2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs Butler Bulldogs script Logo.png Horizon League Horizon 2 11 33–5 18–0 Brad Stevens Matthew Graves Terry Johnson Micah Shrewsberry Hinkle Fieldhouse NCAA tournament, Runner-upHorizon League Regular Season championsHorizon League Tournament champions National Championship Game L Lost 59–61 vs. Duke The 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Brad Stevens, serving his 3rd year. The Bulldogs played their home games at the Hinkle Fieldhouse, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000.Butler University – The Official Athletics Site: Hinkle Fieldhouse, retrieved 21 December 2009 The Bulldogs won the 2010 Horizon League men's basketball tournament to receive the Horizon's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, earning a 5 seed in the West Region. They defeated 12 seed UTEP and 13 seed Murray State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The team next defeated 1 seed Syracuse to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, and then defeated 2 seed Kansas State to earn their first Final Four appearance in school history. They were only the second team from a mid-major conference to "officially" advance that far in the tournament since UNLV made the Final Four in 1991. On April 3, 2010, Butler defeated Michigan State and advanced to the National Championship game against Duke. On April 5, just a few miles away from the Bulldogs' home court, Duke defeated Butler 61–59 in a back and forth game that ratings showed was the highest-rated Championship game of the decade.Homeward Bound: Butler to the Final Four Luke Winn 27 March 2010 Sports Illustrated Online http://tourney.si.com/2010/03/27/homeward-bound-butler-to-the-final-four/ 4 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100331143810/http://tourney.si.com/2010/03/27/homeward-bound-butler-to-the-final-four/ 31 March 2010 dead Roster 2009 Butler Bulldogs y y Alex Anglin W 11 G/F 6 5 177 JR Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo Garrett Butcher 32 F 6 7 209 SO Ellettsville, Indiana Edgewood Zach Hahn basketball 3 G 6 1 176 JR New Castle, Indiana New Castle Chrysler Gordon Hayward y 20 G/F 6 9 207 SO Brownsburg, Indiana Brownsburg Matt Howard y 54 F 6 8 230 JR Connersville, Indiana Connersville Avery Jukes 24 F 6 8 215 SR Snellville, Georgia South Gwinnett/Alabama Emerson Kampen W 30 C 6 9 189 FR y Yorktown, Indiana Yorktown Grant Leiendecker 22 G 6 5 182 JR y Fort Wayne, Indiana Homestead Shelvin Mack y 1 G 6 3 215 SO Lexington, Kentucky Bryan Station Ronald Nored y 5 G 6 0 174 SO Homewood, Alabama Homewood Nick Rodgers W 14 G 6 2 168 SR Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville Andrew Smith basketball, born 1990 y 44 C 6 11 239 FR Indianapolis, Indiana Covenant Christian Chase Stigall 33 G 6 4 195 FR y New Castle, Indiana New Castle Chrysler Shawn Vanzant y 2 G 6 0 172 JR Tampa, Florida Wharton Willie Veasley 21 G/F 6 3 206 SR Freeport, Illinois Freeport Brad Stevens (DePauw) Matthew Graves (Butler) Terry Johnson (IPFW) Micah Shrewsberry (Hanover) http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/roster 8 April 2010 Schedule |- !colspan=9 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"| Italy Exhibition Trip August 6 yes yes 11 Switzerland Milan, Italy 72–76 August 7 yes yes 11 Switzerland Milan, Italy 90–100 August 10 yes yes 11 Prima Veroli Rome, Italy 103–45 August 11 yes yes 11 Prima Veroli Rome, Italy 94–37 |- !colspan=12 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"| Exhibition November 1 7:00 pm yes 11 DePauw Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN 77–45 November 7 2:00 pm yes 11 Taylor Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN 75–44 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"|Non-conference regular season November 14 2:00 pm yes 11 Davidson Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WHMB-40 and HLN 73–62 6,713 1–0 November 18 8:00 pm yes yes 11 Northwestern Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, IL BTN 67–54 4,368 2–0 November 21 8:00 pm yes yes 11 Evansville Roberts Municipal Stadium Evansville, IN WNDY-23 64–60 6,913 3–0 November 26 8:30 pm yes yes 12 Minnesota 22 Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA 76 Classic ESPN2 73–82 2,697 3–1 November 27 11:30 am yes yes 12 UCLA Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA 76 Classic ESPNU 69–67 3,027 4–1 November 29 7:30 pm yes yes 12 Clemson 19 Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA 76 Classic ESPNU 69–70 2,057 4–2 December 2 7:00 pm yes yes 23 Ball State John E. Worthen Arena Muncie, IN WTTV-4 59–38 6,996 5–2 December 5 7:00 pm 23 Valparaiso Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 84–67 6,125 6–2 (1–0) December 8 5:00 pm yes yes 22 Georgetown 15 Madison Square Garden New York, NY Jimmy V Classic ESPN 65–72 8,975 6–3 (1–0) December 12 12:00 pm yes 22 Ohio State 13 Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN ESPN 74–66 9,338 7–3 (1–0) December 19 2:00 pm yes 21 Xavier Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN ESPN2 69–68 9,114 8–3 (1–0) December 22 8:00 pm yes yes 20 UAB Bartow Arena Birmingham, AL 57–67 8,367 8–4 (1–0) |- !colspan=12 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"|Horizon League Play December 31 7:00 pm Green Bay Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 72–49 6,754 9–4 (2–0) January 2 2:00 pm Milwaukee Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 80–67 6,151 10–4 (3–0) January 8 7:00 pm yes Wright State Ervin J. Nutter Center Fairborn, OH WNDY-23 and HLN 77–65 9,674 11–4 (4–0) January 10 1:00 pm yes Detroit Calihan Hall Detroit, MI Fox Sports and HLN 64–62 4,493 OT 12–4 (5–0) January 14 7:00 pm Cleveland State Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 64–55 5,383 13–4 (6–0) January 16 2:00 pm Youngstown State Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 91–61 7,639 14–4 (7–0) January 21 5:30 pm yes Loyola Joseph J. Gentile Center Chicago, IL WNDY-23 and HLN 48–47 4,372 15–4 (8–0) January 23 2:00 pm yes UIC UIC Pavilion Chicago, IL WNDY-23 and HLN 84–55 5,446 16–4 (9–0) January 29 9:00 pm yes Green Bay Resch Center Green Bay, WI ESPNU 75–57 6,237 17–4 (10–0) January 31 2:00 pm yes Milwaukee US Cellular Arena Milwaukee, WI HLN 73–66 5,012 18–4 (11–0) February 4 7:00 pm 23 Detroit Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 63–58 5,212 19–4 (12–0) February 6 8:00 pm 23 Wright State Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN ESPN2 74–62 8,528 20–4 (13–0) February 8 7:00 pm 18 Loyola Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 62–47 5,231 21–4 (14–0) February 11 7:00 pm yes 18 Youngstown State Beeghly Center Youngstown, OH HLN 68–57 4,122 22–4 (15–0) February 13 2:00 pm yes 18 Cleveland State Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH WNDY-23 and HLN 70–59 4,681 23–4 (16–0) February 17 7:00 pm 18 UIC Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN WNDY-23 and HLN 73–55 5,095 24–4 (17–0) February 20 11:00 am yes 18 Siena Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN Bracket Buster ESPN2 70–53 9,111 25–4 February 26 9:00 pm yes 15 Valparaiso Athletics-Recreation Center Valparaiso, IN ESPNU 74–69 5,266 26–4 (18–0) |- !colspan=9 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"| Horizon League Tournament March 6 8:00 pm 12 1 Milwaukee 4 Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN Semifinals ESPNU 68–59 6,327 27–4 March 9 9:00 pm 12 1 Wright State 2 Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN Finals ESPN 70–45 6,065 28–4 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#13294B; color:#FFFFFF;"| NCAA tournament March 18 4:45 pm yes yes 11 5 W UTEP 12 W HP Pavilion San Jose, CA First Round CBS 77–59https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-03-18-butler.html Texas-El Paso vs. Butler Box Score, March 18, 2010 12,712 29–4 March 20 3:20 pm yes yes 11 5 W Murray State 13 W HP Pavilion San Jose, CA Second Round CBS 54–52https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-03-20-butler.html Murray State vs. Butler Box Score, March 20, 2010 16,044 30–4 March 25 7:07 pm yes yes 11 5 W Syracuse 4 1 W EnergySolutions Arena Salt Lake City, UT Sweet Sixteen CBS 63–59https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-03-25-butler.html Syracuse vs. Butler Box Score, March 25, 2010 17,254 31–4 March 27 4:30 pm yes yes 11 5 W Kansas State 7 2 W EnergySolutions Arena Salt Lake City, UT Elite Eight CBS 63–56https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-03-27-butler.html Kansas State vs. Butler Box Score, March 27, 2010 17,587 32–4 April 3 6:07 pm yes yes 11 5 W Michigan State 13 5 MW Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN Final Four CBS 52–50https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-04-03-butler.html Michigan State vs. Butler Box Score, April 3, 2010 71,298 33–4 April 5 9:21 pm yes yes 11 5 W Duke 3 1 S Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN National Championship Game CBS 59–61https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2010-04-05-butler.html Duke vs. Butler Box Score, April 5, 2010 70,930 33–5 2 Coaches' Poll Eastern Time. (#) Indicates seed in NCAA tournament. WR = West Region. MR = Midwest Region. SR = South Region. HLN = Horizon League Network https://butlersports.com/sports/2016/5/19/sports-m-baskbl-2009-10-files-teamcume-htm.aspx 2009-2010 Butler Bulldogs Men's Basketball Stats Butler Sports Rankings 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings + Ranking movementLegend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. 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 11 11 12 23 22 21 20 ORV ORV ORV ORV ORV 23 18 18 15 12 12 11 2 Coaches 10 10 10 20 20 17 16 23 24 22 20 18 15 15 13 10 11 12 8 2 Mid-Major 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Preseason Fueled in large part by Gordon Hayward's and Shelvin Mack's roles leading team USA to the gold medal in the FIBA Under-19 World Championship during the off-season,Andy Katz U.S. U-19 team captures first gold since 1991 ESPN.com 13 July 2009 https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=4323444 29 March 2010 Butler began the season ranked 10th in the Coaches' Poll and 11th in the AP Poll.2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings – Preseason ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2010/week/1/seasontype/2 29 March 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100321031042/http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2010/week/1/seasontype/2 21 March 2010 live A few commentators picked the Bulldogs as a possible "sleeper team" to make the Final Four. Stevens wasn't so sure, privately telling his father, "We have a really good team, and I’m not sure how far we can go this year, but next year, we ought to go really far." Preseason awards #NameClassAward20Gordon HaywardSo.Naismith Award Pre-Season CandidateNaismith Trophy 2009–10 Preseason Watch List Dominant With Upperclassmen https://web.archive.org/web/20091111053620/http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/PressReleases/10292009PreseasonWatchlist/tabid/164/Default.aspx November 11, 2009 Naismith Award, retrieved 15 February 2010John R. Wooden All-American Pre-Season Candidate2009–10 Men's Preseason List – Wooden Award, retrieved 14 December 2009CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major Player of the YearCollege Basketball: Preseason Mid-Major All-Americans https://web.archive.org/web/20100106103733/http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-basketball-preseason-mid-major-all-americans-167535 2010-01-06 , retrieved 1 February 2010CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-AmericaCollegeHoops.net Preseason All-American Honorable MentionCollege Basketball: Preseason All-America Team https://web.archive.org/web/20091122021240/http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-basketball-preseason-all-america-team-167533 2009-11-22 , retrieved 1 February 2010Pre-Season All-Horizon 1st Team (Horizon League Media)54Matt HowardJr.CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-AmericaHorizon League Preseason Player of the YearHorizon League announces preseason All-League basketball teams https://web.archive.org/web/20121112093151/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbkb-pre-teams-102109.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 14 December 2009Pre-Season All-Horizon 1st Team (Horizon League Media)1Shelvin MackSo.Pre-Season All-Horizon 2nd Team (Horizon League Media) Regular season Regular season awards #NameClassSeason Awards 20Gordon Hayward So. 76 Classic All-Tournament Team76 Classic – 2009 Recap, retrieved 15 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20100104195025/http://www.76classic.com/2009field.php January 4, 2010 12/14 Horizon League Player of the WeekButler’s Hayward named Men’s Basketball Player of the Week https://web.archive.org/web/20121112093154/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbkb-pow-121409.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 15 December 200912/15 USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week2009–10 Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week, retrieved 16 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090201010604/http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/awards/robertson/index.html February 1, 2009 12/21 Horizon League Player of the WeekButler’s Hayward repeats as Men’s Basketball Player of the Week https://web.archive.org/web/20121112093158/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbkb-pow-122109.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 22 December 20092010 Wooden Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist2009–2010 Midseason Top 30 Candidates – Wooden Award, retrieved 5 January 2010Sporting News' Midseason Mid-Major All-AmericanMidseason college basketball mid-major all-Americans, retrieved 1 February 2010COSIDA/ESPN Magazine Academic All-District VMatt, Howard, Gordon Hayward Named Academic All-District https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154354/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/020410aaa 2011-07-24 , retrieved 4 February 20102/15 Horizon League Player of the WeekButler's Hayward named Men's Basketball Player of the Week https://web.archive.org/web/20121112094505/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbkb-pow-021510.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 15 February 2010Academic All-American 3rd TeamHoward, Hayward Named Academic All-America https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154535/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/022210aac 2011-07-24 , retrieved 22 February 2010Naismith Award Midseason CandidateNaismith Trophy Midseason Candidates Announced https://web.archive.org/web/20100327152528/http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/PressReleases/02242010NaismithTrophyMidseasonCandidates/tabid/168/Default.aspx 2010-03-27 , Naismith College Player of the Year, retrieved 24 February 2010 54Matt HowardJr.COSIDA/ESPN Magazine Academic All-District VAcademic All-American 1st Team 1Shelvin MackSo.1/4 Horizon League Player of the WeekButler’s Shelvin Mack named Men’s Basketball Player of the Week https://web.archive.org/web/20121112093202/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbkb-pow-010410.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 5 January 2010 Regular season game capsules 11/14 – Butler vs Davidson Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalDAV 35 27 62BU 37 36 73 Butler Slips Past Davidson In Season-Opener Sophomore Gordon Hayward scored 17 points and senior Willie Veasley added 15 to lead Butler to a 73–62 victory over visiting Davidson in the first game of the 2009–10 season for both teams at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 14. It was Butler's fourth straight win in a season-opener.Butler Slips Past Davidson In Season-Opener https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110132/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/111409aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 11/18 – Butler at Northwestern Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 30 37 67NW 24 30 54 Butler Rolls Past Northwestern, 67–54 Shelvin Mack scored a team-high 15 points and added eight assists and Gordon Hayward chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds to help lead visiting Butler to a 67–54 victory over Northwestern in a non-league test at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 18). It was the second straight win for the No. 10/11 ranked Bulldogs to open the season.Butler Rolls Past Northwestern, 67–54 https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110149/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/111809aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 11/21 – Butler at Evansville Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 27 37 64EVAN 20 40 60 Bulldogs Slip Past Evansville Shelvin Mack led four players in double-figures with 17 points and visiting Butler held off a late Evansville charge to post a 64–60 non-league victory at Roberts Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 21. It was the third straight victory to open the season for the No. 10/11 ranked Bulldogs.Bulldogs Slip Past Evansville https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110208/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/112109aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 11/26 – Butler vs #16 Minnesota (76 Classic) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalMINN 32 50 82BU 28 45 73 Bulldogs Fall To #16 Minnesota At 76 Classic Butler committed a season-high 21 turnovers and shot just 33% for the game, while falling to #16 Minnesota, 82–73, in the opening round of the 2009 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 26. The loss was the first this season for the No. 10/12 ranked Bulldogs.Bulldogs Fall To #16 Minnesota At 76 Classic https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110220/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/112609aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 11/27 – Butler vs UCLA (76 Classic) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 42 27 69UCLA 35 32 67 Butler Edges UCLA At 76 Classic Sophomore Shelvin Mack posted his second consecutive 20-point scoring performance and Gordon Hayward hit two clutch free throws with less than a second left in the game to lift Butler to a 69–67 victory over UCLA in the consolation round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday (Nov. 27). The victory sends the Bulldogs (4–1) into the consolation finals against #19 Clemson on Sunday (Nov. 29).Butler Edges UCLA At 76 Classic https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110230/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/112709aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 11/29 – Butler vs #19 Clemson (76 Classic) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalCLEM 26 44 70BU 33 36 69 Butler Falls To #19 Clemson In Closing Seconds Demontez Stitt hit two free throws with 0:03.3 left on the clock to lift #19 Clemson to a 70–69 come-from-behind victory over Butler in the fifth place game of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday (Nov. 29). The loss was Butler's second to a nationally ranked team in four days and left the Bulldogs at 4–2 on the young season.Butler Falls To #19 Clemson In Closing Seconds https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110240/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/112909aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/02 – Butler at Ball State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 29 30 59BALL 11 27 38 Bulldogs Cruise Past Ball State, 59–38 Sophomores Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack each scored 15 points and junior Matt Howard added 11 to lead visiting Butler to a 59–38 victory over Ball State at Worthen Arena in Muncie on Wednesday (Dec. 2). The victory lifted the Bulldogs to 5–2 on the young season.Bulldogs Cruise Past Ball State, 59–38 https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110246/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/120209aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/05 – Butler vs Valparaiso Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalVALP 32 35 67BU 38 46 84 Bulldogs Pull Away From Valparaiso, 84–67 Butler used a balanced offensive attack and an aggressive defense to turn a close game into an 84–67 victory over visiting Valparaiso in the Horizon League opener for both teams at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (Dec. 5). The Bulldogs, playing at home for just the second time this season, improved to 6–2 on the year.Bulldogs Pull Away From Valparaiso, 84–67 https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110252/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/120509aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/08 – Butler vs #13 Georgetown (Jimmy V Classic) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 31 34 65GTWN 39 33 72 Georgetown Beats Bulldogs In Jimmy V Classic Center Greg Monroe posted career-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds and guard Austin Freeman added 18 points to lead #15/13 Georgetown to a 72–65 victory over Butler in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday (Dec. 8). It was Butler's third loss in nine outings, all to teams ranked in the “Top 25.”Georgetown Beats Bulldogs In Jimmy V Classic https://web.archive.org/web/20110708110301/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/120809aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/12 – Butler vs #15 Ohio State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalOSU 36 30 66BU 34 40 74 Butler Holds Off Ohio State, 74–66 Sophomore Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and senior Willie Veasley added his first career double-double to lead Butler to a 74–66 victory over #13/15 Ohio State in a nationally televised game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 12. The victory lifted the Bulldogs to 7–3 on the season.Butler Holds Off Ohio State, 74–66 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154011/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/121209aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/19 – Butler vs Xavier Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalXAV 32 36 68BU 39 30 69 Butler Edges Xavier, 69–68 Sophomore Gordon Hayward hit a lay-up with 0:01.2 left on the clock to lift Butler to a 69–68 come-from-behind victory over visiting Xavier in a hard-fought, non-league game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (Dec. 19). The dramatic, game-winning play also set off a series of events that kept the outcome in doubt for an additional 10–15 minutes.Butler Edges Xavier, 69–68 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154027/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/121909aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/22 – Butler at UAB Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 22 35 57UAB 32 35 67 Bulldogs Fall At UAB, 67–57 UAB scoring leader Elija Millsap, held in check for most of the game, sparked a 10–2 scoring run in the final two minutes to lead the host Blazers to a 67–57 victory over Butler in a non-league test at Bartow Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The victory was the tenth straight for the 11–1 Blazers.Bulldogs Fall At UAB, 67–57 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154040/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/122209aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 12/31 – Butler vs Green Bay Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalGB 27 22 49BU 35 37 72 Butler Cruises Past Green Bay In First Place Showdown Shelvin Mack scored 14 points and Gordon Hayward added 13 to lead a balanced Butler squad to a 72–49 victory over visiting Green Bay in a Horizon League first place showdown at Hinkle Fieldhouse on New Year's Eve. The victory lifted the Bulldogs to 9–4 on the season and left Butler as the league's last unbeaten team at 2–0.Butler Cruises Past Green Bay In First Place Showdown https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154056/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/123109aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 1/2 – Butler vs Milwaukee Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalMILW 28 39 67BU 37 43 80 Bulldogs Roll Past Milwaukee Shelvin Mack posted a career-high scoring total and Gordon Hayward added his sixth double-double of the season to help power Butler past visiting Milwaukee, 80–67, in a Horizon League game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 2. The win lifted the Bulldogs to 10–4 on the season and kept Butler unbeaten in three league outings.Bulldogs Roll Past Milwaukee https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154120/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/010210aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 January 2010 1/8 – Butler at Wright State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 37 40 77WRST 26 39 65 Butler Holds Off Wright State, 77–65 Sophomore Shelvin Mack sparked Butler to a big first half lead and teammate Gordon Hayward the Bulldogs pad the margin in the second half of a 77–65 victory over Wright State in Fairborn, Ohio, on Friday, Jan. 8. The victory lifted Butler to 11–4 on the season and kept the Bulldogs unbeaten (4–0) in Horizon League play.Butler Holds Off Wright State, 77–65 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154156/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/010810aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 9 January 2010 1/10 – Butler at Detroit Teams1st Half2nd HalfOTFinalBU 23 32 9 64DET 20 35 7 62 Bulldogs Escape With Overtime Win At Detroit Sophomore Shelvin Mack scored the go-ahead basket with under a minute left in overtime and Butler survived a desperation three-point field goal attempt at the buzzer to post a 64–62 victory over Detroit in a first place showdown at Calihan Hall on Sunday, Jan. 10. The heart-stopping win lifted Butler to 12–4 on the season and kept the Bulldogs unbeaten with a 5–0 mark in the Horizon League.Bulldogs Escape With Overtime Win At Detroit https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154251/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/011010aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 10 January 2010 1/14 – Butler vs Cleveland State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalCLEV 31 24 55BU 30 34 65 Bulldogs Overtake Cleveland State In Second Half Butler overcame a slow start with a big finish to down visiting Cleveland State, 64–55, in a key Horizon League game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday, Jan. 14. The hard-fought victory, Butler's fifth in a row, lifted the Bulldogs to 13–4 on the season and 6–0 in the Horizon League.Bulldogs Overtake Cleveland State In Second Half https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105212/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/011410aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 14 January 2010 1/16 – Butler vs Youngstown State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalYSU 26 35 61BU 49 42 91 Defense Lifts Butler Over Youngstown State A first half defense was the key to a win for Brad Stevens’ Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse Saturday, Jan. 16. This 91–61 victory over Youngstown State was the sixth in a row and concluded a two-game home stand for the Bulldogs. With the win the Bulldogs improve to 14–4 on the season and 7–0 in Horizon League play.Defense Lifts Butler Over Youngstown State https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105227/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/011610aac 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 16 January 2010 1/21 – Butler at Loyola-Chicago Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 30 18 48L-IL 26 21 47 Butler Escapes With One-Point Win At Loyola Senior Willie Veasley calmly sank the second of two free throws with 0:34 left in the game to lift Butler to a 48–47 victory over host Loyola in a tightly contested Horizon League game on Thursday, Jan. 21. The victory, Butler's seventh in a row, boosted the Bulldogs to 15–4 on the season and 8–0 in league action.Butler Escapes With One-Point Win At Loyola https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154313/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/012110aab 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 22 January 2010 1/23 – Butler at Illinois-Chicago Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 37 47 84UIC 26 29 55 Bulldogs Roll To 84–55 Victory At UIC Sophomore Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 25 points and teammate Shelvin Mack added 15 to lead Butler to an 84–55 Horizon League victory over UIC at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday (Jan. 23). The win, Butler's eighth in a row, lifted the #20-ranked Bulldogs to 16–4 on the year and 9–0 in the Horizon League.Bulldogs Roll To 84–55 Victory At UIC https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105234/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/012310aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 24 January 2010 1/29 – Butler at Green Bay Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 34 39 73GB 35 31 66 Hot Second Half Lifts Bulldogs At Green Bay Junior Matt Howard scored 18 points and senior Willie Veasley added 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Butler past host Green Bay at the Resch Center on Friday, Jan. 29. The win was Butler's ninth straight and lifted the first place Bulldogs to 17–4 on the season and 10–0 in the Horizon League.Hot Second Half Lifts Bulldogs At Green Bay https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105240/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/012910aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 30 January 2010 1/31 – Butler at Milwaukee Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 34 39 73MILW 35 31 66 Butler Rallies For Win At Milwaukee Sophomore Gordon Hayward scored a game-high 25 points and sophomore Ronald Nored added a career-high 13, including 11 in the second half, to help Butler overcome a seven-point deficit and post a 73–66 victory at Milwaukee on Sunday, Jan. 31. The win, Butler's 10th in a row, lifted the first place Bulldogs to 18–4 on the season and 11–0 in the Horizon League.Butler Rallies For Win At Milwaukee https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154333/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/013110aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 1 February 2010 2/4 – Butler vs. Detroit Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalDET 26 32 58BU 30 33 63 Poised Group Finds Way to Win Against Detroit The experience of the Bulldogs showed as they were able to fight through 21 turnovers to grab a 63–58 victory over Detroit Thursday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler moved to 19–4 on the season and a perfect 12–0 in Horizon League play becoming the first team in school history to start 12–0 in league play.Poised Group Finds Way to Win Against Detroit https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154408/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/detroit2-4 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 5 February 2010 2/6 – Butler vs. Wright State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalWRST 29 33 62BU 35 39 74 Perfect Veasley Carries Bulldogs Past Wright State Butler, led by senior Willie Veasley, shot a crisp 67.5 percent from the field and pulled away from Wright State in the second half to win 74–62 Saturday Feb. 6 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The win was the 12th in a row for Butler and moved them to a perfect 13–0 in Horizon League play.Perfect Veasley Carries Bulldogs Past Wright State https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154426/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/020610aab 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 8 February 2010 2/8 – Butler vs. Loyola Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalL-IL 26 21 47BU 24 38 62 Butler Clinches a Share of Fourth Consecutive League Title Matt Howard scored a game-high 20 points and Butler won its third game in five days to clinch at least a share of its fourth consecutive Horizon League regular season title. The Bulldogs came back in the second half to beat Loyola 62–47 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Monday to improve to 14–0 in Horizon League play.Butler Clinches a Share of Fourth Consecutive League Title https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154508/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/020810aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 13 February 2010 2/11 – Butler at Youngstown State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 31 37 68YSU 30 27 57 Bulldogs Clinch Horizon League Title Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and Butler pulled away in the second half to hand host Youngstown State a 68–57 setback and clinch its fourth consecutive Horizon League championship at the Beeghly Center on Thursday (Feb. 11). The victory was Butler's 14th straight, the second-longest winning streak in school history.Bulldogs Clinch Horizon League Title https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154441/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/021110aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 12 February 2010 2/13 – Butler at Cleveland State Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 29 41 70CLEV 27 32 59 Bulldogs Roll To 15th Straight Win Matt Howard scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Gordon Hayward added 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead visiting Butler to a 70–59 victory over Cleveland State in a match-up of the Horizon League's top two teams on Saturday, Feb. 13. The win was Butler's 15th straight, tying the longest winning streak in school history!Bulldogs Roll To 15th Straight Win https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154518/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/021310aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 13 February 2010 2/17 – Butler vs. Illinois-Chicago Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalUIC 25 30 55BU 32 41 73 Bulldogs Roll To Record 17th League Win Junior Matt Howard scored 17 points, sophomore Ronald Nored added a career-high 16, and Butler picked up its Horizon League-record 17th league win with a 73–55 victory over visiting UIC at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 17. The win boosted the Bulldogs to 24–4 on the season and kept Butler unbeaten in league play.Bulldogs Roll To Record 17th League Win https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105246/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/011710aab 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 21 February 2010 2/20 – Butler vs. Siena Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalSIE 31 22 53BU 28 42 70 Mack and Hayward Lead Way to BracketBuster Win on Senior Day Shelvin Mack scored 23 points and Gordon Hayward added a double-double to help the Bulldogs beat the Siena Saints, 70–53, on Feb. 20 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The win was Butler's second straight Bracketbuster win (Davidson 2009). With the win, the Bulldogs extend their win streak to the 17, which is tied for the best in the nation.Mack and Hayward Lead Way to BracketBuster Win on Senior Day https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105255/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/022010aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 21 February 2010 2/26 – Butler at Valparaiso Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 30 44 74VALP 31 38 69 Butler Completes Unbeaten League Season Senior Willie Veasley scored a career-high 20 points and Butler pulled away in the second half to hand host Valparaiso a 74–69 setback and become the first team in Horizon League history to finish with an 18–0 record. The win lifted the #15/10 Bulldogs to 26–4 on the season.Butler Completes Unbeaten League Season https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154549/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/022610aaa 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 27 February 2010 Postseason Postseason awards #NameClassSeason Awards 20Gordon Hayward So. Horizon League Player of the YearHorizon League announces men's basketball All-League Teams and specialty award winners https://web.archive.org/web/20121112102107/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hori/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2010PostseasonAwards.pdf 2012-11-12 , retrieved 1 March 2010All-Horizon League (1st Team)Horizon League All-Tournament TeamBulldogs Capture Horizon League Tournament Crown https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154605/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/030910aab 2011-07-24 , retrieved 10 March 20102010 Wooden Player of the Year Finalist2010 Wooden Award Ballot Sent to Voters (Wooden Award), retrieved 15 March 20102010 NCAA West Regional MVP2010 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team54Matt HowardJr. All-Horizon League (1st Team)Horizon League All-Tournament TeamHorizon League Tournament MVPhttps://archive.today/20120904145207/http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030910aac.html Butler defeats Wright State for Horizon League Title, retrieved 10 March 2010Elite 88 Award WinnerButler's Matt Howard earns NCAA's Elite 88 Award https://archive.today/20120908071155/http://www.horizonleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040210aae.html 2012-09-08 , accessed 11 September 20111Shelvin MackSo.All-Horizon League (1st Team)Horizon League All-Tournament Team2010 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team5Ronald NoredSo.Horizon League Defensive Player of the YearHorizon League All-Defensive TeamHorizon League All-Tournament Team21Willie VeasleySr.Horizon League All-Defensive TeamCoachBrad Stevens3rdHorizon League Coach of the Year Postseason game capsules Horizon League tournament 3/6 – Butler vs Milwaukee (Horizon League Semifinals) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalMILW 29 30 59BU 28 40 68 Bulldogs Begin Horizon League Tournament Play For the third straight year, Butler won't have to leave Hinkle Fieldhouse in its bid for a league tournament championship. The top-seeded Bulldogs will begin play in the 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship at home in the semifinals on Saturday, March 6.Bulldogs Begin Horizon League Tournament Play https://web.archive.org/web/20110708105302/http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/0204190aaa 2011-07-08 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 6 March 2010 3/9 – Butler vs Wright State (Horizon League Championship) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinal WRST 28 17 45BU 42 28 70 Bulldogs Capture Horizon League Tournament Crown Junior Matt Howard and sophomore Shelvin Mack each scored 14 points and top-seeded Butler unleashed a smothering defense to dispatch #2 Wright State, 70–45, in the title game of the 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday (Mar. 9). The win extended Butler's nation-leading winning streak to 20 in a row.Bulldogs Capture Horizon League Tournament Crown https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154605/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/030910aab 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 10 March 2010 NCAA tournament 3/18 – Butler vs #25 (12 seed) Texas-El Paso (NCAA tournament – round 1) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinal UTEP 33 26 59BU 27 50 77 Bulldogs Advance Past UTEP To NCAA Second Round Of the 32 first-round games, the match up between Butler and UTEP was the only one featuring two nationally ranked teams (UTEP was ranked 24th entering the game). Many basketball commentators picked UTEP to pull the upset, and in the first half of the game it looked like they might be right. UTEP outplayed Butler to take a 33–27 halftime lead. Stevens rallied the team, and the Bulldogs came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. Shelvin Mack hit two three-pointers within 90 seconds to tie the game and ignite a 22–4 run to start the half. Butler won the game 77–59 sinking 13 three-pointers.Bulldogs rally past Miners, stretch win streak to 21 CBSSports.com wire reports 18 March 2010 http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100318_TXEP@BUT 29 March 2010 Shelvin Mack led the team with 25 points.Bulldogs Advance Past UTEP To NCAA Second Round https://web.archive.org/web/20110724154618/http://www.butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2009-10/releases/0910mbb-ncaa1 2011-07-24 Butler University – The Official Athletics Site, retrieved 18 March 2010 3/20 – Butler vs (13 seed) Murray St. (NCAA tournament – round 2) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinal MURR 26 26 52BU 22 32 54 Late Defense Sends Bulldogs To Sweet 16 In the second round, Butler faced off with 13th seeded Murray State. The game was close throughout and was tied at 50 with a minute to go. Ronald Nored put Butler ahead with a layup and added a free throw to make it 53–50 with 25.4 seconds remaining. Murray State made two free throws to cut the gap, but was forced to foul Matt Howard to extend the game. Howard hit 1 of 2 free throws, giving Murray State a chance to tie or win the game on its final possession. With less than five seconds on the clock, Hayward deflected a Murray State pass into the back court. By the time the ball was recovered, the game was over and Stevens was heading to his first Sweet Sixteen.Late heroics help Butler hold off upset-minded Murray State CBSSports.com wire reports 20 March 2010 http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100320_MURYST@BUT 29 March 2010 3/25 – Butler vs. #4 (1 seed) Syracuse (NCAA tournament – Sweet Sixteen) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 35 28 63SYR 25 34 59 Butler Headed To Elite Eight Butler faced top-seeded Syracuse. Unlike their first two games, the Bulldogs got off to a good start, jumping out to a 12–1 lead and taking a 35–25 lead to the break. Syracuse rallied in the second half, taking its first lead of the game, 40–39, off a Wes Johnson three-pointer. Stevens called timeout and Butler regained the lead on its next possession. The game remained tight for the next several minutes. At the 5:32 mark, Syracuse got a rare fast break opportunity that ended with a dunk and 54–50 lead. Stevens again called time out and Butler responded by holding Syracuse scoreless for the next 5 minutes. Butler took a 60–54 lead on a Willie Veasley tip in at the 0:59 mark and held on to win 63–59. The win allowed Butler to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.Butler downs No. 1 seed Syracuse, advances to school's first Elite Eight CBSSports.com wire reports 25 March 2010 http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100325_BUT@SYR 29 March 2010 3/27 – Butler vs. #7 (2 seed) Kansas St. (NCAA tournament – Elite Eight) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 27 36 63KSU 20 36 56 BU's NEXT STOP: Final Four In Indy! The Bulldogs met 2nd-seeded Kansas State in the regional finals. Perhaps feeling the effects of their double overtime 101–96 win two days prior, Kansas State got off to a slow start, scoring just 20 points in the first half to trail 27–20. Butler kept the lead in the upper single digits for most of the second half and led 49–39 with 7:38 to go. Kansas State then went on a 13–2 and took a 52–51 lead on a Denis Clemente 3-pointer with 4:50 to go. Brad Stevens immediately called time out and re-focused the team. "Play your game. Just play your game" he told the team.The Butler bonus: compatibility Tim Keown 30 March 2010 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=keown/100330 2 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100403225542/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=keown%2F100330 3 April 2010 live On the ensuing possession, Hayward pulled down an offensive rebounded on a Mack miss and was fouled. He hit both free throws and Butler didn't trail again, out-scoring Kansas State 12–2 before the Wildcats hit a meaningless shot at the buzzer to make the final margin 63–56.Butler ousts K-State, rides 24-game win streak into first Final Four CBSSports.com wire reports 27 March 2010 http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100327_BUT@KSST 29 March 2010 When asked how Butler won the game, Howard said "It’s all five guys out there defending, helping each other". In the post game celebration, Stevens and walk-on forward Emerson Kampen connected on a flying back-bump that soon became one of the iconic images of the tournament. Stevens adopted the move after he saw it bringing together teammates during pregame rituals. Stevens and Kampden did a back-bump in the locker room after the Murray State and Syracuse games, revealing it to the public after beating Kansas State.Season to dream: Butler joins big boys in Indy for Final Four David Leon Moore 28 March 2010 USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2010-03-28-butler-cover_N.htm 4 April 2010 The win earned the Bulldogs a trip back to Indianapolis for the first Final Four appearance in school and Horizon League history. The win made Stevens, at age 33, the youngest coach to lead a team to the Final Four since Bob Knight made his first Final Four appearance at age 32 in 1973.Hiring a young Stevens pays for Butler David Woods 30 March 2010 Indianapolis Star http://www.indystar.com/article/20100330/SPORTS0609/3300316/1073/SPORTS0605/Hiring-a-young-Stevens-pays-for-Butler 2 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100413170408/http://www.indystar.com/article/20100330/SPORTS0609/3300316/1073/SPORTS0605/Hiring-a-young-Stevens-pays-for-Butler 13 April 2010 live Butler became the smallest school (enrollment 4,200) to make the Final Four since seeding began in 1979.The Road Winds Home David Woods 28 March 2010 Indianapolis Star http://www.indystar.com/article/20100328/SPORTS0609/3280346/ 3 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100330074549/http://www.indystar.com/article/20100328/SPORTS0609/3280346/ 30 March 2010 live 4/3 – Butler vs. #13/#12 (5 seed) Michigan St. (NCAA tournament – Final Four) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 28 24 52MSU 28 22 50 Bulldogs Advance To National Title Game Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs faced off with Michigan State in the national semi-finals. Korie Lucious opened the game by hitting two straight three-pointers, but Gordon Hayward responded with two three-pointers of his own to tie the score at 6. Butler took a 7–6 lead on a Shelvin Mack free throw before Michigan State went on an 8–0 run. Matt Howard got in early foul trouble and sat most of the first half. Butler fought back though, tying the game at 28 on a Mack three-pointer with 35 seconds left in the first half.Hayward leads feel-good Butler to national title game CBSSports.com wire reports 3 April 2010 http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100403_BUT@MIST 3 April 2010 Lucious hit another three to open the second half, giving Michigan State a 31–28 lead. The teams traded the lead a few times before Mack hit a layup to put Butler up 34–33 with 17:43 to go. Butler then held Michigan State scoreless for the next 3:30, pushing the lead to 38–33. After two free throws by Howard made the Butler lead 46–41 with 9:24 to go, both teams locked down on defense. The score was 47–44 with 2:45 to go in the game when Michigan State called a time out to set up a play. Stevens correctly anticipated the play call and had Ronald Nored, the team's best defender, switch onto Lucious off a screen. Nored stole the ball and Shawn Vanzant got fouled on the resulting run out, hitting 1 of 2. After a Draymond Green jump shot cut the lead to 48–46, Hayward got a layup off an offensive rebound by Willie Veasley. Durrell Summers then got fouled with 1:18 remaining. He hit the first free throw, but missed the second. However, Michigan State got an offensive rebound and Green was fouled. He made both foul shots to bring Michigan State within a point with 56 seconds to go. Butler came up empty on its possession, giving Michigan State a chance to take the lead. Green missed a layup with 8 seconds on the clock and Nored came down with the rebound. He was quickly fouled. Nored, who had shot only 61% on the year and 3 of 12 during the tournament on free throws, hit both shots to give Butler a 52–49 lead. After a Michigan State time out, Butler intentionally fouled Lucious with 2 seconds remaining to prevent a potentially game tying 3-pointer. After making the first, Lucious intentionally missed the second free throw. Hayward came down with the rebound, his ninth of the game, to seal the victory. Butler won the game despite shooting just 30.6% for the game and going without Howard and Mack for a large portion of the second half. Howard hit his head and left the game dazed, while Mack was experiencing leg cramps. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called it "one of the more physical games we've been involved in." He added "I like the way they play, I like their story. They play like a Big Ten team." Of 595 games played on neutral courts during the 2009–10 season, Butler's 30.6% was the third-lowest shooting percentage by a winning team.#thanksdawgs Kyle Whelliston 4 April 2010 The Mid-Majority http://www.midmajority.com/2010/04/thanksdawgs.php 4 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100406225708/http://www.midmajority.com/2010/04/thanksdawgs.php 6 April 2010 usurped dmy-all Butler became the first team since the shot clock was adopted for the 1985–86 season to hold five straight tournament opponents under 60 points.Butler Does Its Ugly Best Art Spander 3 April 2010 RealClearSports http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2010/04/03/butler_does_its_ugly_best_96921.html 4 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100407145151/http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2010/04/03/butler_does_its_ugly_best_96921.html 7 April 2010 dead 4/5 – Butler vs. #3 (1 seed) Duke (NCAA tournament – Championship Game) Teams1st Half2nd HalfFinalBU 32 27 59DUKE 33 28 61 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game On April 5, 2010, Butler became the smallest school to play for a National Championship since Jacksonville in 1970, facing Duke, who was seeking its fourth national championship.Butler bulls its way to title game Vahe Gregorian 4 April 2010 St. Louis Post-Dispatch https://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/ncaatournament/story/40F3502328E4CA3F862576FB0012AB98?OpenDocument 4 April 2010 June 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes The New York Times called the game "the most eagerly awaited championship game in years".Once the Underdog, Duke Is Now the Villain William C. Rhoden 4 April 2010 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/sports/ncaabasketball/05rhoden.html?ref=sports 4 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100409081035/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/sports/ncaabasketball/05rhoden.html?ref=sports 9 April 2010 live Duke jumped out to a 6–1 lead to start the game, but Butler rallied back, taking a 12–11 lead at the 12:28 mark of the first half. At the under eight-minute TV timeout, Butler held a 20–18 lead. After the timeout, Duke went on an 8–0 run to take a 26–20 lead. Coach Stevens then called a timeout. With starters Matt Howard and Ronald Nored on the bench in foul trouble, backup center Avery Jukes hit two three-pointers and a made tip-in en route to 10 first half points, tying his single-game season high. At half time, Duke's lead stood at 33–32.Duke downs Butler to clinch fourth national title 5 April 2010 CBSSports.com wire reports http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100405_BUT@DUKE?tag=scores-1744022;links1744022 6 April 2010 The second half was played very closely, with neither team taking a lead larger than two points until a Brian Zoubek layup put Duke up 47–43 with 12:27 remaining. Butler stayed within 5 points the rest of the way. With 3:16 to play, Duke took a 60–55 lead on two made free throws by Nolan Smith. Butler missed its next shot, but forced a missed shot and turned Duke over after an offensive rebound. Matt Howard made a layup for Butler to make it a 60–57 game with 1:44 remaining. Smith missed a layup for Duke and Howard made another layup after collecting an offensive rebound on a missed three-pointer by Shelvin Mack. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski then called a time out. Kyle Singler missed a jump shot from the right corner with 36 seconds remaining, giving Butler a chance to take the lead. Butler was unable to initiate their offense and Stevens called a timeout to set up a play. They were then forced to call their last timeout when they were unable to get the ball in-bounds. Next, Gordon Hayward missed a short fade-away jumper while being defended by center Brian Zoubek. Zoubek came down strong with the rebound, forcing Butler to foul with less than 3.6 seconds remaining. Zoubek made the first foul shot and then intentionally missed the second, likely knowing Butler had no timeouts remaining. Hayward threw a desperation shot from half court. The ball bounced off the backboard and then the rim. According to an analysis by ESPN, Hayward's aim was off by three inches (7.6 cm), or less than one degree, on the x-axis.Video: Sport Science on Butler's last shot 7 April 2010 ESPN https://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/10413/video-sport-science-on-butlers-last-shot 7 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100409225329/http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/10413/video-sport-science-on-butlers-last-shot 9 April 2010 live The loss ended the winningest season in school history. It also snapped Butler's 25-game winning streak, which was also a school record. The following day President Barack Obama called and congratulated the team, despite the loss. "I just didn't want to call the winner because you guys grabbed the nation's attention. We appreciate the way you guys play." he told the team.NCAA blog 27: America's Team David Woods 6 April 2010 Bulldogs Insider http://blogs.indystar.com/butler/2010/04/ncaa_blog_27_americas_team.html 9 April 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100427214754/http://blogs.indystar.com/butler/2010/04/ncaa_blog_27_americas_team.html April 27, 2010 References 2 Butler Bulldogs Men's Category:Butler Bulldogs men's basketball seasons Butler Bulldogs Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Butl Butl