Butler Bulldogs

Butler Bulldogs
Record:
32-4.
NCAA tournament:
defeated Texas El Paso, 77-59; Murray State, 54-52; Syracuse, 63-59; Kansas State, 63-56.
Offense:
69.4 points.
Defense:
59.6 points.
Starters:
F Matt Howard (11.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), F Gordon Hayward (15.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg), G Willie Veasley (10.1 ppg), G Ronald Nored (6.0 ppg, 3.7 apg), G Shelvin Mack (14.2 ppg).
Top reserves:
G Zach Hahn (92.9% FT), F Avery Jukes (2.8 ppg), G Shawn Vanzant (2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg).
Bulldogs:
… play defense with Bulldog-like tenacity. Kansas State found that out in the West Regional final when its star guards, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, were a combined 11 for 30 shooting.
Bulldogs don’t:
. . . hand the ball over very often; they have only 40 turnovers in four NCAA games.
Pedigree:
10 NCAA tournament appearances, first Final Four.
Little-known fact:
Tony Hinkle, Butler’s longtime former coach, created the orange-colored basketball in the late 1950s so players and fans could see it better. Basketballs had been dark brown.
—Chris Foster