Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:31 pm | Updated: 10:34 pm, Tue Jan 17, 2012.
One might think that the brack-busting Butler Bulldogs are coming to Gentile Arena on Jan. 21, however, that's not entirely true. The Bulldogs, who have reached the NCAA national championship game two years in a row, are just 10-9 this season.
This year, renowned Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens isn't exactly producing the Cinderella-like magic that he's been famous for. The Bulldogs have a mediocre overall record and stand at 4-3 in conference play, settling them in at fourth place in the Horizon League.
Saturday marks the 81st meeting between the Ramblers and the Bulldogs. Butler is currently ahead in the series with a 50-30 advantage. Since Stevens took over in 2007, the Ramblers have only managed to scrape out one victory. Although Stevens and his Butler Bulldogs have owned Loyola in the past, he won't have the help of NBA talents like Gordon Hayward or Shelvin Mack, or a gritty glass-cleaner like Matt Howard, this time around. Hayward graduated in 2010 and was drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz. Mack graduated last fall and was selected 34th overall by the Washington Wizards, while Howard signed with a team in Greece.
In the last meeting between the two teams, the Bulldogs defeated the Ramblers with a 63-56 victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse. A balanced attack from Terrance Hill (14 points), Geoff McCammon (10 points) and Ben Averkamp (9 points) wasn't enough to overcome the Horizon League powerhouse.
The shots may have been falling for Ramblers, but they also continually shot themselves in the foot, committing 14 turnovers to Butler's five. Mack led the way with a game-high 18 points for the Bulldogs.
Regardless, Butler is having an unusually mediocre season thus far, which should signal a great opportunity for the Ramblers to end their four-game losing streak against the Bulldogs. Getting a win this Saturday would bring some light to what looks like a dismal season for Porter Moser's first stint as Loyola head coach.
Loyola men's basketball is currently 5-12 overall and winless in conference play at 0-7. Nevertheless, a win over Butler would serve as a worthy accomplishment for the season.
Key Factors
Loyola forwards Ben Averkamp and Walt Gibler have consistently gotten it done for the Ramblers this season. Averkamp averages 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, with Gibler just behind at 14.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Without help from the rest of the team, Averkamp's and Gibler's contributions go unappreciated. The most important stat in the scorebook is the win column, and the Ramblers' guards need to step up their game big time in order to outlast Butler.
Freshman Joe Crisman averages 7.8 points per game on 33 percent shooting, while sophomore Denzel Brito averages 7.2 per game on 32.8 percent shooting. Senior guard Jordan Hicks, who has been plagued by injuries, is off to a slow start, averaging 3.9 points per game on 25.6 percent shooting. The Ramblers really need these players to be more consistent and efficient if they want to beat the Bulldogs.
Averkamp and Gibler are going to have their hands full with a strong Butler frontcourt led by junior center Andrew Smith. He is the Bulldogs' top scorer, averaging 10.7 points per game on an effective 65.5 percent shooting.
The Butler Bulldogs aren't all that scary this year. The Ramblers can pull off an upset as long as Moser and company can keep up their superb defense.
The game tips off at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Gentile Arena.
Posted in Sports, Top sports on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:31 pm. Updated: 10:34 pm.
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