Butler Bulldogs
Record: 22-10, 12-6 Big East
Head coach: Chris Holtmann (1st season)
When former head coach Brandon Miller took a medical leave of absence in October, the Bulldogs looked like they were out of tournament contention. But with early home wins against North Carolina and Georgetown and a road victory at Providence, Butler has shown a relentless determination on defense. Alex Barlow is one of the nation’s best with 2.19 thefts per game and Kameron Woods crashes the glass to the tune of 9.8 rebounds per contest.
On offense, the Bulldogs are led by guard Kellen Dunham, who is shooting 41.5 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 16.7 points while scoring in double figures in all but three regular-season games.
How they make a run: Butler wears out its opponents with its defense and stays physical on the glass, outrebounding opponents and giving Dunham a chance to run up the score.
How they falter: In games coming down to the final minutes, the Bulldogs might struggle at the charity stripe—where they shoot just 68 percent—and continue this season’s difficulty with closing out games.
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