The Butler WILL do it...

[mel ott]

Butler sucked so bad their coach went crazy

Do you have some inside information or are you just being a dick?

Actually even if you have inside info, you're still being a dick.

Dude, you are better than that. Just too quick on the keyboard. That is what is great about this board. Generally, classy, intelligent input and maybe that is why we all love this new conference. I know the Jay fans love the new board.

[DudeAnon]

Alrighty, mea culpa, my second point was very dickish on my part.

The other 2 stand though, very few people on this board or Butler fans thought Butler would be good this year.

[butlerchris]

I think most Butler fans expected a pretty good team this year - we have four starters back. Granted the coaching turmoil and the transfers certainly raised doubts. It looks like we wound up with a good coach and the freshman look solid. It comes down to mental toughness. Coach Stevens' teams won a very high percentage of the close games. Last year, Butler had 6 OT games and several other close ones, and unfortunately they lost most of them. The Big East looks like a league that is very balanced so the teams that win the close ones will be dancing; those that do not will not.

[stever20]

I guess the big question mark for me is what happens if Miller wants to return after his FLOA leave is ended. Butler is required by law to take him back. Right before the conference season.

Butler has been a surprise to me. I won't lie.

Think looking at Ken Pom, Butler seems like they're going to be the team that is going to be flush on the bubble this year. Right now the Ken Pom projection is 20-11 and 10-8 in conference. In a 4 way tie for 3rd-6th. May be a play in type game in MSG for them.

[Xudash]

I believe Butler is going to factor into all this because it has Jones back and because the interim coach is a solid coach. Normally, when you get the news that a program has lost its coach, panic ensues. Not this time; not with this guy. In fact, it's possible that the Bulldogs have traded up, if you will.

My question to Butler fans is this: how deep are you on the bench?

Notwithstanding Xavier's hiccup, I see the conference as follows at this point (clusters, not rank order):

Nova

Georgetown
Xavier
Providence

St. Johns (but the Johnnies are on a short leash with me, because I don't have much confidence in Lavin as a game coach).
Butler
Creighton
Seton Hall

Marquette
DePaul

DePaul is the only true basket case, as Wojo at least already corrected Marquette enough to take out GT. Either way, at least EIGHT OF THE TEN programs appear ready to open up war on one another once we hit conference play. The conference portion of the schedule is going to be a grinding proposition, to say the least. Thus my question about depth.

[BEhomer]

always liked the way butler played. even last year as undermanned and undersized as they were, they had a number of close games early on. they just ran out of steam mid season.

I see they are already getting good contributions from their freshman and roosevelt jones is keeping dunneham fresh throughout the course of the game. schrabaz who I like is year older. he and barlow bring alot of toughness. lot of positives to take into regular season.

[Xudash]

I believe Butler is going to factor into all this because it has Jones back and because the interim coach is a solid coach. Normally, when you get the news that a program has lost its coach, panic ensues. Not this time; not with this guy. In fact, it's possible that the Bulldogs have traded up, if you will.

My question to Butler fans is this: how deep are you on the bench?

Notwithstanding Xavier's hiccup, I see the conference as follows at this point (clusters, not rank order):

Nova

Georgetown
Xavier
Providence

St. Johns (but the Johnnies are on a short leash with me, because I don't have much confidence in Lavin as a game coach).
Butler
Creighton
Seton Hall

Marquette
DePaul

DePaul is the only true basket case, as Wojo at least already corrected Marquette enough to take out GT. Either way, at least EIGHT OF THE TEN programs appear ready to open up war on one another once we hit conference play. The conference portion of the schedule is going to be a grinding proposition, to say the least. Thus my question about depth.

As of today, I stand corrected - DePaul was not a basketcase today. Xavier was a basketcase today.

[Bill Marsh]

I think most Butler fans expected a pretty good team this year - we have four starters back. Granted the coaching turmoil and the transfers certainly raised doubts. It looks like we wound up with a good coach and the freshman look solid. It comes down to mental toughness. Coach Stevens' teams won a very high percentage of the close games. Last year, Butler had 6 OT games and several other close ones, and unfortunately they lost most of them. The Big East looks like a league that is very balanced so the teams that win the close ones will be dancing; those that do not will not.

You're not accounting for the loss of Fromm who started twice as many games as Chrabasz. They really have only 3 starters back and a 4th player who started 10 games. Jones is back but he doesn't replace Marshall who was a huge presence inside.

I always like teams with a solid returning nucleus to build on last year's success, but Butler had a losing record last year and was way over its head in Big East competition. So, they didn't have a lot of success to build on. So, they needed an infusion of new talent so they could improve the roster and their recruiting didn't really accomplish that. On paper, there wasn't really a lot of reason to expect a better season, so I've been surprised by their early season success.

Having said all that, I really liked the way that Butler played last year. Excellent team work, great ball movement, crisp passing. I also liked the fact that when the losing set in, they never seemed to give up. They played hard every game in which I saw them. So, they seemed well coached and to have the basic ingredients to be a successful team. Perhaps that's what's carried over into this season.

Butler got off to a strong start OOC last year as well. We'll have to see if they can sustain it into conference play this year.

[butlerguy03]

I love being a Butler fan.
I love that other schools are jealous of what our school has done - becoming a household name to sports fans.
I love that other fans respect our program (looking at you, UNC).
I love to hate Indiana.

I've seen a ton of Butler hoops in years past, and believe this team is as strong defensively as the two national finalists. This is the season that could propel our recruiting to "Big East standards" - whatever that means. Butler is a system approach, which I think can work well as you increase the overall talent at each position. However, I do not expect, nor really want, a revolving door of 5-star talent at 46th & Sunset.

I grew up hating the Big East. My mother was a UK grad, and taught me to hate three teams: Louisville, Indiana and Georgetown. My wife commented that I was cheering aloud the other day when the Hoyas almost upset Wisconsin. Funny how things change. I still hate Louisville and Indiana.

That being said. We do have a few fans that are a little over the top, but what team doesn't?

Go Big East. Go Dawgs.

[Bill Marsh]

I love being a Butler fan.
I love that other schools are jealous of what our school has done - becoming a household name to sports fans.
I love that other fans respect our program (looking at you, UNC).
I love to hate Indiana.

I've seen a ton of Butler hoops in years past, and believe this team is as strong defensively as the two national finalists. This is the season that could propel our recruiting to "Big East standards" - whatever that means. Butler is a system approach, which I think can work well as you increase the overall talent at each position. However, I do not expect, nor really want, a revolving door of 5-star talent at 46th & Sunset.

I grew up hating the Big East. My mother was a UK grad, and taught me to hate three teams: Louisville, Indiana and Georgetown. My wife commented that I was cheering aloud the other day when the Hoyas almost upset Wisconsin. Funny how things change. I still hate Louisville and Indiana.

That being said. We do have a few fans that are a little over the top, but what team doesn't?

Go Big East. Go Dawgs.

Based on what I've seen so far, I have to agree with you that Butler plays tough defense this year.