Charlotte beats Andrew Smith-less Butler to shake up Atlantic 10
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — My colleague, Chris Goff, has gotten some grief in Missouri, Virginia and a few other places for keeping Butler at the top of his weekly power rankings. Now, finally, there might be a change after Charlotte’s 71-67 win over the Bulldogs last night.
Chris, in my opinion, had the right team at the top. And that team might be at the top in the end. But at this moment, Butler does not look like the best team in a very good Atlantic 10 conference.
I give Charlotte coach Alan Major all the credit in the world for the win. The Indianapolis native came home and delivered. But before folks get too excited, remember that Butler’s only conference loss at full strength was at Saint Louis. Rotnei Clarke, the team’s leading scorer, was out against LaSalle and center Andrew Smith was out against Charlotte. Also remember that Butler beat Gonzaga without Clarke, and that Butler at full strength beat No. 1 Indiana on a neutral court.
With those things in mind, here are some thoughts I carry from Wednesday’s game, and the season as a whole.
1. The Atlantic 10 is no joke. I watched Butler beat Indiana and was blown away. I watched Saint Louis obliterate Butler and was equally blown away. I was just as impressed by this one because Charlotte is a good, but unspectacular team in the middle of the conference pack that found a way to win against a very dangerous team that tends to find ways to beat you. If you can go that deep into the conference standings and have to play that well at home to win, you’re playing in a good conference. This is a clear step up from the Horizon League.
2. Andrew Smith is very important to Butler. The 6-11 senior’s ability to handle the boards on both ends of the floor allows the rest of the Butler players to be themselves. When Rotnei Clarke was injured, Kellen Dunham stepped in and filled his role with some success. There is no replacement for Smith. When all is said and done, Smith is the most valuable player on the team because no one else can do what he does. The 49ers scored at will in the paint, and Butler will have to figure something out before playing at Fordham on Saturday.
3. Rotnei Clarke is almost Reggie Miller. Clarke scored 15 points in the final 3:18 of the game to nearly erase a 10-point deficit. If he gets ahold of the ball on Butler’s final inbounds play, the Bulldogs probably steal a game in which they were thoroughly outplayed. The only reason I say he’s not Reggie? Butler lost.
4. Charlotte plays excellent defense. The 49ers were extremely good defensively on Clarke for 36 1/2 minutes, and on Dunham the entire game. That was the best defense I’ve seen on Clarke all year.
Here is the link to my Sports XChange/Reuters game story: Charlotte 71, Butler 67.
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbrunt_isl.
