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Re: 2-2-09
ness My 15* Horizon League Game of the Month is on Wisconsin-Green Bay at 8:00 ET. No. 13 Butler (19-1) improved to 10-0 in conference play for the first time in school history with its 59-51 victory over Valparaiso last Friday. It was the Bulldogs' 11th win in a row (7-3 ATS) since the team lost its lone game of this season, 54-51 at Ohio State on Dec 13. It's quite a "second act" for Butler head coach Brad Stevens, who won 30 games last year, in his first season at the school. Butler lost stellar guards Green (14.6-6.5-5.1) and Graves (13.6) off last year's team, along with the 6-7 Campbell (11.7), the 6-6 Betko (4.9-2.4) and the 6-8 Streicher (4.0-2.7). Amazingly, the Bulldogs haven't "missed a beat." The 6-7 Howard (13.3-7.0) is back for his sophomore year and is joined up front by 6-8 freshman Hayward (13.0-6.3). In the backcourt, freshmen Mack (12.8-4.0-3.8) and Nored (3.3-3.1-2.6) are joined by 6-3 junior Veasley (8.9-4.0). While that trio hasn't matched the production of Green and Graves, one can't ignore Butler's 19-1 mark. The 6-8 Jukes (3.9) and guard Vanzant (3.9) are the team's top reserves. Butler's dominated its Horizon League foes going back to last year, as Friday night's win was its 21st straight victory in league play. That ties the record which is held by Wisconsin-Green Bay, which won 21 consecutive games in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference from 1995-1997. The Midwestern Collegiate Conference became the Horizon League in the 2001-02 season. The Phoenix have lost NINE straight to the Bulldogs but are worthy opponents tonight. This team was only 15-15 last year but returned all five starters and will enter this game having won 11 of its last 13 overall (8-2 ATS), since its lone home loss of the year on Dec 18. That loss came to Oakland (Mich) 79-76 in OT but Green Bay will take a 10-1 SU (7-0-1 ATS) home mark into this game. Green Bay actually matches up extremely well with Butler in this game. The 6-8 Tillema (16.4-4.4) is the team's leading scorer while coming off the bench and is listed as a shooting guard. He's a tough matchup for any team, while Green Bay's starting guards Cotton (12.4 PPG up from 4.6 LY) and Fletcher (10.0-2.4-2.9) are hardly chopped liver. The 6-9 Schactner (11.2-4.6), 6-5 swingman Evans 99.6-5.1) and the 6-9 Berry (6.7-5.8) are the starters in the front court. Butler is 11th in the nation in FG defense (37.6 percent) and third in scoring defense (55.4 PPG) but the 17-6 (9-2 in Horizon play) Phoenix lead the Horizon League in scoring (72.2 PPG) and are shooting 41.0 percent on threes for the season. As mentioned earlier, Green Bay's lost just two of its last 13 games. The Phoenix lost at Loyola-Chicago on Jan 2 and avenged that this past Saturday, routing the Ramblers, 87-68. The other loss came at Butler (68-59) on Jan 22 and the Phoenix can make amends for that game, tonight. Green Bay's last win over Butler came back on 1/8/2005 (57-50) and it's about time the Phoenix broke through. As Rod Stewart once sang, "Tonight's the night." Horizon League Game of the Month 15* Wisc-Green Bay.Comment
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