Senior forward Pierre Brooks is averaging 15.2 points per game this season. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team will take the court again on Monday, March 30, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the inaugural College Basketball Crown. The Bulldogs are slated to face off against the Utah Utes in the first round, with a possibility to advance and play either Boise State or George Washington University.
Here is what you need to know as the Dawgs prepare to battle the Utes in a postseason competition:
Who: Butler vs. Utah
When: March 31, 3 p.m.
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
How to watch: FS1
What is the College Basketball Crown?
The College Basketball Crown, known simply as “The Crown,” is a new 16-team postseason tournament that includes teams from the Big Ten, Big East, Big 12 and other at-large teams.
The tournament will take place from March 31 to April 6 and is a new, innovative look at postseason college basketball tournaments. The Crown will pay out NIL pots to schools based on how far they progress in the tournament.
The champion of the Crown will receive $300,000 in NIL money, with the runner-up cashing a $100,000 check. The four semi-finalists will each receive $50,000.
Another perk of the Crown is its one-of-a-kind championship trophy, a crown that is the first wearable trophy in modern sports.
The allure of possible NIL money and an opportunity to play against other teams in top conferences is an opportunity for the “best of the rest” to end their respective seasons on a high note. Time will tell if the Crown will affect the way the NIT and other college basketball postseason tournaments are run, especially with the NIL factor.
Utah scouting report
The Utes currently sit at 16-16 on the season and 8-12 in conference play, but have been through a rollercoaster of a spring.
Former Utah head coach Craig Smith was fired in February, and the Utes have since hired former standout forward at Utah and current Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen to be the next head coach of the program. Utah is currently led by interim head coach Josh Eilert, with Jensen preparing to take over after the Mavericks’ season ends.
Since the coaching change, seven Utes have decided to enter the transfer portal. Guard Miro Little, forward Keanu Dawes, forward Jake Wahlin, center Lawson Lovering, guard Hunter Erickson, center Joul Karram, forward Ayomide Bamisile, guard Jayden Teat and guard Brandon Haddock all have decided to go portaling despite still being in the Crown.
It is unclear which players for the Utes will take the court against Butler despite being in the portal, but Utah still presents a challenge for the Bulldogs. The Utes are led by fifth-year guard Gabe Madsen and junior forward Ezra Ausar.
Madsen averages 15.1 points per game and is Utah’s main threat from beyond the arc. The 6’6” guard from Rochester, Minnesota, shot 300 triples this season and connected on 32% of those attempts.
Ausar averages 12.4 points per game and hits on a 51% clip from the field. Although Ausar’s shooting percentage is high, he only connects on 7.1% of his threes and has only taken 14 shots from beyond the arc this season.
Butler will need two completely different game plans to stop both of Utah’s guards. Madsen’s long-range ability paired with Ausar’s tendency to get to the rim will be a nice one-two punch for the Utes. The Dawgs will need to be on top of their game to advance to the next round.
