Sources have reported that former Butler associate head coach Matthew Graves will be adding two former Bulldogs to his staff at South Alabama.

The Indianapolis Star, WISH-TV and Fox 59 have reported that former Bulldogs guard Ronald Nored and coordinator of basketball operations Darnell Archey will be joining Graves at South Alabama.

Former Butler guard Brandon Miller will also reportedly be rejoining Stevens’ coaching staff.

Miller played for Butler from 2001 to 2003 after transferring from Southwest Missouri State in 1999 when he helped lead the Bears to the Sweet 16.

After sitting out the 1999-2000 season, Miller scored 1,121 points in his three seasons with the Bulldogs that culminated with a stellar senior season.

Archey and Miller were seniors on the 2003 Butler squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

Miller served as a special assistant to Illinois University coach John Groce this season after having previously worked under former Butler coach Thad Matta at Xavier and Ohio State.

Miller previously worked with Stevens as an assistant coach at Butler during the 2007-08 season.

Nored, a Homewood, Ala., native, served as Brownsburg High School’s boys basketball coach this season.

Meanwhile, Butler fans can breathe easy, as Stevens is not leaving Butler.

It had been rumored last week that UCLA had Stevens at the top of its list of coaches to replace the fired Ben Howland.

Howland was let go last Monday after a 10-season run with the Bruins that included three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008.

UCLA instead named University of New Mexico coach Steve Alford to the position Saturday.

Senior center Andrew Smith of the men’s basketball team has been named one of 10 finalists for the sport’s 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award.

The award is given to seniors who have excelled in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.

The acronym CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

Smith said Butler has equipped him well in balancing classwork and basketball.

“It really helps for me to go to a school like Butler,” Smith said. “They just kind of set you up for success in the classroom and on the court as well.”

Smith is a finance major and carries a 3.55 grade point average as an honor student.

“It’s all about time management,” Smith said. “Fortunately, we have guys like Matt Howard. He was a finance major as well.

“He kind of took me under his wing and kind of gave me the ability to help me with what classes to take and teachers to take, and he really helped me manage my time and figure out how to be a successful student-athlete.”

Smith was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District V Team last month and has previously been named to the Butler Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.

Coach Brad Stevens said the Senior CLASS Award ranks among the highest honors a college player can receive.

“As a senior, to me, there are probably two recognitions that you can really look at nationally that are ones that we really value,”  Stevens said. “That’s being named one of the Senior CLASS finalists because of all that it entails when it considers and takes into account character and community service, and certainly academic achievement and achievement on the court.”

This is the third consecutive season a Butler player has been a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.

Smith joins former Bulldogs Howard—a finalist in 2011—and Ronald Nored (2012) as finalists for the award.

“It means a lot to me to be in the same category as them as far as this award, and I’m glad to be able to represent Butler and this team,” Smith said.

Stevens said it has not been tough to bring in players that are just as talented academically as they are athletically.

“I don’t think that’s the difficult part,” Stevens said. “These guys are ambitious guys. They want to do well on and off the court.
“Andrew’s always been a good student and certainly has really found his niche in the School of Business and what he wants to do after school is over and after his playing career is over.”

Voting is underway, and fans can vote on the Senior CLASS Award website or the Senior CLASS Award Facebook page until March 25.

Fan voting makes up one-third of the total vote.  NCAA Division I coaches and national media account for the remaining two-thirds.

The winner of the Senior CLASS Award will be revealed at this year’s Final Four in Atlanta in April.

Junior guard Chrishawn Hopkins was dismissed from the Butler men’s basketball team, according to a statement released by the athletics department last Wednesday.

“I am sorry to have to announce that Chrishawn Hopkins has been dismissed from our team,” coach Brad Stevens said in the release. “We consider it a privilege to represent Butler University as a member of our team. With that privilege comes a requirement and responsibility to meet the standard of our team rules.

“Dismissal is the consequence of failure to do so.”

Stevens did not say which rule Hopkins violated.

Hopkins’ family also released a statement on Wednesday shortly after Stevens’ statement was released.

“It’s with extreme regret that we were informed today that Chrishawn was released from the Butler men’s basketball program,” the statement said. “His dismissal was due to a repeat violation of team rules and standards.”

The statement went on to thank the university for the opportunity Hopkins received at Butler, saying his mistakes “will not define who Chrishawn is as a person or a player.”

“On behalf of our family, we extend our deepest and sincerest apologies to everyone whom this impacts,” the statement said.

The Indianapolis Star has reported Hopkins has been suspended by the university and plans to transfer to another institution.

Hopkins did not return phone calls or emails from The Collegian.

Stevens was not available for comment to The Collegian.

Levester Johnson, vice president for student affairs, declined to comment on Hopkins’ status with the university.

Sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones said in a text message last Wednesday that the news was,“sad to hear.”

“He was like a brother to me and everybody else on the team,” Jones said. He will be greatly missed, but I know he will bounce back from this.”

On Sept. 14, Hopkins posted on Twitter, “Just hit me that I’m losing control over everything I love everything that makes my life complete all In a blink of an eye #gottagetitback.”

Current and former Butler players also took to Twitter last week to give their reactions to the news of Hopkins’ dismissal.

Former Butler player Garrett Butcher tweeted, “Very unfortunate news but mistakes don’t define a person. #unbelievable.”

Jones tweeted, “Is this real?”

Former Bulldog Ronald Nored tweeted, “Unbelievable.”

Hopkins averaged 9.1 points per game last season, starting 24 games for the Bulldogs.

As the spring sports season begins to wind down, many teams are already beginning to prepare for their next season.

The football team had its annual blue and white scrimmage, the men’s soccer team had its spring exhibition matches, and five teams have announced additions to their rosters for next year.

Let’s take a look forward and see how some of Butler’s teams will be changing for the 2012-13 school year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-15 record, averaging 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were ranked eighth and 10th in the Horizon League in those categories, respectively.

The team has a chance to improve with the additions of senior guard and transfer Rotnei Clarke and incoming freshman guard Kellen Dunham.

In three seasons at Arkansas, Clarke averaged more than 15 points per game and shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range.

Dunham averaged more than 29 points during his senior season at Pendleton Heights High School.

The Bulldogs will also be adding guard Devontae Morgan from Tampa, Fla., and guard Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos, Mich.

Morgan led his high school team to a state championship last season, averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds per game.

Harrison-Docks averaged 21 points and five steals per game in his senior season.

The team will lose only two players—guard Ronald Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butler will have to make up for the loss of Nored’s defensive prowess, as well as the experience and leadership provided by the pair.

Clarke and seniors Emerson Kampen, Chase Stigall and Andrew Smith will likely be asked to step up and fill those roles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team concluded its 2011-12 season with a 13-17 record and said goodbye to two senior guards—Devin Brierly and Kaley May.

Brierly was the only Bulldog to start in all 30 of the team’s games. She recorded more than 32 minutes of playing time per game, averaging 11 points per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hamm is the only returning player to average more than 10 points per game last season.

Hamm will be joined by sophomore guard Jenna Cobb, freshman forward Hayley Howard and freshman guard Hannah Douglas, who all played key roles on the team last season.

Butler will also be adding four incoming freshman—forward Katie Brewer from Indianapolis, guard Blaire Langlois from Carmel, guard Lexus Murry from Indianapolis and forward-center Olivia Wrencher from West Chester, Ohio.

Brewer is a versatile player who has the ability to knock down three-pointers and battle down low.

Langlois has deep range on her jump shot but also has the ability to make plays with her passing.

Murry averaged more than 22 points per game during her senior season and can also be effective on the defensive end, where she averaged 3.5 steals per game.

Wrencher will bring size to the Bulldogs that will complement the play of Hamm and Howard under the basket.

SOFTBALL

The softball team will lose seven seniors at the conclusion of its current season, including four-year starting outfielder and third baseman Lauren McNulty, Butler’s home run record-holding first baseman Erin Falkenberry and catcher Mallory Winters.

Despite this, coach Scott Hall has five incoming players who could make an immediate impact on the program.

Alex Kotter, a shortstop from Vincennes Lincoln High School, had a .615 career batting average and was an Indiana first team All-State pick.

Chelsea Conover, an outfielder from Brownsburg, led her high school team in stolen bases, runs scored and on-base percentage for three years.

Audrey East is a utility player from New Palestine High School. East is one of the best power hitters in Indiana and boasted a .902 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Taylor Lockwood, a pitcher from Southport High School, has good control and will be a solid addition to the pitching staff.

The same could be said for Kristin Gutierrez, a left-handed power pitcher from Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado.

Gutierrez, a 2011 Triple Crown All-American honoree, is a dual threat with her pitching and hitting. She led her conference with 127 strikeouts and recorded a .542 batting average.

The success of the pitching recruits could be key with the loss of senior pitcher Breanna Fisher and injuries to junior pitcher Jenny Esparza this season.

BASEBALL

The baseball team will add four players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Nick Bartolone is a left-handed outfielder from Harrison High School. Coach Steve Farley said he expects Bartolone to compete for position in the outfield next year.

Chris Marras, a catcher from Vernon Hills, Ill., will get the chance to work with two fifth-year senior catchers, Radley Haddad and Nick Hladek.

Nick Saldutti is a power-hitting first baseman from Westfield High School. He hit .477 with a .571 on-base percentage in his junior season.

Drew Small is a utility player from Zionsville. He was an All-State honorable mention.

His versatility and speed will help him compete for a spot in the outfield, especially with the loss of senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit.

The Bulldogs will also lose pitchers Dom Silvestri, Mike Hernandez, Brad Schnitzer, Brian Padove and Ryan Salvino, as well as senior infielder Griffin Richeson.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team is returning eight players who played in at least 50 sets last year and lost only one senior in Maureen Bamiro.

Bamiro, a former middle blocker, finished with the second-best attack percentage in Butler history and sixth all-time in kills and kills per set.

Last season, she was voted All-Horizon League.

The Bulldogs will return sophomore middle blocker Maggie Harbison, who will likely be a key contributor after being voted All-Horizon League last season.

Butler will also add two transfer students.

Freshman Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, will be an addition to the middle blocker position.

Stahl only has four sets of collegiate experience under her belt but was named among the top high school volleyball players by the Under Armour Watch list in 2010.

Sophomore Morgan Peterson, a setter from Middle Tennessee State, will have two years of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

She averaged 8.58 assists and 1.41 digs per set last season.

Former men’s basketball player Ronald Nored is one senior who knows what he will be doing after graduation next month.

Nored was named the next head basketball coach of Brownsburg High School’s boys’ basketball team last week.

Nored is replacing Josh Kendrick, who coached the team for eight seasons.

He was approved by Brownsburg’s school board last Wednesday and met with his new team shortly afterward.

“[Brownsburg] is a great community and a great place,” Nored said. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to build a program and be a head coach.”

Nored said Brownsburg Superintendent of Schools Jim Snapp approached him about the position and that he realized it was something he wanted to do after being interviewed.

Brownsburg athletic director Greg Hill said that Nored was chosen from a pool of approximately 50 candidates.

“You can’t live in Central Indiana without knowing about his success,” Hill said. “We knew we had an opening, and we discovered he was the right guy.”

Hill said that Nored was given a one-year contract, which is typical for high school coaches.

Other details of the contract were not disclosed.

Hill said one of the key reasons behind Nored’s hiring was his time spent at Butler.

“The culture that seems to be prevalent in the Butler Way would work here,” Hill said. “We’re hoping he picked up a little of the temperament of [Butler] coach [Brad] Stevens.”

Bringing a different culture to Brownsburg is something that Nored said he will be focusing on.

“We want to establish a culture of excellence like we have at Butler,” Nored said. “Being the best we can be is really important to me.”

Nored will be filling the shoes of a man who led the team to a Class 4A state championship title in 2008.

The player who hit the winning shot for Brownsburg in the final game that season was Gordon Hayward, who played alongside Nored at Butler for two seasons.

Nored said the Utah Jazz forward’s opinion factored into his decision.

“I talked with Gordon about it, and he would’ve told me if it was a good place or not,” Nored said.

Each of the three seasons following the state championship run has resulted in a losing record for the school though.

This is something that Nored said he hopes to turn around, although it is not his only priority.

“I also want to focus on academics and push the kids with that,” Nored said. “I want guys to have a fun experience at Brownsburg.”

In a press release, Stevens said that Nored was “an absolute joy to coach,” adding that he is “very intelligent and has a high level of passion for the game.”

Likewise, Nored had only positive things to say about Stevens.

“What I’ve learned from coach Stevens is something I can use in my coaching,” Nored said. “I want our program to be run on the same principles.”

Junior center Andrew Smith played with Nored for three seasons and said that Nored has what it takes to coach a team.

“I’m just really happy for Ron,” Smith said. “He’s a leader and a really hard worker, and he’s proven that his whole life.”

Nored’s hiring has been met with excitement by those in and around Brownsburg.

“There is a lot of positive buzz in the community,” Hill said. “It has had a nice effect on the entire school community, and we’re anxious to see him in action.”

While the Brownsburg job may be the first of many for Nored, he said he is not thinking about possible future positions right now.

“My goal is to be at Brownsburg,” Nored said.

The Butler men’s basketball team lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers 68-62 in overtime Wednesday night in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament game.

The game was part of the semifinal round of the College Basketball Invitational.

Photo by Reid Bruner

Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall scored a career-high 22 points to lead all Butler scorers. He also collected eight rebounds, a team-high for the Bulldogs (22-15).

The game was back and forth with neither team leading by more than six points.

Butler came out hot in the first half and jumped out to an 18-12 lead.

Freshman walk-on guard Alex Barlow keyed the run with several assists, including an alley-oop pass to Marshall that brought the crowd of 3,754 people to its feet.

Barlow finished tied with senior guard Ronald Nored for the team lead in assists with four.

“[Barlow] works on his game as hard as anybody we’ve got,” coach Brad Stevens said. “He’s here for the right reasons.”

Junior center Andrew Smith continued his run of solid outings late into the season. He contributed 19 points and six rebounds.

“This tournament has been really good,” Stevens said. “The practices between games were terrific, and we had some guys that really grew. Khyle and Andrew have had moments in this tournament where they’ve been great.”

The Bulldogs went to the locker room down 26-24 at halftime but came out firing in all cylinders.

The team repeatedly worked the ball to Smith and Marshall in the paint and the Panthers could not find an answer.

On the other end of the court, the Pittsburgh offense was just as potent. The rest of the Panthers (20-17) had no trouble scoring, despite 2012 Big East Preseason Player of Year senior Ashton Gibbs being held scoreless.

Redshirt sophomore forward Talib Zanna came off the bench to lead Pittsburgh with 15 points. Redshirt junior guard Tray Woodall, Gibbs’ mate in the backcourt, scored 12 points, all of which came in the second half.

“We had our chances,” Stevens said. “There were a lot of things we could have done to control that game. The difference between winning and losing is not that much.”

Freshman forward Roosevelt Jones headed to the free throw line with four seconds remaining in regulation for the Bulldogs. With the score tied at 52, Jones missed both free throws.

Pittsburgh was able to salt the game away from the free throw line in overtime. The Panthers shot 80 percent from the charity stripe while Butler shot a mere 57 percent.

The loss Wednesday marked the final home game for the team’s two seniors, Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butcher’s only minute against Pittsburgh came in overtime when the game was all but out of reach.

“I can’t put it into words,” Butcher said. “Everything I’ve felt about this place for the last four years is going to make it a great memory for a lifetime.”

Nored played 35 minutes and contributed four points and two steals. He has expressed interest in coaching sometime down the road.

“I think my playing days are over,” Nored said.

“They’ve given so much,” Stevens said. “No two seniors we’ve ever had could have done a better job with this team.”

The Butler men’s basketball team opened the first round of the College Basketball Invitational with a 75-58 victory over Delaware on March 14.

The Bulldogs (21-14) received double-digit points from four players. Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the way with 19 points and five rebounds.

Junior center Andrew Smith (17 points, seven rebounds), senior guard Ronald Nored (12 points) and junior guard Chase Stigall (10 points) also finished in double figures.

For the Blue Hens (18-14), freshman guard Jarvis Threatt scored 31 points and tallied four steals off the bench.

With the win, Butler advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 16-team tournament. The Bulldogs will face off against Penn Monday at 8 p.m.

For the first time in six years, the Butler men’s basketball team will not appear in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship tournament.

Needing to win the Horizon League tournament for an automatic bid, the Bulldogs instead were knocked out by a 65-46 loss to Valparaiso in the semifinals Saturday night.

Photo by Chris Goff

The Bulldogs (20-14) will become just the fifth team since 1985 to miss the NCAA tournament after playing in the national championship game the previous year.

Coach Brad Stevens said Butler would accept a potential bid to the NIT or, more likely, the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational.

“It’s still an honor,” Stevens said. “It’s not what you set out to do or strived to do, but we’re not an NCAA-tournament team. Our overall success this year is not worthy.”

Valparaiso junior forward Ryan Broekhoff helped deal a final blow to Butler’s résumé with 19 points and 16 rebounds before a near-capacity crowd in the top-seeded Crusaders’ home arena.

No. 5 seed Butler entered the game having won seven of its last eight. The Bulldogs lost for a third time this season to the Crusaders (22-10), who moved on to face Detroit for a bid to the NCAA tournament.

“Any team that’s the age we are is going to be inconsistent,” Stevens said. “We played like a green, young team [Saturday].”

Detroit defeated Valparaiso 70-50 last night in the conference championship game, which Butler won the past two seasons.

“It’ll be different,” senior guard Ronald Nored said. “Regardless of where we play, we’ll go out there and play as hard and as well as we can.”

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins kept the Bulldogs within striking distance until midway through the second half with 18 points. Sophomore forward Erik Fromm had 12 points and six rebounds.

No other Butler player had more than four points. The Bulldogs shot 33.3 percent from the field after starting the game 4 of 18.

Junior center Kevin Van Wijk and junior point guard Erik Buggs contributed 11 points apiece for the Crusaders, who shot 53.5 percent from the field.

Butler led 7-2 about three minutes into the game after Hopkins rattled home a jumper.

Valparaiso then went on a 17-1 run over the next 7:25 and never relinquished the lead.

Stevens dealt with a shortage of players he could rely on for offense.

Starters Nored, junior center Andrew Smith, sophomore forward Khyle Marshall and freshman forward Roosevelt Jones combined for eight points in 94 minutes of playing time.

“They really struggled,” Stevens said.  “I don’t know why.”

The Crusaders dominated the glass by a 39-22 margin, which helped them to a 31-24 lead at the end of the first half. In the opening 20 minutes, 11 of Valparaiso’s 14 field goals were either layups or tip-ins.

Broekhoff, the conference player of the year, wouldn’t allow Butler to come back.

“He was the best player on the floor by far,” Stevens said. “You’ve got to be incredibly tough to win in an environment like this. We were thoroughly outplayed.”

The Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 21 in a game that reminded some of their 71-59 loss in the regular season finale at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

“The two frontline guys [Van Wijk and Broekhoff] killed us again,” Stevens said. “We really struggled to score in and around the paint again. It’s a loud gym.”

The Crusaders remembered the result from Feb. 24 when they raced out to an 18-4 lead.

“We were quietly confident we could repeat what happened,” Broekhoff said.

Butler’s lopsided defeat came on the heels of its victory over Milwaukee the day before.

The Bulldogs led the whole game in a 71-49 rout of the Panthers (20-13) Friday night.

Marshall and Jones each scored 17 points, and Smith added eight.

Over the weekend, Nored became Butler’s all-time record-holder for assists in a single season, passing Mike Green with 180 thus far.

A Horizon League official said he expects Butler’s postseason status to be resolved by the evening of March 12 at the latest.

The Butler men’s basketball team started off the Horizon League tournament with a 70-52 victory over Wright State at Hinkle Fieldhouse Tuesday night.

It was a tale of two halves for the Bulldogs (19-13), who headed to the locker room with a one point lead.

“I thought in the first 10 minutes we were just timid,” coach Brad Stevens said. “That’s part of playing your first tournament game.”

Photo by Taylor Cox

Butler came out in the second half and went on a 13-0 run behind the play of sophomore forward Khyle Marshall.

Marshall scored all nine of his points in the second half, including six during the run.

Junior center Andrew Smith tallied a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.

“Ever since the Valpo game, we’ve been focusing on people doing their jobs,” Smith said. “If we can do that, we’re a tough team to beat.”

Senior guard Ronald Nored recorded nine points on the night, along with three rebounds and six assists.

Nored is two assists shy of breaking Butler basketball’s all-time assist record, which is held by Mike Green.

Freshman forward Roosevelt Jones added 11 points, and sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins contributed 10.

The starters combined for 64 of the team’s 70 points.

For the Raiders (13-19), sophomore forward Cole Darling paced the offense with 12 points, while junior guard Julius Mays added 11.

From here, the Bulldogs will face the No. 4 seed, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in the quarterfinals of the league tournament.

The contest will take place on Friday at 8:30 p.m. at Valparaiso’s Athletics-Recreation Center.

Because the Crusaders won the Horizon League regular season title, the remainder of the tournament’s games will take place in Valparaiso for as long as the Crusaders stay alive in the tournament

The winner of that game will face Valparaiso on Mar. 3 in a game that will be televised on ESPNU.

The Butler men’s basketball team knows it will be playing Wright State in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs (17-13, 11-7) are likely aware that they will need to get off to a better start against the Raiders (13-18, 7-11) than they did against Valparaiso on Friday.

“I really didn’t mind our energy or effort,” coach Brad Stevens said after Butler’s 71-59 loss to the league-champion Crusaders. “We can’t give away plays if we want to continue playing.

“We know that moving forward, and I don’t think it’s a huge secret.”

The Bulldogs did not record a field goal against the Crusaders until just after the 11-minute mark in the first half.

The result was a 10-point deficit at halftime that Butler was never able to overcome.

Butler needed a victory against Valparaiso to secure the No. 2 seed and a bye through the first two rounds of the upcoming conference tournament.

Now, instead of getting that bye, the Bulldogs will be taking on the Raiders as the No. 5 seed.

“We can’t change the result of what happened in this game,” sophomore forward Khyle Marshall said. “We’re just going to come back and practice as hard as we can, get better and look forward to the tournament.”

While Stevens said he would be scoreboard watching after the loss to Valparaiso, he added that he would specifically be watching the games of Butler’s most likely opponents in the first round of the tournament.

The rest of the Horizon League made sure that Butler paid for its loss, as Cleveland State, Detroit and Wisconsin-Milwaukee all won their weekend contests and surpassed the Bulldogs in the standings.

Wright State, the No. 8 seed, received a date with Butler after all was said and done.

The Bulldogs were victorious in both of the two regular season games between the teams this season.

In the contest at Wright State on Jan. 6, Butler pulled out a 63-62 victory thanks to a late free throw by senior guard Ronald Nored.

Nored, Marshall and junior center Andrew Smith all scored double-digit points, with Smith’s 19 leading the way.

They were all outdone by Wright State junior guard Julius Mays, who posted 24 points.

The second game between the teams took place on Feb. 2 and saw a 64-53 Butler win.

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the Bulldogs with 13 points, while Wright State junior forward Armond Battle recorded 18.

Mays has provided the Raiders with much of their offensive firepower this season.

For a team that averages the second fewest points in the league, Mays is the only player averaging more than 10 points per game. He also leads the team in free throw shooting and is second in 3-point shooting.

While Butler will have to focus on containing Mays, the Bulldogs will also need to work on their offensive output. The 59 points against Valparaiso was the team’s lowest total in a loss since a 53-42 defeat at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Jan. 26.

The team is “not dwelling” on its showing at Valparaiso, though, and is “ready for the tournament,” Marshall said.

Butler will not have the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season, meaning the Bulldogs will have to win four games in eight days in order to capture the title.

This is not something Butler is unfamiliar with, though.

“It’s hard to get to the Final Four, too,” Stevens said.