2011–12 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2011–12 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University
in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
. Their head coach is Brad Stevens
, serving his 5th year. The Bulldogs play their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse
, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000 and a playing floor that was renovated during the summer of 2011.
In each of the previous two seasons, the Bulldogs reached the NCAA championship game after winning the Horizon League regular season, and Butler is the favorite to win the Horizon League for an unprecedented sixth consecutive season in spite of losing senior and four-year starter Matt Howard
to graduation and junior Shelvin Mack
to the NBA draft. Analyst Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports
explained "Butler loses a lot of talent from last season, but it's still tough to choose against the Bulldogs." The Bulldogs add Roosevelt Jones, a three-star recruit ranked in the 2011 Rivals 150 and the 33rd best freshman small forward in the nation, and also add Australian guard Jackson Aldridge, who "drew rave reviews playing in the U-19 world championships." Further, the Bulldogs add Kameron Woods, a two-star recruit and the 62nd best power forward in the nation according to ESPN.com. The final member of the recruit class is Andy Smeathers, a "local kid who knows how to make shots."
!colspan=12| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=12| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=12|Horizon League Tournament
Source: 2011-12 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball schedule
Butler Falls On Buzzer-Beater
Senior guard Alex Thomas nailed a three-point field goal at the buzzer to cap a 12-0 closing run and lift visiting Northern State to a 53-50 victory over Butler in an exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The game was Butler's first test against outside competition. The Wolves battled back from a 50-41 deficit in the final four minutes. A steal and layup by Seth Bachand and a conventional three-point play by Trent Zomer cut the margin to 50-46 with 2:56 left. Forward Collin Pryor followed with back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 50-50 with 0:52 left. Butler's Andrew Smith, who led all scorers with 19 points missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 0:38 left, setting up the final play. Following a timeout, Northern State held the ball for a final shot and Thomas delivered from the top of the key as the final buzzer sounded.
11/4 – Butler vs Franklin
Butler Rolls Past Franklin In Exhibition Tilt
Junior Andrew Smith led four players in double-figures with 19 points in 17 minutes and Butler pulled away to a 91-53 victory over visiting Franklin in an exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 5. The game was Butler's final preseason test. Smith, who also led Butler with 19 points in a 53-50 loss to Northern State three days earlier, hit seven of nine shots in his brief stint, including one of two from beyond the three-point arc. The 6-11 center was perfect on four free throw attempts, and he added three assists. There was plenty of support for the Butler scoring leader. Junior Chase Stigall (below left) hit four of six shots from three-point range and finished with 14 points, while freshman Andrew Smeathers came off the bench and hit three of five three-pointers and finished with 11 points. Freshman guard Jackson Aldridge had 10 points in a reserve stint.
Butler Falls In Overtime At Evansville
Junior Colt Ryan tied the game with a free throw in regulation and then scored his team's final six points in overtime to lift host Evansville to an 80-77 overtime victory over Butler in the season-opener for both teams at the new Ford Center on Saturday, Nov. 12. Between Ryan's clutch points, the game took a bizarre twist. Butler led 69-68 with Evansville in possession and 0:15 remaining. The Aces' Ned Cox missed a jump shot with 0:07 remaining and there was a loose ball scramble for the rebound. Butler's Jackson Aldridge was whistled for a foul with 0:00.9 left, sending Ryan to the line. The Evansville scoring leader missed the first free throw, but made the second to tie the game. Butler's Emerson Kampen then threw a full-court pass to center Andrew Smith, who caught the ball and laid it in at the buzzer for an apparent game-winning shot. The game officials huddled, and claimed a foul was called before the shot, sending Smith to the free throw line with 0:00.2 left. Smith missed both shots, forcing the overtime period.
11/15 – Butler vs Chattanooga
Bulldogs Win Home-Opener
Junior Andrew Smith recorded his second career double-double and Butler used a staunch defensive effort to dispatch visiting Chattanooga, 57-46, in the Bulldogs' 2011-12 home-opener at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The game was Butler's first in the five-team Hoosier Invitational.Smith (below), a 6-11 center, led both teams with 16 points, hitting five of eight shots from the field and five of seven from the free throw line. He also led both teams with 10 rebounds, one off his career-high. His performance followed a 21-point effort in Butler's tough season-opening double-overtime loss at Evansville.But it was Butler's defensive effort that claimed the spotlight. The Bulldogs limited Chattanooga (0-2), a team favored in the Southern Conference, to just 19 points in the second half. The Mocs scored just six points in the final 13 minutes of the contest.
11/19 – Butler vs #8/7 Louisville
Second Half Lifts No. 7 Louisville Past Butler
Seniors Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith combined for 32 points and sparked a late second half run that lifted No. 7 Louisville to a 69-53 victory over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 19. The win boosted the Cardinals to 3-0 on the season, while Butler fell to 1-2. Butler held a 41-40 advantage with 12 minutes remaining, when Kuric and Smith ignited a decisive 16-4 run. Kuric scored 10 points in the six-minute run, while Smith added the other six to give the Cardinals a 56-45 advantage. Butler never got closer than nine points in the final six minutes.
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2011 with the and will end with the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 2, 2011 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans...
. Their head coach is Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at Butler University. He grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, where he starred on the Zionsville Community High School basketball team, setting four school records...
, serving his 5th year. The Bulldogs play their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Hinkle Fieldhouse
Hinkle Fieldhouse is a basketball arena located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. When it was built in 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction until 1950. It is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in...
, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000 and a playing floor that was renovated during the summer of 2011.
In each of the previous two seasons, the Bulldogs reached the NCAA championship game after winning the Horizon League regular season, and Butler is the favorite to win the Horizon League for an unprecedented sixth consecutive season in spite of losing senior and four-year starter Matt Howard
Matt Howard (basketball)
Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs...
to graduation and junior Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack
Shelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game...
to the NBA draft. Analyst Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
explained "Butler loses a lot of talent from last season, but it's still tough to choose against the Bulldogs." The Bulldogs add Roosevelt Jones, a three-star recruit ranked in the 2011 Rivals 150 and the 33rd best freshman small forward in the nation, and also add Australian guard Jackson Aldridge, who "drew rave reviews playing in the U-19 world championships." Further, the Bulldogs add Kameron Woods, a two-star recruit and the 62nd best power forward in the nation according to ESPN.com. The final member of the recruit class is Andy Smeathers, a "local kid who knows how to make shots."
2011 recruiting class
Roster
Source: 2011-12 Butler Men's Basketball RosterDepth chart
Schedule
|-!colspan=12| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=12| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=12|Horizon League Tournament
2012 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament
* – Denotes overtimeFirst round games at campus sites of lower-numbered seeds Second round and semifinals hosted by #1 overall seed Championship game hosted by highest remaining seed-Horizon League All-Tournament Team:-References:...
Source: 2011-12 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball schedule
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | RV | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | RV | RV | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Mid-Major | 2 | 9 | 14 | 14 |
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Anglin | 11 | G/F | 6'5 | 177 | Senior | Kokomo, IN Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties.... |
Graduated |
| Zach Hahn | 3 | G | 6'1 | 176 | Senior | New Castle, IN New Castle, Indiana As of the census of 2000, there were 17,780 people, 7,462 households, and 4,805 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.5 people per square mile . There were 8,042 housing units at an average density of 1,351.3 per square mile... |
Graduated |
| Matt Howard Matt Howard (basketball) Matt Howard is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays with Olympiacos of Piraeus, Greece. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs... |
54 | F | 6'8 | 230 | Senior | Connersville, IN Connersville, Indiana At the 2000 census, there were 15,411 people, 6,382 households and 4,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,894.5 per square mile . There were 6,974 housing units at an average density of 857.3 per square mile... |
Graduated |
| Grant Leiendecker | 22 | G | 6'5 | 182 | Senior | Fort Wayne, IN Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana... |
Graduated |
| Shelvin Mack Shelvin Mack Shelvin Mack is an American professional basketball point guard with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association.In 2011, Mack help lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game... |
1 | G | 6'3 | 215 | Junior | Lexington, KY Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
Drafted to NBA |
| Shawn Vanzant | 2 | G | 6'0 | 172 | Senior | Tampa, FL Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... |
Graduated |
Preseason Rankings
| Publication | Rank |
| AP | RV |
| ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll | RV |
| Lindy's | 24 |
| College Sports Madness | 28 |
| Sporting News | 43 |
| ESPN The Magazine | 47 |
| CollegeInsider.com Mid Major | 2 |
Preseason Awards
| # | Name | Class | Award |
| 44 | Andrew Smith | Jr. | Preseason All-Horizon 2nd Team |
Preseason Game Capsules
11/2 – Butler vs Northern State| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
| NSU | 25 | 28 | 53 |
| BU | 25 | 25 | 50 |
Butler Falls On Buzzer-Beater
Senior guard Alex Thomas nailed a three-point field goal at the buzzer to cap a 12-0 closing run and lift visiting Northern State to a 53-50 victory over Butler in an exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The game was Butler's first test against outside competition. The Wolves battled back from a 50-41 deficit in the final four minutes. A steal and layup by Seth Bachand and a conventional three-point play by Trent Zomer cut the margin to 50-46 with 2:56 left. Forward Collin Pryor followed with back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 50-50 with 0:52 left. Butler's Andrew Smith, who led all scorers with 19 points missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 0:38 left, setting up the final play. Following a timeout, Northern State held the ball for a final shot and Thomas delivered from the top of the key as the final buzzer sounded.
11/4 – Butler vs Franklin
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
| FRNK | 25 | 28 | 53 |
| BU | 45 | 46 | 91 |
Butler Rolls Past Franklin In Exhibition Tilt
Junior Andrew Smith led four players in double-figures with 19 points in 17 minutes and Butler pulled away to a 91-53 victory over visiting Franklin in an exhibition game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 5. The game was Butler's final preseason test. Smith, who also led Butler with 19 points in a 53-50 loss to Northern State three days earlier, hit seven of nine shots in his brief stint, including one of two from beyond the three-point arc. The 6-11 center was perfect on four free throw attempts, and he added three assists. There was plenty of support for the Butler scoring leader. Junior Chase Stigall (below left) hit four of six shots from three-point range and finished with 14 points, while freshman Andrew Smeathers came off the bench and hit three of five three-pointers and finished with 11 points. Freshman guard Jackson Aldridge had 10 points in a reserve stint.
Regular season
11/12 – Butler at Evansville| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | OT | Final |
| EVV | 28 | 41 | 11 | 80 |
| BU | 37 | 32 | 8 | 77 |
Butler Falls In Overtime At Evansville
Junior Colt Ryan tied the game with a free throw in regulation and then scored his team's final six points in overtime to lift host Evansville to an 80-77 overtime victory over Butler in the season-opener for both teams at the new Ford Center on Saturday, Nov. 12. Between Ryan's clutch points, the game took a bizarre twist. Butler led 69-68 with Evansville in possession and 0:15 remaining. The Aces' Ned Cox missed a jump shot with 0:07 remaining and there was a loose ball scramble for the rebound. Butler's Jackson Aldridge was whistled for a foul with 0:00.9 left, sending Ryan to the line. The Evansville scoring leader missed the first free throw, but made the second to tie the game. Butler's Emerson Kampen then threw a full-court pass to center Andrew Smith, who caught the ball and laid it in at the buzzer for an apparent game-winning shot. The game officials huddled, and claimed a foul was called before the shot, sending Smith to the free throw line with 0:00.2 left. Smith missed both shots, forcing the overtime period.
11/15 – Butler vs Chattanooga
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
| CHAT | 27 | 19 | 46 |
| BU | 28 | 29 | 57 |
Bulldogs Win Home-Opener
Junior Andrew Smith recorded his second career double-double and Butler used a staunch defensive effort to dispatch visiting Chattanooga, 57-46, in the Bulldogs' 2011-12 home-opener at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The game was Butler's first in the five-team Hoosier Invitational.Smith (below), a 6-11 center, led both teams with 16 points, hitting five of eight shots from the field and five of seven from the free throw line. He also led both teams with 10 rebounds, one off his career-high. His performance followed a 21-point effort in Butler's tough season-opening double-overtime loss at Evansville.But it was Butler's defensive effort that claimed the spotlight. The Bulldogs limited Chattanooga (0-2), a team favored in the Southern Conference, to just 19 points in the second half. The Mocs scored just six points in the final 13 minutes of the contest.
11/19 – Butler vs #8/7 Louisville
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
| LOU | 29 | 40 | 69 |
| BU | 28 | 25 | 53 |
Second Half Lifts No. 7 Louisville Past Butler
Seniors Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith combined for 32 points and sparked a late second half run that lifted No. 7 Louisville to a 69-53 victory over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 19. The win boosted the Cardinals to 3-0 on the season, while Butler fell to 1-2. Butler held a 41-40 advantage with 12 minutes remaining, when Kuric and Smith ignited a decisive 16-4 run. Kuric scored 10 points in the six-minute run, while Smith added the other six to give the Cardinals a 56-45 advantage. Butler never got closer than nine points in the final six minutes.