The Butler men’s basketball team is back on the road at Atlantic 10 Conference foe Saint Louis.

The Billikens are 14-5 overall and have a 3-2 record in the A-10.

Saint Louis is tied with Massachusetts for third in the conference.

Senior forward Cody Ellis leads the Billikens in scoring with 11.2 points per game.

Saint Louis advanced to the second round of last season’s NCAA tournament.

Tip off is set for 9 p.m. tomorrow.

The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Bulldogs (17-3, 4-1) remain in the Top 10 in both major polls this week.

The Associated Press has Butler placed ninth in its Top 25 for the second straight week.

The USA Today Coaches Poll has the Bulldogs slotted at 10th in this week’s rankings.

The question still lingers as to why Butler University made the decision to move to the Atlantic 10 conference a year earlier than planned, regardless of whether it was for the best.
President Jim Danko announced on May 2 that Butler was moving to the A-10 from the Horizon League.
“We considered many aspects and came to the conclusion that this was the best move for the athletic program and the university as whole,” Danko said.
Just a month after the initial announcement, the decision was made to switch conferences immediately, rather than wait until the 2013-14 academic year like originally planned.
“When you decide to leave for another conference, you obviously think that’s a benefit to you, and this way we are only benefitting a year early,” athletic director Barry Collier said.
The fact remains that the decision was made quickly–a month after the initial decision to play an additional season in the Horizon League before moving.
Virginia Commonwealth, or VCU as it is more commonly referred to, was in a similar situation.
VCU announced it was moving from the Colonial Athletic Association to the A-10 just two weeks after Butler did.
The university petitioned for early entrance into the conference as result of a CAA bylaw that would prohibit any Ram’s sport from participating in conference championships.
This could potentially hinder VCU’s chances of appearing in the NCAA tournaments, which was a concern, considering its men’s basketball team has played in four of the last six NCAA tournaments, including five since 2004.
There was speculation from a source with knowledge of the situation that Butler would have faced similar penalties.
However, a contractual agreement between Butler and the Horizon League prevents details of the exit from being revealed.
After the announcement was made last May, Horizon League commissioner John LeCrone said that the league does not have a bylaw preventing a departing member from competing in conference championships like the CAA does.
President Jim Danko did hint, however, that other Horizon League presidents wanted an immediate departure.
“I don’t think the presidents wanted us to have a swan song in their arenas,” Danko said. “It was like a divorce—the quicker we get out of the house, the better.”
Bill Benner, senior associate commissioner for external affairs for the Horizon League, had no further comments regarding the move, citing the agreement between the league and Butler to keep any information confidential.
Butler had been a member of the Horizon League since 1979. The league was previously known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and the Midwestern City Conference prior to that.
Collier said that both parties had discussions about what would be best for everyone and that the decision was made to separate immediately.
A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade said Butler contacted the A-10 with a petition for early entrance.
“We were made aware of a challenging situation that would have made it difficult (for Butler) to remain in the current conference,” McGlade said.
McGlade said she could not comment on the specifics of the situation.
“The unexpected circumstances that precipitated Butler’s request to move immediately were unfortunate, but the decision to accept Butler was an easy and unanimous one,” McGlade said.
The relationship between Butler and the Horizon League will continue, however.
There is a chance that Butler fans could still see rivalry games being played between Butler and members of the league.
“We are open to the possibility of continually scheduling those teams, but there is no formal agreement between us,” Collier said.
All Butler teams will begin competing immediately in the A-10 with the exceptions of football, which is remaining in the Pioneer Football League, and women’s golf, which will participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Photo by Rachel Senn

The immature actions of the Dawg Pound deteriorates the value of the “Butler Way;” but the good they do off the court gives me hope that they can turn it around in time for the post season.

The Dawg Pound is one of the most underappreciated groups on campus. On a national stage they represent Butler University. Everyone knows how good the basketball program is, but a lot of schools have good teams with contradictory student bodies.

A lot of the cheers are dumb and ironically offend other teams as well as our own. For example we insult a player from Australia when we have a native of Australia on our team. Although Xavier fans traveled well from my seat in the middle rows the game felt like it was at a neutral site.

I hope that the Dawg Pound stays passionate but does not stoop to the level to where not only do opposing players flip them the bird but the rest of society who interacts with the Dawg Pound doesn’t either.

This group does many things that go unnoticed and unappreciated. The most impactful thing they have done was support “Coaches v.s. Cancer” by buying shirts with the proceeds supporting cancer research.

This hit home because the women’s basketball coach, Beth Couture underwent a previous battle with cancer.

The conscious effort to support the women’s basketball team, who has a much smaller fan base, is another good deed that shows a better side of the Dawg Pound.

The group that began 10 years  ago as a way to boost attendance at games has blossomed into something much bigger.

Although the 950 members is a fraction of the student population, they represent Butler on a larger scale. The activities they do and the way they conduct themselves portrays the school in a positive or negative light.

This is just one example of how the Dawg Pound spreads the “Butler Way.” With the success of our basketball team the Dawg Pound is Butler’s best promotional tool. When the team travels Butler is judged on the way its fans conduct themselves.

Most tournament games are on national TV so the only thing the rest of the country knows about Butler students is what they see out of the Dawg Pound.

In Butler’s last two NCAA tournament appearances, Butler fans impressed opponents and host city residents with courtesy and respect.

With the postseason tournaments approaching, whether it is the NCAA tournament or one less prestigious, the Dawg Pound must mature up and realize they are the face of Butler and must show the country the “Butler Way.”

Butler and Purdue University have confirmed what The Collegian Online reported last weekend—Butler men’s basketball assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry is now an assistant at Purdue.

The former Butler assistant, who helped the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship appearances, officially started his tenure with Purdue head coach Matt Painter’s staff this week.

Shrewsberry spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs after serving one season as Butler’s Coordinator of Basketball Operations.

During his time as an assistant at Butler, the team compiled an 87-21 record, won three Horizon League regular season championships, captured two Horizon League tournament titles, made three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and posted back-to-back national runner-up finishes.

“[Shrewsberry] has had a terrific impact on our program during his four years here and we’re very appreciative of all that he’s done,” Butler head coach Brad Stevens said. “As a coach, it’s always bittersweet to lose someone from your staff, but we’re excited that [Shrewsberry] has the chance to pursue another good opportunity with really good people.

“We want to wish him and his family all of the best.”

Shrewsberry came to Butler after serving as head coach at IU-South Bend for two seasons. He was named the first full-time men’s basketball coach at the NAIA Division I school in 2005.

A graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in Hanover, Ind., Shrewsberry began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Indianapolis in 1999.

Butler University junior guard Shelvin Mack has made himself eligible for the 2011 National Basketball Association Draft. He has not hired an agent and may therefore retain his eligibility if he withdraws before May 8.

“I’m exploring my options and gathering information to see what opportunities might exist for me,” Mack said. “I’ve always had a dream to play in the NBA, and I want to make an informed decision on that possiblity.”

Mack, who started all but the “Senior Day” game this past season, led the Bulldogs in assists (131), and was Butler’s second-leading scorer in the 2010-11 season, with 16.0 points per game.

Mack overachieved in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, though, averaging 20.3 points in Butler’s six NCAA tournament games. He scored 30 points in Butler’s victory over No. 1 seed Pittsburgh and 27 in the Regional Final win against No. 2 seed Florida.

Mack was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Southeast Regional after the first four NCAA tournament games, and he was named to his second-consecutive All-Tournament Team at the Final Four.

“It’s really exciting any time you have a player and person of Mack’s caliber in a position where we can do the research on what his NBA opportunities might be,” Butler head coach Brad Stevens said. “We look forward to helping him through every step of this process and gathering information to help him with his decision.”

Mack is currently 11th on Butler’s all-time scoring list with 1,527 points, which is four points behind Wayne Burris (1973-77).

Mack is Butler’s second-consecutive underclassman to declare for the NBA Draft and second in the school’s history.

The first was Gordon Hayward, who was selected No. 9 overall by the Utah Jazz in last year’s NBA Draft.

By Kate Siegfried and Jill McCarter

Butler University is still reaping the benefits from last year’s run in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and is looking forward to receiving the numbers for this year.

Results from a study completed by media firms Borshoff and Meltwater show that the university earned more than $639 million in publicity value during last year’s tournament.

The numbers reflect publicity received through online, broadcast and print media.

About one-sixth of that value came from the National Championship game alone.

“This money is not just given to the university,” Athletic Director Barry Collier said. “The basketball team had to earn it for us.”

And while the value isn’t tangible, Collier said there are many advantages to having that amount of exposure.

Increases in ticket sales, licensing fees, bookstore sales, donations and applications can be, in part, attributed to the exposure received from last year’s tournament.

Charitable giving and donations to the athletic department have reached an all-time high and continue to increase.

Vice President for University Advancement Mark Helmus has overseen successful athletic-themed fundraising campaigns in the past two years during and following the tournament. Last year’s campaign set a record for alumni donations, raising more than $100,000.

Helmus is currently planning a similar campaign for this year, and said he expects similar results.

“You can’t tie it all to the tournament,” Helmus said. “But I do think this type of thing really increases the feel-good attitude of alumni and increases their pride in the university.”

The increases in donations were primarily from individuals, while corporate giving didn’t necessarily reflect the increased exposure.

Current students are already seeing the effects from last year, Helmus said. Money has gone towards the university’s general operating fund, which funds everything from student life activities, to classroom materials, to building and renovation costs.

“Very rarely in fundraising do you really see a home run,” Helmus said. “Last year, we really raised the bar on our expectations, so we’re hoping for two in a row.”

Butler isn’t the only school feeling the effects of the tournament.

All Horizon League schools receive money from Butler’s Final Four trip. Associate Athletic Director for Operations Tom Crowley said that the league splits the money received from the NCAA evenly among all 10 members.

Because last year’s study was completed after the tournament, Collier said some things could have been missed in the numbers. To get a more accurate value, this year’s study was conducted in real time.

Numbers should be released in the coming months.

Butler Blue II became a media sensation at last year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four, and this year, his stardom rose to a whole new level.

“It’s come on a lot sooner this year and the level of intensity and interest has risen,” Michael Kaltenmark, Blue’s handler, said. “Last year, there wasn’t much attention until the Final Four.

“This year, it started right away, even before the opening round.”

During the 2010 tournament, Blue enjoyed the spotlight with pictures on ESPN.com and an appearance on the CBS Sports Pregame show.

This year, Blue’s photos showed up everywhere, from the Washington Post to TMZ.

During last year’s tournament, Blue enjoyed the spa treatment at his local Indy hangouts like Good Dog Hotel and Spa in Broad Ripple.

This year, he enjoyed spa treatment at the InterContinental Houston Near the Galleria where he was pampered with a massage, alongside a model for College X on Fox Sports. He even had a martini named after him.

Yes, if Blue was living the good life last year, this year, it got even better.

It all seemed to start with the #freebutlerblue2 hashtag on Twitter, started by @ButlerVictory, Kaltenmark said.

The hashtag was meant to “free” Blue from NCAA rules that prohibited him from appearing at any of Butler’s tournament games prior to the Final Four.

“We knew we probably wouldn’t be able to attend, but we decided to try, and when the media and fans found out, they weren’t happy,” Kaltenmark said. “I talked to the NCAA to make sure they knew it was all in good spirit, and we decided to have a little fun with it.”

ESPN’s Kenny Mayne filmed “Butler’s Reign of Terror” at Hinkle Fieldhouse, a satirical piece on Blue and his NCAA tournament appearances.

“Last year it was one week of madness,” Kaltenmark said. “This year, it has been more than three weeks of madness.”

There were columns in major national newspapers. There was an appearance by Kaltenmark and Blue on ESPN’s “First Take” during the opening rounds. There were multiple local TV appearances and a second straight appearance on the CBS Sports Pregame show.

“We weren’t doing shows and appearances like that last year,” Kaltenmark said. “This year we’re on national news the first week.”

Beyond the mainstream media, Blue’s Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube sites, all run by Kaltenmark, exploded with visitors.

On April 3, Blue’s Flickr account hit an all-time high with 82,655 views of his photos from Houston.

Previously never eclipsing the 1,000- to 2,000-view mark, Blue’s Flickr page averaged no less than 12,000 views a day since last week. A photo of Blue “lifting his leg” on a blow-up Wisconsin Badger received more than 20,000 hits alone.

Printable masks of Blue have all exceeded 10,000 hits a piece.

“It’s crazy,” Kaltenmark said. “It’s absolutely unbelievable.

“I think it shows that of all the schools, Butler has really utilized its live mascot and the use of social media to promote the university.”

After last year’s Final Four, the number of Blue’s Twitter followers had just exceeded 1,000. He’s added five times as many new followers since the 2011 tournament began. Between March 28 and April 5, Blue went from about 4,000 followers to 6,082.

“Blue’s really dynamic and engaging on Twitter, so people tend to interact with him more,” Kaltenmark said. “If I don’t check his mentions for an hour, I’ll come back to 30 to 50 mentions.”

A Youtube video featuring Blue, costumed mascot Hink and unofficial Butler basketball mascot Ron5 Robot, has earned more than 15,000 views since posted three weeks ago.

Each video posted of Blue devouring opponent-shaped doggy cookies has earned more than 1,000 views since they were posted.

“I just think that this is our time and we have to take advantage of it,” Kaltenmark said. “I think we’re kicking [the other Final Four schools’] butt on social media.

“It also worked to draw attention away from Brad [Stevens] and the team, which I think they appreciate.

“It’s a beautiful thing.”

And while TMZ may have been the craziest request Kaltenmark has had for Blue, he’s happy he has received all the attention.

“TMZ was crazy,” he said. “I never in my life thought TMZ would contact me about Blue.

“We’ve just had so much fun with it all. This is what Blue was born to do, and we’ve enjoyed the ride.”

In light of the recent success of the Butler men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, the Butler community, as well as Indianapolis, has grown closer. We have all utilized the team’s success as a reason to unite as we cheer “our team” on to victory. It is a unique experience to see an entire city unite over a simple sport and a simple team.

At the beginning of the tournament, different Indiana residents were cheering for different teams. But as the competitive field was narrowed, the view was narrowed onto Butler.

Although it’s been said that many fans are jumping on the “band wagon,” I think it is so much more than that. It stems from the fact that there is a team in the national spotlight who is representing our state and its residents. We are taking pride in that by supporting Butler throughout the remainder of the tournament.

This year, sportscasters around the nation have been asking, “Who’s the new Butler?” even though Butler is still in the spotlight from last year. I haven’t been able to understand why so many people insist that Butler has had its fifteen minutes of fame and will now slip into the shadows.

Butler making its way to the national championship game last year and this year was not a result of luck or coincidence—it was the result of hard work. While it is enjoyable to beat the odds and be labeled the underdog, it grows tiresome. Perhaps it is time for those who doubt us to accept the fact that Butler has a quality basketball program. I’m not asking for everyone to become instant Butler fans, but simply to respect the quality and talent that our team possesses.

As I drive through downtown Indianapolis and even to my hometown of Franklin, In., I spot people donning Butler t-shirts, hats and jackets. I drive past houses with signs in their front yards proclaiming “Go Dawgs.” I always take pride in seeing fellow residents cheer on Butler. Amidst all the hype of the tournament, conversation can be struck up with any stranger about Butler. It is the one topic of conversation that never grows tiresome.

Butler has repeatedly been referred to as “America’s Team” and it isn’t difficult to understand why.  Butler has captured hearts around the nation as well as the hearts of Indiana residents.

Butler is the small school that has for two consecutive years fought its way to the NCAA championship game. It is hard not to root for a team and university that is so small and is succeeding so immensely against powerhouses like Wisconsin, Florida and Pittsburgh.

Butler has the ability to inspire fans across the state and country, as well as energize the nation to cheer for a new team with passion and intensity. The excitement for Butler is definitely contagious as it spreads across our country, engulfing even the smallest cities and towns.

As the tournament nears its end, I take pride in knowing that Butler has made such a significant impact on the country and has united the city of Indianapolis through their victories and hard work on the court. Band wagon or not, it is hard to deny the energy and enthusiasm that accompanies the Butler Bulldogs.

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PHOTO GALLERY | Moment by moment of Butler vs. UConn

The Butler men’s basketball team was the victim of its own demise in Monday night’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, making them the fourth team in NCAA history to lose consecutive title games.

The Bulldogs’ worst shooting performance of the season came against the No. 3-seed Connecticut Huskies, who defeated the Bulldogs, 53-41, in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

Butler head coach Brad Stevens said on Sunday that Butler would have a shot to win if they played their best.

There was no shot to win in the end, as the Bulldogs played from behind for more than the final 18 minutes and never found a breakthrough moment or spark.

“We weren’t getting the loose balls initially, and that carried into the second half,” senior forward Matt Howard said.

Junior guard Ronald Nored repeated those words, saying that not getting the 50-50 balls was the difference in the game.

Butler shot 18.8 percent from the field—the worst ever in an NCAA championship game—and was unable to use rebounding or defense to overcome their poor shooting performance.

Whenever Butler got a stop on the defensive end, offensive plays rarely came to fruition.

Stevens said it was painful to watch the guys he cares about struggle in their biggest game.

“I told them I don’t care if they make shots and don’t love them any less because we lost,” he said. “You’re not always going to make shots, which is part of the game.

“Very rarely will you go 12-of-64, but UConn had a lot to do with that. The credit deserves to go to them.”

There may have been hope at halftime, when Butler led 22-19 despite shooting 22.2 percent from the field, but that hope quickly dissipated when it was clear Butler could not score in the paint and shot 16.2 percent in the second half.

“We kept feeling the shots would go down—that’s the belief we had,” Howard said. “It just wasn’t happening.”

Howard went 1-for-13 from the field, finishing with seven points and six rebounds.

“I wish I was able to give a little bit more to my team,” Howard said. “It was just one of those days, and it’s really frustrating now looking back at it, realizing we had our chances.”

Sophomore center Andrew Smith said it was awful watching Howard struggle to score.

“When you see a player like that, who’s had such a good career end like that,” Smith said. “He played as hard as he could and no one blames him for anything. Unfortunately, just like everybody else, he couldn’t put the ball in the hole.

“He’s played his heart out his entire career at Butler—something I’ve learned from him and will do in the future. He’s offered priceless stuff to this university.”

Junior guard Shelvin Mack—the only Bulldog to score in double-digits with 13 points—said he too was frustrated.

“We’re all upset about the game tonight,” he said. “We had chances and opportunities, and we let them slip away by not being solid.”

Mack was 4-of-15 from the field, with all four buckets coming from behind the arc.

“They’re a great defensive team,” Mack said. “They were tough and contested every shot we took—contested shots that people normally wouldn’t be able to contest.”

The defense was so tough that shortly after Butler made its 10th field goal of the game, UConn had its 10th block of the game.

Howard, along with fellow seniors Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, finished their Butler careers with a combined 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Walk-on seniors Alex Anglin and Grant Leiendecker round out the five not returning next season.

“The seniors losing was the worst part about it,” Smith said. “To go out on a win with them would have been the most unbelievable thing because of everything they’ve offered to the university.

“Seeing them cry is hard to watch.”

Stevens, whose 117-25 record is the best four-year coaching start in NCAA history, said the emotions in the locker room were a true sign of Butler’s family bond.

“It’s a real locker room when the freshmen are crying,” Stevens said. “They’ve got three more years to play, but they are feeling for the seniors.”

Howard said he feels fortunate to have been a part of the senior class.

“This group has been able to do something that we’ve never done before,” he said. “It’s hard to put that into words right now because we wanted more, but maybe at some point, I can look back and be proud of what this group has accomplished.”

Sophomore guard Chase Stigall, who made three 3-pointers in the game, said he was already proud of the departing senior class.

“I know we’re going to be lifelong friends,” he said. “They’re going to go down as one of the best senior classes in Butler history, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of these two years with them.

“We’ve lost five brothers today.”

Vanzant said he gave credit to UConn for their performance and that the loss hurt.

“I’ll remember being around [my teammates], the coaches and just being a part of this team,” he said.

Vanzant and Hahn both said the group was a special and unique one.

“This group of guys really believed in each other,” Hahn said. “That’s what made it so special, and I’m just proud.”