Butler University, the men's basketball national runner-up a year ago, opened the 2010-11 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at No. 18, in the poll released Thursday.
The Bulldogs are led by Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Shelvin Mack and 2008 Player of the Year Matt Howard. Ronald Nored rounds out the trio of returning starters for Butler, who bring back 11 letterwinners overall from their 33-5 squad of last season.
On Tuesday, Butler was the unanimous choice at the top of the Horizon League preseason poll, while Mack and Howard were First Team All-Horizon selections in voting of the league's coaches, media and sports information directors.
Butler will play two exhibition games prior to the start of the regular season, the first on Oct. 30 versus Florida Southern at 2 p.m. ET.
