Blue Blobster

Butlers success is more quality in the sense they went further in the tourney. X's success has been more of quantity with more NCAA visits to the sweet sixteen or elite eight finishes over the past decade then most every other school in the country save a few.

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Xavier likes to Play in the NCAA tournaments
Dayton likes to host them while they play in the NIT

Flyer75

Not sure about Butler pick either. This is a league unlike most of the BCS that has been traditionally dominated by upper classmen teams. Not saying there haven't been stud freshmen but we don't get freshmen that avg 15 ppg and are one and done.

cpico

Butler also has Rotnei Clarke, a senior this year, who is eligible to play this season after sitting out last year. He led Arkansas in scoring as a junior before he transferred to Butler. Sharpshooting guard.

vaNtR

Will Cummings is going to have the same kind of sophomore year that Khalif Wyatt experienced.

Khalif Wyatt
Freshman - 1.9 MIN / 0.5 PTS
Sophomore - 20.7 MIN / 10.1 PTS

Will Cummings
Freshman - 6.3 MIN / 1.4 PTS
Sophomore - To be determined

I know it's a very bold prediction, but Cummings is an incredibly solid player and was a huge pick up for us in 2011. As JHG previously posted, Temple is expecting really big things out of him this year. I think he'll deliver.

antboy

Like I said, it's close. I'd take Butler's record and you've got to expect they'll get more attention from the media after making 2 straight final games (final four teams get a level above in exposure), but they have had other success too.

Furthest reached since 2000 in NCAAs:
Butler: 2 1st rounds, 2 2nd rounds, 2 sweet sixteens, and 2 championship games.
Xavier: 3 1st rounds, 3 2nd rounds, 3 sweet sixteens, and 2 elite eights.

SpiderDave19

I don't think that's particularly close.

AdamtheFlyer

I don't think there is anyone who would take Xavier's recent tourney success over Butler's. That's not a knock, just giving the proper respect to multiple Final Fours and title game appearances (along with other consistent success). One Final Four run can be a fluke (See: Mason, George). Butler is in pretty lofty company as a multiple time final game participant since 2000. You can argue they have had more tourney success than any non-title winning program over that span, with the exception of probably UCLA. Even going back to 2000 can be misleading, because Maryland has a FF in 2001 and a title in 2002, but hasn't done much of anything for 7 or 8 years.

That said, I don't see the love for them this year. They added a couple of shooters, one proven, one unproven, but I don't know who runs the show. Spot up shooters are only dangerous if they get the ball set and ready to shoot. Even great shooters become average off the dribble and not in rhythm. Without a PG who can command the attention of 10 eyeballs, the shooters will see a ton of face guarding.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

antboy

Well, close is a relative term. Compared to say my team (Charlotte) or most other teams in the A10, Xavier's record is close.

SpiderDave19

No doubt...but 2 FF's is a big jump...and makes it a no-brainer.

But Xavier's record is great. There is a lot to be said about that type of consistency. Just check this site - the Xavier guys have had a LOT to say about it!

NLP

Talking heads are clueless if they don't have ECU on this list.

JHG722

Watch.

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Temple Owls football and basketball

BU Terriers hockey

butlerway

You are forgetting that they are adding Rotnei Clarke who could possibly be the best player in the A10. He just missed being 1st team all-sec 2 seasons ago. Butler had a defense ranked somewhere in the 20s depending on which stat you prefer, but struggled because their shooting was awful. 3 point percentage was 336th out of 344. They were relying on offensive players who weren't quite ready to carry an offense but were finally starting to come around towards the end of the year. So adding a veteran who many consider to be the best shooter in the nation and a recruit who CBS named the best incoming shooter in the nation not only adds talent, but turns the teams fatal flaw into a huge strength. That same great Butler defense is going to be there but now this team is going to be able to score. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them open up the year by winning Maui.

JHG722

He's good, but not that good.

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Temple Owls football and basketball

BU Terriers hockey

A10fan2

I think that "great Butler defense" is going to take a great hit with Rotnei and the other shooter playing more and the lose of Norad.

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Muddy's from 2009

He has since made the same "prediction" this year. CLASSIC

jpschmack

These are the same people who call it "The Power Six" and "Everyone Else."

Last four seasons the P12 is behind the MWC and A10 in NCAA bids (MWC 11, A10 10, P12 8), Top 50 RPI wins, wins vs BCS Opponents, you name it. It's more like "Power 8" Or "Power 5" because the Pac-12's behind us and has been for a while.