Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University
in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League
, of which it has been a member since 1979. The Bulldogs are currently coached by Brad Stevens
.
conference, Butler has risen to national prominence in recent years. They have been ranked in most media polls for all but a few weeks since the 2006-07 season, and have appeared in every NCAA tournament since then. In 2010
, Butler was runner-up to the Duke Blue Devils
, after advancing all the way to the National Championship after defeating Michigan State
in the Final Four
. The Bulldogs also went to the championship game in the following NCAA Tournament. With a total enrollment of only 4,500 students, Butler is the smallest school to play for a national championship since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In 2011 Butler defeated the VCU Rams to advance to its second consecutive national championship game, becoming the first mid-major program to do so since 1979, when the seeding of the tournament began. However, they would become runners-up again losing to the Connecticut Huskies
.
", and lack of a scholarship football program, the Butler University fan base is primarily basketball oriented. Other athletics enjoy substantial followings of current students and alumni, but only basketball has garnered interest from a national audience.
In June 2011, USA Today
ranked Butler as one of the top 5 colleges making use of social media. Specific to basketball, Butler's mascot, the men's basketball program, head coach Brad Stevens, and other coaches have university-endorsed Twitter
accounts. Also, an online community, BU Hoops exists to facilitate discussion among fans.
In recent years, the Butler program has also received national attention for its philosophy to the game, which it calls "The Butler Way
". At its core, The Butler Way calls for complete commitment and exalts teamwork above self.
. Their combined record is 18–11.
s. Their combined record is 5–8.
All-Americans
(*) Denotes Honorable Mention
Academic All-Americans
(*) Denotes 1st team
(**) Denotes 2nd team
(***) Denotes 3rd team
Academic All-American of the Year
Horizon/MCC Player of the Year
Horizon/MCC Coach of the Year
Indiana Collegiate Conference Player of the Year
Indiana Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year
MAC Most Valuable Player
Information on the awards comes from the 2009-2010 media guide.
Record information
Sources of information
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
, of which it has been a member since 1979. The Bulldogs are currently coached by Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at Butler University. He grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, where he starred on the Zionsville Community High School basketball team, setting four school records...
.
Competitive standing
Despite playing in a mid-majorMid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
conference, Butler has risen to national prominence in recent years. They have been ranked in most media polls for all but a few weeks since the 2006-07 season, and have appeared in every NCAA tournament since then. In 2010
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, Butler was runner-up to the Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
, after advancing all the way to the National Championship after defeating Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
in the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. The Bulldogs also went to the championship game in the following NCAA Tournament. With a total enrollment of only 4,500 students, Butler is the smallest school to play for a national championship since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In 2011 Butler defeated the VCU Rams to advance to its second consecutive national championship game, becoming the first mid-major program to do so since 1979, when the seeding of the tournament began. However, they would become runners-up again losing to the Connecticut Huskies
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
.
Basketball community
Because of the school's history of basketball success, location in the heart of the land of "Hoosier HysteriaHoosier Hysteria
Hoosier Hysteria is the state of excitement surrounding basketball in Indiana, or more specifically the Indiana high school basketball tournament. In part, the excitement stemmed from the inclusion of all tournament entrants into the same tournament, where a small town's David might knock off a...
", and lack of a scholarship football program, the Butler University fan base is primarily basketball oriented. Other athletics enjoy substantial followings of current students and alumni, but only basketball has garnered interest from a national audience.
In June 2011, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
ranked Butler as one of the top 5 colleges making use of social media. Specific to basketball, Butler's mascot, the men's basketball program, head coach Brad Stevens, and other coaches have university-endorsed Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
accounts. Also, an online community, BU Hoops exists to facilitate discussion among fans.
In recent years, the Butler program has also received national attention for its philosophy to the game, which it calls "The Butler Way
The Butler Way
The Butler Way is a term used since the 2006-07 men's NCAA college basketball season by broadcasters and sportswriters nationwide to describe the governing philosophy of the Butler Bulldogs, one of the most successful mid-major programs...
". At its core, The Butler Way calls for complete commitment and exalts teamwork above self.
NCAA tournament results
The Bulldogs have appeared in eleven NCAA TournamentsNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. Their combined record is 18–11.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 1962 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -Mideast region:-Midwest region:-West region:-Final Four:-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page.... |
- | First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional Third Place Game |
Bowling Green Kentucky Western Kentucky |
W 56–55 L 81–60 W 87–86 |
| 1997 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
#14 | First Round | Cincinnati | L 86–69 |
| 1998 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,... |
#13 | First Round | New Mexico | L 79–62 |
| 2000 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
#12 | First Round | Florida | L 69–68 OT |
| 2001 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in... |
#10 | First Round Second Round |
Wake Forest Arizona |
W 79–63 L 73–52 |
| 2003 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
#12 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
Mississippi State Louisville Oklahoma |
W 47–46 W 79–71 L 65–54 |
| 2007 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season... |
#5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
Old Dominion Maryland Florida |
W 57–46 W 62–59 L 65–57 |
| 2008 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season... |
#7 | First Round Second Round |
South Alabama Tennessee |
W 81–61 L 76–71 OT |
| 2009 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT.... |
#9 | First Round | LSU | L 75–71 |
| 2010 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's... |
#5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship |
UTEP Murray State Syracuse Kansas State Michigan State Duke |
W 77–59 W 54–52 W 63–59 W 63–56 W 52–50 L 61–59 |
| 2011 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.... |
#8 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship |
Old Dominion Pittsburgh Wisconsin Florida VCU Connecticut |
W 60–58 W 71–70 W 61–54 W 74–71 OT W 70–62 L 53–41 |
NIT results
The Bulldogs have appeared in eight National Invitation TournamentNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
s. Their combined record is 5–8.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 1958 National Invitation Tournament The 1958 National Invitation Tournament was the 1958 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
N/A | First Round | St. John's | L 76–69 |
| 1959 1959 National Invitation Tournament The 1959 National Invitation Tournament was the 1959 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
N/A | First Round Quarterfinals |
Fordham Bradley |
W 94–80 L 83–77 |
| 1985 1985 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Tennessee 100, Louisville 84... |
N/A | First Round | Indiana | L 79–57 |
| 1991 1991 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Colorado 98, Massachusetts 91... |
N/A | First Round | Wyoming | L 63–61 |
| 1992 1992 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Utah 81, Florida 78... |
N/A | First Round | Purdue | L 82–56 |
| 1999 1999 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Xavier 106, Oregon 75... |
N/A | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Bradley Old Dominion Clemson |
W 51–50 W 75–68 L 89–69 |
| 2002 2002 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Temple 65, Syracuse 64... |
N/A | First Round Second Round |
Bowling Green Syracuse |
W 81–69 L 66–65 |
| 2006 2006 National Invitation Tournament -Michigan Bracket:-Louisville Bracket:-Cincinnati Bracket:-Semifinals & Finals:... |
#8 | Opening Round First Round |
Miami (OH) Florida State |
W 53–52 L 67–63 |
Bulldogs in the NBA
NBA & ABA players who attended Butler University- Bob Evans - drafted in the 4th round by the Indianapolis OlympiansIndianapolis OlympiansThe Indianapolis Olympians were a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Franchise history:...
in the 1949 NBA Draft - Gordon HaywardGordon HaywardGordon Daniel Hayward , is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He played college basketball at Butler University in Indianapolis for two seasons before leaving for the NBA. Hayward emerged as a superstar in his sophomore year, leading his team to a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA...
- drafted 9th overall by the Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 2010 NBA Draft2010 NBA DraftThe 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur... - Shelvin MackShelvin MackShelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game...
- drafted in the 2nd round by the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in the 2011 NBA Draft2011 NBA DraftThe 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball... - Ralph O'BrienRalph O'BrienRalph E. O'Brien is a retired American professional basketball player.A 5'9" guard from Butler University, O'Brien played two seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Indianapolis Olympians and Baltimore Bullets...
- drafted in the 6th round by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 1950 NBA Draft1950 NBA DraftThe 1950 NBA Draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America was renamed the NBA. The draft was held on April 25, 1950 before the 1950–51 season. In this draft, 12 remaining NBA teams took turns... - Billy ShepherdBilly ShepherdBill "Billy" L. Shepherd, Jr. is a former American basketball player.A guard, Shepherd played at Carmel High School in Indiana, where he was coached by his father, Bill Shepherd, Sr. He scored 2,465 points in four years and was selected as Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1968...
- drafted by Virginia Squires(ABA) in 1972 - Jerry Steiner - played for the Indianapolis Kautskys in 1940-41 and the Fort Wayne Zollner PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in 1946-47
Awards
National Coach of the Year- Todd LickliterTodd LickliterTodd Lickliter is a basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team. In 2011 he became an assistant coach at Miami .-Early years:...
- 2007
All-Americans
- H. W. Middlesworth - 1924
- Frank Baird - 1934
- Jerry Steiner - 1940
- Bob Dietz - 1941
- Ralph "Buckshot" O'Brien - 1950
- Jimmy Doyle - 1950
- Ted Guzek - 1957
- Billy ShepherdBilly ShepherdBill "Billy" L. Shepherd, Jr. is a former American basketball player.A guard, Shepherd played at Carmel High School in Indiana, where he was coached by his father, Bill Shepherd, Sr. He scored 2,465 points in four years and was selected as Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1968...
- 1971 - Chad Tucker* - 1985
- A. J. GravesA. J. GravesA. J. Graves is an American basketball player who played college basketball with the Butler University Bulldogs....
* - 2007 - Mike GreenMichael Green (basketball, born 1985)Michael Green is an American basketball player. He played with Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi of the Turkish Basketball League, Liege in Belgium and now Cantù in Italy. Green formerly played with the Butler University Bulldogs. Green was the Horizon League men's basketball player of the year in...
* - 2008 - Matt HowardMatt Howard (basketball)Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs...
* - 2009 - Gordon HaywardGordon HaywardGordon Daniel Hayward , is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He played college basketball at Butler University in Indianapolis for two seasons before leaving for the NBA. Hayward emerged as a superstar in his sophomore year, leading his team to a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA...
* - 2010
(*) Denotes Honorable Mention
Academic All-Americans
- Chris Miskel - 1995***
- A.J. Graves - 2007*, 2008**
- Drew Streicher - 2008***
- Matt Howard - 2009**, 2010*, 2011*
- Gordon Hayward - 2010***
(*) Denotes 1st team
(**) Denotes 2nd team
(***) Denotes 3rd team
Academic All-American of the Year
- Matt Howard - 2011
Horizon/MCC Player of the Year
- Darin Archibold - 1991
- Jon Neuhoser - 1997
- Rylan Hainje - 2002
- Brandon Polk - 2006
- Mike Green - 2008
- Matt Howard - 2009
- Gordon Hayward - 2010
Horizon/MCC Coach of the Year
- Joe Sexson - 1984
- Barry Collier - 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000
- Thad MattaThad MattaThad Matta is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. He was hired as the 13th head coach in Ohio State history on July 7, 2004 after the school had fired previous coach Jim O'Brien...
- 2001 - Todd LickliterTodd LickliterTodd Lickliter is a basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team. In 2011 he became an assistant coach at Miami .-Early years:...
- 2005, 2007 - Brad StevensBrad StevensBrad Stevens is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at Butler University. He grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, where he starred on the Zionsville Community High School basketball team, setting four school records...
- 2009, 2010
Indiana Collegiate Conference Player of the Year
- Tom Bowman - 1962
- Wayne Burris - 1977
- Tom Orner - 1978
Indiana Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year
- Tony Hinkle - 1956, 1961, 1962
- George Theofanis - 1973, 1977
- Joe Sexson - 1978
MAC Most Valuable Player
- Ralph "Buckshot" Owens - 1949
Information on the awards comes from the 2009-2010 media guide.
Record
Record information
All-time Leading Scorers
| Rank | Name | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad Tucker | 1983-1988 | 2,321 |
| 2 | Darrin Fitzgerald | 1983-1987 | 2,019 |
| 3 | Matt Howard Matt Howard (basketball) Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs... |
2007-2011 | 1,939 |
| 4 | A. J. Graves A. J. Graves A. J. Graves is an American basketball player who played college basketball with the Butler University Bulldogs.... |
2004-2008 | 1,807 |
| 5 | Lynn Mitchem | 1979-1983 | 1,798 |
| 6 | Darin Archbold | 1988-1992 | 1,744 |
| 7 | Billy Shepherd | 1969-1972 | 1,733 |
| 8 | Jermaine Guice | 1990-1994 | 1,607 |
| 9 | Darren Fowlkes | 1985-1989 | 1,543 |
| 10 | Wayne Burris | 1973-1977 | 1,531 |
| 11 | Shelvin Mack Shelvin Mack Shelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game... |
2008-2011 | 1,527 |
| 12 | Jon Neuhouser | 1994-1998 | 1,485 |
| 13 | Bobby Plump Bobby Plump Bobby Plump was a member of the Milan High School basketball team that won the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Tournament in 1954. Plump was named one of the Most Noteworthy Hoosiers of the 20th century by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine... |
1954-1958 | 1,439 |
| 14 | Keith Greve | 1951-1954, 1957-1958 | 1,400 |
| 15 | Jeff Blue | 1961-1964 | 1,392 |
Sources of information