Butler
University (22)
by Jeff Feyerer
Projected Starters
G
Tyler Lewis
5-11
PT%
49.72
G
PTE
-3.22
6-6
PT%
84.78
F
Kellen Dunham
PTE
28.11
6-4
PT%
88.75
F
F
NBA
SR
NBA
SR
PTE
12.91
HS100 AC/AA
2-AC
NBA
PTE
2.25
HS100 AC/AA
NBA
PTE
15.43
HS100 AC/AA
Tyler Wideman
Andrew Chrabascz
6-7
PT%
63.31
HS100 AC/AA
96
1-AC
Roosevelt Jones
6-8
PT%
27.28
HS100 AC/AA
43
JR
SO
SO
NBA
Bench Rotation
F
6-6
PT%
36.40
F
PTE
7.01
6-6
PT%
28.82
F
G
HS100 AC/AA
Austin Etherington
PTE
0.59
6-8
PT%
4.93
Kelan Martin
HS100 AC/AA
Jackson Davis
PTE
-0.07
HS100 AC/AA
6-3 Jordan Gathers
PT%
61.29
PTE
-0.58
HS100 AC/AA
SO
NBA
SR
NBA
SO
NBA
SR
NBA
When Brad Stevens was
surprisingly offered the Boston
Celtics head coaching job prior
to the 2013-14 season, there was
major doubt that the Bulldogs
transition to the Big East would be
a smooth one.
The team, led by new head
coach Brandon Miller, began
the season 10-3 in their nonconference slate, but dropped 14
of its 18 conference games and fell
out of postseason consideration.
It was a surprise given the talent
and experience on the roster,
but the loss of Stevens and the
level of competition in their new
conference were simply too big to
overcome.
How the 2014-15 season
started signaled more of the same.
Miller took an indefinite medical
leave, ceding the interim position
to assistant Chris Holtmann; and,
despite returning their four best
players—Kellen Dunham, Alex
Barlow, Kameron Woods, and
Roosevelt Jones, who had missed
the previous season with injury—
prognosticators were picking the
Bulldogs to finish anywhere from
the middle-of-the-pack to the
bottom of the Big East.
What transpired went well
beyond the expectations, at least
to those outside the locker room.
An early season victory over no.
16 North Carolina that put Butler
at 4-0 was just the beginning of a
23-11 season that saw them finish
second in the Big East, and only an
overtime loss to Notre Dame away
from making the Sweet 16. They
did struggle against conference
heavies, losing twice to both
Villanova and Georgetown, but
played the 25th strongest schedule
in the nation according to KenPom.
com, and laid the foundation for
something special this coming
season.
Gone are gritty point guard
Barlow and hard-working big man
Woods are gone, but the Bulldogs
return two of the most important
players in the Big East in shooting
guard Dunham and small forward
Jones. Dunham, one of the best
pure shooters in the nation, is a
stout 6-foot-6 wing who connected
on 40 percent of his 3-pointers last
BBALLBREAKDOWN | 46