Men's Basketball Release #20 -- Postseason Preview
March 17, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Indianapolis, Ind. -- For the third consecutive year, the Horizon League has multiple men's basketball teams playing in the postseason. Horizon League champion Butler University, League Championship runner-up Cleveland State University and Valparaiso University will continue their seasons after receiving tournament invitations Sunday night.
Butler earned the circuit's automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship by defeating Cleveland State 70-55 in the final of the Horizon League Championship last Tuesday and enters the NCAA Tournament with a 29-3 overall record, including a 16-2 League ledger. The Bulldogs are the seventh seed in the East Region and open tournament play Friday (Mar. 21) versus tenth-seed University of South Alabama at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham at approximately 2:35 p.m. (EST). The winner advances to second-round play on Sunday (Mar. 23) versus (second-seed) University of Tennessee or (15th-seed) American University.
The Bulldogs' 29 victories match the school- and Horizon League-record set by last year's Bulldog squad that finished 29-7 and advanced to the Sweet 16 with victories over Old Dominion University (57-46) and the University of Maryland (62-59) before losing to eventual national champion University of Florida (65-57) in the regional semifinal. This year's team is ranked 11th in the current Associated Press national poll and tenth in last week's ESPN/USA Today coaches' canvass, having spent nearly the entire season among the nation's top 25 teams. The Bulldogs were ranked as high as eighth in both polls on February 18.
Butler entered the top 25 after winning the championship of last November's Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout with victories over the University of Michigan, Virginia Tech University and Texas Tech University, and remained in the national spotlight throughout the season. Butler's ledger also includes a 65-46 victory over Ohio State University on Dec. 1---a game in which BU outscored the Buckeyes 45-16 in the second half---and a 57-55 triumph at Southern Illinois University on Dec. 28. Butler has won four games in a row and 13 of its last 14.
Head coach Brad Stevens' Bulldogs rank fifth in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 57.8 points per game, and stand third with an average of 10.3 turnovers per contest. Butler also rates near the top of the list in scoring margin (plus-10.6 points per outing) and three-point field goals per game (9.22).
Senior guard Mike Green paces the Bulldogs, leading the team in scoring (14.9 points per game, seventh-best in the League), rebounding (eighth at 6.6 per outing) and assists (a League-best 5.13 per contest) and is the only player to rate among the League's top ten performers in all three categories. Green was the League's Player of the Year as well as the Most Valuable Player of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship.
Senior backcourt mate A.J. Graves earned First-Team All-League honors for the second year in a row and adds 13.3 points per contest, hitting 88 three-pointers. Freshman forward Matt Howard, the League's Newcomer of the Year, provides 12.6 points per contest and leads the circuit in field-goal percentage (.604), while senior forward Pete Campbell's 11.2 points-per-game pace includes 91 treys on 44 percent shooting behind the arc.
Butler is in the national tournament for the seventh time in the last 12 years, and the eighth overall. The Bulldogs also reached the Sweet 16 in 2003 by defeating Mississippi State University (47-46) and the University of Louisville (79-71) prior to a (65-54) loss to the University of Oklahoma.
South Alabama (26-6) won the regular-season title in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, finishing 16-2 in SBC play before losing to 82-73 to Middle Tennessee State University in the semifinals of the conference tournament. USA has won 22 of its last 25 games overall.
Cleveland State is one of 32 teams competing in the MasterCard National Invitation Tournament, opening NIT play Wednesday night (March 19) at the University of Dayton. The 6 p.m. (Eastern time) game between the Vikings and Flyers at UD Arena airs nationally on ESPNU, with the winner advancing to meet either second-seeded Illinois State University or seventh-seed Utah State University in second-round action. Dates, times and locations for all eight second-round games have yet to be determined.
Cleveland State tied for second place in the regular-season standings (12-6) and enters the NIT with a 21-12 overall record. Coach Gary Waters has engineered a dramatic turnaround in the CSU program as the Vikings became only the second team in League history to record 20 victories the season after a 20-loss campaign (Cleveland State finished 10-21 last winter). The Vikings were picked ninth in the League's preseason poll, with only one of the 46 voters projecting better than a
sixth-place finish, but advanced to the Horizon League Championship Game for the first time and reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 1992-93 season.
The Vikings' roster features several newcomers, including junior guard Cedric Jackson. The transfer from St. John's University earned Second-Team All-League honors, All-Newcomer Team recognition and a spot on the League's All-Defensive Team for his all-around play, averaging 14 points, 4.94 assists and 2.61 steals per contest. His theft count tops the Horizon League charts, with only Green's assist rate currently keeping Jackson from becoming the first player since 1997-98 to lead the League in both categories.
Junior forward J'Nathan Bullock leads CSU in scoring (15 points per game, sixth in the League) and rebounding (seventh with 6.6 caroms per contest). Bullock was a First-Team All-League honoree and joined the Vikings' 1,000-point club earlier this season. Sophomore guard Joe Davis adds 8.4 points per contest, while junior center George Tandy ranks second in the League with an average of 1.25 blocked shots per game.
For Waters, this marks his seventh postseason invitation in 12 years on the sidelines. He led Kent State University to two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT berth from 1996-2001 and guided Rutgers University to the NIT three times during his (2001-06) stint at that school.
Cleveland State makes its first postseason appearance since 1988, when the Vikings defeated Illinois State University (89-83) in the NIT before being eliminated by Ohio State University (86-80) in the second round. CSU also played in the 1987 NIT, one year after its only NCAA Tournament action in 1986.
Dayton (21-10) won 14 of its first 15 games this season before being beset by a series of injuries. UD finished 8-8 in Atlantic-10 Conference play during the regular season before falling 74-65 to Xavier University in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Valparaiso was selected as one of 16 teams participating in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
The Crusaders (21-13 overall) travel west to play the University of Washington in the first round Wednesday night. Tip-off time is scheduled for 9 p.m. (Eastern time), with the game scheduled to air on the Fox College Sports channel. The winner advances to play either the University of Nevada or the University of Houston in the quarterfinals next Monday (March 24).
Semifinals for the tournament are slated for Wednesday, March 26, with the best-of-three championship series opening on Monday, March 31. All games in the tournament are played on campus sites.
Valparaiso reached the semifinals of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship and has won six of its last seven games. The Crusaders entered the loop tournament as the sixth seed after a 9-9 regular season in its first Horizon League campaign but defeated the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (75-67) and Wright State University (72-67) before losing to Cleveland State University (78-73) in the semifinals.
Senior forward Shawn Huff leads a balanced attack for the Crusaders, averaging 12.9 points per game while leading the League with his 48.4 percent touch from three-point range. Senior guard Jarryd Loyd has only started one game this season but ranks second on the team scoring charts at 12.1 points per contest and stands fourth in the League with an average of four assists per game. Junior forward Urule Igbavboa provides 10.7 points per outing while standing second in the League at 7.4 rebounds per outing.
Valparaiso is in the postseason for the first time since 2004. Ironically, that game was also in the state of Washington, as the Crusaders fell to Gonzaga University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Washington (16-16) posted a 7-11 record in the Pacific-10 Conference and lost 84-81 to the University of California in the opening round of that circuit's tournament.
The Horizon League has had multiple teams reach the postseason 19 times in the last 22 years, including last season when Butler and Wright State University both qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA/NIT/CBI First-Round Previews
NCAA East Region: (#7) Butler vs. (#10) South AlabamaBirmingham, Ala. / BJCC Arena / Friday -- 2:35 p.m. (ET) [CBS-TV]
Butler 29-3 (Horizon League: 16-2) / South Alabama 26-6 (Sun Belt: 16-2)
-- Butler makes its eighth NCAA appearance, and seventh since 1997. The Bulldogs have been in the national top-25 since late November, reaching as high as No. 8 in early February.
-- Butler ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense (allowing 57.8 points per game) and third in turnovers (committing only 10.3 per contest). The Bulldogs have held 18 of their 32 opponents under 60 points.
-- Senior guard Mike Green is the Horizon League's Player of the Year, and one of only eight players in the nation to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists. His set-up rate leads the League.
-- Senior guard A.J. Graves earned First-Team All-League honors for the second year in a row and ranks fourth on BU's all-time scoring list.
-- Freshman forward Matt Howard leads the Horizon League in field-goal percentage. He has scored 20 or more points five times.
-- South Alabama averages 75.5 points per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, and have been held under 60 points only once this season.
-- USA has six players averaging 21 minutes or more, but only one other playing more than ten minutes per contest.
-- The Jaguars out-rebound their opponents by 6.5 boards per game (37.3-30.8) and force 14.2 turnovers per outing.
-- South Alabama makes its eighth NCAA appearance, last entering the field in 2006. USA defeated Alabama in 1989 for its only tournament victory.
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NIT: (#6) Cleveland State at (#3) DaytonDayton, Ohio / UD Arena / Wednesday -- 6 p.m. (ET) [ESPNU]
Cleveland State 21-12 (Horizon League: 12-6) / Dayton 21-10 (Atlantic 10: 8-8)
-- Cleveland State enters postseason play for the first time in 20 years, having reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 1993-94.
-- The Vikings became only the second team in League history to follow a 20-loss season (10-21 last winter) with at least 20 victories.
-- Junior guard Cedric Jackson has sparked the turnaround, leading the League in steals (2.61 per game) and ranking second in assists. He is one of ten newcomers on the CSU roster.
-- Junior forward J'Nathan Bullock was a First-Team All-League choice, standing sixth in the circuit in scoring and seventh in rebounding.
-- Cleveland State leads the League in rebounding margin (plus-3.5 per game) after ranking last in that category last year. CSU allows only 63.5 points per game, holding the opposition to 32.4 percent shooting behind the arc.
-- Cleveland State has seven of its last nine games, with both losses coming to Butler. In that time, Bullock is averaging 19.9 points and the Vikings are allowing only 59.8 per game.
-- Dayton is in the NIT for the 21st time, and the first since 2002. UD won the tournament in 1962 and 1968.
-- The Flyers started this season by winning 14 of their first 15 games. The run included a 70-65 victory at Louisville on Dec. 8 and an 80-55 rout of Pittsburgh on Dec. 29.
-- Dayton shoots 47 percent from the field and out-rebounds its opponents by nearly five boards per game (34.5-29.6). Brian Roberts leads the Flyers, hitting 89 of the team's 187 three-pointers.
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CBI: (#4) Valparaiso at (#1) WashingtonSeattle, Wash. / Bank of America Arena / Friday -- 9 p.m. (ET) [FCS]
Valparaiso 21-13 (Horizon League: 9-9) / Washington 16-16 (Pac-10: 7-11)
-- Valparaiso makes its first postseason appearance in four years. The Crusaders have won six of their last seven games.
-- Valpo lost three non-conference games, all to teams in the top 25 (at North Carolina, at Vanderbilt and at Wisconsin), having been ahead or tied in the second half of all three games.
-- The Crusaders boast the Horizon League's top scoring offense (71.1 points per contest) and rank among the national leaders with an average of 9.29 three-pointers per game.
-- Senior forward Shawn Huff and senior guard Jarryd Loyd lead a balanced attack that features four players averaging in double figures and a fifth at 9.8 points per outing.
-- Valpo has made ten or more three-pointers 15 times this season, shooting 39 percent behind the arc.
-- Washington has lost four of its last five games, including an 84-81 loss to California in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. UW has allowed an average of 82.6 points during that time, with opponents connecting on 44 of 98 three-point field-goal attempts.
-- The Huskies shoot 45.3 percent from the field, finishing above 50 percent in three of their last seven contests.
-- lWashington reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006.
-- UW defeated UCLA 71-61 on Feb. 10, holding the Bruins to 34 percent shooting from the field and 1-of-16 accuracy behind the arc. The Huskies also outrebounded the ruins 44-36 in that game.
Note: The PDF version of this release contains many other features, including updated profiles and season statistics for all three postseason teams, pairings for all three tournaments, the Horizon League's postseason history and other news from the 2007-08 season.
