No.10) scored 15 points and grabbed team-highs with eight rebounds and four assists. Photo by Liz Goerlitz

Mike Green's thoughts about ISU

"Indiana state has always been a well disciplined team in the past. They have had success against us winning I believe the last three games. It is still early in the season and our young guys are still adjusting to the college game. Our coaching staff do an amazing job of getting those guys reps in game like scenarios. Indiana state will definitely test our poise and toughness."

Mike Green

Picture: Green (No. 10), a senior guard, helped lead the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 last season. Photo by Josh Arntz

Strong Trees

One of the most annoying losses during last season's Sweet 16 run came at the hands of Indiana State. The Dawgs were 11-0 going into Terre Haute with a Pre-Season NIT championship and wins over Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga.

So, the 72-64 loss really shocked me, and the ISU fans were horrible, not as bad as Wright State fans though. If you've never been to a Wright State vs. Butler game, take some boxing gloves and brass knuckles. It can get rough. I can't blame the fans though, Butler was one of the best teams in the country. So, those games were huge for them.

Back to the point. Indiana State should test the Dawgs more than Ball State. The Sycamores were picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley, but have returned most of the players that beat the Dawgs last season. Gabe Moore, Jay Tunnell, Marico Stinson and Todd McCoy will look to repeat their performances from a year ago.

Moore scored 24 points and made 3-of-4 three pointers, while Tunnell added nine points and Stinson and McCoy both contributed eight. Moore may be the only standout, but the other numbers were good enough for a win.

Stinson led the way in the Sycamores' first game this season with 15 points, hitting 3-of-7 three pointers, in 23 minutes in a 78-45 win over Oakland City. Tunnell netted 10 points in 16 minutes, while McCoy added nine points with eight rebounds in 18 minutes. Moore only scored 3 points, hitting 1-of-2 three pointers, but only played 26 minutes.

Cole Holstrom stood out for ISU in this win, making 4-of-6 three-point attempts.The sophomore guard scored 12 points in 18 minutes.

Other contributors for ISU included sophomore Harry Marshall and freshman Aaron Carter, both added eight points with Carter making 2-of-5 three-point attempts. The Sycamores 6'10'' center Mick Yelovich netted two points with one rebound in six minutes.

ISU shot 46.2 percent from behind the arc against Oakland City, and made 6-of-10 attempts in the second half. In last season's contest, the Sycamores shot 43.8 percent from three-point land and made 7-of-16 attempts for the entire game.

The Sycamores also scored 30 points in the paint against Oakland City, with 19 second chance points and 35 points coming off of 22 turnovers. So, they appear to have a great post presence and a very good defense. They also showed consistency in their offense and defense, netting 38 points in the first half and 40 in the second, while Oakland City managed 20 in the first half and 25 in the second.

It appears that ISU will roll into Indianapolis with an experienced and deep team that can score from the paint and from behind the arc and play good defense.

Butler will need to jump out to an early lead and force Indiana State to settle for threes. Matt Howard has been playing great on the block and should be able to match any one of his opponents down low. Pete Campbell is going to have to step up again and hit big shots when his team needs a lift, like he did in the Ball State game.

The Dawgs only made 8-of-28 three-point shots in last season's loss. That percentage needs to be more balanced. If they miss 20 three pointers in tonight's game, BU will have to feed Howard in the post or look to Graves and Green to penetrate the ISU defense.

The Sycamores out-rebounded the Bulldogs 37-29 as well. ISU has already shown that they will play in the paint. So, Butler will have to fight for every rebound to prevent any second chance points. The Dawgs will also need to be more consistent from the free throw line. They made 12-of-19 from the charity stripe last year, and hit 11-of-17 in last weekend's Ball State game. BU will have to capitalize on every opportunity that the Sycamores give them.

In last season's loss, Brandon Crone scored 15 points and made 3-of-7 three pointers. Campbell recorded three points in only 2 minutes of play in that same game. Tonight, Pete is going to have to fill Crone's shoes. He's going to get the playing time. So, he needs to be patient and play his game. At Ball State, the three's weren't dropping at the start of the second half, but Pete kept shooting and eventually dropped three in a row. He will need to keep firing tonight.

Julian Betko only scored four points in 34 minutes in last season's loss. He only scored four against Ball State last weekend. He will definitely need to contribute more tonight.

The Dawgs played a bad first half against ISU last year, and that really hurt them. They out-scored the Sycamores 41-37 in the second half and held them to only 16 points in the paint.

The Bulldogs are a very good team this year. They are more balanced with Howard down low, and can still make the three-pointers. So, they should beat Indiana State in Hinkle. The Sycamores will put up a fight though.

Cardinals pester the Dawgs

Ball State definitely tested the Bulldogs in the second half on Nov. 9. But, the Dawgs made some shots and left Muncie with a 61-45 win, and Pete Campbell really stepped up his game when it mattered.

The Cardinals came roaring out of the locker room and cut the BU advantage to 39-31. So, I began to get a little nervous, especially given our record on the road last year (which was a respectable 8-4 but included a loss to Indiana State). I began looking to the bench to see who would come in to stop this rally and set the Dawgs straight again. I caught myself wishing Brandon Crone was still wearing a Butler uniform (especially those stylish black road jerseys).

Crone possessed an intangible ability to rally his team and elevate his game when the team needed it last season. My wish did not come true, but another player rose to the occasion. Campbell hit three consecutive tri-fectors to halt the Cardinal rally and stretch the BU lead to 17 with nine minutes to play. He also made 4-of-7 from behind the arc in the second half.

Pete has been a streaky shooter in the past, but I'm going to start looking to him to lift this team like Crone used to do. He already plays with a lot of emotion and desire, as he showed when he got fired up after his nine-point rally.

The Dawgs are in good hands this year with the strong backcourt of Graves and Green, outstanding post play from freshman Matt Howard and the emotional leadership and ability of Campbell. The Ball State game proved this.

I'm excited about our revenge against Indiana State this Wednesday. We lost to the Sycamores in Terre Haute 72-64 last season, and I'm aching to squash them in Hinkle this year.

Picture: Butler shot 11-of-17 from the free throw line against Ball State on Nov. 9. Photo by Josh Arntz

Men Crack the AP Top 25

The men's basketball team is now ranked #25 in the AP writers poll and is still unranked in the coaches poll. You can view the polls clicking here.

Women win the first game with a battle in the last few minutes

The women's basketball team started off the season with a much-needed win. Both bball teams are so far, 1-0. Before half-time. the dawgs were up by as much as 10 points, it was a strong first-half. The second-half had a change when the bobcat's came out fired up and ready to take the lead back. Junior Lade Akande led the team with 23-points, including scoring the final points that put the dawgs at the top. With just seconds trailing, the Bulldogs were ahead by one point. Many chances occurred for each team to score more points, but in the end, it was a strong defensive fight and the clock running out just in time that one the game. It was a hard fight for each team, a well done job for the bulldogs to start the season on the right foot. While the men play against rival Indiana State on Wednesday at Hinkle, the women's basketball team take on their first away game against Bradley in Peoria, Ill. on Tuesday night.

Women's Basketball team start off with a strong second-half win

Last nights's exhibition game for the women's basketball team against the Hoosier Lady All Stars started a lot like the first men's exhibition game, a little slow at first but finished off with a high score at the end of the game. There are many new faces this year along with two returning seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and six freshman.

At halftime, the Bulldogs were down 32-28, but responded quickly when they returned for the second half. This being the only exhibition game for women's basketball team, they started out strongly for having to face Ohio, Bradley and especially Purdue for the beginning of the season. Two double-digit scoring players of the game, Lade Akande and Susan Lester were both named to the 2007-08 Preseason All-Horizon League Teams. Akande scored a game-high of 17 points during the game, 15 were during the first half. Lester finished with 11 points, and freshman Brittany Bowen finished with 15 points, 13 of which were made in the second half.

I look forward to more women's games, if they play in more games like they did last night. Both the women's and men's teams started their first exhibition games a little rusty, but polished off each win with a considerable point difference. The women's basketball team plays their first game of the season against Ohio on Saturday @ 4:30 p.m. I hope to see more people there, this looks to be a possibly good season for the girls.

On the Eve of the Opener

On the eve of the much anticipated season opener against the Ball State Cardinals, the Bulldog nation is buzzing. Aside from having one of the best backcourts in the country, for the first time in recent years this basketball team has a legit post player and rebounder in Freshman Matt Howard. Howard led the team in rebounding in both exhibition games, averaged 12.5 points, and shot 11-13 from the foul line. Last season, senior guard Mike Green averaged 6.0 boards per game, which led the team.

What to watch for:
The key to this season could be the free throw shooting of Mike Green. He led the team in attempted free throws last season, and shot just over 70 percent. He got to the line a lot at the end of games in 06-07, and with opponets like Ohio State, Michigan, and Gonzaga he's got to be able to score from the charity stripe in the clutch.

A.J. Graves, Green, and Pete Campbell are the only returning players that averaged a signicant amount of points last season. The Bulldogs need to find at least one more guy to step up and score. That player could be Howard, but he is expected to do more as a freshman defensively and on the glass as he blocked two shots in each of the two pre-season contests. Look out for fifth year senior, scrappy forward, Drew Streicher to do a little more in the scoring column this year. Howard requires a lot more attention on the block than former Bulldog big men Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon, giving Streicher, Butler's leader in field goal percentage last season, more oppertunites to score playing opposite the freshman sensation.

The Butler-Ball State basketball game used to be one of the premier "mid major" college basketball rivalries in the country. New Ball State coach Billy Taylor will look to restore the rivalry Friday night. The Cardinals are predicted to finish third in the Western Division of the Mid American Conference.

Drew Schmelzer

Picture: Coach Stevens (bottom right) talks strategy with his team during a timeout. Photo by Josh Arntz

Dawgs vs. Cardinals

The Bulldogs play Ball State at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind. at 7 p.m. this Friday. Last season, the Dawgs beat the Cardinals 65-41 at Hinkle. This is a new year, however, and I'm a little anxious for the outcome of this game.

BSU finished 9-22 last season, but return junior forward Anthony Newell and senior guard Peyton Stovall. Newell averaged 11.9 ppg and 8.0 rpg, leading his team with 248 rebounds, last season. The junior forward scored 16 points, with a 50 pecent field goal percentage, and grabbed 14 rebounds in just 23 minutes in the Cardinal's exhibition game against Anderson on Nov. 4. Meanwhile, Newell's fellow team captain, Stovall, ranks seventh in Ball State's Top 10 three-point shooters with 122 in his career.

The Cardinals also have a new head coach, Billy Taylor. According to the BSU athletics Web site, Taylor led Lehigh to the "second-largest turnaround in America" in his first season as head coach in 2002-03. The two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year took Lehigh to its first-ever Patriot League regular season and tournament championships in 2003-04. The following season, Taylor's team compiled a school-record 11 Patriot League wins.

Now back to Butler, the Dawgs went 8-4 in road games and have returned five seniors from last seaon's Sweet 16 team. A.J. Graves has scored 19 and 15 points in his first two games, while freshman Matt Howard has contributed 12 and 13 with Mike Green netting 12 and eight. Senior Pete Campbell provided a team-high 20 points in the Marian win.

The Dawgs have also averaged more points than last season's team (67.6 ppg) with the 75 and 83 emblazened on the scoreboard in the first two games. They have allowed less points than last year as well (57.1 ppg), holding St. Joe's to 50 and Marian to 49.

But this is a different team without head coach Todd Lickliter and Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon. But, the statistics are in our favor, and a win on the road against an improving BSU team would be a big boost early in this season. I look for the Cardinals to test the Dawgs in this contest.

Picture: Mike Green guards a St. Joe defender in the first game of the season on Nov. 1. Photo by Josh Arntz

Pete Campbell scored 20 points in an 83-49 win over the Marian Knights on Nov. 3. The victory gave first-year head coach Brad Stevens a 2-0 record.
Photo by Josh Arntz

Seniors Mike Green (No. 10) and A.J. Graves (No. 4) took to the hardwood on Nov. 1 for the Bulldogs first game of the season.

The Dawgs defeated St. Joe's (Ind.) 75-70. Green scored 12 points and Graves netted a team-high 19.

Photo by Josh Arntz