Men's Basketball Weekly Release #19 -- NCAA/NIT Preview
March 13, 2006
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NIT: (#7) Miami (Ohio) at (#8) ButlerIndianapolis, Ind. / Hinkle Fieldhouse7 p.m. (ET)
Records: Miami 18-10 (MAC: 14-4), Butler 19-12 (Horizon League: 11-5)
-- The teams have four common opponents, as both lost at Michigan (BU 78-74 on Nov 26, MU 87-80 on Dec. 22), and both lost to MAC representative Kent State (Miami falling 53-46 at home on Jan. 24 and 70-63 at KSU on Feb. 25, Butler losing 80-76 in overtime at Kent, Ohio, on Feb. 18). In addition, both own victories over Ball State, with Butler defeating the MAC entry 64-53 at Muncie, Ind., on Dec. 3 and Miami needing two extra periods to edge the Cardinals 67-63 at Oxford, Ohio, on Feb. 12.
-- Miami defeated Horizon League member Wright State 54-46 on Nov. 30 (Butler split with WSU, winning 70-62 at home on Jan. 28 but losing 86-83 in double overtime in Dayton on Feb. 11).
-- Miami makes its 22nd postseason appearance and second consecutive trip to the NIT. The RedHawks are 2-5 in NIT history, compared to Butler's 4-7 ledger in seven prior tries.
-- Both teams lead their respective leagues in defense, with Miami allowing 60.4 points per game and Butler 61.7 per contest.
-- Miami also tops the MAC charts, holding its opponents to 41.5 percent shooting from the field. MU shoots 46.1 percent, just below Butler's 46.2 percent touch.
-- Veteran coach Charlie Coles is 175-125 in his ten seasons at Miami, and owns a 267-209 mark in 16 seasons overall. Butler boss Todd Lickliter is 101-53 in five years, all at BU.
-- The winner of Tuesday's game plays at Florida State (19-9) on Friday, March 17.
-- Butler leads the all-time series, 10-1.
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Key Players:
Butler Brandon Polk, Sr. F18.2 ppg., .579 FGA.J. Graves, So. G13.4 ppg., 2.58 apg.Bruce Horan, Sr. G10.9 ppg., 105 3FGAvery Sheets, Sr. G9.8 ppg., 3.23 apg.Brandon Crone, Jr. F9.9 ppg., 5.1 rpg.
MiamiWilliam Hatcher, Sr. G14.5 ppg., 4.29 ppg.Tim Pollitz, So. F12.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg., .591 FGNathan Peavy, Jr. F11.4 ppg., 6.9 rpg.Doug Penno, Jr. G5.2 ppg., .398 3FGNate VanderSluis, Sr. C4.6 ppg., 4.0 rpg.
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NCAA: (#11) UW-Milwaukee vs. (#6) OklahomaJacksonville, Fla. / Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena12:25 p.m. (ET)
Records: UWM 21-8 (Horizon League: 11-5), Oklahoma 20-8 (Big 12: 11-5)
-- Thursday's opener marks the second time the Horizon League and Big 12 Conference have met this season. Host Oklahoma State defeated Detroit 90-56 on Nov. 22.
-- UW-Milwaukee reached the Sweet 16 in last year's national summit and is in the NCAA field for the third time in four years. Oklahoma, which makes its 24th appearance, lost to Utah in the second round last March.
-- Oklahoma allows just 63.0 points per game but opponents have shot 39.4 percent from three-point range this season.
-- The game features two strong rebounding teams, with UW-Milwaukee atop the Horizon League charts at plus-6.6 caroms per contest, while Oklahoma outrebounds its foes by a rate of 9.1 per outing.
-- UW-Milwaukee also leads the Horizon League in scoring (74.2 points per game) and scoring margin (plus-8.5), while ranking second in three-point defense (.319).
-- The Panthers rely on experience, with five senior starters (including forwards Adrian Tigert and Joah Tucker plus guard Boo Davis) and two other fourth-year players coming off the bench. Tucker scored 32 points in the third-round loss to Illinois last year.
-- Oklahoma won four consecutive one-point decisions in late February. UW-Milwaukee has played only three games since Feb. 18, but won all three by an average of 16.3 points.
-- The winner of Thursday's game advances to meet the winner of the game between (#3 seed) Florida and (#14 seed) South Alabama.
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Key Players:
UW-Milwaukee Joah Tucker, Sr. F16.4 ppg., 6.1 rpg.Adrian Tigert, Sr. F12.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg., .548 FGBoo Davis, Sr. G16.2 ppg., .386 3FGChris Hill, Sr. G2.76 apg., 1.21 spg.Jason McCoy, Sr. F4.2 ppg., 4.0 rpg.
OklahomaTaj Gray, Sr. F14.2 ppg., 7.6 rpg., .570 FGTerrell Everett, Sr. G12.4 ppg., 6.71 apg.Michael Neal, Jr. G12.7 ppg., .430 3FGKevin Bookout, Sr. F11.1 ppg., 6.8 rpg.
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UW-Milwaukee, Butler Capsules
Panthers keep adding to traditionUW-Milwaukee is in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years, and reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth consecutive year (and ninth time in school history). The Panthers captured the regular-season League championship with a 12-4 mark, and claimed the Horizon League's automatic entry with an 87-71 victory over Butler in the final game of the Horizon League Championship tournament.
The Panthers received the No. 11 seed in the Minneapolis region, one level better than their position last year. UWM reached the NCAA's Sweet 16 in 2005, entering as the #12 seed but downing (#5) Alabama 83-73 and (#4) Boston College 83-75 before falling to eventual national-runner-up Illinois 77-63.
UW-Milwaukee boasts three All-League selections, with First-Team choice Joah Tucker joined by Second-Team honorees Adrian Tigert and Boo Davis. Tucker was a repeat selection to the top list, with the senior forward currently sixth on the League scoring charts (16.4 points per game) and eighth in rebounding (6.1 per outing).
Tigert's 7.4 rebounds-per-game pace is fourth-best in the League, while the senior forward is also fourth in field-goal accuracy (.548) and 12th in scoring (12.9 per game). He also rates fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.69 set-ups for every miscue. Tigert averages 2.63 assists per game.
Davis' 16.2 scoring pace (eighth in the League) features 39 percent shooting behind the arc.
Tigert garnered Tournament MVP honors after leading the Panthers to a second consecutive League title. He missed two games due to a back injury suffered Feb. 11 but returned to collect 31 points and 15 rebounds in two tourney victories.
Tigert rates among the loop leaders in several traditional categories---scoring (12th at 12.9 points per game), rebounding (fourth, 7.3 per outing), and field-goal percentage (fourth at .557).
Senior guard Chris Hill tops the team with his 2.76 assists per outing,directing the League's highest-scoring offense (74.2 points per game).
Tucker, Davis, Hill and senior forward Jason McCoy have each started all 28 games so far this season. Tigert's injury prompted the only change to first-year head coach Rob Jeter's opening line-up this year. Senior Derrick Ford took Tigert's spot in those two contests.
The Panthers' "Big Three" of Tucker, Tigert and Davis combine to average 45.5 points per game, or 60.2 percent of the team's points this season. Jeter relies on a deep bench, however, with 12 Panthers having played in at least 23 games this season and nine averaging more than ten minutes per appearance.
Bulldogs continue season in NITButler is in the NIT for the eighth time (and first since 2002), carrying a 19-12 overall mark. The Bulldogs have lost only four games since Jan. 21 ---two in overtime, one on a shot with 1.3 seconds remaining and the League Championship game at UW-Milwaukee.
Butler earned a bye into the semifinals of the league summit and defeated #3 seed UW-Green Bay 73-51 but could not match UW-Milwaukee's scoring ability in the title game. UWM's 87 points were the most allowed by Butler this season.
The preseason poll projected Butler to finish fifth in the League, but Coach of the Year Todd Lickliter guided a veteran group to an 11-5 loop ledger and second-place showing in the regular season.
Senior forward Brandon Polk earned Player of the Year honors and currently rates third in the circuit with his 18.2 points-per-game average. Polk also tops the charts with a .579 field-goal rate and 1.55 blocked shots per game. Polk's presence anchors Butler's defense which allows a League-low 60.9 points per game. His 27 points in the League final were the most in a tournament game this season and marked the sixth time this year he has scored 25 or more points.
Senior guard Avery Sheets---a member of Butler's NCAA Sweet 16 team in 2003---scored 20 points in each of BU's two League tourney games. Sheets was 12-of-26 from the field with ten three-pointers in Milwaukee, and raised his season scoring average to 9.8 points per game.
Senior guard Bruce Horan hit just two of 15 attempts from three-point range in the League Championship, but extended hs streak to 78 consecutive games with at least one triple, the second-longest run in NCAA history. (Illinois guard Cory Bradford connected in 88 in a row, 1998-2001). Horan leads the League with his 3.39 triples per game this season, and needs six more points for 1,000 in his career. Horan has made 306 three-pointers in a Butler uniform (second-most in League history), compared to only 12 two-point baskets.
Sheets has already surpassed the 1,000-point mark, entering the NIT with 1,072. Sheets also leads the circuit with a 2.63 assist-to-turnover ratio, with 100 helpers and only 38 miscues.
Butler has used the same starting line-up---Horan, Graves, and sophomore A.J. Graves on the perimeter with Polk and junior Brandon Crone up front---in all 30 games this year. Lickliter has only ten players on his roster, with only two reserves---junior guard Julian Betko (16.6) and junior forward Brian Ligon (14.0) averaging more than ten minutes per game.
