Heroin use is on the rise among college-aged people in the Indianapolis area.

According to Butler University Police Department Detective Bruce Allee, heroin is present on Butler’s campus but less than state school campuses.

“The scary thing about heroin is that an experienced addict can appear to be functioning,” Allee said. “They will graduate college and begin careers while suffering from an addiction to heroin.”

Allee, a former detective with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and IMPD Sergeant James Ficus said Indianapolis is a supply hub for heroin. Large quantities of heroin come in from I-70, and people from Bloomington, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati come to Indianapolis to buy heroin.

According to a report by the Indiana State Police, heroin is the second-most-purchased drug by Indiana’s State undercover cops. The same report showed heroin use has increased by 21 percent from 2010 to 2011 in Marion County.

“One common thing is students from Indiana University coming to Indianapolis to buy heroin,” Allee said.

Ficus said the increase in heroin use is partly due to a supply strategy by dealers.

“When heroin was used heavily in the 80s and 90s, it was typically used by Vietnam vets,” Ficus said. “Now, heroin is being produced so that it can be snorted instead of injected. It’s more appealing to people who don’t like needles.”

Ficus said many heroin addicts start out addicted to painkillers.

“Many times, people graduate from painkillers to heroin,” Ficus said. “I’ve seen many people who start out taking Vicodin for a work-related injury, and they become addicted. After some time, painkillers won’t be enough to get them high, and they’ll turn to heroin, which in and of itself is cheaper.”

Both Ficus and Allee also said many people who become heroin addicts begin as a “social abuser.”

The Butler men’s basketball team will begin its regular season Saturday against Elon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m.

The contest is one of the opening games of the Maui Invitational.

Elon went 9-9 in the Southern Conference last season and 15-16 overall, finishing second in the North Division of the conference.

The Bulldogs will then travel to Cincinnati on Tuesday to face Atlantic 10 rival Xavier in a 4 p.m. game that will be broadcast nationally during ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon.

The game is considered a nonconference matchup due to a prior agreement the schools had before Butler joined the A-10.

Xavier will be missing its top scorer from last year’s Sweet Sixteen squad, Tu Holloway. The Musketeers will be without six players from last season and have been predicted to finish ninth in the A-10 preseason coaches’ poll as a result.

The Bulldogs won their exhibition game against the University of Indianapolis 63-47 Saturday.

Senior guard Rotnei Clarke led the team with 18 points and eight rebounds. Junior forward Khyle Marshall finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Butler was sloppy early, as the team committed 12 turnovers in the first half alone due to the stingy Greyhound defense.

Coach Brad Stevens said the style of play utilized by Indianapolis coach Stan Gouard will help the Bulldogs in conference play.

“We scheduled Indianapolis because we went to the A-10,” Stevens said. “Stan (Gouard) has always been aggressive in his coaching at Indianapolis, getting up and down the floor, getting into guys.

“They always have quick athletic guards. We scheduled this game for Marquette, UMass, VCU—teams that will extend the floor.”

Indianapolis led by five points with about two minutes remaining in the first half, scoring 12 points off Butler turnovers.

With the game tied at 27 and just seconds remaining before halftime, sophomore guard Alex Barlow stole the ball and drove nearly the length of the court for a layup at the buzzer.

Barlow was fouled on the play and made the free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Bulldogs a 30-27 lead going into the locker room.

After letting the lead slip away from them early in the second half, Butler went on a 14-2 run to pull ahead with about 12 minutes remaining in the game.

Clarke struggled in the first half, shooting only 12.5 percent from the field.

He was able to break his drought after halftime, scoring 15 of his 18 points in the second half and making all eight shots from the foul line. He shot 25 percent from behind the three-point line. little more aggressive,” Clarke said. “Obviously, shots weren’t really falling, so I was just trying to maybe get my groove at the line possibly and just get something going.”

Sophomore forward Kameron Woods and Marshall led the Bulldogs with nine rebounds each.

Indianapolis is the 12th largest city in the United States.

However, looking at how often Butler students take time to explore the city, one would never know.

Students should embrace the many cultural opportunities set before them, courtesy of the city of Indianapolis.

Instead, students seem to have isolated themselves to campus and Broad Ripple.

There is so much more to Indianapolis, and this decision to cloister themselves away from the city works as a detriment.

College is supposed to be a time where students enrich their lives by learning about and exploring the perspectives of others.

And while students often venture downtown to volunteer for various non-profits and shelters, they rarely travel there to patronize small businesses and connect with the local community.

Eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, viewing various art galleries, attending local music and theater performances and participating in cultural festivals are all potential activities students can participate in to have fun and see different sides of life.

There are cultural hotbeds aside from Broad Ripple.

Fountain Square hosts multiple art gallery openings on the first Friday of every month, and Massachusetts Avenue is home to dozens of local shops and restaurants.

This past weekend alone, two festivals occurred—Fiesta Indianapolis and Indy’s Irish Festival.

Several unique restaurants can also be found outside the Butler Bubble, including the Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia off 38th Street and the downtown Spanish restaurant Barcelona Tapas.

Suffice it to say, there is a world of opportunities waiting beyond the Butler threshold.

While some might blame Indy’s lackluster promotional ability or the Butler administration for not bringing attention to more of these events and locations, students are ultimately responsible for whether or not they take the initiative to hit the streets of Indianapolis.

Whatever prevents students from delving into the city—from laziness to fear of the outside world—it must be shaken off.

We as a student body owe it to the city that welcomed us here to become more active participants in its culture and life.

Students should still be active in community, even without national spotlight on Indianapolis.

The recent Super Bowl madness is giving the rest of the nation a chance to learn what the Butler University community has known since 1855: Indianapolis is a super city, and that fact has nothing to do with a visit from Jimmy Fallon or a celebrity basketball game at
Hinkle Fieldhouse.

After all, one sporting event can’t create a city’s entire legacy, and the 2012 Super Bowl isn’t the first time that Butler students got involved when the city hosted a large sporting event.

Does anyone else remember a NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and national championship that we hosted and participated in less than two years ago?

We have much more to be proud of—namely, Butler students, faculty and staff who make a difference each and every day in the Indianapolis community by volunteering, student teaching, starting businesses and creating programs that continue to make a lasting impact on our city.

Even after the larger-than-life XLVI letters are taken down and we all go back to drinking literally anything besides Bud Light, the Butler community should still continue to display its Indianapolis pride by forging and maintaining lasting partnerships with meaningful groups and organizations.

The Collegian reported today in “Despite administrative changes, partnership stands” that Butler’s relationship with Shortridge Magnet High School, an Indianapolis Public School, is growing despite the school’s recent administrative layoffs and dismissals.

This is an admirable connection for Butler and one the university should keep for years to come.

This connection does every day what the media makes a big deal of highlighting during the hype over a football game—how great it is that Butler students get involved in the city.

To be sure, there is a lesson in the Super Bowl hype. Indianapolis thrives when people get excited about its possibilities.

It is not that we shouldn’t be excited for all of the Butler students who volunteered at the NFL Player’s Party or who posted Facebook pictures of  their downtown celebrity sightings. However, I’m betting these people got more pats on the back and press in the last week than the staff or students at the Butler Volunteer Center have gotten in the last year.

Once the Super Bowl fuss is over, the fact that Butler students danced or participated in a Twitter campaign for Fallon to come back to Butler will not matter.

However to kids involved in the Shortridge partnership, Butler students’ involvement will matter.

There’s no glam or mass media appeal to regular old volunteering, but that doesn’t mean that we should care about it less.

The poorly- planned game could have raised more for charity.

Hopefully, Indianapolis can host a Super Bowl again in the near future so the Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XIV charitable basketball game can do a better job of getting its act together.

The Saturday event as a whole came off as if half of it was planned beforehand and the other half was made up on the fly, without much thought.

The fact that more people did not pack into Hinkle  to see the 2012 Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XIV charity basketball game is a shame.

The organizers missed an opportunity to market Saturday’s game to Butler University students who would be more than interested in seeing some of their favorite celebrities face off in nearby Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Stars like Terrell Owens, J. Cole and Dez Bryant were headlining the game, and the teams consisted of a good mix of people from big stars like Owens and Cole to locals such as Pastor Jeffrey Johnson, which gave the game a special connection to Indianapolis.

The addition of several dance performances by a local children’s dance group furthered that connection.

Other celebrities such as R&B singer Ciara and musician Stevie Wonder were also in attendance at the game.

The best part about the game is that it supported National Foster Care and American Foster Care—two charities that help thousands of children around the country annually.

Students and community members should have flocked to fill the fieldhouse to support charity and see the game—they didn’t.

A lack of advertising guarenteed a lower draw of Butler students and community members.

Even on Butler’s campus many students had no idea it was going on, even though all Butler students got half off for their tickets.

The marketing of the game to the greater community was poor as well.

I saw no TV commercials, and heard nothing on the radio about a game that was so star-studded.

The Butler Connection was the only formal advertising tool that I saw used for the game.

For an event that the people hosting tried to make so official and spectacular, they did not carry themselves that way.

Event coordinator Juli Jordan could not be reached before or after the game for a comment.

The event itself came across just as half-hearted.

Yes, they had notable celebrities participating or acting at the game, and they made an attempt to connect with the community by bringing in local faces, but they didn’t focus enough on the details like timing and accurate promotion.

The game was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but didn’t really get underway until 7:45.

Although there were plenty of stars at the game, I was anticipating a personal idol of mine, Rasheed Wallace, to participate, like the website advertised that he would.

The game itself could also have been constructed to be more interesting.

The more than 30-point blowout was dull and painful at times to watch.

Seeing Luis Da Silva, a popular streetballer, horribly miss layups and UFC star Chris Lytle turn the ball over to give Dez Bryant another three-pionter or a fast break dunk got old quickly.

Judging the talent of each individual celebrity is probably difficult, but the group organizing the event could have done a much better job picking the teams.

The winning team had two professional athletes and two former NCAA Division I athletes, while the other team had a retired NBA star leading the team.

While the money went to a worthwhile cause, and it was mostly enjoyable, the management and organization was lacking, and the event could have made a bigger splash.

Photo courtesy of MCT

Did you see any familiar faces during the Super Bowl Halftime show on Sunday?

Besides Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green, M.I.A. and the boys from LMFAO, of course.

About 20 students from the Jordan College of Fine Arts were a part of the 200-voice choir that accompanied the “Queen of Pop.”

The choir also included students from Indiana University, members of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and other local singers.

Barred from discussing the details of the show by confidentiality agreements, the group rehearsed in secret throughout Indianapolis preparing for the 12-and-a-half minute set.

When it came time to face the almost 70,000 people in Lucas Oil Stadium, sophomore Molly Anderson said that she was ready.

“The fact that I was so excited outweighed everything else,” Anderson said.

Whether you loved the halftime show or not, it was a capstone to a week of parties, zip-lines and giant Lombardi trophies.

It was  a week that highlighted the Butler community and found students, staff and a certain four-legged mascot brushing shoulders with fame at every corner.

Once Jimmy Fallon saw Butler University’s flash mob YouTube video, he said he couldn’t wait to visit during his week-long visit to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. Before delivering a hilarious two-hour show on Sunday, Fallon sat down with The Collegian to discuss bulldogs, Steak ‘n Shake and traveling with his show for the very first time. Unfortunately, he didn’t mention his surprise campus visit to Schwitzer Hall and Atherton Union that he made on Monday night.

Collegian: Did you see the flash mob or any of the Butler tweets? Did that influence you to come?
Jimmy Fallon: I absolutely saw the flash mob. It was amazing. The “Jimmy Back to Butler” campaign was getting some steam. I saw it on Twitter and remember thinking like, that’s awesome, because we’re going out there.

Then I saw the link to the YouTube video, and that was the one that really floored me. I couldn’t believe it. It was one of the coolest things. Everyone doing the Jimmy Fallon dip, and you had the mascot out there. It was so positive and so cool. So much hard work went into that. So it made me call up the school and go, “Hey, how do we set this up?” Literally, this is our only night off while we’re out here in Indianapolis, so I was like, “We’re ready to play, if you guys are ready to play.” We talked to the school, and they were great with setting it up, and now, here we are.

We were running around today; I probably still have makeup on because I was dressed as a woman. The “Real Housewives of Late Night” come to Indy for the Super Bowl: that’s one of the sketches we’re doing. I don’t want to give that many spoilers away, but five or six Colts are doing it as well. They play their wives. It’s really awkward. They’re not good actors, but they’re really funny. It’s very, very good. Some of them are good actors, actually. You’ll see it on Thursday night. It’s definitely something I don’t think Colts fans have ever seen.

This is our first time on the road and first time doing a live show. We’re psyched to come to Indianapolis. We wanted to come with our guns blazing, you know.

On Super Bowl Sunday, we’re doing a live show, our first ever. And so, we’re going to do a spoof of what could have been the the half time show. We’re going to imitate LMFAO, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Bruno Mars. I don’t know who else. There’s so many. I’m blanking out. It’s pretty silly. It’ll be fun. That’s Sunday night.

We’re going to do a musical opening of the show with Butler students too. And we’re getting Blue Two. He’s got a lot of followers on Twitter. He’s a very popular dog. He couldn’t make it tonight. He’s too busy. He’s got a previous engagement.

Collegian: How long have you been here? What have you done so far?

Jimmy Fallon: I’ve been here two days. It’s gorgeous. We’ve been all over the place, shot last night on the streets. We’re redoing the opening of the show. Normally, it’s me running through the streets of New York City. Now, it’s me running through the streets of Indianapolis. We got a lot of great shots of the streets and we saw some kids—gotta have love for IUPUI. They’re people too, so some of them are in the opening. We also got to go to Lucas Oil Stadium last night. We got to go out on the field. It was pretty insane. It’s a gorgeous stadium. It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it. Did a lot of running though there—I think I ran 700 yards. I was hurting last night.

We were also at the Circle and saw the monuments. We tried to squeeze in all we possibly could. We’re going to the race track tomorrow and doing a head swap, which involves switching people’s heads on their bodies. This one’s pretty crazy. It involves kidnapping Bob Costas. Marco Andretti is going to help us out with that, get a real Indy driver.

Collegian: What’s going to be different about the show?

Jimmy Fallon: Well, the opening is a love letter to Indy. The Super Bowl Village is just packed with people. There really is no option but to stay there. That’s where everything is. It’s great, but it was hard getting footage and running around with cameras. But really, it turned out great. Everyone is in great spirits. It feels like you guys have done this before, even though you haven’t.

It’s fun because everyone has really come together [on the show]. It’s like camp, because we’re like strangers here, and we know New York like the back of our hand. Usually, we’ll just meet up, but now we’re like “Hey, where are you going for dinner? Oh, where are you going for breakfast? Are you awake yet? Are you asleep yet?’”

Everyone has been so hospitable and so nice, giving us recommendations for restaurants, bars, for anything we want to see. Mug-n-Bun has come up a couple times. We’ve been to Steak ‘n Shake and St. Elmo’s. We had the shrimp cocktail.

One of my producers was like, “It wasn’t that hot.” I sat there just waiting for him to take a second bite, because clearly he didn’t do it right. Then he started coughing. It was addictive pain. It hurts, but I want one more!

Collegian: Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl?

Jimmy Fallon: I’m from New York, so the Giants. I’m actually a Jets fan, so you go with the Jets as far as they can, then root for the Giants.

Really, this is being nerdy, but I just want a good, close game, because then, people won’t tune out of the Super Bowl. They’ll keep their eyes glued to the TV, and then, we get good ratings.

Collegian: Final question: Who would win in a fight—you, Conan, Stewart or Colbert?

Jimmy Fallon: I’m a lover, not a fighter. But if they asked, I wouldn’t be opposed to a four-way.

Be sure to catch “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” all this week at 12:35 a.m. on NBC for his special Indianapolis episodes.

The show will be taped at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, located downtown.

Indianapolis is about to become the United States’ biggest all-ages playground.

This week and next, expect the city to explode with parties, zip-lining, celebrities, concerts and sheer excitement.

As usual, Butler University students are right in the midst of it all, volunteering for events like the NFL Players’ Party or working at the NFL Experience.

“The week and a half that I’ll be working will be super chaotic but completely worth it to have such a unique experience,” said Taylor Staniszeski, a junior speech pathology major.

Staniszeski will be working at the NFL Experience for A+ Student Staffing, a company that specifically hires college students for big-time athletic events.

Other students are volunteering at specific events such as the NFL Players’ Party. The aunt of Alyssa Vahala, a senior physician assistant major, owns the catering company for the dinner. Extra help was needed, so many of Vahala’s fellow classmates will refill drinks and offer appetizers to some of the biggest names in football.

Erica Grabinski, a senior biology and Spanish major, is one of the lucky ones and said she can’t wait to hopefully meet some NFL players, although she’s mostly just excited to be part of such an awesome experience.

Alex Jennings and Hannah Townsend, both sophomores, will be having awesome experiences of their own, helping out 1iota fill concerts.

1iota is a company that helps fill audiences and events with enthusiastic fans. Jennings and Townsend both heard about the opportunity to receive free concert tickets over their sorority listserv if they would be an upbeat audience member for the cameras.

They’ll be attending the NFL Awards Show with Lenny Kravitz, a Vh1 concert with the All American Rejects, B.o.B. and Gym Class Heroes and more with other sorority sisters.

Townsend said they jumped on the opportunity for free concert tickets and a great way to experience the Super Bowl.

Concerts are not the only major event going on for the next week. The list of events for the Super Bowl is enough to make heads spin.

While the $1,000-ish a ticket Rolling Stone Bacardi party and the invite-only Playboy party sound tempting, the downtown is offering much more for small-budget college students who want to enjoy the fun without severely hurting their wallet.

Thankfully there are many things for students to explore—if they’re willing to sit in traffic with the entire East Coast.

Beside the huge Roman numerals being installed in the circle today—as is typical in every town that holds the Super Bowl—the circle will also contain up to 12 food trucks per day. All trucks will have extended hours for the week.

Right next to the circle, Circle Centre Mall will open a club and entertainment area called The Huddle in what used to be Nordstrom’s.

During the day, admission will be free and the Huddle will host live WISH-TV broadcasts, the Bob & Tom Show live in the morning, the End Zone Beer Garden and more. At night, the Huddle After Hours Club will open within The Huddle for what’s being called an “affordable” price, although the price has yet to be announced.

And, of course, there is the NFL Experience, which starts this Friday. Tickets are $25 per day.

Anyone going downtown now will see the construction being added to the front of the Convention Center for the Experience.

Appearances by famous athletes are practically a given, especially with free autograph sessions. Also expect  games, displays, merchandise and the largest football memorabilia show ever, according to the Experience’s website.

The Super Bowl Village will be its own event as well. Taking up all of Georgia Street, the village will feature the best of having the Super Bowl in town. Making top news is the street-long zip line. Patrons can zoom along at seven stories high, seeing a good portion of downtown in a new way. Tickets were $10, but all pre-sale tickets are now sold out. However, tickets will be available once the village  opens Jan. 27. Access into the village itself is free.

As if that wasn’t enough, there are concerts. And more concerts. And just a few more.

To name a few musicians who will grace the city: Bret Michaels, the Max Allen Band, Indiana native Jon McLaughlin, Fuel, Snoop Dogg, Edwin McCain, Darius Rucker, 50 Cent, Lil’ Jon, Pitbull, LMFAO, Umphrey’s McGee, O.A.R. and The Fray.

While most of them will be performing on Georgia Street in the Super Bowl Village, some will be at various events. For example, 50 Cent, Pitbull and Lil’ Jon will perform at the “Bud Light Hotel,” formerly known as the Hampton Inn on South Meridian Street. That same hotel will also host the Playboy Party and a Tailgate Party with the Barenaked Ladies.

For natives too mainstream for the rest of the events, Sun King Brewing has them covered. Their “Local Underground Tent” will offer food from Chef JJ’s Big Green Bistro, a beer bar, live music and a heated tent.

Also, hometown favorites like the Children’s Museum, White Rabbit Cabaret, Scotty’s Brewhouse and the Indianapolis Museum of Art are kicking up their game for the week, so be sure not to forget.

Confused about where to start? No worries. Indianapolis Downtown’s website (indydt.com) has a full list of events and even a free app for iPhones or Androids to figure out details.

This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the madness of a Super Bowl in your hometown. Venture out of the bubble with your fellow classmates to enjoy every minute of it.

BRINGING IT TO CAMPUS
Downtown isn’t the only place that gets all the fun though. See below for the special Super Bowl events that will be coming straight to campus.

13th NFL Super Bowl Gospel Celebration
Clowes Memorial Hall
Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.

Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XIV
Feb. 4, 7 p.m. tipoff
Hinkle Fieldhouse
Headliners this year include Colts players Reggie Wayne and Antoine Bethea and former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens.

Shaquille O’Neal’s All-Star Comedy Jam
Clowes Memorial Hall
Feb. 4, 9 p.m.

Cleveland State coach Gary Waters said his team needed an act of God to help it win in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Vikings entered Friday’s Horizon League showdown just 2-17 all-time on the home floor of Butler’s men’s basketball team.

Waters got what he wanted.

Behind 18 points from senior point guard Jeremy Montgomery, Cleveland State used strong defense and rebounding to hold off a late Bulldogs rally.

Cleveland State won 76-69.

The Vikings (15-3, 5-1) won for the 10^th time in their last 12 games.  Using four seniors in the starting lineup, Cleveland State knocked off a younger version of the Bulldogs, who had won five straight in the series.

“They’re very old,” Butler coach Brad Stevens said. “That maturity played out well.”

Butler (9-9, 3-3) lost its second consecutive game, still struggling to find answers with a new-look roster.

“You don’t have Matt Howard, it’s a whole different ballgame,” Waters said, referring to the former Butler star who graduated last May.

Junior center Andrew Smith scored 13 points for the Bulldogs, with senior point guard Ronald Nored and junior guard Chase Stigall each contributing 12.

A season-long ailment, foul shooting, troubled Butler once again.  The Bulldogs missed 17 free throws despite attempting a season-high 42.  They entered the night ranked 325^th in free-throw percentage (60.8) out of 344 Division I teams.

“Everybody’s talking to them about it,” Stevens said. “You’ve got to dig deep, take a deep breath. It’s just you and the basket.”

Butler trailed 64-54 with 4:31 remaining.  The closest the Bulldogs came to evening the score was a banked-in 3 by Nored that made it 72-69 with 20 seconds to go.

Senior guard Trevon Harmon, who finished with 12 points, subsequently connected on two foul shots to give the Vikings a five-point lead and put the game out of reach.

Butler struggled from the field (40.5 percent), was outrebounded 31-24 and was outscored 28-12 in the paint.

“They physically outdid us inside the 3-point line,” Stevens said.

The Vikings put Butler in a big hole early. Freshman forward Anton Grady’s putback gave Cleveland State a 20-4 lead with just more than seven minutes gone by in the first half.

The Bulldogs gradually fought back by hitting six 3’s. Smith nailed the last of those, a shot from the top of the key to bring Butler within 35-33 at halftime.

Much of the Bulldogs’ early offense centered upon jump shots, perhaps a result of Waters’ defensive plan to stop Smith in the post.

“We were swarming that basketball, making them kick it out,” Waters said.

Cleveland State played a physical brand of defense.  The Vikings were whistled for 15 fouls in the first half, then committed nine more fouls in the first nine minutes of the second.

Peeved at the disparity, however, Waters yelled at an official standing at his side, earning a technical foul.

“Those guys will try to punch and fight and scratch,” Montgomery said. “We wanted to punch back.”

Butler felt the brunt of two fouls labeled Flagrant 1’s.  The second was particularly rough and sent sophomore forward Kyle Marshall sprawling to the floor with 7:04 to play after a midair collision with Harmon.

Stevens started Marshall for the first time since Nov. 23. Marshall added 11 points and blocked two shots.

The Vikings frequently made use of the dribble in this one, driving past Butler’s defenders to shoot 48.1 percent.

Cleveland State’s bigs did much of the damage.  Junior forward Tim Kamczyc had 17 points, senior center Aaron Pogue had eight, and Grady finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

But it was Montgomery who carried the day, scoring 16 points after halftime.

“We did a great job in the first half,” Nored said. “If you let your guard down for just a second, he’s that kind of player.”

Butler recovered from a 16-point deficit to lead 41-40 with 16:27 to play.  The Bulldogs lost that lead on the next possession and trailed the rest of the way as Montgomery got hot.

“We’ve got to play better,” Nored said. “We have to start [games] better. It’s obvious how good this league is.”

One positive for the Bulldogs was their improved ball movement.  Butler assisted on 14 of its 17 field goals, including a pretty lob from sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins to Marshall for a soaring dunk.

But another loss, coupled with the sounds of a red-hot Cleveland State team joyously shouting through the hallways of Hinkle, have left doubt as to whether Butler can win the league tournament for a third consecutive season.

“That was an unbelievable two years,” Waters said. “The intensity and how hard [the 2011-’12 team] played [Friday] was similar. Brad’s going to get them going, no question in my mind.”

Butler next plays Sunday at home against Youngstown State.  Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.