Outside the Big Six: Butler Bulldogs

By Chris Littmann
Everyone knows about the teams inside the big six conferences, but we’ll highlight one team each week playing away from the limelight. You’ll thank us in March.
If a team plays well past 2 a.m. ET and starts shattering records, does anyone ever notice? Well, count me among those who noticed Butler’s performance at the Great Alaska Shootout.
[img=http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/34050/2001813608703542183_rs.jpg]
You remember Butler (6-0), right? It was about this time last season they were ripping up a few teams like Notre Dame, Indiana, Gonzaga and Tennessee. They owned the NIT season tip-off event thanks to guard A.J. Graves.
Well, they’re back. They’re back in a way that probably isn’t fair to anyone in the Horizon League. Five seniors start, and there isn’t one in the bunch that can’t shoot from deep. Need proof? How about a record-shattering 47 3-pointers in three games in the Great Alaska Shootout? The old record was 34.
Graves is back, doing the same old thing he does -- that is to say he is to clutch jumpers what Alaska is to ice. You could call it a down year for him; he’s already missed two free throws after missing eight out of 153 last season. His backcourt mate, Mike Green, is running the show, taking pressure off of Graves as a ballhandler. Green also picked up some mythical hardware this week as Mike DeCourcy’s player of the week for his performance in Alaska. Then there’s the unsung hero of the group, Pete Campbell. Get ready for ridiculous montages on SportsCenter from this guy. It will be the only way to cram in all the nights he tosses in six or seven 3-pointers. He’s hitting at a blistering clip of 53.1 percent from deep.
The only turnover in this group comes at the head coaching spot -- you already know they don’t turn the ball over in actual games, averaging just 9.2 per contest. Brad Stevens, 31, takes over Butler as the second-youngest coach in Division-I basketball after Todd Lickliter took the head coaching job at Iowa following last year’s Sweet 16 run.
Butler’s Great Alaska Shootout title won’t be their last chance to shine. The Bulldogs have games left against Ohio State, Florida State, Bradley and Southern Illinois. Just be ready for them in March.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Littmann is an associate editor for Sporting News and writes the Mid-major report for SportingNews.com.↵