Butler year in review: Clarke & Co. pointed program in right direction
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
The Louisville Cardinals reached the pinnacle of the sport on Monday night. But they weren’t the only ones to have a strong, enjoyable season. Far from it. Butler made plenty of memories, so let’s examine those, along with all kinds of numbers and perspective, in IndySportsLegends.com’s 2012-13 Bulldogs year in review.
Final Record: 27-9 (11-5 Atlantic 10, 2-1 A-10 tournament, 1-1 NCAA tournament)
OVERVIEW
Just a year ago, Butler looked like a falling star: a short-on-revenue program with an old arena, an also-ran team and a spot in the blah Horizon League amid the musical chairs of realignment. Not anymore. After a 27-win season, a near upset in the second game of the NCAA tournament and an influx of talented new recruits due in the fall, the Bulldogs are a reinvigorated national force in the new Big East.
Twelve months ago, Butler was coming off a loss in the irrelevant College Basketball Invitational, and had lost Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. A turnaround seemed uncertain because Rotnei Clarke, although technically already at the school, had yet to take a dribble in a Butler uniform. He’d be a one-and-done player – not as an early draft entry, but as a senior transfer.
Instead of scuffling to adjust, Clarke ably filled the glaring need for a leading man. Two other new players joined the roster, and for much of the season the result was that the Bulldogs again looked like the Bulldogs. Clarke averaged 17 points per game and carved up defenses from the perimeter, Roosevelt Jones’ growth made a once-unwatchable offense more rhythmic and newly arrived backup Kellen Dunham added better depth.
Fittingly, chemistry gelled in March, especially after a players-only meeting in the month’s first week. Andrew Smith played some of his best basketball, second-year forward Kameron Woods established himself as a dangerous frontcourt weapon and the defense started clicking. The Bulldogs went 5-2 to close their season and knocked off Bucknell in the opener of the NCAA tournament before barely yielding to Marquette.
Despite the atypical minor circus of Chrishawn Hopkins’ summer dismissal, Butler remained a harmonious, scandal-free operation.
On the court, the Bulldogs thrived largely because of their mastery of rebounding. That’s about the only thing they did at an elite level, although they were in the top 60 in 2-point shooting percentage and in the top 100 in free throw rate. For the season as a whole, Butler was a pretty good offensive team and an above-average defensive team, although superb in neither respect.
But mercy, could they rebound. Butler yanked down 75.7 percent of available defensive boards, a rate that easily led the A-10. That fact prodded the Bulldogs into a tie for fourth in the league in defensive efficiency. Smith was the biggest factor, and Woods was huge, too, especially late in the season when he played the best basketball of his career. Woods had one of the league’s highest individual rates (24.7), albeit in only 613 minutes. But perhaps the pivotal contributor in a team-wide effort was Alex Barlow, who collected nearly 14 percent of defensive caroms – a very solid rate for a small guard.
“It’s a huge advantage being able to get misses,” Clarke told IndySportsLegends.com. “On the defensive glass, it’s everyone. The guards have to get in there and help, too. Our rebounding was going to carry us as far as we could go.”
Butler finished ninth nationally in overall rebounding rate and outrebounded 29 of 36 opponents.
“That’s one thing we emphasized all year,” Smith told ISL. “Any chance you can get more points off offensive rebounds or keep them off defensive rebounds is very important. We’ve been pretty good at it.”
Other than dominating the glass, the Bulldogs’ one distinctive trait was fairly shoddy ball-handling; they turned it over on one-fifth of their possessions. Butler also played a slow pace at 65.1 possessions per game, and a lack of steals prevented them from picking up many extras.
On defense, Butler again sported a rugged, physical style. Opponents averaged .361 free throw attempts per field goal attempt, so the Bulldogs were willing to accept some trips to the foul line as a tradeoff for playing tough.
Offensively, Butler succeeded with 3-pointers from Clarke, floaters from Jones, post-ups and put-backs from Smith and dunks from Khyle Marshall.
At their best, the Bulldogs were as good as anyone. They knocked off Indiana and Gonzaga in the non-conference schedule. But during what proved a one-year stopover in the Atlantic 10, Butler was a very good team in conference play that couldn’t hang with the elite teams like Saint Louis and Virginia Commonwealth.
For a while this season, it seemed like Butler might fade. In a five-week stretch from late January to early March, the Bulldogs played their way out of the national polls. Butler went 6-5 during that time while losing road games at Saint Louis, La Salle and VCU; granted, three of the losses were by four points or less.
On cue, the team’s performance ramped up in time for the postseason and Butler ultimately capped a rock-solid year with a No. 6 seed in the Big Dance. Although a Sweet 16 appearance would have been a more fitting end to the careers of Smith and Clarke, this was about all that could be expected. On almost any level, the season was a success. A team picked to finish sixth in its own conference spent three weeks in the top 10 of a national poll, an accomplishment no one could have foreseen in October.
BIG STREAK
After a 3-2 start, Butler won 13 games in a row, matching the fourth-longest streak in school history.
STUNNING MOMENT
With about 1 second left, Rotnei Clarke leapt off his right foot, his Bulldogs all but defeated in the first round of the Maui Invitational, and released an off-balance desperation heave some 30 feet from the basket. Butler, on a Monday afternoon, Nov. 19, was losing 71-69 across the country in Hawaii. Brad Stevens’ crew could sniff a 1-2 record. Just as Marquette was ready to hit the beach, Clarke’s swish sent waves through the Lahaina Civic Center. Already leaning to get the shot off, Clarke fell and slid on the delivery toward Butler’s bench, where he was mobbed in a millisecond by ecstatic teammates. Jackson Aldridge was on top of the pile, flat on his belly like a sea lion on sand. Clarke finished with 20 points and six rebounds. He would have better games. But when fans think of Clarke’s time as a Bulldog, the replay of his island buzzer-beating game-winner will be the foremost visual recollection.
TOP STORIES
Rotnei Clarke sprains neck: The most harrowing part of sports is when the competition threatens a person’s well-being. The sight of Butler’s top scorer lying on the floor, having fallen from mid-air into the basket support, conjured up all of our worst fears. Teammates said later that Clarke expressed a lack of feeling in his arms and legs in those scary first moments. That it turned out to be a sprained neck was a relief to many. Butler went on to defeat Dayton that day and go 2-1 in the three games Clarke missed. The point guard said being taken off on a stretcher lent him perspective. Brad Stevens acknowledged Clarke was fortunate.
Epic loss in Richmond: The Bulldogs whiffed on defense. They turned the ball over on offense. By the time it was over, they’d suffered their worst defeat under Brad Stevens. A highly anticipated trip to VCU for a rematch of the 2011 national semifinal ended with a whimper from the visitors, who lost by 32.
Andrew Smith’s swan song: Brad Stevens called Smith one of the great centers in Butler lore, and the statistical achievements of the 6-foot-11 stalwart in his final season are pretty good evidence. He became one of only 11 players in school history to post 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in his career. Tied for fifth on Butler’s all-time games played list, Smith was named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award and was an academic All-American. A finance major, Smith ought to receive an honorary degree in interior defense. He was better than ever.
ESPN’s College Gameday visits campus: One try, one half-court jump shot, $18,000 for Butler student Kevin Schwartz. Priceless exposure for the university. Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and Jalen Rose prowling around Hinkle Fieldhouse. Bobby Plump shooting from his spot on the floor. Live TV and all-day regaling was a success. We hear the main event was pretty good, too.
Truly a Crossroads Classic: From a Butler perspective, could that event get any better? Two years, two game-winners. Andrew Smith in 2012 tipped in a shot to beat Purdue. Alex Barlow, the former walk-on, nearly walked to the basket to topple then-No. 1 Indiana in December. That win provided immeasurable value to Butler’s resume and gave players and fans a memory that will live on for a long time.
TOP PERFORMANCES
Nov. 20: Rotnei Clarke and Kellen Dunham posted matching lines of 17 points and five rebounds in an 82-71 win over No. 9 North Carolina. The starting guards burnt the nets, going a combined 9-for-15 on 3-pointers. Their awesome shooting display keyed an upset which set a positive tone at the beginning of the season.
Dec. 8: On a night all other players in the game shot 34-for-94 from the field (36.2 percent), Andrew Smith made 8 of 11 shots, converted 7 of 9 free throws and wound up with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a huge road win at Northwestern.
Dec. 15: Roosevelt Jones somehow found the energy to score 16 points, grab 12 rebounds and dish seven assists in the overtime victory against the Hoosiers. Alex Barlow hit the game-winning shot. Barlow would’ve never had a chance without Jones, who played the game of his life and got the better end of his matchup with first-team All-American Victor Oladipo. Someone buy Rose a steak, man.
Jan. 9: Arguably the finest game of Clarke’s time at Butler occurred in the school’s Atlantic 10 opener in hostile Hagan Arena. All he did was compile 28 points, six rebounds and four assists without a turnover in the Bulldogs’ 72-66 win over St. Joseph’s.
March 21: Smith chipped in 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, all while shutting down and outplaying Bucknell’s stud center Mike Muscala in a do-or-die tournament game. Muscala seemed bothered by Smith’s physicality and quite nervous. Andrew? Just a walk in the park.
THE PLAYERS (In 140 characters or less since we published a much lengthier, much more detailed roster breakdown late in the season)
Roosevelt Jones: An unforgivable snub from the A-10’s all-conference teams, Jones will be Butler’s best returning player in the fall. It’s his show now.
Khyle Marshall: One can’t shake the feeling that this affable, agile forward will never fully tap his immense gifts. Expect another season of about 10 ppg.
Andrew Smith: Talk about a guy who will be terribly missed. Held his own against some of the nation’s best big men. Ever the model citizen.
Alex Barlow: For the season’s biggest surprise, look no further. Last year’s CBI test run turned into a regular starting gig. Deserved it, too.
Rotnei Clarke: After all the losing at Arkansas, he appreciated every moment. Take it from Rotnei, Butler fans: Never take seasons like this for granted.
Kellen Dunham: Future home-state star enjoyed a nice debut but hit the freshman wall, ending season in an awful 21-for-74 slump.
Kameron Woods: Brad Stevens raved to us about Woods’ work ethic. That’s scary for opponents to hear because Woods has some major upside going forward.
Erik Fromm: Posted 10 points and five rebounds against Indiana. Filling in as starting center, had 13 points, nine boards against Charlotte.
Chase Stigall: Don’t remember all the missed 3s, or the flirtation with long, shaggy hair. Think of him, as Stevens did on senior night, as a leader.
BEST FACT
Butler won at least 20 games for the eighth consecutive season and has reached the 20-win plateau 15 times in the last 17 years.
RAPID-FIRE AWARDS
MVP (Rotnei Clarke) … Best Supporting Actor (Andrew Smith) … Most Athletic Bulldog (Khyle Marshall) … Strongest Bulldog (Roosevelt Jones) … Spirited Cheerleader from the Bench Award (Emerson Kampen) … Attitude Award (Alex Barlow) … Darrin Fitzgerald Marksmanship Medal (Rotnei Clarke) … Best Shot (Roosevelt Jones, Jan. 19, game-winning floater) Best Dunk (Devontae Morgan, Dec. 5, right-handed alley-oop over a defender while twisting sideways) … Best Reaction (Brad Stevens’ fist-clinching, knees-dropping anguish after a Butler bucket in the NCAA tournament was negated by basket interference) … Best Blocked Shot (Andrew Smith, March 23, half-court drive, Vander Blue elevates for a layup with his left hand, Smith adeptly leans from behind to swat with left hand) … Best Game (Dec. 15, Bulldogs over Indiana 88-86 in OT, and Jan. 19, Butler over Gonzaga 64-63) … Worst Game (March 2, VCU over Butler 84-52) … Best Poker Face (Kellen Dunham) … Defensive Player of the Year (Roosevelt Jones) … Most Improved (Roosevelt Jones) … One Shining Moment (Bulldogs go on a 22-5 run over less than eight minutes in the second half against Bucknell, March 21) … Feel Good Story (Erik Fromm wears a Stay Positive wristband in the wake of the death of his father Len, making the most of a sad moment by sharing for all the world the story of how his dad inspired lives) … Best Picture (Jones makes the aforementioned buzzer-beater, turns and runs and eventually dives on his belly near midcourt, and is mobbed by teammates and delirious fans as the entire Bulldog logo is covered in a mass of jumping humanity)
