ESPN Men's Basketball

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

Brad Stevens, a Hoosier born and bred, turned out to be the perfect man to be handed the torch of the prestigious Butler basketball program on April 4, 2007, when Todd Lickliter left to take the Iowa job.

Never mind that Stevens could be mistaken for the team manager. He picked up his 50th victory last winter in only his 56th game as a head coach. Only two coaches in major college basketball reached 50 wins faster than Stevens -- Doc Meanwell at Wisconsin in 1915 and Bill Carmody at Princeton in 1998.

Stevens was a high-scoring guard at Zionsville High School, then graduated from DePauw in 1999. He got a job as a marketing associate at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, but left it after a year for a volunteer position in Butler's basketball office in 2000.

When Lickliter succeeded Thad Matta in 2001, Stevens got a permanent post and was at Lickliter's side as he went 131-61 the next six seasons. Though Stevens was only 31 when Lickliter left, he was ready to take over the Bulldogs.

Lickliter left him a ready-made lineup and Stevens ran with it, going 30-4, winning the Horizon League at 16-2 and advancing to a second-round NCAA Tournament loss against Tennessee. He was the third-youngest coach in history to guide his team to 30 wins, the first to do so in more than 50 years.

When four starters left, everyone figured the Bulldogs would take some lumps in 2008-09, but it didn't happen. Stevens reloaded with three freshmen starting every game and went 26-6. Butler again won the Horizon League regular season and earned an NCAA Tournament berth (losing in the first round to LSU).

Stevens was chosen Horizon League Coach of the Year and given a contract extension through 2016. Only Bill Guthridge of North Carolina, a decade ago, won more games (58) in his first two seasons than Stevens' 56.

"You could see early on in practice that these freshmen were a little bit ahead of the curve," Stevens said, "both physically and from a basketball sense. They were ready to play. I didn't really get into who would be starting, but I thought they all could be impactful players."

Butler's history and tradition is as strong as any mid-major in the nation. Tony Hinkle put the school on the basketball map, winning 560 games between 1926 and 1980. Barry Collier, the current athletic director, started the modern era of success in 1989, then left for Nebraska. Assistant Thad Matta took over, went 24-8 in 2000-01, and got the Xavier job. His assistant, Lickliter, took over and won 68.2 percent of his games before leaving for Iowa. They promote and cherish a system known as "the Butler Way" that stresses team over individual, and have been successful in recruiting players that acclimate to it. "The Butler Way" has led to NCAA Tournament bids in eight of the last 13 seasons.

"They have the ability," said UIC coach Jimmy Collins, "to make those players understand they have a system, you've got to play in that system, and if you can do the things with that system the coach is asking, you will win. They believe in the system, in the coaching and the tradition, which is, bar none, the best in our league."

Cleveland State beat Butler in the conference tournament championship game last year, which coach Gary Waters considers a great accomplishment.

"You can figure out 50 different ways and never get it right," Waters said. "They're so poised and what I call in control. You've got to take them out of the control factor that they have. They execute so well on the offensive end, you've got to find a way to speed them up and make them do things they normally don't do. You've got to make sure the shooters don't shoot as well as they shoot. If that happens, it's over.

"And they're so good on defense, you've got to find ways to score on them. The one thing I've always felt about Butler is I think they're the best transition defense team I've seen in a long time."

Tod Kowalczyk of rival Green Bay admits he was caught off-guard by Butler's successful defense of its regular-season title last winter with a cast leaning so heavily on freshmen. "If any coach in our league said they weren't surprised, they're lying," Kowalczyk said. "Nobody picked them to win the league. "Butler is a team that nationally is without question one of the two best mid-majors in the country. Butler and Gonzaga."

The Bulldogs took an August trip to Italy, where they lost two close games to the Swiss national team and then routed two Italian clubs. Stevens was able to experiment with various lineups, especially with starters Ronald Nored and Matt Howard sitting out games because of injuries.

PLAYERS

PG-RONALD NORED (6-0, 178 lbs., SO, #5, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.0 spg, 27.7 mpg, .407 FG, .224 3PT, .469 FT, Homewood HS/Homewood, Ala.). Butler uses several players at the point, but it's the position that best describes Nored, who was a surprise starter as a freshman.

Nored originally signed with Western Kentucky but got his release after coach Darrin Horn left for South Carolina. Butler had recruited him earlier and jumped back in. Most of his extended family lives within a short drive of campus, so his decision to sign with Butler made sense.

An athletic guard, Nored makes his best contributions in other ways than scoring. In fact, he reached double figures in only three games, with a high of 11 points (on 4-of-4 shooting, including the game-winner) in a home win over Cleveland State. He never attempted more than eight shots in any game and made more than one three-pointer only once.

You can bet Stevens had Nored in the gym all summer working to improve his 46.9-percent free-throw shooting. His 84 assists were second best on the team. Nored didn't play on the Italian summer trip because of an injury but was expected to be back in action during September workouts.

SG-SHELVIN MACK (6-3, 214 lbs., SO, #1, 11.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 30.1 mpg, .391 FG, .326 3PT, .757 FT, Bryan Station HS/Lexington, Ky.) No doubt several SEC schools were kicking themselves for letting Mack go north after he turned in such an outstanding freshman season. Like Nored, Mack was a starter from opening day. He has the body and size to overpower most guards.

"The thing about Shelvin," Stevens said, "is when he first walks on the court, you notice he doesn't look like a freshman. He's got a senior body. He's strong and long and his mind for the game allows him to have success. He makes good basketball plays."

He became just the third freshman ever to lead Butler in assists (111, compared to 67 turnovers) and ranked No. 2 in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio. Naturally, Mack was picked on the HL All-Newcomer team.

Mack scored in double figures in 18-of-32 games, his high-water mark being 22 points against both Youngstown State and UAB. He made at least four three-pointers on five occasions. Mack left a good last impression, playing one of his best games in the NCAA tournament loss to LSU with 18 points and eight rebounds. He had at least eight rebounds in three of his last four games.

In June Mack was picked to the U.S. U-19 team for the FIBA World Championships and helped the Americans win the gold medal in New Zealand.

"They've always had shooters," said UIC's Collins, "and they've always had the guys who would penetrate and kick it and drop a three on you. The guards they've got now are very similar."

SF-WILLIE VEASLEY (6-3, 204 lbs., SR, #21, 8.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.7 spg, 29.3 mpg, .460 FG, .327 3PT, .693 FT, Freeport HS/Freeport, Ill.). Veasley is the old man on the roster and is 85-17 in career games. Last year he became the first Butler player to appear in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

"Talk about a guy having an impact on winning games," Stevens said. "Some would say he leads quietly, but if you're inside our program you would know it's not quiet. His teammates rely on him and trust him. He's a super versatile defender, and that allows us to do a lot of things defensively. He can guard one through five."

Veasley scores in double figures about half of the time. He had season highs of 16 points and eight rebounds. His best game might have been a late-season win over Cleveland State, with 16 points and seven boards. Veasley's greatest asset is, as Stevens said, his defensive tenacity and versatility. In a win over Loyola, he took the lead in holding J.R. Blount to two points. As a three-point shooter, he struggles, as evidenced by his 2-of-12 showing in postseason play last year. But a couple of games a year he'll drop three-of-four bombs on opponents. Amazingly, Veasley did not attempt a three-point shot as a freshman or sophomore and then fired off 104 of them last year. Maybe he was just getting warmed up for a big finish.

PF-GORDON HAYWARD (6-8, 200 lbs., SO, #32, 13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 32.6 mpg, .479 FG, .448 3PT, .815 FT, Brownsburg HS/Brownsburg, Ind.). The Horizon League Newcomer of the Year -- and first-team All-Horizon League selection -- was a stunning addition for Butler. He was a first-team all-state high school player and a prize signee, but no one anticipated the impact he would have as a rookie playing the kind of schedule Butler plays. His season didn't end in the NCAA Tournament. He was picked for the U.S. U-19 team that won a gold medal in the FIBA World Championships. In fact, Hayward was a starter and big contributor in most of the U.S. victories. He starts his sophomore season on the Wooden Award preseason checklist.

"The thing about Gordon is he can get a lot better," Stevens said. "He embraces that. Going overseas with Shelvin was a good thing. He saw new things and compete against different systems and different countries. He's a go-to player, but he's by no means gotten to where he wants to be. He can always take it up another notch in every little area."

Hayward ranked second behind Mack in three-point attempts for Butler. He set a school freshman record when he swished seven treys against both Ohio State and UIC. At .448 percent, he ranked second in the league in three-point accuracy. He topped out scoring with 27 points against Davidson in a BracketBusters pairing but also had 25 at Ohio State in December. He also recorded three double-doubles. And, oh, yeah, he also led the Bulldogs in minutes, free-throw shooting and steals (48).

"Nobody," said Green Bay's Kowalczyk, "had any idea Hayward would be one of the best freshmen in the country, but he was. I don't think he's got any flaws or weaknesses. He is as good or better than any freshman I've ever seen in any league I coached in, and that includes the Big East and Conference USA."

F-MATT HOWARD (6-8, 230 lbs., JR, #54, 14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 spg, 27.8 mpg, .550 FG, .222 3PT, .773 FT, Connersville HS/Connersville, Ind.). Howard became the third Butler player in the last four years to be chosen Horizon League Player of the Year. He also made the all-defense team and led the HL in field-goal percentage, was second in blocked shots and fourth in scoring and rebounding. Howard scored in double figures in 25-of-32 games and scored 20 or more in five of Butler's final eight contests. He notched a career high with 30 points against Loyola in February, hitting 11-of-13 shots.

"Matt is a terrific player and a better person," Stevens said. "He's been Academic All-America for three years. There's a reason he's had success so early in his career. His commitment level is huge, and he's got a motor that never stops. He plays with the same intensity level and focus with one minute left in the game as he does at the tip. The longer he practices, he gets better as it goes on. He's a very highly conditioned athlete. You add those two together, and it makes for a good motor." Howard is hungry to take it up another notch as a junior. He and Stevens have discussed every spot on the court where he might find himself in the offense and how he could improve in each scenario.

"Matt Howard has become the best player in the league," said Loyola coach Jim Whitesell, "the best low-post scorer. When you have a guy who can score on the block, it makes a big difference in terms of doubling and gets a little cleaner look for the other guys."

What makes Howard even more effective on the low block is his knack for getting fouled and converting. He was 14-of-15 at the line in a win over Wright State and 13-of-15 against Youngstown. He had four double-doubles, the most impressive 19 points and 14 rebounds against a good Xavier team.

G-SHAWN VANZANT (6-1, 171 lbs., JR, #2, 3.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.4 spg, 13.3 mpg, .356 FG, .289 3PT, .634 FT, Wharton HS/Tampa, Fla.). Vanzant surprised Milwaukee with 20 points in late January, but that was his only game in double figures all season. He'll give the Bulldogs good perimeter defense off the bench.

Blue Ribbon Previews

Take an Inside look at the Horizon with Blue Ribbon's 2009-10 team reports:

Butler Cleveland State Detroit Green Bay Illinois-Chicago Loyola (Ill.) Milwaukee Valparaiso Wright State Youngstown State

Vanzant was bothered by a sprained knee for part of the season. One of his best contributions came in Butler's opener when he played 17 minutes and frustrated Drake's All-MVC guard Josh Young.

G-ZACH HAHN (6-1, 170 lbs., JR, #3, 5.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.3 spg, 15.2 mpg, .385 FG, .401 3PT, .818 FT, Chrysler HS/New Castle, Ind.). Hahn led the non-starters in minutes, and it was no secret what was going to happen when he reported to the scorer's table. His 105 three-point attempts ranked third on the team and his .410 accuracy was second behind Hayward.

"Zach came off the bench and made big shots all year long," said Stevens. "He really helped us win a bunch of games."

He scored in double figures four times, against Drake, Evansville, Wright State and UIC. Against Wright State and UIC he was 5-of-8 and 5-of-9, respectively, from beyond the arc on back-to-back nights.

F-AVERY JUKES (6-8, 217 lbs., SR, #24, 3.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.1 spg, 12.9 mpg, .435 FG, .346 3PT, .630 FT, South Gwinnett HS/Snellville, Ga.). Jukes missed five games with a knee injury but got back to play 14 minutes against LSU in the NCAA Tournament.

His career night came against IU-South Bend with 15 points and six boards in 20 minutes. Jukes scored in double figures only once in a Horizon League game.

F-GARRETT BUTCHER (6-7, 206 lbs., SO, #32, 2.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.2 apg, 10.0 mpg, .425 FG, .350 3PT, .600 FT, Edgewood HS/Elletsville, Ind.). After an all-state prep career, Butcher found himself -- unlike contemporary Hayward -- in a typical freshman role at Butler. He appeared off the bench in all 32 games and frequently played significant minutes. He played 16 or more minutes in seven games, with a high of 22 against Wright State.

Butcher notched a career high of nine points on two occasions and had seven rebounds against Wright State.

On the summer tour of Italy, Butcher scored in double figures twice when Howard was restricted to the bench by an ankle injury. It's hard to project his role growing much in 2009-10 because of a couple of newcomers who will battle for minutes.

G-GRANT LEIENDECKER (6-3, 178 lbs., SR, #22, 1.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 6.6 mpg, .263 FG, .260 3PT, .500 FT, Homestead HS/Fort Wayne, Ind.). Leiendecker scored 18 points in an exhibition win, but that was his high-water mark by far. His regular-season moment in the spotlight was 12 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting in a win against Milwaukee.

Fifty of his 57 field-goal tries were beyond the three-point arc, an easy scouting report.

G-CHASE STIGALL (6-3, 187 lbs., FR, #33, Chrysler HS/New Castle, Ind.). Stigall redshirted last winter, but he figures to work his way into a few minutes (or more) this time around if the summer tour is any indication. He scored 20 points in one Butler romp and 15 in another. Stigall can stick the three-pointer.

"He gets shots off very quickly," Stevens said. "He's very explosive and extremely well-coached. He's a guy that could impact our team."

C-EMERSON KAMPEN (6-9, 192 lbs., FR, #30, 14.9 ppg, 7.3 ppg in 2007-08, Yorktown HS, Yorktown, Ind.). Like Stigall, Kampen redshirted last year. He turned down several scholarship offers to walk on at Butler. Kampen scored in double figures twice on the summer tour in Italy.

In high school, Kampen showed the ability to produce in the paint. As a senior, he was among the Indiana state leaders with his .565 field-goal percentage. Three times he scored 29 points, and he also had a 21-rebound game.

C-ANDREW SMITH (6-10, 230 lbs., FR, #44, 23.3 ppg, 17.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg, Covenant Christian HS/Indianapolis). Smith is the only freshman on the roster. He signed last November. Stevens likes his combination of toughness and ability to move laterally and up and down the floor.

"Andrew not only has great size and ability, but he combines that with very good basketball instincts and athleticism," Stevens said.

Smith was voted the Indianapolis Star All-City Player of the Year after leading the state in rebounding as a senior. He was also 17th in the state in blocked shots.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B+
BENCH/DEPTH: A-
FRONTCOURT: A
INTANGIBLES: A

Everybody's back from a 26-win, NCAA-Tournament season, and that's only part of the good news.

Only three players who see meaningful minutes are seniors. Furthermore, seven of Butler's key players last year (and four of its starters) were either freshmen or sophomores and should by all rights be more mature this time around. Matt Howard is a rugged presence in the post and small forward Gordon Hayward an exceptional complement to him. Hayward had one of the best freshmen seasons in the nation and hasn't yet reached his potential. Shelvin Mack, Willie Veasley and Ronald Nored bring athleticism and defensive intensity to the pe-rimeter. Veasley is an unsung hero because at 6-3 he can guard virtually any position on the floor.

Butler is easily the team to beat in the Horizon League again and should sustain its stature as one of -- if not the -- top mid-major program in the nation.

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.