Behind longstanding Coach Tony Hinkle the Bulldogs have become that little program from the Hoosier state that will play with the Big Dogs and once in a while upset one of them but do not have the talent to beat them on a regular basis.  Stuck in a mid-major conference, which they have been one of the elites for quite some time, the Bulldogs have decided to change a little and are now putting their unheralded players into the big time.  Changes are happening in Indy as Hinkle has hung up his jacket and the college will bestow him with the appropriate honor of naming their fieldhouse after him this year.  He is that legendary.  But, the Bulldogs will now be helmed by a fresh-faced new coach who emphasizes the three point line (it is the new equalizer after all).  Whether the boys from Butler are ready to take that next step and finally get the recognition they deserve will really come down to the recruits Stevens, who got the job because of his ability to get players, play in the new Horizon League. 

In the history of college basketball not many programs have received the attention as the “Jack’ as the tiny school from Indianapolis has done.  Still, this little engine has never been able to climb the beanstalk.  The Butler Bulldogs may not have the talent to compete with the better programs in the country but they do have the heart and desire and sometimes that is enough.  The Bulldogs have shown that good players within a great system with great coaching and fan support is the right ingredient to success.  One of the best things that happened to this program was joining the Midwestern Collegiate.  This conference is one of those smaller conferences that was formed to bring together a few of the schools left out by all the gerrymandering going on with some of the ‘other’ independents trying to form super conferences to compete with the Power Five!  Not really a mid-major, the Horizon, as it is not deemed, did have going for it three schools who may not have the reputation of some of the programs from bigger schools but they do love their basketball.  With Butler, Detroit and Loyola of Illinois aboard they went searching for five other schools and they found some up and comers ready to throw as much effort and resources into building programs as these were.  

Going into the season the Bulldogs do not have a single player that one would even consider making it to the next level.  They did however have a great system in place that emphasizes team play and three-point shooting and they do compete every night with far more talented kids.  The best thing about Butler is that they come out on top way more than they lose and they show once again that basketball is not always a game of blue chipper like talent but sometimes of hard work and determination. 

Coach Brad Steven’s Bulldogs will emphasize the three-point shot more than any other team in the conference and perhaps in the country, at least that is the plan.  Stevens has recruited great perimeter shooters and his offense revolves around getting open looks form the arc.  The Bulldogs, under Stevens just like his mentor Hinkle, will also emphasize defense. The Bulldogs have also implemented a system they call the ‘Butler Way’ which requires complete commitment and teamwork above all else. Being a part of Butler basketball goes way back and it is an honor for an Indiana kid to go here.  This might not be the Hoosiers of Indiana but these Bulldogs are almost as big.  Plump is the prime example.  He is such a legend in this state that possibly only Larry Bird holds a higher regard from the fans.  His impact since he got here was not what he has hoped for but he goes into this year as the starting shooting guard.  A few other seniors will also be returning starters but with a new coach and all of the new players who knows how long any of these dogs keep their jobs.  It will be hard transitioning from Hinkle’s old style of play based on discipline to the new style with high flying shots and trying to break in to the modern scene of basketball nirvana with this kind of limited size and athleticism in the upperclassmen.  The likes of Tom Bowman, Buckshot O’Brien (the original Butler long shot artist) and Ted Guzek were the legends that made this program and will be hard to replace without a huge uproar from the faithful. One Senior Stevens dare not replace is big man Jeff Blue.  Blue has been the primary post player for the Bulldogs since he arrived on campus from Bainbridge High in Indiana of course.  At only six foot six Blue has been able to hang with bigger boys down low due to his toughness and solid overall game.  His best skill is his rebounding but he drops in a few shots with a nifty low post game and can defend the paint though he is not a rim protector.  Stevens better be taking his time cutting back his ‘boy Blue’s’ minutes or there will be march on ‘Hinkle.’   Plump will be remembered throughout basketball lore but to Butler fans Blue will always be their boy in the middle.  These kids are the type of players that would be able to continue the Butler Way with their commitment and smarts but would they have the athleticism to compete at the national level. 

 Sophomore Chad Tucker is the main offensive option for this team.  Coming from tiny Cloverdale Indiana and barely recruited Tucker gives the Bulldogs some size (6’8) and an inside presence who really knows how to play the game.   Tucker had wanted to go to Indiana State to play basketball where his Dad played but they already had a guy doing the same things Tucker did.  You might have heard of him, his name rhymes with a word kind of like that goofy song.  A solid player, Tucker made the most of his playing time as a freshman.     Stevens knows they need Tucker  though he is not overly athletic but he is money from 15 feet and in and though he does not get off the ground very high he does help on the boards.  Tucker might not be fulfilling his dream and sometimes this introverted kid looks a little bummed but he can play and is as vital to this team’s ascension up the college basketball ranks as anyone. The only time he really looks happy is driving around campus in his 89 Red Camaro.   Junior Darry Mason is a 6’7 beast who will bang all day in the paint.  Not much of a scorer, Mason makes his money with his board work and will have a place on this roster though he does not exactly fit Steven’s style of play.  The aforementioned Bowman and Guzek will join fellow seniors Dave Sanders, Ed Schilling and Ken Pennington in a battle for minutes down low.  None of these guys go over 6’6 (Schilling) and the rest are 6’4 or below and this group looks to be jettisoned as soon as Steven’s new kids show signs of acclimating to D-1 basketball.  A trio of sophomores who Stevens coached last year on the JV are more likely to push for time.  Lynn Mitchem, Tim McRoberts and Darren Fowlkes are not much bigger but way more athletic and understand what Stevens is trying to accomplish.  Mitchem, in particular, could really flourish as he is the quintessential small forward.  Turned down by the Fighting Irish, this South Bend kid goes 6’5 210 and plays bigger than his size.  He led the JV in scoring and has a complete game and is the favorite to start at the three but don’t forget about his two compatriots though they might take a bit more seasoning. 

Junior Billy Shepherd is another small-town Indiana kid (you notice a theme here) handled the point with flair.  Shepherd is the primary perimeter scoring option going into this season almost averaging 20 points a game as a Sophomore.  Shepherd, who is one heck of a long range bomber, has to show he could be more of a team player and distribute the ball a little more often.     Shepherd’s ability to accept and actually flourish is his new role will determine whether the Bulldogs have a real point guard and a leader or if Stevens has to look to his bench or recruits.  Besides Plump, the other upperclassmen vying for minutes in the backcourt will be seniors O’Brien, Bob ‘Chinatown’ Evans and James ‘Popeye’ Doyle, junior Wayne Burris and Darren Fitzgerald.  Buckshot is a heck of a shooter but at 5’9 this Kentucky kid is a bit in over his head while Evans and Doyle are more well-rounded but nowhere near the scorers.  Burris is also only 5’10 and might be too small for the two but Fitzgerald could really shine in the new system.  He is also short at only 5’9 but man can he let it fling.  While on the JV last year he lit it up from behind the arc shooting almost 50%.  If he can defend at all will be a favorite of Stevens who coached him last year on the JV. 

Coach Brad Stevens takes over a solid mid major program who wants to get to the next level.   He is replacing a legend that the program honored by naming the fieldhouse after.  Yes, Butler fieldhouse in the heart of Indianapolis and known as ‘Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral’ will be renamed for the legendary Tony Hinkle.  Those are mighty big shoes to fill for a kid who looks like he just got out of high school.  Stevens will try to fill them and add a few wrinkles of his own and modernizing it to compete at a ‘national’ level.  The Butler Bulldogs are a program that the enthusiastic fan knew could be dangerous to play.  The Bulldogs have not, however, had the talent base to be a consistent threat or get their name on the national spotlight.  You can only so many games on guts, toughness, smarts and hard work but if the Bulldogs do get some real talent, watch out!