Presenting the THEMMA Awards--The Mid-Majority
Excellence in Improving upon a "Power"-Conference Template. I'm on the record as thinking that Butler is, in effect, Notre Dame plus defense. True enough: The athletically unprepossessing but wondrously efficient working Joe in the paint (Matt Howard as 'Gody), the sharp-shooters surrounding said Joe who all shoot a ton of threes (speaking of doppelgangers, my personal theory is that Robbie Hummel and Gordon Hayward are the same human)--it's all there. But like a Keebler elf from the magic tree, Brad Stevens adds just a pinch of that strange thing called defense.
The Bulldogs get a large share of their points from Howard's free throws and he can only shoot free throws, of course, if he himself stays out of foul trouble. That being said, it bears noting that while the selection committee struggles to seed this team correctly every March, this year's edition of BU is much improved from last year and indeed is really similar on paper to that 2008 group led by Mike Green and A.J. Graves. That year the Dawgs took power-conference doyenne Tennessee to OT before falling in the second round.
RTC Friday Seed Update: 02.19.10--Rush The Court
Bracket-Impacting Weekend Games:
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Saturday- Siena @ Butler- Butler has secured a bid, so Siena has plenty more at stake here. Win in Hinkle and the Saints corral that RPI top-25 win they so severely lack. It might be enough to garner a bid regardless of a MAAC Tournament upset.
Final Bracketbusters--Ballin' is a Habit
Siena @ Butler, Saturday 11:00 am, ESPN2:
This is, by far, the game of the day as Siena and Butler are arguably the two most highly regarded mid-majors* this season. Butler is basically a lock so long as they avoid a meltdown here late in the season. The Bulldogs have a couple decent wins (Xavier, Ohio State minus Evan Turner), but remind me quite a bit of some of the earlier Gonzaga teams. Great record, talented players, but a bit untested and unproven this season.
Siena, on the other hand, is in a much worse position. They've lost to all three tournament teams they played, dropped a game to St. John's, and just recently snapped their winning streak at Niagara. The Saints best win right now is against Northeastern, which is not a great win by any means. If they lose this game, they have to win the MAAC tournament to get in. But even with a win, the Saints may not be out of the clear.
The Weekend Weave: Let’s talk Siena-Butler first--College Hoops Journal
Siena blog 1: The coaches' connection--Indy Star Butler Insider
Siena blog 2: Responses to Siena blogger--Indy Star Butler Insider
Siena blog 3: Veasley hurt and likely out--Indy Star Butler Insider
Butler Hosts Siena In Feature BracketBusters Game--ButlerSports.com
Butler Pulls Past Detroit, 72-62--ButlerSports.com
Bulldogs Take Win Streak To Wright State--ButlerSports.com
Cleveland State men's basketball team drops third straight with loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikings Fall At Milwaukee, 69-59--csuvikings.com
Vikings Host Toledo In 8th Annual BracketBusters--csuvikings.com
Women's Hoops Falls to Visiting Butler--detroittitans.com
Women's Basketball to Host Valparaiso on Senior Day--detroittitans.com
Loyola and UIC headed on the road in Horizon League Tournament--ChicagoNow.com
UIC at Evansville--The Chicago Tribune
Men's Basketball Faces Evansville In BracketBuster Collision--uicflames.com
Women's Basketball Loses At Green Bay, 64-45--uicflames.com
Women's Basketball Looks To Bounce Back At Milwaukee--uicflames.com
Q&A with White and Blue Review--ChicagoNow.com
Former Loyola Basketball Player Don Hanrahan Passes Away--LoyolaRamblers.com
Ramblers Step Out Of League Play, Travel To Creighton Saturday--LoyolaRamblers.com
Loyola Goes Cold Late, Falls To Milwaukee, 60-51--LoyolaRamblers.com
Loyola Heads North In Search Of Season Sweep Of Green Bay--LoyolaRamblers.com
Women's basketball: Phoenix finds its fire in 2nd half, tops UIC--Green Bay Press Gazette
UWGB vs. Illinois-Chicago (FINAL)--UWGB Basketball
Panthers bleed pink; Phoenix win--UWGB Fourth Estate
Phoenix Hall of Fame inducts four members--UWGB Fourth Estate
Aggressiveness Leads Green Bay Past UIC--uwgbathletics.com
Green Bay Looks to Avoid Season Sweep Against Loyola--uwgbathletics.com
Green Bay Basketball to Host Indiana State in Senior Night BracketBuster--uwgbathletics.com
Panthers avenge loss with strong second half--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Announces All-Decade Basketball Teams--uwmpanthers.com
Freshmen Lead Panthers Past Cleveland State--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Host Niagara In Annual BracketBusters Event--uwmpanthers.com
Double-Doubles From Laur, Jorgenson Spark Panthers Past Loyola--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Look To Build Win Streak vs. UIC--uwmpanthers.com
Horizon League seeding predictions, Take 2--Off The Mark
Valpo Takes Break From HL Play to Face BGSU--valpoathletics.com
Crusader women's basketball team falls despite furious rally--The NWI Times
Valpo’s Late Comeback Falls Just Short--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Women Battle First Place Detroit Saturday--valpoathletics.com
WSU travels to Ohio U. for BracketBusters--Dayton Daily News
Preview: Wright State at Ohio University--Dayton Daily News
Raiders BracketBusting their way to Ohio U.--Dayton Daily News
But first, a BracketBusters game--Mark Katz's Blog
WSU?women hold on for 54-51 win over Valpo--Fairborn Daily Herald
Women Hold On for 54-51 Win Over Valparaiso--wsuraiders.com
Penguins Take On UC-Riverside in Annual BracketBuster--ysusports.com
Guins Host Alumni Activities, Cleveland State on Saturday--ysusports.com
Men's Basketball Scoreboard - Feb. 18--The Horizon League
Women's Basketball Scoreboard -- Feb. 18--The Horizon League
No Time to Waste--Horizon League Network
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