Hoosier

[Wayne23]

11/17: We win our opener, 67-59. Great D, but the offense struggled. SG Mo Zien led us with 28. +7 TOs.

We’re off to the Hawaiian Shootout. We’re #7, and face #2 seed Marshall, 1-0.

11/18: 81-84. We ran out of gas late after leading for most of the way. I’m BIG on conditioning, but I don’t have enough players; pretty much not a bench at all. 26 for Zien, 22 for Center Carl Will, 11, 9 for PF Vern Bows, 10, 4, 8 for PG Stan Daws.

11/20: Only 3 of our 4 recruits sign. Of course, the one who didn’t was a PG. Lots of work still to be done with recruiting.

12/4: Red Lucas, Indy Times: We talked to new Butler coach Joe Indy about his team’s 4-2 start. Considering that they won 6 games all of last season and 6 the season before that’s pretty good.

“Well, Red, we’re playing pretty poor teams. Wins solve a lot of problems. I hope to build Butler into a team that has a chance to win against anybody, but for now, we need to play in the low rent district.”

SG Mo Zien leads the way with 19.3. Considering that the Bulldogs play with an SF at the Point, 13 TOs per game isn’t bad. Let’s see what Coach Indy can do over the course of the season, but everybody should understand that rebuilding this program will take time.

12/11: 5-2, RPI #86. A gentle reminder: We’re playing REALLY lousy teams.

12/25: 6-3, RPI #83, going to Big East play. We have now matched Butler’s season win total for each of the past 2 seasons. Not optimistic about how we’ll do in the conference, but we should win a few, at least.

[Wayne23]

1/1/2021: 7-4, 1-1, RPI #85. We beat Marquette at our place.

1/15: 9-6, 3-3, RPI #89. I’m amazed and delighted. We’ve won all 3 home games in conf., lost all 3 road games. Zien continues to lead us with 18.9. Will is our #2 scorer and #1 rebounder. We turn it over way too much (15.3) but given that we play only one true guard, it’s to be expected. #6 in PPG Allowed, #12 in RBs.

1/22: Red Lucas, Indy Times: Coach Joe Indy has Butlker at an amazing 10-7, 4-4 in the Big East. RPI is #75, and they’re in a 5 way tie for 3rd.

This is their first 10 win season in four years, and that’s lots of ball left to play. Good D and solid rebounding are doing the job.

1/29: 12-7, 6-4, RPI #46. In a 2 way tie for 3rd. We beat #11 Villanova! Easily the best win all season. +4.2 PPG, +8.7 RBs, -2.2 TOs. 18.7 for Zien, 9.7 RBs for Will- 16.0 PPG. Daws coughs it up at PG, but he’s a natural SF, and he’s doing better than I had hoped- 11.2 points and good D.
These three are our players.

We lost the recruit we knew we’d lose to a low SAT score.

2/12: 14-9, 8-6, RPI #49. Alone in 4th, and it will take a total collapse for us to finish below 5th. Tough schedule for the last 4 games, but a split is possible.

2/19: Red Lucas, Indy Times: With 2 to play the amazing Butler Bulldogs stand at 16-9, 10-6, tied for 3rd, RPI #40. They are an apparent shoo in for at least the NIT. While they have two left, against #15 Georgetown and #12 Villanova, even if they lose both they will finish in the top half in the Big East. They were picked to end up dead last. Coach Joe Indy is “the man.”

2/26: We end the regular season at 16-11, 10-8, RPI #62, alone in 4th place. We definitely exceeded expectations, including mine. It would be nice to do a little something in the post season, but everything from here on is a bonus!

[Wayne23]

3/9: We play #5 seed providence, 15-12, 9-9, in the Big East 1/4 finals. We split in the regular season. We need to win this one inside, and take care of the ball.

3/10: 62-65. 20 TOs did us in, and their bench outscored ours 19-1. Oh well. Hopefully an invitation somewhere and a couple of wins.
16-12, 10-8, RPI #74.

We lost to the Big East tourney champs, if that means anything.

3/12: NIT, #2 South. We play Tennessee Tech, #7, 18-10. On paper it’s close. We’re 1 ½ point favorites.

3/14: 60-47. Great D! Held them to 17 in the 1st half. 19, 7 for Zien, 18, 5, 4 for Daws. +13 RBs.

#3 seed Miami, 16-14, in round 2. They’re very strong outside. Our guards will need to repeat today’s performance for us to have a chance.

3/16: 65-78. They had 14 threes, we had 2. Still, a great first season. Now to try to grab a few more recruits.

4/1: We get an SG, #189 and a PF, #283.

4/3: #1 North Carolina is the champ.

4/4: Awards: C Carl Will is Big East Frosh OY and 1st team. Senior guard Mo Zien made 2nd team.

4/9: Not going anywhere.

4/16: We nab a guy we’ve been chasing for months, C, #42. Also grab an SG, #100, SG #156. Only one PG, but a couple SGs.

4/23: I ask for a budget increase. We hired some great assistants, but it cost us some $. We get $10,500. I’ll take it!

Red Lucas, Indy Times: We got us a young coaching phenom in Joe Indy of Butler U. He took a very thin on talent team and led them to a 17-13, 10-8 season. He’s got a lot of recruits coming in, and for the first time in a long time, the future looks bright for Butler! Overall, Indy is 63-31, .670, after three seasons as a head coach.

[Wayne23]

5/1: #27 recruiting class. We buy the Midwest Gold.

6/5: Looking at transfers.

6/12: We thought we had a really good chance with an SG from LSU, but we didn’t get him.

6/26: 3 scholarships. We need guards.

8/21: We offer to 3 PGs.

9/18: JAG Holiday vs. #5 ranked Oregon. Stronger schedule than last year, but still not strong.

9/25: We get 2 PGs, #62, and #199.

10/2: 1st day of practice. This team is light years better defensively than last year’s team, and Center Wade Mury looks terrific!

What a difference a year makes! Picked 2nd in the Big East.

10/23 We get the 3rd PG, #333, but his stock will rise.

11/6: 7 man rotation:

Frosh Lon Jonn is at PG. Frosh Nick Ashe starts at SG, subs at PG. Another frosh, Sera Rapu, subs at SG.

Juco junior Tav Mald is at SF. Frosh Lee Doan subs at SF and PF.

Soph Carl Will is back, at PF this season, but he subs at C.

Juco junior Wade Mury is at C.

All newcomers except for Will. It may take us some time to gel, but I think we’re going to be a good team this season!

[Wayne23]

11/13: Red Lucas, Indy Times: There’s a lot of buzz in Indianapolis about the Butler Bulldogs. Coach Joe Indy looks like he’s a got an interesting team that just might compete for the Big East title this season. They’re young, mostly frosh, one soph, and two juco juniors who look very good.

So, it’s a team that with one exception has no Div. I experience. That fact, and starting with three on the road, may mean it will take a while for the ‘dogs to come together as a team, but watch out when they do!

11/20: 1-1 start. We’re still working out the kinks.

All 3 recruits sign.

11/27: Red Lucas, Indy Times: The Butler Bulldogs are off to a 3-1 start. Considering that 3 of those games were on the road, that’s pretty good! SG Nick Ashe is leading the team with 19.5.

12/11: 4-2. We lost a close one at home when we went 7-13 from the line. Ashe leads us with 20.0. Mury is rebounding great (10.7), but we expected more scoring. Sera Rapu is leading us in points per minute. We’re giving him more time. If it keeps up we’ll need to start him.

12/20: 6-2. Off to the JAG Holiday vs. #5 in the country Oregon. Tough matchup!

12/23: 60-72. We just weren’t quite quick enough to keep up. As a consequence, we fouled a lot. We worked for 40 minutes though.

12/25: 6-3, RPI #105. +7.1 PPG, +7.3 RBs, -0.1 TOs. Ashe gets 18.6 per game, Mury gets 13.4 and 10.6, and Rapu, who now starts, gets 13.1 in 19 minutes per game. I think we’ll do well in the Big East.

[Wayne23]

1/1/2022: 8-3, 2-0. Great start! RPI #56.

1/8: Red Lucas, Indy Times: Butler is now 10-3, 4-0, RPI #40, alone in 1st in the Big East. Coach Joe Indy has done wonders in a season and a half with the Bulldogs. Adding Sera Rapu to the starting lineup just before Big East play began is looking like a stroke of genius, and juco junior Wade Mury is really hitting his stride with 3 double doubles in a row. It’s early, but the Bulldogs look like the real thing!

1/15: 11-4, 5-1. Tough loss at ‘Nova. In a 3 way tie for 1st. Mury has 5 straight double doubles.

1/29: 14-5, 8-2, RPI #30, alone in 2nd, 1 back of 1st. +6.8 PPG, +11.0 RBs, -2.1 TOs.

2/5: Red Lucas, Indy Times: The Butler Bulldogs just beat #22 ranked, 1st place ST John’s. That puts Butler at 16-5, 10-2, tied for 1st, RPI #25. If they can win their last 6 regular season games, they just might make the top 25! This reporter thinks they deserve to be ranked now!

2/12: 18-5, 12-2, RPI #21. Still tied for 1st, 3 up on 3rd.

2/19: Ranked! #25. 20-5, 14-2.

2/26: We end the regular season at 21-6, 15-3. The conference was ours to win and we blew it in the last game of the season, losing at home, scoring a season low 56 points. We finish 2nd. #24, RPI #24. +6.3 PPG, +11.0 RBs, -1.6 TOs. Ashe leads us with 16.6. Mury is at 15.1 and 4th in the nation 12.5 RBs. 12.8 for Rapu, 10.7, 8.4 for Will.

[Wayne23]

3/9: We play #7 seed Georgetown, 14-14, 8-10, in the quarters. Beat them by 9 and 2 in the regular season.

3/10: 72-57. 19 for Ashe, 10, 17 for Mury, 10, 11 for Will, 14 for Rapu. +14 RBs.

#3 seed Creighton, 21-9, 12-6, in the semis. They beat us in the season finale to deprive us of 1st place.

3/11: 54-72. This team has our number. Lowest point total of the season. Ashe and Rapu had 16 each; no one else had more than 6.

22-7, 15-3. RPI #32. 8 seed?

3/12: #7 South. We play #10 Washington, 20-10.

3/17: 62-64. Never more than a 9 point difference, and we lost on a 30 foot buzzer beater. Tough way to end the season.

22-8, 15-3, and everyone is back. 3 good looking guards coming in.

4/3: #2 Kansas is the champ.

4/4: Awards: Junior C Wade Mury is Big East POY and 1st team. SG Nick Ashe is Frosh OY and 1st team.

4/23: I ask for a facilities upgrade. Got it! We go from C to B.

Red Lucas, Indy Times: Another great season for Butler under the direction of Joe Indy, 22-8, 15-3. Overall, 85-39, .685. Everybody is back, and 3 good looking guards are coming in. Good days ahead!

[Wayne23]

5/1: National and international basic.

6/5: No open spots for transfers.

6/26: 5 scholarships. We need 3-4 bigs.

8/21: We offer to a PG, 2 PFs, 2 Cs.

9/18: Got a PF, #55. Lost a C.

Caribbean Challenge vs. Tennessee Tech.

9/25: Got a PF, #44, a PG, #71. Lost a C.

10/2: 1st day of practice. We’re picked 2nd in the Big East.

11/6: 10 man rotation:

Frosh Earl Gard starts at PG, backed by soph Lon Jonn and frosh Jon Tile.

Soph Sera Rapu is at SG, with soph Nick Ashe backing up.

Junior Carl Will starts at SF, backs up at PF. Seniors Tav Mald and Dev Nure back up at SF.

Soph Norm Brax starts at PF, backs up at C. Senior Wade Mury is at C.

[Wayne23]

11/20: Red Lucas, Indy Times: One of our very favorite teams, the Butler Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start. The 2nd was an OT win over Austin Peay, in which they just refused to quit. PG Earl Gard had 32 in that one, including 11 in OT. Senior C Wade Mury is cleaning the glass, getting 16 RBs in the 1st game and 15 in the 2nd. Looks like a good season ahead! The three committed recruits, all blue chip, all signed.

12/4: Two point road loss. TOs and outside D hurt.

We sign a 4th recruit, C, #38. One more, but we may bank that scholarship.

12/14: Got a one point win on the road on a buzzer beater by SG Sera Rapu. Ball handling is a problem, 2 TOs in this game and 15.3 per game.

We’re 6-1. Wade Mury leads the way with 19.4 and 14.7.

Off to the Caribbean Challenge. We’re the #2 seed and we play #7 Tennessee Tech.

12/16: 74-70. They gave us a battle, mostly because we didn’t stop the outside shot. We may go to more man and less 2-3. 34 and 12 by Mury saved us.

Next up is #6 Colgate, 8-1. They’re playing really well, but against weak teams.

12/17: 89-87. They led by 15 early, 12 at the half. We didn’t take our first lead until 3:02 left, and it was back and forth after that. Rapu hit a 16 footer at the buzzer for the win. He had 20.

#1 seed, conference rival Providence, 7-2, for the title.

12/18: 79-61. 2nd game going with more man to man D, and they were 6-27 on threes. 14 and 16 for Mury, 14 with 10 assists for Gard, 17, 8 for SF Carl Will. +17 RBs.

12/25: 10-1 going to the Big East. Ranked! #24. RPI #16. +10.4 PPG, +15.2 RBs, -0.4 TOs. Mury gets 19.5, 14.1. 12.5, 8.6 for Will, and 12.1 for PG Earl Gard.

[Wayne23]

1/1/2023: 12-1, 2-0, #23, RPI #15. Good start!

1/15: 16-1, 6-0, #14, RPI #7; 2 game lead in the Big East. We’re doing it with rebounding (+15.6) and D (67.2 PPG). #34 in our own PPG. TOs could be better, 14.2. 12 wins in a row.

1/22: Few things piss me off more than losing a home game, especially to a team we should have beaten. Lost by 9 here to Villanova and I am FUMING. 22 TOs, crappy D (51.9%), didn’t move without the ball… You don’t want to be a player at practice this week.

1/29: Red Lucas, Indy Times: The Butler Bulldogs have hit a midseason mini-slump, losing 2 of the last 3. They’re still alone in 1st in the Big East, and their record is not at all shabby: 18-3, 8-2. #16 in the nation, RPI #9. +10.3 PPG, +14.8 RBs, but 02.2 TOs. Wade Mury leads the team with 16.4 and 13.2 (#2 in the nation, .1 behind #1); He’s #6 on the Norton list. Rapu gets 14.0, Gard gets 12.2, and Brax gets 11.8, 7.3, and Will gets 9.8, 8.5. On the bad news front, the Bulldog’s highest regarded recruit didn’t hit the necessary SAT score. Coach Joe Indy says the team may bank 2 scholarships, since most of the top level recruits are gone, and since the team will have only one senior next season.

2/12: 22-3, 12-2, #10, RPI #7. Still tweaking the lineup a little. Nick Ashe has gotten better and better as our #3 guard, and Tav Mald has done the same at SF.

Mury is #7 on the Norton list.

2/26: We end the regular season 24-5, 14-4, #12, RPI #8, alone in 1st in the Big East.

3/5: Mury is #7 on the Norton list.