NCAA Tournament: Butler is a Team to Watch

Don't knock them because they're a mid-major.  These guys are for real.  Butler, 29-3 this season, carries the distinction of having the most wins of any Division One team in Indiana.  That's saying a lot, considering the history of Indiana basketball and the NCAA tournament.

The player to watch is A.J. Graves.  His resume is impressive; second in three point Field Goals in school history, fourth in scoring in school history, and seventh in assists all time at Butler.  Just as impressive, Graves was a Wooden Award Finalist in 2007.

Butler runs a three guard set.  Mike Green (6'1", 175), a senior, hails from Philadelphia and started all 32 games this year.  He also started all 36 games last year.  Green averages 34 minutes a game.

Rounding out the starting five are Forward/Guard Julian Betko (6'5", 200), Drew Streicher (6'7", 200), and freshman Matt Howard (6'7",220).

Betko is a Clemson transfer who hails from Slovakia.  He was one of nine men's basketball players named a Josten's Student Scholar.  Drew Streicher is a three-time Horizon League Academic selection.  He also started all 32 teams this year.  The only non-senior on the starting five is freshman Matt Howard, who hails from Connersville, Indiana.  Howard started 24 of 32 games this year and shoots a solid 60 percent from the field.

Brad Stevens is in his first year as head coach at Butler.  But don't let this fool you.  He was an assistant coach with Butler when they made it to the Sweet 16 back in 2003, under Todd Lickliter, who's now with Iowa.  He also served under Thad Mata, now the head coach at The Ohio State University.  Coach Stevens is a DePauw University graduate and just the second coach in school history to have 28 wins in a season.

Butler had an impressive year with two wins over ACC schools in Va. Tech and Florida State.  They beat both Michigan and Ohio State, two Big Ten Conference Schools, and a Bob Knight coached Texas Tech team back in November.  A key loss occured against Drake, the number five seed in the South bracket which ended a Butler nine game winning streak.

Some may say that Butler drew a tough slot in the East bracket.  Yet, they are 3-1 in Birmingham where they will play their first and possibly second round games.  It was back in 2003 when Butler made it to the Sweet 16, and it all started in Birmingham so history is on their side.

Considering they beat 10th seeded South Alabama, Butler will potentially take on a tough number two seed in Tennessee.  However, I think that Butler's experience, defensive strengths, and their overall smart basketball play will be enough to beat Tennessee.  Tennessee doesn't do well at the free throw line and that is a killer in the later rounds of the NCAA tournament. 

Unfortunately, I think that the win over Tennessee is where Butler's dance will end, as they face perennial ACC/National powerhouse North Carolina.