By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – North Carolina expects strong offensive performances from junior leaders Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II, but Luke Maye provided an unexpected bonus.
Berry scored 26 points, Jackson had 24, but it was the first career double-double from Maye - 16 points and 12 rebounds - that helped set the tone early and send the top-seeded Tar Heels to a 92-80 victory over Butler in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
"He has the ability to shoot the ball. He has the ability to rebound the ball," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said of the sophomore forward and former walk-on. "But the reason Luke is going to be successful is what he's got in his brain and in his heart."
Carolina, which reached the Elite Eight for the 27th time, will face the winner of Friday's second South Regional between UCLA and Kentucky.
Maye's early jolt off the bench helped Carolina (30-7) build a first-half lead to as many as 20 as the Tar Heels benefitted from accuracy, connecting on 54.4 percent of their shots while Butler was at 43.5 percent.
"We knew we were going to have to make some perimeter shots to give ourselves a chance," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "They were going to give us some clean looks, and we were going to have to make them. We just didn't."
Andrew Chrabascz led the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (25-9) with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Kelan Martin finished with 16 points for Butler, which struggled shooting early and did not recover.
"We let them get into a rhythm, especially in the beginning," Chrabascz said. "When you let a team like that feel good about themselves, it's tough to get them out of that with how many talented guys they have on their team. And also they answered every run that we had."
The Tar Heels broke out of the gate early, building a double-digit lead and really weren't threatened after halftime, although Butler did get within 10 at one point. Carolina, which let Arkansas claw back before defeating the Razorbacks 72-65 last weekend, weren't going to let that happen again.
"We got by with very little room against Arkansas," Jackson said. "We knew it was a game of runs. Butler is a good team, and they keep on coming at you. For us, we tried to stay focused and stay poised."
North Carolina used early accurate shooting to build a 16-point lead as the Tar Heels connected on 13 of their first 18 shots, including missing only one of seven from outside the arc.
While Butler managed to whittle the deficit to single digits on a couple of occasions before halftime, North Carolina would simply answer with another rally, helping the Tar Heels carry a 52-36 lead into the break.
The Tar Heels lead would stretch the lead back to 20 near the 12-minute mark of the second half, but Butler didn't exactly allow North Carolina to coast home.
A 13-4 Bulldog run made a dent in the advantage as Martin had seven in the stretch with Avery Woodson connecting on a 3-pointer. Martin closed out the run with another 3-pointer to pull Butler within 71-60.
But while the Bulldogs would cut the Carolina advantage to 10 points 2 minutes later, they would get no closer the rest of the way.
BIG PICTURE
Butler: The Bulldogs had not trailed in the tournament until Carolina's Isaiah Hicks scored the game's opening basket. The two previous times Butler defeated a No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs went all the way to the national championship game.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 27 times, including eight times since 2000. Maye's 16 points were a career-high. "I got a couple of shots to fall in and felt pretty confident they kept going in," Maye said.
JENKINS ATTENDS: Kris Jenkins, who made the 3-pointer to defeat the Tar Heels in last year's national championship game, was seated near the Carolina bench. Jenkins was cheering on his brother, senior guard Nate Britt. "Me, him and Nate are in a group chat together. We always laugh and stuff. He's pretty close to most of us. I mean, he's here supporting his brother, and we're kind of like his brothers, too," forward Kennedy Meeks said.
PENCE CANCELS: Vice President Mike Pence, who once was expected to attend Friday's game, cancelled Friday because of the action in Washington surrounding health care. Pence has ties to Butler, not only as the former governor of Indianapolis, but also because his wife, Karen, attended the school.
UP NEXT: North Carolina plays the winner of the region's second game on Friday between No. 2 seed Kentucky and the third-seed UCLA.
Showing posts with label Butler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Butler. Show all posts
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Sweet again: Butler beats MTSU, gets back to NCAA regionals
By GENARO ARMAS
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) Butler coach Chris Holtmann had heard enough about Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders were a trendy mid-major pick this year to bust NCAA Tournament brackets, a role Butler once assumed with regularity.
This time, the Bulldogs played the role of college basketball Goliath, and they brought Middle Tennessee's feel-good story to a close.
Kelan Martin scored 19 points, and Butler played smothering defense on Middle Tennessee's versatile scorers in a 74-65 victory Saturday night to advance to the regional semifinals. The Bulldogs (25-8) are going to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011, when they wrapped up back-to-back appearances in the national title game.
"I had a coach-friend send me a clip saying we weren't good enough to beat Middle Tennessee. It absolutely burned me up," Holtmann said. "There's no question they were the trendy pick to beat us. We're still here."
Andrew Chrabascz added 15 points for fourth-seeded Butler, including a 3 with 3:25 left that snapped a 7-0 run for Middle Tennessee to get the lead back to 62-56.
The senior forward played an even more important role in helping to lead a sterling defensive effort for the Bulldogs.
Conference USA player of the year JaCorey Williams finished with 20 points, but had to work hard for nearly every bucket for No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee (31-5).
Giddy Potts, who averaged nearly 16 points a game this year, was held scoreless, going 0 of 8 from the field.
"We knew we (weren't) going to the Sweet 16 without playing defense," said guard Kethan Savage, who defended Potts for much of the night.
Two turnovers in the final 43 seconds ended a frustrating night for Middle Tennessee. Senior Reggie Upshaw, playing his final college game, paused briefly before heading down the tunnel, appearing to wipe tears from his face.
He played an instrumental role in helping Middle Tennessee win a school-record 31 games this season and get to two NCAA tourneys in his career.
"Our guys have had a lot of big games, but we were loose with the ball," coach Kermit Davis said. "Our team just didn't play with the identity we've played with all year."
BIG PICTURE
Middle Tennessee: Davis team will lose seniors Williams and Upshaw, 6-foot-8 athletic forwards who play key roles in the team's 1-3-1 pressure defense. But the Blue Raiders have established themselves as a dangerous mid-major team after beating Michigan State and Minnesota in the first round in back-to-back years in the tournament.
Butler: The 6-7 Chrabascz and 6-8 Tyler Wideman, the starting forwards, each sat for much of the latter part of the first half with foul trouble. They were on the bench when Middle Tennessee cut a 13-point lead with 4:28 to get to 36-31 at halftime, a spurt highlighted by six straight points by Williams at one point.
BUTLER RESPONDS
Antwain Johnson had a career-high 19 points off the bench for the Blue Raiders.
But the team failed to advance to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year after beating a Big Ten team each season. A win over Butler would have elevated their reputation as a rising mid-major school, similar to how the Bulldogs emerged to prominence earlier this decade with two trips to the national title game.
Another strong effort from the 3-point line lifted Butler on the offensive end, with Martin going 3 of 6 from behind the arc. Butler finished 8 of 15 (53 percent) from 3-point range after shooting 8 of 19 (42 percent) in the first round against Winthrop.
"We know how explosive they are. We were never relaxed in those moments. Even when they made the run, we knew we had to gather back together," Chrabascz said.
CONSOLING GIDDY
It was a frustrating end to an otherwise good season for Potts, who was held scoreless for the first time this season. He averaged 15.8 points a game coming into the night.
"He was in the bathroom bawling by himself," Davis said. "He thought he lost the game but he's such a critical reason why we are here. ... I hated for him that it happened on this stage tonight."
UP NEXT
Butler advanced to the South Regional semifinal on March 24 in Memphis against either North Carolina or Arkansas.
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) Butler coach Chris Holtmann had heard enough about Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders were a trendy mid-major pick this year to bust NCAA Tournament brackets, a role Butler once assumed with regularity.
This time, the Bulldogs played the role of college basketball Goliath, and they brought Middle Tennessee's feel-good story to a close.
Kelan Martin scored 19 points, and Butler played smothering defense on Middle Tennessee's versatile scorers in a 74-65 victory Saturday night to advance to the regional semifinals. The Bulldogs (25-8) are going to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011, when they wrapped up back-to-back appearances in the national title game.
"I had a coach-friend send me a clip saying we weren't good enough to beat Middle Tennessee. It absolutely burned me up," Holtmann said. "There's no question they were the trendy pick to beat us. We're still here."
Andrew Chrabascz added 15 points for fourth-seeded Butler, including a 3 with 3:25 left that snapped a 7-0 run for Middle Tennessee to get the lead back to 62-56.
The senior forward played an even more important role in helping to lead a sterling defensive effort for the Bulldogs.
Conference USA player of the year JaCorey Williams finished with 20 points, but had to work hard for nearly every bucket for No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee (31-5).
Giddy Potts, who averaged nearly 16 points a game this year, was held scoreless, going 0 of 8 from the field.
"We knew we (weren't) going to the Sweet 16 without playing defense," said guard Kethan Savage, who defended Potts for much of the night.
Two turnovers in the final 43 seconds ended a frustrating night for Middle Tennessee. Senior Reggie Upshaw, playing his final college game, paused briefly before heading down the tunnel, appearing to wipe tears from his face.
He played an instrumental role in helping Middle Tennessee win a school-record 31 games this season and get to two NCAA tourneys in his career.
"Our guys have had a lot of big games, but we were loose with the ball," coach Kermit Davis said. "Our team just didn't play with the identity we've played with all year."
BIG PICTURE
Middle Tennessee: Davis team will lose seniors Williams and Upshaw, 6-foot-8 athletic forwards who play key roles in the team's 1-3-1 pressure defense. But the Blue Raiders have established themselves as a dangerous mid-major team after beating Michigan State and Minnesota in the first round in back-to-back years in the tournament.
Butler: The 6-7 Chrabascz and 6-8 Tyler Wideman, the starting forwards, each sat for much of the latter part of the first half with foul trouble. They were on the bench when Middle Tennessee cut a 13-point lead with 4:28 to get to 36-31 at halftime, a spurt highlighted by six straight points by Williams at one point.
BUTLER RESPONDS
Antwain Johnson had a career-high 19 points off the bench for the Blue Raiders.
But the team failed to advance to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year after beating a Big Ten team each season. A win over Butler would have elevated their reputation as a rising mid-major school, similar to how the Bulldogs emerged to prominence earlier this decade with two trips to the national title game.
Another strong effort from the 3-point line lifted Butler on the offensive end, with Martin going 3 of 6 from behind the arc. Butler finished 8 of 15 (53 percent) from 3-point range after shooting 8 of 19 (42 percent) in the first round against Winthrop.
"We know how explosive they are. We were never relaxed in those moments. Even when they made the run, we knew we had to gather back together," Chrabascz said.
CONSOLING GIDDY
It was a frustrating end to an otherwise good season for Potts, who was held scoreless for the first time this season. He averaged 15.8 points a game coming into the night.
"He was in the bathroom bawling by himself," Davis said. "He thought he lost the game but he's such a critical reason why we are here. ... I hated for him that it happened on this stage tonight."
UP NEXT
Butler advanced to the South Regional semifinal on March 24 in Memphis against either North Carolina or Arkansas.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Butler does it, topping Winthrop 76-64 behind Avery Woodson
By GENARO C. ARMAS
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Butler pushed around a team that had designs on following in its bracket-busting footsteps.
With the way Avery Woodson shot from the perimeter in the first half Thursday, the Bulldogs had little to worry about down the stretch against Winthrop.
Woodson scored 18 points and tied a career high with six 3-pointers in his tourney debut, and the fourth-seeded Bulldogs contained star guard Keon Johnson in a 76-64 win over the 13th-seeded Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"I liked their attention to detail, for the most part. I liked their ability to share the ball, for the most part," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "I thought we did some good things against a quality team."
Woodson, a graduate transfer from Memphis, hit five 3s in the first half to help the fourth-seeded Bulldogs build a 14-point halftime lead. A 12-2 run in the middle of the second half gave Butler a 60-43 lead with less than eight minutes left and put the game out of reach.
Xavier Cooks had 23 points to lead the Big South champion Eagles (26-7).
"They jumped on us early and that's a hard team to come back on because of their style of play," Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said.
Butler (24-8) looked comfortable all afternoon at the Bradley Center, the home of Big East rival Marquette. The last time the Bulldogs played in Milwaukee, Woodson scored 17 points in a 68-65 victory over Marquette last month.
Once a mid-major darling, Butler set the tone with an aggressive style befitting a midseason Big East game.
"They were a big, physical team," said Johnson, who finished with 18 points on 7 of 19 shooting.
One more win in Milwaukee and Butler could advance to its fifth Sweet 16 since 2003.
"We feel like home wherever we go," said Butler guard Kamar Baldwin, who defended Johnson for much of the game.
BIG PICTURE
Winthrop: The loss ends the stellar college career of Johnson, a dynamic guard who can drive fearlessly and pull up for a 3. Kelsey called Johnson the "heart and soul" the Eagles. He led the team to its first NCAA appearance since 2010.
"He's one of the best players in the history of this school and I thought (Butler) did a very good job in their game plan in trying to contain" him, Kelsey said.
Butler: The hot start from 3-point range bodes well for a team that shot 36 percent from behind the arc coming into the game. The Bulldogs finished 8 of 19 from 3 (42 percent) against Winthrop thanks in large part to Woodson.
"He got hot early, kind of cooled down in the second half," Baldwin said. "But we're going to need him to keep taking those shots to get through this March Madness."
SECOND-HALF SURGE
Tyler Wideman's dunk on an alley-oop pass from Tyler Lewis made the crowd swoon and gave Butler a 62-43 lead with 7:22 left.
Defense, though, carried the Bulldogs during their second-half run after Winthrop went more than three minutes without a field goal.
Johnson, a 5-foot-7 guard, scored seven straight points during one stretch of the second half to get the Eagles within seven with 13:28 to go. Otherwise, the 6-foot Baldwin, did an admirable job sticking with Johnson, the Big South Player of the Year.
"He's so dynamic with the ball. I thought Kamar worked extremely hard to make it difficult for him," Holtmann said.
QUOTABLE
"Listen, my staff just told me that I look terrible. That I look like I haven't slept. The reason was that kid. He's a load to guard." — Holtmann, on Winthrop's Johnson.
RANGY COOKS
Cooks, a lanky 6-foot-8 swingman, had good looks on drives in the lane in the first half but had trouble getting shots to fall. He finished 10 of 22 from the field and 3 of 10 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
Butler moves on to a second-round matchup Saturday against fifth-seeded Minnesota or 12th-seeded Middle Tennessee.
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Butler pushed around a team that had designs on following in its bracket-busting footsteps.
With the way Avery Woodson shot from the perimeter in the first half Thursday, the Bulldogs had little to worry about down the stretch against Winthrop.
Woodson scored 18 points and tied a career high with six 3-pointers in his tourney debut, and the fourth-seeded Bulldogs contained star guard Keon Johnson in a 76-64 win over the 13th-seeded Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"I liked their attention to detail, for the most part. I liked their ability to share the ball, for the most part," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "I thought we did some good things against a quality team."
Woodson, a graduate transfer from Memphis, hit five 3s in the first half to help the fourth-seeded Bulldogs build a 14-point halftime lead. A 12-2 run in the middle of the second half gave Butler a 60-43 lead with less than eight minutes left and put the game out of reach.
Xavier Cooks had 23 points to lead the Big South champion Eagles (26-7).
"They jumped on us early and that's a hard team to come back on because of their style of play," Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said.
Butler (24-8) looked comfortable all afternoon at the Bradley Center, the home of Big East rival Marquette. The last time the Bulldogs played in Milwaukee, Woodson scored 17 points in a 68-65 victory over Marquette last month.
Once a mid-major darling, Butler set the tone with an aggressive style befitting a midseason Big East game.
"They were a big, physical team," said Johnson, who finished with 18 points on 7 of 19 shooting.
One more win in Milwaukee and Butler could advance to its fifth Sweet 16 since 2003.
"We feel like home wherever we go," said Butler guard Kamar Baldwin, who defended Johnson for much of the game.
BIG PICTURE
Winthrop: The loss ends the stellar college career of Johnson, a dynamic guard who can drive fearlessly and pull up for a 3. Kelsey called Johnson the "heart and soul" the Eagles. He led the team to its first NCAA appearance since 2010.
"He's one of the best players in the history of this school and I thought (Butler) did a very good job in their game plan in trying to contain" him, Kelsey said.
Butler: The hot start from 3-point range bodes well for a team that shot 36 percent from behind the arc coming into the game. The Bulldogs finished 8 of 19 from 3 (42 percent) against Winthrop thanks in large part to Woodson.
"He got hot early, kind of cooled down in the second half," Baldwin said. "But we're going to need him to keep taking those shots to get through this March Madness."
SECOND-HALF SURGE
Tyler Wideman's dunk on an alley-oop pass from Tyler Lewis made the crowd swoon and gave Butler a 62-43 lead with 7:22 left.
Defense, though, carried the Bulldogs during their second-half run after Winthrop went more than three minutes without a field goal.
Johnson, a 5-foot-7 guard, scored seven straight points during one stretch of the second half to get the Eagles within seven with 13:28 to go. Otherwise, the 6-foot Baldwin, did an admirable job sticking with Johnson, the Big South Player of the Year.
"He's so dynamic with the ball. I thought Kamar worked extremely hard to make it difficult for him," Holtmann said.
QUOTABLE
"Listen, my staff just told me that I look terrible. That I look like I haven't slept. The reason was that kid. He's a load to guard." — Holtmann, on Winthrop's Johnson.
RANGY COOKS
Cooks, a lanky 6-foot-8 swingman, had good looks on drives in the lane in the first half but had trouble getting shots to fall. He finished 10 of 22 from the field and 3 of 10 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
Butler moves on to a second-round matchup Saturday against fifth-seeded Minnesota or 12th-seeded Middle Tennessee.
Winthrop-Butler Preview
Stats, LLC
MILWAUKEE — With its highest NCAA Tournament seed ever, Butler begins its hopeful march to the Final Four in Milwaukee, where the No. 4 seed Bulldogs will face 13th-seeded Winthrop on Thursday in a South Region first-round contest at the Bradley Center.
Butler (23-8) finished second in a deep Big East Conference this season. The Bulldogs had won four in a row and five of six before dropping their final two contests, including a 62-57 decision to Xavier in the Big East tournament quarterfinal.
But the committee was still impressed enough with Butler’s resume — which included three losses to teams outside the RPI Top 100 but a pair of victories over Big East champ and overall No. 1 seed Villanova — to award a No. 4 seed. While the Bulldogs missed out on a chance to play in Indianapolis, Milwaukee is still a short drive from central Indiana and an opportunity to start the tournament — Butler’s ninth in the last 11 seasons — on a high note.
“It just reminds me of how grateful we are to be part of a program to play in this thing,” Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. “And hopefully we can extend this season.”
Junior Kelan Martin led the Bulldogs with 16.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while senior Tyler Lewis dished out 3.9 assists.
Though the two haven’t played, Winthrop will be a slightly familiar for Butler. Eagles coach Pat Kelsey is a former Xavier player and assistant while Holtmann spent time in the Big South as a coach at Gardner-Webb.
“In some ways, it’ll feel almost like playing them again,” Holtmann said.
Winthrop (26-6) is back in the tourney for the first time since 2010, and is 17-2 since the calendar flipped to 2017. Both of the Eagles’ losses during that stretch came in overtime and of their six defeats this season, two came on the road against teams that also landed in the 68-team NCAA field — Florida State and Dayton.
As a result, Winthrop was seeded 13th, the program’s highest seed since drawing an 11 back in 2007.
“I went into the locker room to address our guys and they’re ready to get started preparing,” Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said. “The jubilation was the other day when we won the championship and cut the nets down. They’re a hungry bunch and ready to get to work.”
Five-foot-seven senior guard Keon Johnson anchors Winthrop’s attack. The Big South Player of the Year and Tournament MVP averaged 22.5 points this season with 99 3-pointers. He forms a formidable scoring tandem with 6-foot-8 Australian Xavier Cooks, who averaged 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
“That’s the exciting part about this tournament,” Butler forward Andrew Chrabascz said. “You get to play the best teams in the country right now.”
The Bulldogs have already have one victory at the Bradley Center under their belt this season; they beat Marquette 68-65 there back on Feb. 7.
The winner will face the winner of Minnesota-Middle Tennessee contest on Saturday afternoon.
MILWAUKEE — With its highest NCAA Tournament seed ever, Butler begins its hopeful march to the Final Four in Milwaukee, where the No. 4 seed Bulldogs will face 13th-seeded Winthrop on Thursday in a South Region first-round contest at the Bradley Center.
Butler (23-8) finished second in a deep Big East Conference this season. The Bulldogs had won four in a row and five of six before dropping their final two contests, including a 62-57 decision to Xavier in the Big East tournament quarterfinal.
But the committee was still impressed enough with Butler’s resume — which included three losses to teams outside the RPI Top 100 but a pair of victories over Big East champ and overall No. 1 seed Villanova — to award a No. 4 seed. While the Bulldogs missed out on a chance to play in Indianapolis, Milwaukee is still a short drive from central Indiana and an opportunity to start the tournament — Butler’s ninth in the last 11 seasons — on a high note.
“It just reminds me of how grateful we are to be part of a program to play in this thing,” Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. “And hopefully we can extend this season.”
Junior Kelan Martin led the Bulldogs with 16.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while senior Tyler Lewis dished out 3.9 assists.
Though the two haven’t played, Winthrop will be a slightly familiar for Butler. Eagles coach Pat Kelsey is a former Xavier player and assistant while Holtmann spent time in the Big South as a coach at Gardner-Webb.
“In some ways, it’ll feel almost like playing them again,” Holtmann said.
Winthrop (26-6) is back in the tourney for the first time since 2010, and is 17-2 since the calendar flipped to 2017. Both of the Eagles’ losses during that stretch came in overtime and of their six defeats this season, two came on the road against teams that also landed in the 68-team NCAA field — Florida State and Dayton.
As a result, Winthrop was seeded 13th, the program’s highest seed since drawing an 11 back in 2007.
“I went into the locker room to address our guys and they’re ready to get started preparing,” Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said. “The jubilation was the other day when we won the championship and cut the nets down. They’re a hungry bunch and ready to get to work.”
Five-foot-seven senior guard Keon Johnson anchors Winthrop’s attack. The Big South Player of the Year and Tournament MVP averaged 22.5 points this season with 99 3-pointers. He forms a formidable scoring tandem with 6-foot-8 Australian Xavier Cooks, who averaged 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
“That’s the exciting part about this tournament,” Butler forward Andrew Chrabascz said. “You get to play the best teams in the country right now.”
The Bulldogs have already have one victory at the Bradley Center under their belt this season; they beat Marquette 68-65 there back on Feb. 7.
The winner will face the winner of Minnesota-Middle Tennessee contest on Saturday afternoon.
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