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LOCATION: Indianapolis, IN
CONFERENCE: Midwestern Collegiate
LAST SEASON: 22-10 (.687)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 11-3 (2nd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Bulldogs
COLORS: Blue & White
HOMECOURT: Hinkle Fieldhouse (11,043)
COACH: Barry Collier (Butler '76)
record at school 173-124 (10 years)
career record 173-124 (10 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Thad Matta (Butler '90)
Mark Bailey (Wisconsin-Parkside '95)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 15-19-23-22-22
RPI (last 5 years) 136-83-88-52-59
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NIT quarterfinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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The biggest recruiting victory by any Midwestern Collegiate Conference school was won at Butler last summer. Surprisingly, the battle wasn't for a muscles-on-top-of-muscles low-post operator or a crafty point guard. Instead it was the one to retain coach Barry Collier. After last season, Collier, who has been nothing short of brilliant in 10 years in Indianapolis, received flirtations from several high-profile schools with head-coaching vacancies. In the case of Minnesota, though, that flirtation turned into serious courting. Several reports even had Collier as the frontrunner to get the Gophers' job (which ultimately went to another hotter-than-hot coaching property, Gonzaga's Dan Monson). Ultimately, Collier ended up back at his alma mater Butler, which could be bad news for the rest of the MCC. With the return of four starters, including returning first-team All-MCC power player Mike Marshall, the Bulldogs are the team best-equipped to knock Detroit out of the MCC penthouse. So why is Collier on as many "hot" lists as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Pokemon? In his decade at Butler, he has led the team to 173 victories since replacing Joe Sexson in 1989. Last season, he helped his team overcome an 0-4 start to finish with a 22-10 mark, the team's first postseason win in 37 years and first back-to-back postseason wins (in last spring's NIT) in 75 years. His team, picked by many to finish in the MCC's second division, instead finished in second place and went all the way to an NIT quarterfinal before losing to Clemson. His recipe for success? Defense, defense and more defense. His Bulldogs held seven opponents under 20 points in the first half of games last year, including 12 points apiece by Western Kentucky and Idaho State. Pee-wee league teams score more than that in a half. And only nine of the 29 teams that Butler faced were able to score more than 65 points. No wonder Collier's name surfaced in the early stages of the Saint Louis and Marquette searches and Baylor made a formal request to interview him. Minnesota actually did interview the 45-year-old Collier in late June. This guy wins, his teams play defense and the kids graduate. What's not to like?
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT B INTANGIBLES B+
Butler's alumni association should just cross Barry Collier off their fundraising cold-call list right now. After all, Collier (Butler Class of '76) has done quite enough for his alma mater, thank you very much. Last season, Collier posted his third straight 20-win season and advanced to an NIT quarterfinal, picking up the Bulldogs' first postseason win since 1962 in the process. Expect the winning to continue, thanks to the return of rugged inside customers Mike Marshall (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Ryan Hainje (7.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg), along with the addition of 6-10 Oklahoma State transfer Scott Robisch at the start of the second semester. Keeping the Bulldogs' loaded frontcourt happy will be 6-foot sophomore Thomas Jackson (5.3 ppg), a young backcourt star in the making. These guys are the MCC's best bet to unseat preseason favorite Detroit. |
"I'm not surprised that schools like Minnesota wanted to talk to Barry," said Butler athletic director John Parry this summer. "The only surprise is that it took so long." With Collier back, along with four of his five starters from last year's 22-win squad, the winning will continue. The on-the-court leader will be 6-4, 235-pound power forward/center Marshall, whose muscular frame would be the envy of quite a few Pro Bowl linebackers. It's been well-chronicled that Marshall was a one-time all-state linebacker who was recruited by Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State, among others. But the burly senior's first love is roundball. "He's the most obvious leader that I've ever been around in my 10 years of coaching,"' Collier said. "Guys like playing with him and seem to gravitate toward him when they're looking for someone else to follow. Plus, he's a superior athlete. He weighs 235 pounds, but he's a great leaper who can get that weight nearly 40 inches off the ground." Marshall flashed those leadership qualities last season. When 6-10 senior starting center Bjorn Gieseck was struggling at both ends of the court, Marshall took over the center spot. And despite the fact that he was often giving up four or five inches in height, Marshall led the Bulldogs in scoring (9.6 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg), field-goal percentage (MCC-best .563) and steals (1.6 spg). Marshall's work didn't go unnoticed as the MCC coaches, media and sports information directors selected him first-team All-MCC as well as to the league's all-defensive team. The best news for Marshall is the addition in the second semester of Oklahoma State transfer Scott Robisch, a 6-10 junior. He'll be able to man the center spot, which will allow Marshall to play his more natural power forward position. Robisch, the son of former Kansas All-American and Indiana Pacers center Dave Robisch, just has to stay healthy something he was unable to do for Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State. He broke his hand in 1996-97 and suffered from stress fractures in his thigh in 1997-98. Robisch, a former all-state player at Calvary Academy in Springfield, Ill., could be a load in this league once he becomes eligible. The third piece of the frontcourt puzzle will be 6-7 sophomore Rylan Hainje (7.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 37 assists, 14 steals), another former football star who turned down full rides to Big 10 schools (Michigan, Purdue and Indiana) to play hoops at Butler. A big-time athlete, Hainje made the MCC's All-Newcomer team and was a key reason the Bulldogs won 18 of their final 22 regular-season games. Hainje's 29-point performance againstWisconsin-Milwaukee, for instance, was the single highest point total by any Butler player last season. Providing frontcourt depth will be a pair of king-sized freshmen in Ben Grunst (7-0, 280) and Joel Cornette (6-10, 215). Grunst played his prep ball at Marquette University High School and will probably see immediate playing time, while Cornette needs to lift some serious weights before he'll really be a factor at this mid-major D-I level. Another frontcourt reserve is 6-6 sophomore Luke Reed, who played all of 10 minutes last year. Suffice to say that Reed isn't a program maker or breaker. He did not score last season and averaged just 0.4 rpg. Collier has plenty of backcourt options, too. His point guard is 5-9 sophomore Thomas Jackson, who finished the year playing his best basketball. Jackson scored 17 points in the season-ending loss to Clemson and averaged a team-best 13.3 points in Butler's three NIT games. Jackson (5.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 62 assists, 29 steals) also became the first freshman to lead the Bulldogs in assists since Tim Bowen (currently Butler's Athletic Events Manager) in 1989-90. Jackson's primary running mate figures to be one of three upperclassmen: 6-4 junior Michael Hicks (4.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg), 6-3 senior Andrew Graves (4.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 54 assists, 22 steals) or 6-2 junior LaVall Jordan (6.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 33 assists, 14 steals). All three started at various times last year and each brings something different to the party. Hicks ended up starting late in the season, while Graves started 20 times last year. Graves' usually trusty three-point shot wasn't as accurate as expected in 1998-99 (18-of-53, 34 percent), but this guy still can't be left alone behind the arc. Jordan was slowed by a broken nose suffered against Indiana/Purdue-Indianapolis, but he came on strong as the season progressed. Jordan can shoot the three-pointer, which he showed against Clemson when he hit five threes. For the season, Jordan was 25-of-67 from beyond the arc. The guard foursome of Jackson, Hicks, Graves and Jordan figure to see most of the playing time, but Collier has two other options in 6-2 junior Jason Myers and 6-1 freshman Darnell Archey. Myers played sparingly in 1998-99, getting into only nine games last year (for a total of 20 minutes). Myers averaged 0.6 ppg last year. Archey figures to be handed a redshirt rather than a blue and white one this winter. The reason? There will be plenty of freshman girls on Butler's campus who weigh more than the 145-pound Archey. Archey will live in the Butler University weight room this winter, along with his former high school teammate Brandon Miller. The 6-foot, 165-pound Miller will be sitting out this season after transferring in from Southwest Missouri State, where he led that Sweet 16 team in free-throw percentage (.865 FT). Miller averaged 3.1 points and 1.4 assists for the Bears, but opted to transfer when coach Steve Alford bolted to Iowa this off-season. He'll push the Bulldogs' guards in practice, making one of Butler's areas of strength even that much better in 1999-2000.
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