Butler Makes Most of Long-Awaited Return to the Garden
by Ray Floriani
NEW YORK – It was well worth the wait.
The last time Butler appeared in Madison Square Garden was March of 1959 in the NIT. That was the ‘old Garden’ 16 blocks uptown. Butler had yet to appear at the current MSG on 33rd street that opened in 1968. A solid mid-major with a credible tradition, the Indiana school went almost half a century without playing in “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Butler certainly made up for lost time and re-acquainted itself with local fans. The Bulldogs upset Tennessee and Gonzaga to capture the NIT Season Tip-Off.
On Wednesday in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal, Butler showed the New York fans solid fundamental basketball in a 56-44 upset of Tennessee. The Bulldogs entered the contest with two goals: limit turnovers to 15 and hit the boards. They almost accomplished both – the turnover count was 16, but they forced their SEC opposition into 23 miscues of their own. Butler struggled a bit with the Volunteers’ beef up front, as Tennessee enjoyed a 15-7 edge on the offensive boards. But the key factors that helped Butler over the forty minutes were defense and an adherence to their game plan.
Tennessee saw a ten-point lead with five minutes to go in the half slip away. A 10 % (no typo) shooting second half didn’t help. “We had looks,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “We didn’t hit anything but credit Butler. They played some aggressive defense out there.”
In the second semifinal North Carolina got out to a 10-0 advantage over the first four minutes. The second-ranked Tar Heels looked like they would cruise into the finals. Gonzaga never hit the panic button and gradually got back in it, taking the lead by halftime. In the second half, they opened a 16-point lead. Carolina tightened the defense and made a serious run, but again, Mark Few’s Bulldogs didn’t rattle, kept the lead and closed out an 82-74 upset.
That set the stage for Friday.
While Black Friday shoppers were going through away their budgets, a number of fans were filing in the Garden for a 4:30 p.m. start. Clad in Carolina blue and Volunteer orange, they were in eager anticipation of an expected matchup. Only thing being, the matchup was planned on being the final, not consolation.
North Carolina took third with a 101-87 win. Tar Heels had just too much size for Tennessee. Down 21 at the half, Tennessee did not quit and actually made a second half run and threatened to get the deficit under double digits about midway through the final half. North Carolina coach Roy Williams was pleased with the win, but not at all with his team’s decisions and execution in the final half.
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, not thrilled to exit New York with a two-game losing streak, was content that his team fought back. “We got in at halftime down 21 (points),” Pearl said. “And there wasn’t a guy who couldn’t wait to get back out on the floor.”
Tennesee is a team that will surprise in some contests, disappoint their fans in others. The Vols press and rely a great deal on perimeter shooting. Even their big man, freshman Wayne Chism, is a 6-9 widebody who enjoys roaming outside more rather than battling down on the blocks.
The final, a battle of Bulldogs, saw Butler get out to an early lead and gradually build it. The early margin was crucial in the balance of the contest. Butler is simply not a team you want to trail. They take good care of the ball, play with poise and are deadly from the free throw line, especially in crunch time. Butler was 14 of 16 from the line against Tennessee and made 23 of 26 in the Gonzaga contest. Butler also had great success dribble penetrating. If the penetration was stopped, the ball would be sent out to the perimeter for a (usually open) shot.
Interestingly picked sixth in their Horizon League pre-season poll, Butler is a classic inspiration for programs operating below Fortune 500 status. They epitomize what you can do when a solid, unspectacular group gets together, buys into a good system and executes. My NBA favorites, the Knicks, should be required to watch and study Butler’s game tapes (from any of the NIT contests) to get a read on fundamental unselfish basketball.
Following the semifinal win, Todd Lickliter took a few moments to reflect on the trip to the Garden. “It’s a big thing for our fans,” the Butler coach said. He went on to say that a legendary figure in Indiana basketball once told him, “the two best places to play are Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler’s home) and Madison Square Garden. The newer places like Conseco Fieldhouse are beautiful,” Lockliter continued. “But when you walk into a place like Madison Square Garden you feel it is special. You feel the history and that’s something you can’t find in those new arenas.”
Players of Note
- Derek Raivio, Gonzaga senior guard. Scored 21 against North Carolina and was deadly from the perimeter, especially in transition.
- Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga sophomore forward. The 6-11 Heytvelt had an excellent 19 points and eight rebounds against Carolina. He got into early foul trouble but still scored 16 against Butler. Heytvelt is effective on the perimeter or down low.
- Brandan Wright, North Carolina freshman forward. Thin and wiry, Wright was very effective on both nights, scoring and rebounding. He blocked three key shots as the Tar Heels made a run against Gonzaga in the semis.
- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina sophomore center. Very ordinary against Gonzaga, Hansbrough was too much for Tennessee to handle,. He dominated in the paint with 27 points.
- JaJuan Smith, Tennessee junior guard. Shot the ball well both nights. Performance (18 points) against Carolina was cut short by an ejection with 12 minutes to play.
- A.J. Graves, Butler junior forward. It’s only appropriate that Butler’s best performer, the tournament Most Outstanding Player, is not even on the radar of many NBA scouts. Graves is simply a very good college player. A deadly shooter, Graves was the heart and soul of the Bulldog attack and notched a game-high 26 in the final.
- Julian Betko, Butler senior forward. A sound hard-nosed performer, Betko notched a career-high 15 points against Tennessee. Virtually all of them came at a crucial point when Butler made a game-changing run.
- Dane Bradshaw, Tennessee senior forward. A 6-4 at the four spot is a hint why the Vols will live and die on the perimeter. Bradshaw just plays hard, with a lot of heart and is an inspirational leader for his club.
On The Baseline
- Butler brought their band, cheerleaders and some enthusiastic fans savoring the moment. Butler band was unique and creative. If a Tennessee player traveled they chanted ‘fundamentals’. They also played one or two Doors songs during the various timeouts, which endeared them to yours truly.
- Butler cheerleaders endured a 15-hour bus trip to get to New York. “It was worth it, wouldn’t miss this for anything,” said junior Katie Vanes. And Katie said that at the half of Tennessee game when Butler was still trailing.
- Talking with the North Carolina cheerleaders in search of an item for this section, one young lady spotted the Knick logo on my folder. “My cousin plays for the Knicks,” she said. I asked who he is. “Channing Frye,” she replied. Turns out the UNC cheerleader was senior Whitney Frye. When I told her Channing’s performances at Arizona and his hard-working attitude with the Knicks always impressed me, she smiled and said light heartedly, “that’s because he’s a Frye.”
- After the final buzzer and the on court celebration, Butler players personally went over to say thank you to the cheerleaders and members of the band – a great scene and touch of championship class.
