MCC report | NCAA Tournament report

SportsLine.com Report
April 10, 2000

They lost their coach and could have been disappointed with their first-round loss to Florida in the NCAA Tournament, but the season has to rate as an unqualified success, and LaVall Jordan's two missed free throws in the closing seconds against Florida soon will be forgotten.

Jordan's misses led to the buzzer-beating basket by Mike Miller that bounced the Bulldogs from the NCAA Tournament in the first round. The loss ended a 15-game winning streak during which the Bulldogs had asserted clear dominance of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference despite having no player named first team all-conference.

Butler won with unselfish offense -- no player led the team in scoring two games in a row -- and a relentless defensive style that had them seconds from curtailing Florida's NCAA run before it even began. And it didn't hurt that 6-foot-11 center Scott Robisch became eligible in December after transferring from Oklahoma State.

The year ended with Barry Collier leaving to take over at Nebraska, but with assistant coach Thad Matta ready to take control, the future is still plenty bright for Butler.

A glance at 2001

As a national audience saw for itself on March 17 in the Florida loss, there is no shortage of talent at Butler. The Bulldogs go 9-10 deep and will do so again next year despite a couple of graduation losses.

Key to maintaining a high level of play will be the continued emergence of sophomores-to-be Joel Cornette, a 6-10 shot-blocker, and Darnell Archey, a spindly (145 pounds) 3-point threat. Both players saw plenty of minutes this past season and performed admirably. Now even more will be expected.

Matta is a former Butler player and coached under Collier for three years. The Bulldogs seem to be following the Gonzaga model. After their NCAA run last year, Gonzaga lost coach Dan Monson to Minnesota. Within 24 hours his top assistant, Mark Few, was named his successor and the team went back to the Sweet 16. If Butler suffers any hangover at all next season, it should not be debilitating.

The Coach

Collier had four 20-win seasons in a row and boasted a 201-132 record at Butler in 11 seasons. Such credentials turn heads, which explains why Collier was a finalist for the Minnesota job last season before it went to Dan Monson. It also explains why Matta was a dunk of a choice after Collier endorsed him upon his departure.

Who'll Be Back

To the dismay of MCC foes, almost everyone returns, including guards Thomas Jackson and the aforementioned Jordan, who form one of the best backcourts anywhere. There is size, too, with Cornette and Robisch. Archey was one of the nation's best 3-point marksmen as a freshman. Forward Rylan Hainje, a junior-to-be, is another key returnee.

Who's Gone

Marshall and guard Andrew Graves were important contributors. Marshall set the tone with his defensive intensity and Graves brought instant offense and leadership off the bench. Marshall will be the tougher of the two to replace.