Something in the water at Butler?

[IndyValpo]

Butler's mens team had 5 players leave during and after this season.  The women's team just fired their coach after 4 players (including 3 starters) left immediately after the season.  They also lost one during the season.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/04/23/butler-fires-womens-basketball-coach-beth-couture/8061039/

[historyman]

Butler's mens team had 5 players leave during and after this season.  The women's team just fired their coach after 4 players (including 3 starters) left immediately after the season.  They also lost one during the season. http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/04/23/butler-fires-womens-basketball-coach-beth-couture/8061039/

Collier and Fong's deal with the devil has come to roost it's ugly head. Sure Haywood, Mack and Stevens made it to the NBA but are they truly winning anything? It makes the Drews' commitment to Valpo all that more impressive.

[wh]

Butler's mens team had 5 players leave during and after this season.  The women's team just fired their coach after 4 players (including 3 starters) left immediately after the season.  They also lost one during the season.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/04/23/butler-fires-womens-basketball-coach-beth-couture/8061039/

Plus, Andrew Smeathers transferred 6 days before the season started, so I think that makes 6 of 13 scholarship players that left the program in the same year (hard to keep track).  It's pretty funny to read comments from Butler fans trying to put a positive spin on this - '...these guys weren't suited for the Big East anyway; ...we'll just replace them with better players.'  Kind of like throwing away the cards you don't want in 5-card poker and drawing new ones. 

If only it were that easy...    

[bbtds]

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Why did you sell me out, II?

[bbtds]

The devil rears it's ugly face at Butler!

Poor Blue III!

[bbtds]

There is no truth to the rumor that Blue III has decided to leave the program.



No, my face is not red because my chair has suddenly become scorchingly hot!




I'm out of here! Maybe Gonzaga, Georgia or Batesville will take me.



No, not Crown Point!

[EddieCabot]

Butler's mens team had 5 players leave during and after this season.  The women's team just fired their coach after 4 players (including 3 starters) left immediately after the season.  They also lost one during the season. http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/04/23/butler-fires-womens-basketball-coach-beth-couture/8061039/

Collier and Fong's deal with the devil has come to roost it's ugly head. Sure Haywood, Mack and Stevens made it to the NBA but are they truly winning anything? It makes the Drews' commitment to Valpo all that more impressive.

The ugly head has indeed come to roost and there's not a thing Collier can do about it now.  I'm sure he wishes he could rewind the clock to 2000 and tell Nebraska "no thanks" when they came calling.

Had he stayed put, Butler could have enjoyed the stability that Valpo has had through the Drew(s) era ... instead, they've suffered through the chaos and tough times that come with moving from coach to coach to coach. 

It's nice to think fondly about what could have been, but that toothpaste is out of the tube and it's not going back in.  Collier and the administration made this mess, now they have to deal with it.

[wh]

Butler's mens team had 5 players leave during and after this season.  The women's team just fired their coach after 4 players (including 3 starters) left immediately after the season.  They also lost one during the season. http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/04/23/butler-fires-womens-basketball-coach-beth-couture/8061039/

Collier and Fong's deal with the devil has come to roost it's ugly head. Sure Haywood, Mack and Stevens made it to the NBA but are they truly winning anything? It makes the Drews' commitment to Valpo all that more impressive.

The ugly head has indeed come to roost and there's not a thing Collier can do about it now.  I'm sure he wishes he could rewind the clock to 2000 and tell Nebraska "no thanks" when they came calling.

Had he stayed put, Butler could have enjoyed the stability that Valpo has had through the Drew(s) era ... instead, they've suffered through the chaos and tough times that come with moving from coach to coach to coach. 

It's nice to think fondly about what could have been, but that toothpaste is out of the tube and it's not going back in.  Collier and the administration made this mess, now they have to deal with it.

Your "stability" comment and comparing Butler to Valpo was obviously made in jest.  Far more important at this stage, however, is your final sentence, "Collier and the administration made this mess, now they have to deal with it."  This comment is dead on and Collier's legacy will be defined by its outcome.

[bbtds]

EEEEEwwwww!!

Now we gotta find 6 scholarship players, a better coach and a bulldog who doesn't know where Spokane or Athens, GA is on a map.

Somebody get Ackerman and LeCrone on the phone. Maybe I can talk my way out of this and blame it all on Lickliter becoming a Hawkeye.






He said what?......................................Well, he was the one who said the deal with Iowa depended on my son playing for the Hawkeyes too!!!

[bbtds]

First, Brad to Boston, then I choose Brandon,  then Rosie gets hurt, then 6 total players transfer, then Blue III leaves the program and now LeCrone says we can't come back to the HL.....................................................................Can life get any worse?





Yep, Coach, this place sucks about as much as "4 passes before we shoot", because the Loosiers play here.





Man, David, these guys really suck. More than losing two games to the Hawks!

Yah, Paul, these guys are bad!!!!!

[EddieCabot]

Your "stability" comment and comparing Butler to Valpo was obviously made in jest.  Far more important at this stage, however, is your final sentence, "Collier and the administration made this mess, now they have to deal with it."  This comment is dead on and Collier's legacy will be defined by its outcome.

Plus, Andrew Smeathers transferred 6 days before the season started, so I think that makes 6 of 13 scholarship players that left the program in the same year (hard to keep track).  It's pretty funny to read comments from Butler fans trying to put a positive spin on this - '...these guys weren't suited for the Big East anyway; ...we'll just replace them with better players.'  Kind of like throwing away the cards you don't want in 5-card poker and drawing new ones. 

If only it were that easy...

My stability comment was hinting that all the transfers this year had something to do with Stevens leaving...don't know that for fact, but seems reasonable to assume.

I stopped following the Butler board a year ago when I moved from Indy, so I have no idea who they're getting to replace all the guys who left.  But it will clearly be difficult for them to replace the talent that's left the program, especially coming off a horrible season.

[bbtds]

Love this comment from the Butler board about how Brandon Miller can concentrate on recruiting Big East players instead of HL/A10 players.

More importantly Brandon Miller has nearly a handful of scholarships to quickly transform a Horizon League/Atlantic 10 type roster into a Big East roster sooner rather than later.

That sure is putting a positive light on a bad situation. Like wh said, it's like playing 5 card poker and getting 5 new cards and thinking they will for sure be better. If Stevens wasn't able to recruit Big East players why will Brandon Miller suddenly be able to with a much worse record?

[zvillehaze]

Love this comment from the Butler board about how Brandon Miller can concentrate on recruiting Big East players instead of HL/A10 players.

More importantly Brandon Miller has nearly a handful of scholarships to quickly transform a Horizon League/Atlantic 10 type roster into a Big East roster sooner rather than later.

That sure is putting a positive light on a bad situation. Like wh said, it's like playing 5 card poker and getting 5 new cards and thinking they will for sure be better. If Stevens wasn't able to recruit Big East players why will Brandon Miller suddenly be able to with a much worse record?

As a long-time poster on this board (and the previous one), I realize that most Valpo fans don't care for objective discussions about Butler.  Knowing that, I'll post this and prepare for the backlash.  I won't make bold predictions about the future success of any program, but will share a few facts.

1.  Contrary to what bbtds posted, Stevens never recruited as part of the Big East.  Last year's roster included only a Freshman class that was recruited for the A-10.
2.  Miller can also point to a $34 million renovation to Hinkle Fieldhouse. 
3.  Based on early results, Miller has added 2 Indiana All-Stars, 2 Kentucky All-Stars and a McDonald's All-America transfer from NC State.  He still has 2 available scholarships.

Maybe none of that matters, but I've seen both conference affiliation and facilities (in like every thread) brought up in regards to Valpo, so I thought I'd just mention that those might also have an impact on Butler as well.

[wh]

I won't make bold predictions about the future success of any program, but will share a few facts.

1.  Contrary to what bbtds posted, Stevens never recruited as part of the Big East.  Last year's roster included only a Freshman class that was recruited for the A-10.
2.  Miller can also point to a $34 million renovation to Hinkle Fieldhouse. 
3.  Based on early results, Miller has added 2 Indiana All-Stars, 2 Kentucky All-Stars and a McDonald's All-America transfer from NC State.  He still has 2 available scholarships.

Sounds pretty impressive, but are they better than these resumes:

Devontae Morgan
Florida 3A Player of the Year
Two-time first team All-State
Florida "Mr. Basketball" Finalist
Tampa Bay Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2011-12

Elijah Brown
California second team All-State
One of ten players named to the Los Angeles Times All-Area Team in 2012-13

Nolan Berry
Missouri three-time first team All-State
three-time All-Conference pick
first team All-Metro in 2011-12 and 2012-13
grandson of former NBA great Ed Macauley

Rene Castro
Massachusetts Player of the Year

By the way, as to your first point fellow Big East newcomers Creighton and Xavier recruited for the MVC and A-10, respectively.  Both had monster 1st seasons in the Big East with those rosters while Butler finished at the bottom of the league. 

[zvillehaze]

 

[IndyValpo]

Butler has gone an interesting way with the women's program:
The head coach has 1 year experience as the lowest assistant but is 2 years removed from winning the 4A girls state at Bedford North Lawrence.
His top assistant is Indiana school boy legend Damon Bailey who has no college experience but won this years 4A state title at Bedford.
The second assistant has no college coaching experience but is a 2 years removed from winning the 3A girls state title at Mount Vernon.  She is also one of Butler all-time best.
They just completed the group with a former Purdue PG (F. Malone) who has 2 years experience at U Evansville.

[bbtds]

Butler has gone an interesting way with the women's program:
The head coach has 1 year experience as the lowest assistant but is 2 years removed from winning the 4A girls state at Bedford North Lawrence.
His top assistant is Indiana school boy legend Damon Bailey who has no college experience but won this years 4A state title at Bedford.
The second assistant has no college coaching experience but is a 2 years removed from winning the 3A girls state title at Mount Vernon.  She is also one of Butler all-time best.
They just completed the group with a former Purdue PG (F. Malone) who has 2 years experience at U Evansville.

I was most surprised that an IU guy like Damon Bailey is moving out of the Bloomington/Bedford area to take an assistant coaching position in Indianapolis at Butler. From the BNL Stars to IU Hoosiers to BNL as a boys coach then girls coach and now to Butler as a college women's coach. As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise! Surprise!"

[IndyValpo]

I was most surprised that an IU guy like Damon Bailey is moving out of the Bloomington/Bedford area to take an assistant coaching position in Indianapolis at Butler. From the BNL Stars to IU Hoosiers to BNL as a boys coach then girls coach and now to Butler as a college women's coach. As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise! Surprise!"

My understanding is he will continue to live in the Bedford area with an apartment in Indy.  He still has daughters at BNL.

[vufan75]

Read an article earlier this week, but do not recall where to be able to link it here, that one of the Butler mbb transfers found a new home. Nolan Berry, who many thought might end up at SLU chose to transfer to UC-Davis. I would of never guessed that.

[bbtds]

Read an article earlier this week, but do not recall where to be able to link it here, that one of the Butler mbb transfers found a new home. Nolan Berry, who many thought might end up at SLU chose to transfer to UC-Davis. I would of never guessed that.

Well, now the SLU message board posters will have to go over and break both his legs, too.     

[EddieCabot]

Sure Haywood, Mack and Stevens made it to the NBA but are they truly winning anything? It makes the Drews' commitment to Valpo all that more impressive.

Just noticed that Haywood and Mack are both without a contract for next season.  Hope they've been frugal with their paychecks over the last few seasons.

[a3uge]

Sure Haywood, Mack and Stevens made it to the NBA but are they truly winning anything? It makes the Drews' commitment to Valpo all that more impressive.

Just noticed that Haywood and Mack are both without a contract for next season.  Hope they've been frugal with their paychecks over the last few seasons.

Lol, Hayward's coming off his rookie contract (as a RFA) and will get a considerable raise with the Jazz when someone makes an offer to pry him away. He was easily the best player on a bad team. Not really sure how much you follow the NBA, but Hayward has been good so far.

Mack averaged 20 min per game, but this will probably go down now with Schroeder's increased playing time. They played him at the 2 guard quite a bit last year. He's a RFA too and likely to be resigned.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

EVERYTHING THIS MAN SAYS IS SARCASM

WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO FALL FOR IT PEOPLES

...ALSO HAYWARD.  NOT SPENCER HAYWOOD THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR FIRST CLUE

[VULB#62]

Don't know where to put this, but I'm sure there was a string somewhere that talked about Gordon Hayward's pro career -- just couldn't find it..

USAToday says that he will officially sign with the Charlotte Hornets for $63 million for 4 years.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/07/09/charlotte-hornets-nba-utah-jazz-gordon-hayward/12395805/

[a3uge]

Obligatory white men can jump Gordon Hayward gifs