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BUTLER

Coming off one of the best seasons in school history the Butler Bulldogs will be going through a massive overhaul this season.  Gone are the household names that ran off a school-record 30 wins and made their usual NCAA tournament run.  In, is a top flight recruiting class that looks to pay off dividends this season rather than spending a season or two maturing.

 

The Bulldogs lost five of their top six scorers from last season, names that always sent a shiver down a Horizon League fan’s back.  Names like Green, Graves, Campbell, Betko and Streicher have all moved on.  However, the Horizon League was introduced to Matt Howard last season.  The 6’8” forward burst onto the scene last year, starting 26 games and averaging better than 12 points and five rebounds.  For his efforts he was named the league’s newcomer of the year and second team all-league.  Howard has also been named to the league’s pre-season first team.

 

After Howard the Bulldogs don’t have very much experience returning.  Junior guard Willie Veasley is among the most athletic players in the Horizon League and plays much bigger than his 6’3” frame.  A role player his entire career, Veasley will now be in a position to start and be a major contributor.  In 30 games off the bench last season Veasley averaged better than four points and three rebounds.

 

Sophomore guard Shawn VanZant appeared in 33 games last season seeing eight minutes of action primarily as a defensive stopper.  He struggled shooting the ball, but was never expected to score anyways.  His defense will continue to earn him playing time and any offensive production will add to it. 

 

Zach Hahn is another Butler player from New Castle, Indiana.  How a town with a population of just over 17,000 has produced so many basketball players warrants a scientific investigation of some kind.  Nonetheless, the six-foot sophomore saw action in all 34 games last season showing a decent shooting touch and an impressive 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.  With a year experience in the system he has a legitimate opportunity to start this season.

 

Junior guard Grant Leiendecker struggled to find time last season after sitting out as a red-shirt the season before.  He is considered an excellent long-range shooter and may find himself seeing some time as a three-point specialist.

 

Senior forward Avery Jukes saw action in 22 games last season after transferring from Alabama.  An athletic 6’8” Jukes has a feel for scoring averaging better than two points a game in just under five minutes of action.  That transfers to better than 19 points a game over 40 minutes.

 

A talented group of newcomers that some have called the best recruiting class in Butler history expect to play significant roles in Butler’s plans this season.  The most heralded of the newcomers is 6’3” guard Shelvin Mack.  Some high major programs expressed interest the rock-solid guard.  He’s been described as a very unselfish player with the ability to dominate games with a shooting range that extends well past the arc.

 

Western Kentucky transfer Ronald Nored earned a start alongside fellow freshman Gordon Hayward and Mack in Butler’s first exhibition game and it may be a sign of things to come.  The six-foot Nored is a high energy point guard with good quickness and a solid mid-range shot.

 

Hayward is a 6’8” forward who is just getting used to his height.  Entering high school as a six-footer the 200 pound Hayward left high school eight inches taller.  His guard skills on a 6’8” frame should allow him to play a multitude of positions for the Bulldogs. 

 

Freshman forward Garrett Butcher also chose Butler after several high major programs expressed interest in him.  A prolific high school scorer Butcher may see some time in a back-up role for the Bulldogs.

 

Emerson Kampen is a rail-thin 6’9” center and is a project for the Bulldogs.

 

The Bulldogs lost an awful lot of talent and experience last season.  Bringing in a top flight recruiting class helps, but all the talent in the world still can’t make up for the experience that juniors and seniors bring to the floor every night.  It would be foolish to think that this Bulldogs squad will come out the game and win 16 of their first 17 games like last season’s squad.  However, this team will get better as the year goes on and should definitely be the team to beat next season if not a team that no one wants to play by the time this year’s Horizon League tournament starts.

E-MAIL JOE