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SEASON 7

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Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

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Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

Butler and Us

Donning the Black and Gold

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

The Madness of the Horizon League

The Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament

MAC Madness

Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

Game 7-033: Cleveland State at Butler
January 8, 2011 4:55 pm ET by Kyle Whelliston

Cleveland State Vikings at Butler Bulldogs

January 7, 2011 7:00 pm
Hinkle Fieldhouse
BBState Stats/Recap

Much of what passes for sports wisdom in enlightened 2011 is so linear and transitive. With so much information to sift and process, the human brain goes into panic mode. It must break matters down to immediate elements, get to core understanding as fast as possible and with the least amount of information necessary. Our Game is data overload, and it invites and inspires the quick crunch like no other American sport.

The Horizon League is not a conference most people have a lot of time for, especially national media personalities and bloggers who rely on television for game footage. the "few minutes I've seen of them" can't be relied on. So the 2011 race in the ex-MCC is providing a real logical challenge to the quick-take crowd. Consider the following six data points:

- 1. Cleveland State has won 15 games, including their first 12, and lost two.
- 2. Butler, the 2010 national runner-up, has won 11 games, and lost five.
- 3. Milwaukee has won eight games, and lost eight.
- A. Cleveland State beat Milwaukee, at Milwaukee, by 23 points.
- B. Milwaukee beat Butler, at Milwaukee, by 24 points.
- C. Butler beat Cleveland State, at Butler, by 23 points.
This is worse than those word problems in high-school math class about a train leaving the station at a certain time and another train leaving at some other time. Cleveland State is supposed to be 57 points better than Butler, but they lost by half that. What?! The hierarchy is shattered, everything is haywire, and nothing makes any sense anymore. It's time to grasp for straws. Like:

- Cleveland State didn't really beat anybody, and they were overrated.
- Butler's at-large chances are gone! (B) Wait, they're back! (C)
- C negates A, and Milwaukee will win the Horizon League.
As we've pointed out many times, there is no national accreditation system for sports opinion, so the "good/better than" ladder structure will persist until the moon crashes into America. We're all going to have to live with this until we stop consuming sports, and even then we'll never escape from people who talk about things they don't know much about. Nearly everybody wants to be an expert, and hardly anybody wants to spend time learning, time that would be better spent being an expert and impressing people.

The matrix of sports possibilities and probabilities doesn't look like a ladder, or a spreadsheet grid. When two basketball organisms are on a petri dish, it's a complicated, electrified four-dimensional space. It really is about matchups. Hundreds, thousands of variables, constantly shifting. You haven't gone to enough college to understand it all, and none of us have.

But here's one: Cleveland State is primarily made up of short people.


But enough about that. This will go down as the game when Bally almost got eaten.


Blue II is a superstar in the Hoops Nation capital of Indianapolis. He was allowed on the court during the Final Four, that's how cool he is. Accompanied by his friend Michael Kaltenmark, he is Butler's primary non-human ambassador. He is a tireless worker, doing interviews, making appearances, writing a blog, and running to get his bone from the "Dawg Pound" student section before every home game. All that work makes him very hungry.

And it wasn't like we weren't warned or anything.


And when a talking dog says something, you'd better believe it! Early the second half, with the competitive portion of the game long over, Blue and Michael came over for a friendly visit. And when I say "friendly visit," I mean slobbering menacingly.


He has the most adorable fangs ever! But the cutest beasts are the most dangerous ones. When Bally and Blue were within a foot of each other, the English Bulldog made a vicious lunge! And then, another! The second attack came far too close for comfort, and I received several fluid ounces of dog spit on my hand. Dawg germs are hawt!

And then, just like that, Bally's Playdate of Death was over. Blue always has a swarm of children following behind him wherever he goes at Hinkle, and it was time for some head scratching and cell phone photos. Kids are too big for any dog to eat, so that was all safe.

But as the evening ended, an ominous invitation to return another day.


Gulp.

@midmajority Game Tweets


18:52 Game 7-033: Cleveland State at Butler. This. http://img.ly/2LFL
18:54 Enemy territory! #CLST http://img.ly/2LFN
18:57 So. Big game! Butler is 10-5, 2-1 in the 'Rizon. Cleveland State: perfect except for WVU. 15-1, 4-0, a path of destruction. #youareinformed
18:58 RT @jscottfitzwater: @midmajority I'll go ahead and predict a statement road win for the Vikes. Gary Waters cements CSU as Ohio's second-best team.
19:01 Butlers: Howard, Smith, Nored, Hahn, Mack. Vikings: Harmon, Montgomery, Pogue, Kamczyc, Cole, Cole's hair.
19:02 Tip. http://img.ly/2LFX
19:03 Howard opens Butler's account with a strong layup through a quite energetic CLST defense, Pogue answers. 2-2!
19:04 Mack hits the first #superhoop of the night off a Cole turnover. And It's Vanzant, not Hahn (teh sick) in the starting lineup for BUTL.
19:10 6-foot-11 sophomore Smith with a putback off a Howard miss, Butler up 10-4 at 16:00 1H. Smith 2 for 2.
19:10 Messy, sprawling, soupy mess out there as Butler tries to scramble the CLST defense; Smith and Howard handing the ball regularly on the arc.
19:12 Howard takes a first foul at 14:55 and grabs some seatcushion. Stigall and Marshall in for Butler. Avg. length of Bulldog passes: ~8 feet.
19:14 Two muscular layups built off excessive ball movement, and Bulldogs are up 14-4. Cleveland State time out! Standing ovation!
19:14 I wouldn't dream of it! RT @DanSpears: @midmajority Pronounce "Tim Kamczyc"
19:18 Cole picks up an offensive foul and a cough on the next trip; rough, rough night so far for him. CLST has 6 shots to Butler's 12.
19:18 Marshall throws down a #omgwhatwasthatawkwardthing in transition, and the blowout continues. 18-4 at MTO 2.
19:20 As has been noted in this space and spaces like it, Cleveland State is a smaller team. Butler putting big guys up high and messing them up.
19:21 Mack with a ridiculous #superhoop from NBA range with a dude's hand in his face. 21-4.
19:22 Cam-check with CLST's first #superhoop, makes it a football score. And there's an intentional X, and two FT's from Marshall. Then a Mack 3.
19:24 Expected first quarter score: 26-7? No. The Cleveland State fan section behind the bench, all with "Beat Butler" t-shirts, despondent.
19:24 RT @butlerblue2: Oh, and @midmajority is in the ol' barn tonight! Welcome back to Hinkle! Now where's that little basketball you carry around?
19:26 A sign of life from the Vikings: a long Cole three, as pictured numerous times in first two months. 26-11. "Double digits," crowd chants.
19:28 Montgomery close in, and now the Vikings have cut the lead from a tripl-up to a dubl-up. 26-13, MTO3.
19:29 OK, so it's a reprise of the Elephant game from the MVSU tilt. Let's try to explain this. Ingredients: panty hose, baseballs, Coke bottles.
19:31 Hey @ButlerBlue2, Bally's here, in his seat! http://img.ly/2LGk
19:32 Cole another #superhoop. 26-16, greatly exaggerated, etc. We are seeing some of the most interesting 3-point strokes in the land: Cole/Mack.
19:36 Vanzant with a transition layup that looked like some horrible community ballet move, and it's 33-16 at 3:09 1H.
19:37 LOL, NoooOOO! RT @ButlerBlue2 I want to chew that thing, forgive me. RT @midmajority Hey Blue, Bally's here, in his seat! http://img.ly/2LGk
19:38 Matt Howard #superhoop? What crazy funky-freeky virtual bizarro world is this? 40-20 Butler, 1:00 1H.
19:40 All aboard! Norris Cole will now assume the role of primary mode of Cleveland State transport. 11 points on 4-for-10 since starting 0-3.
19:41 RT @cepheuskb: @midmajority The new, #bfalite Matt Howard.
19:42 Can't stop the bum rush!! RT @rc3pt: @midmajority fyi bally was waving and asked me to come over
19:45 Nored: 4/7 for nine points tonight. 11 vs Valpo, 12 vs. Milwaukee. Defensive specialist, folks! It's halftime: 42-23, Butlers.
19:45 HALFTIME DOG SHOW #omg
19:48 We have disc-catching Australian dogs with a peppy, frisky soundtrack. Ossim doggie pix OTW.
19:51 WOOoO http://img.ly/2LGJ
19:54 RT @lancerinker: @midmajority I am loving these halftime festivities. Especially the boots that the pooches are wearing.
19:55 RT @emilyjane413: THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE KIND. RT @midmajority: HALFTIME DOG SHOW #omg
19:55 RT @sevenandsevens: @midmajority Bally in danger! #chewtoy RT HALFTIME DOG SHOW
19:55 RT @Dobber_BtB_SBN: OZ-SOME! RT @midmajority: We have disc-catching Australian dogs with a peppy, frisky soundtrack. Ossim doggie pix OTW.
19:56 The press row bum rush BEGINS
19:56 TOTAL DOG AWESOMENESS http://img.ly/2LGP http://img.ly/2LGQ http://img.ly/2LGR http://img.ly/2LGN
19:59 RT @amy_rez: Hi @whelliston http://twitpic.com/3nyamt
20:01 Do you like basketball? We have more! The second half begins here at Hinkle. Let's hear it again for those dogs!
20:09 The Smith (9 pts/6 reb)-Howard (10/5) tag-team is going all whompo on the inside against smaller, green competition. 47-29 at 16:32 2H.
20:10 The Butler Band, they of the "Bad Romance" slowdown, showing its dextrous velvety touch on The Doors' "Touch Me."
20:13 So, yes. The game has settled into a don't-disturb-this-groove. Cleveland State shooting 34% w/ 11 turns (Butl: 18 pts off).
20:18 Seconded. The Ivory Towers? RT @mwmiller20: @midmajority Smith-Howard tag team needs a bad-ass nickname.
20:20 Marshall haz the hops. Fantastic game for him, 10 pts on 4/5, a basket away from a career high. 54-32 Butler at 13:10.
20:21 Oooh, good, good! Keep 'em coming! RT @DSteckel_: @midmajority Smith/Howard... White Height-ning
20:23 Matt Howard a two-handed #omgSTUFFFFFFFF and that one hurts down deep in the opponents' pants.
20:27 OMG NOOOOO @ButlerBlue2, don't eat Bally!! http://img.ly/2LHh
20:29 Could this be the end for @ballybasketball? Just like the team on the court tonight, @ButlerBlue2 is hungry! http://img.ly/2LHk
20:31 RT @butlerblue2: I told you that i wanted a piece of that ball! RT @midmajority: OMG NOOOOO @ButlerBlue2, don't eat Bally!! http://img.ly/2LHh
20:32 Butler leads Cleveland State 61-40 at the end of the third quarter. Bally was lunged at twice by @ButlerBlue2, but escaped unscathed!
20:34 Dawg germs are hawt. RT @Dobber_BtB_SBN: @midmajority Now, Bally isn't going to go all Lucy Van Pelt on us later, right?
20:36 65-40 Bulldogs at 8:00 2H. There will be some media overreaction to this, but Butler presents a horrid size/depth matchup for the Vikings.
20:37 So let's put it this way: Cleveland State will win this league if they duck Butler in the Horizon League tourney. #theyrestillgood
20:44 RT @clickliter33: @midmajority Howard and Smith attorneys at tall
20:44 RT @MattnotDonovan: @midmajority White and Whiter
20:47 By whatever name, Smith and Howard are delivering an *avalanche!* of statistics. Smith: 18 pts (6/8) 9 reb; Howard 17 pts (4/6), 6 reb.
20:48 "Media" overreaction. RT @KoryKeys: @midmajority They're good based on what exactly? What have they done vs. a team w/ a pulse?
20:50 Smith has been up in the air tonight more than any large Caucasian man should be. Two layups in particular were particularly YouTubeable.
20:51 RT @DSteckel_: @midmajority the Butler Pirates, Captain Hook-shot (Smith) and Captain Hack Sparrow (Howard)
20:54 Smith leaves to an ovation with 22 pts and 10 rebs. Previous career highs: 14 pts (vs. Wash St), 8 rebs (twice).
20:56 78-56, 1:09 left. Chrishawn Hopkins, a/k/a Bizarro Steph Curry With Tats, now in for Butler as garbage time continues.
20:59 And that's a final from Hinkle Fieldhouse! 79 for the Butlers, 56 on the Cleveland State side. Cole: 26 pts, so he got his average.
21:01 I think a '11 HL riddle will be: which was the aberration? RT @MPTracks @midmajority Does this make MKE's beatdown of BUTL more significant?
21:02 You're going to get that here. RT @MattnotDonovan: @midmajority a disproportionate amount of blondes seem to be at Hinkle tonight. Accurate?
21:02 I think we might have a winner. RT @sevenandsevens: @midmajority Howard/Smith: The Glue Sticks
21:03 RT @midmajority360: Cleveland State 56 Butler 79 | http://tmm7.me/87o #HL
21:03 Oh goodness! RT @midmajority360: Northern Iowa 45 Indiana State 70 | http://tmm7.me/87n #VALLEY
21:05 OK, that's it from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler is BACK! Until the next loss. Forced narrative is fun. DH tomorrow: Loyola & UIC.
21:07 We leave you with this. Good Night Hoops Nation. Stay hungry. http://img.ly/2LHK

Boxscore


at BUTLER 79, CLEVELAND STATE 56
01/07/2011

CLEVELAND STATE 15-2 (4-1) -- N. Cole 8-17 7-9 26; T. Harmon 2-8 2-2 7; J. Montgomery 2-7 1-2 5; A. Pogue 4-6 3-6 11; T. Kamczyc 3-7 0-0 7; C. Woods 0-5 0-0 0; J. McCoy 0-2 0-0 0; L. Ndaye 0-4 0-1 0; D. Long 0-0 0-0 0; J. Latas 0-0 0-0 0; A. Wells 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-56 13-20 56.
BUTLER 11-5 (3-1) -- R. Nored 5-8 2-4 13; S. Vanzant 1-5 0-0 2; S. Mack 2-8 0-0 6; A. Smith 7-9 8-8 22; M. Howard 4-8 8-10 17; C. Stigall 3-7 0-0 7; K. Marshall 4-6 3-4 11; G. Butcher 0-1 0-0 0; C. Hopkins 0-2 1-2 1; E. Fromm 0-0 0-0 0; G. Leiendecker 0-0 0-0 0; A. Anglin 0-0 0-0 0; E. Kampen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-54 22-28 79.

Three-point goals: CLST 5-18 (N. Cole 3-5; T. Harmon 1-3; J. Montgomery 0-1; C. Woods 0-4; J. McCoy 0-1; T. Kamczyc 1-2; L. Ndaye 0-2), BUTL 5-14 (M. Howard 1-2; S. Vanzant 0-2; S. Mack 2-5; R. Nored 1-2; C. Stigall 1-3); Rebounds: CLST 28 (N. Cole 10), BUTL 36 (A. Smith 10); Assists: CLST 5 (N. Cole 2), BUTL 12 (R. Nored 3); Total Fouls -- CLST 21, BUTL 16; Fouled Out: CLST-T. Kamczyc; BUTL-None.