Inside The Enemy Ship: Butler Bulldogs – Home Edition

Welcome to the the latest edition of Inside the Enemy Ship, your exclusive look into the upcoming Seton Hall game through the lenses on the opponnet! This time, we have had the pleasure of talking to Grant Anschuetz! Check below for what he thinks about the upcoming game! [EDITOR’S NOTE: The following interview took place before #1 Villanova was upset by Marquette late last night, hence why they are referred to as undefeated in the interview]

BBA: What do you think of the team’s 17-3 record and #11 national ranking? Does it accurately reflect the team?
Anschuetz: Overall, I would say it does accurately reflect this team. Butler has proven time and time again this year they can win against solid opponents. They are 5-1 against ranked teams this year, including wins over Arizona and Villanova.

BBA: How did it feel going into overtime against DePaul after two straight wins?
Anschuetz: That game was the epitome of the saying that there are no off games in a conference like the Big East. The Bulldogs got off to such a poor start in the first half that I think there was a feeling of relief to make it to overtime and have a fresh five minutes after trailing for the majority of the game.

BBA: Who do you consider Butler’s biggest Big East rival?
Anschuetz: To me, Butler’s biggest Big East rival is Xavier. That answer is solely based off of how hostile the arena becomes whenever those two teams hit the floor, especially between fans.

BBA: Do you think the Big East has been a good home for Butler compared to the Horizon League?
Anschuetz: Yes. Although the change has led to tougher competition, the national exposure and ability to attract higher ranked recruits is a positive thing for the program.

BBA: How far do you now expect Butler to go into the NCAA Tournament?
Anschuetz: In this year’s NCAA Tournament, I believe Butler can realistically make it to the Elite Eight. With that being said, based on 2010-2011, a trip to the National Championship is not out of the question.

BBA: After last season’s early exit during the Big East tournament, what do you see the Bulldogs doing this year?
Anschuetz: I could see Butler making it at least one more round deeper into the Big East tournament. It is always hard to predict how hot a team is going to be down the stretch, but they should make it farther than last year.

BBA: Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham played huge roles in making sure that Butler was the only Big East team that Seton Hall didn’t beat last season. Who is going to fill their roles?
Anschuetz: Kelan Martin, Kamar Baldwin and Kethan Savage have all performed well for the Bulldogs as of late. Senior Andrew Chrabascz is a crafty player down low and is also a great facilitator.

BBA: Which player should the Seton Hall Pirates be the most worried about meeting on the court? Why?
Anschuetz: The Pirates should be most worried about Kamar Baldwin. Specifically, the guards for Seton Hall because Baldwin is known for making big steals in big moments. His defensive presence is just as strong as his offensive presence.

BBA: Who do you consider the biggest challenge to Nova in the Big East this season? How about nationally? Butler is still the only team to beat them so far!*
Anschuetz:The biggest challenge to Villanova before the injury to Maurice Watson was Creighton. Now, I have to go with Butler since they are the highest ranked Big East team who has beaten them.

BBA: Which teams from the Big East will ultimately end up making the NCAA tournament?
Anschuetz: From the Big East, I believe Villanova, Butler, Creighton are basically locks at this point. Marquette, Xavier and Seton Hall all have a realistic chance to make it.

BBA: Final Score Prediction for the upcoming game?
Anschuetz: Final Score Prediction = Butler 72 Seton Hall 65

Once again, thanks to our new friend Grant Anschuetz for taking the time to talk to us! He can be found on twitter @Granschuetz and on Slump Sports!

Tip-off is tonight at The Rock at 8:30 PM! If you can’t make it there in person, it will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Be sure to check by later for the game recap, and as always Go Pirates and Hazard Zet Forward!

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Too Little, Too Late

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action yesterday as they took on the Butler Bulldogs in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before the game we had the pleasure of talking to Marisa Miller of the Butler Collegian. She is a tremendous journalist and we thank her for her insight. Her responses can be found in our preview. The Pirates were coming off of a big win over #5 Xavier on Sunday. Butler was looking to get a win and try and lift themselves from the NCAA bubble. Ultimately, Butler would come away with the victory 85-78.

The Pirates would never lead in this one. Butler would score the first basket of the game, and although the Pirates would tie the score once, Butler would never trail. The Bulldogs would build a large lead in the first half. Taking advantage of sloppy offense from the Pirates, the Bulldogs would lead by 17 with 3:12 remaining in the first half. The Pirates would cut the lead down a bit, but the Bulldogs would not go away. Going into halftime, the Bulldogs led the Pirates 43-28.

The Bulldogs were led in the first half by Kellen Dunham who had 16 points and 2 assists. Kelan Martin added 11 points and led the team with 8 rebounds. Roosevelt Jones led Butler with 3 assists in the first half. Tyler Wideman chipped in 6 points and 5 rebounds in the first half. The Bulldogs shot 48.1% from the field and 58.3% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Pirates were led in the first half by Desi Rodriguez who had 6 points and 3 rebounds. Angel Delgado led the Pirates with 4 rebounds in the first half. Isaiah Whitehead and Ismael Sanogo each had 5 points in the first half. Seton Hall shot 33.3% from the field and 12.5% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Pirates made a run in the second half. Butler would open the scoring in the second half with a layup from Andrew Chrabascz to increase the lead to 17. The Pirates would then go on a 12-0 run. After two free throws from Desi Rodriguez the Pirates would trail by just 5 with 13:42 remaining. Butler would come back and after a Roosevelt Jones layup they would lead by 9. The Pirates would not go away, and after an Isaiah Whitehead free throw they trailed by just 4. An Isaiah Whitehead three pointer with 2:22 remaining would cut the deficit to just 2. The Pirates would get the lead down to 2 a few more times, but would never get any closer. Butler would go on to defeat the Hall 85-78.

The Bulldogs were led by Kellen Dunham who had 22 points and 2 assists. Roosevelt Jones had a great game with 20 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. Kelan Martin added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Butler shot 51% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Isaiah Whitehead who had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Khadeen Carrington had a solid game with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Desi Rodriguez had 12 points for Seton Hall. Ismael Sanogo grabbed 8 rebounds and Angel Delgado grabbed 7 boards. The Pirates shot 41.8% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc.

With the win the Bulldogs improve to 20-9 on the season and 9-8 in Big East play. With the loss the Pirates fall to 21-8 on the season and 11-6 in Big East play. The Bulldogs will remain at home for Senior Day as they take on the Marquette Golden Eagles on Saturday. The Pirates will head to Chicago, Illinois to take on the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday.

We would again like to thank Marisa Miller for her terrific insight. She can be found on twitter @marisanmiller. Give her a follow, she is a fantastic journalist. Check out the PPI below to see which players shined in this one. We will have full coverage of the DePaul game on Saturday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs Butler (2)

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Inside the Enemy Ship: Butler Bulldogs

Welcome to another edition of Inside the Enemy Ship! We spoke to our friend Marisa Miller who is the men’s basketball beat write for the Butler Collegian. We appreciate her tremendous insight. She is a great journalist! Here are her responses:

BBA: Butler is currently a team on the bubble. Do you think they wind up on the right side of it?

Miller: I believe that if Butler pulls off these next two wins against Seton Hall and Marquette, they have a very good chance on ending up on the right side of the bubble. If Butler splits these last two games, a deeper Big East Tournament run would be the key to getting into the NCAA Tournament.

BBA: Isaiah Whitehead has been on fire for Seton Hall of late. What do you think Butler does to slow him down?

Miller: In order to slow down Isaiah Whitehead, Butler needs to do a better job of guarding the three-point arc, especially after Whitehead put up 23 points on 7-7 from three in the first half the last time these two team’s matched up.

BBA: Is this a must win game for the Bulldogs?

Miller: This is absolutely a must-win game for Butler in order to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive.

BBA: How big of a home court advantage does Hinkle Fieldhouse provide?

Miller: Hinkle Fieldhouse definitely provides a big home court advantage based on the atmospheres and large crowds it provides every game.

BBA: Which player should the Pirates be most concerned about facing?

Miller: Seton Hall should be most concerned about facing Kelan Martin based on his range and ability on all parts of the floor. He will drive to the basket and shoot the three on a consistent basis during every game. The senior duo of Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones are also causes for concern. With Dunham’s three point range and Jones’s ability to drive the paint, Seton Hall should definitely be worried about them as well.

BBA: What do you expect the Pirates to do differently against Butler this time around?

Miller: I expect Seton Hall to defend the paint a little bit better during this game as opposed to the last one. I also expect them to guard Butler’s Big 3 a little more closely and not allow them to put up the points they did during the last game.

BBA: Final Score Prediction?

Miller: Butler 78 Seton Hall 72

We would again like to thank Marisa Miller for providing us with some insight ahead of the game tonight. You can follow her on twitter @marisanmiller. Give here a follow! You can catch the Pirates as they look to take on the Bulldogs tonight on FS1. Game time is 8:30 p.m. in Indianapolis. We will have full coverage of the game tonight. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

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Pirates Bitten by Bulldogs

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action today as they took on the Butler Bulldogs. Before the game we spoke to Marisa Miller of the Butler Collegian. Marisa’s answers to our questions can be seen in our previous post. She told us to watch out for Kelan Martin and said that Butler would come away with a 73-68 victory. Marisa was not far off in her prediction as the Pirates did fall to Butler by a score of 81-75.

From the jump this game was an exciting one. The pace was quick and there was a lot of offense. The Bulldogs grabbed the lead early and would defend it for most of the half. The Pirates did a good job on limiting Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones in the first half. Kelan Martin stepped up to carry the Bulldogs. Isaiah Whitehead was red hot in the first half. The two teams would head into the locker room tied at 38.

The Bulldogs were led in the first half by Kelan Martin with 12 points and 3 rebounds. Tyler Wideman chipped in 7 points and 3 steals. Andrew Chrabascz led the team in assists with 3, and rebounds with 4 in the first half. Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham combined for 5 points in the first half. The Bulldogs shot 48.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Pirates were led by the red hot Isaiah Whitehead in the first half. The sophomore posted 23 points on 8-8 shooting, which included 7-7 from beyond the arc. Angel Delgado grabbed 4 rebounds to lead the Hall. Khadeen Carrington dished out 4 assists to lead the Pirates in the first half. Desi Rodriguez chipped in 7 points for the Pirates. Seton Hall shot 50% from the field and 63.6% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The second half was what sunk the Pirates. Khadeen Carrington hit a three pointer early in the half to give the Pirates a 1 point lead. Ismael Sanogo would give the Pirates a three point lead, but that was the only lead the Pirates would have in the second half. Butler would gain the lead, but the Pirates would never let them run away with it. With 8:03 remaining in the half the Pirates would cut the lead to 2. Kelan Martin would answer with a three pointer to put the lead back to 5. With 1:13 left in the game the Pirates would again cut the lead to 2. Butler would answer with a big basket from Roosevelt Jones. Ultimately, the Pirates would fall to Butler 81-75.

The Bulldogs were led by Kelan Martin who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Kellen Dunham hit some big shots in the second half and totaled 18 points on the night. Andrew Chrabascz scored 11 points, dished out 6 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds. Tyler Wideman chipped in 11 points, had 4 steals, and grabbed 5 rebounds. Roosevelt Jones added 10 points for the Bulldogs. Butler shot 55.8% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Isaiah Whitehead with 26 points and 10 assists. Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington each chipped in 11 points. Desi Rodriguez posted 18 points and led the team with 7 rebounds. Derrick Gordon led the Pirates with 3 steals on the night. The Pirates shot 48.3% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.

With the win the Bulldogs improve to 17-7 overall and 6-6 in Big East play. With the loss the Pirates fall to 17-7 overall and 7-5 in Big East play. The Bulldogs will head home to take on the Xavier Musketeers on Saturday. The Pirates will travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Georgetown Hoyas on February 17.

We would again like to thank Marisa Miller for all of her help. She is a great journalist and can be found on twitter @marisanmiller. Give her a follow and check out her stuff! Check out the PPI below to see which Pirates players stood out tonight. We will have full coverage of the game next Wednesday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs Butler

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