Add in the part where all of those things equal 25 wins a year I guess I can see how other teams in the Horizon League would hate Butler.
The fact of the matter is Butler basketball is a beautiful thing. Basketball in the purest form. True amateur student-athletes playing for their team, their school, their tight-knit program and campus community...and it works. You'd think more small schools with meager resources would figure this out as well. Alas.
Before I give you an idea on what this blog will be about, I want to cover some of the main reasons why Butler basketball is what it is, and what it isn't. That's the basis for all of this.
I. Team Above Self
It's amazing how the teamwork thing works when you really believe in it. Butler basketball players believe in putting the success of the team before individual accomplishments. Every programs SAYS that: in interviews, locker room speeches, posters on walls. But Butler players demonstrate that mentality every day. Gordon Hayward doesn't disappear in games, like many say. It's just that he doesn't force things if they're not their to "get his." True team player. Butler basketball.
II. Mental Toughness
Rarely will Butler be weaker mentally than the other team. There are so many games where the shots aren't falling, people are in foul trouble, or worse. Yet Butler is ALWAYS in a position to win at the end of each game. Never has Butler gotten down and folded in a game. Never. Just as a small example, let's look at the NCAA Tourney losses to Tennessee (2008) and LSU (2009). In each game, Butler took a haymaker, got tough, and battled back. With the game on the line, don't you always feel like Butler is going to win in the end? That's mental toughness.
III. Intelligence & Character
As qualities, intelligence and character are VERY different. One can have good character but no intelligence, or can be intelligent but have poor character. Butler basketball players (the ones who play on successful teams anyway) are intelligent, on and off the court. You have to be intelligent to play in a system like this. You have to be able to think and execute while you're tired. You have to be intelligent to defeat superior athletes on a regular basis.
The Butler basketball staff has made a priority of getting high-character kids who fit into a system. It's nice to never read about your team having to do this. Or the coach having to do this. Or reading about players in this light. Butler basketball has character.
IV. Family Culture
This is what Butler has that many of its peers do not. Former players in the gym, constantly, with the current players. Alums at the games. Unwavering support for life. Just look at former Butler coaches gone big time, Coach Matta and Coach Lickliter. Look at their benches. Former Butler players. Family. Butler's current staff, multiple former Butler players.
In Butler basketball, you will never see:
-- chest thumping for the cameras
-- players in the gym dressed like this
-- and nonsense like this
So, those are just some high points we'll hit on in this debut post. We'll get to more when things become obvious when Butler is rolling people this season.
THIS BLOG
As for this blog, it'll be a place where you can learn about basketball, Butler basketball in particular. In between, perhaps we'll have a laugh or two. No rules. Just fun...Butler basketball, good discussion, knowledge and so forth. I promise that I won't post anybody "staying on topic." This blog will be so good, it'll be tough to want to go off topic in the first place.
I apologize for not having more at this point in the fall, there is a lot to cover. In the upcoming weeks, we'll hit a lot of topics: scheduling, TV, the new preseason poll and how I voted, the Horizon League, some predictions and some breakdowns.
I'll have more tomorrow, perhaps a schedule for upcoming posts. Hopefully, I can keep up and not let anybody down. That wouldn't be the Butler Way.
GOOD FOR A LAUGH
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