C’mon now. It had to be this one. The battle of the Bulldogs. This is the only time I, arguably, go mainstream with this feature all year, so why not make it with the headliner with Bracket Busters going down this weekend. Will both of these teams make The Tournament? Butler’s a lock, but Drake isn’t. Still, I think if The Drake does defeat Butler on the road, then you can consider them a lock as well. The nitty gritty on how each team can win is a click away.

When: Saturday, 5 ET. (ESPN2).

DRAKE (22-3): The Drake really needs this kind of win to get their mo’ back and prove (on national television) that they have some legitimacy. The Bulldogs have Baby Korver (Klayton) to boast about, but Josh Young is averaging better than 16/game and is one of those “dynamic” type of guards.

Could win because…They can shoot the lights out. They shoot better than 75 percent from the foul line and have two players (Young, Jonathon Cox) that shoot better than 45 percent from 3. Their half-court set is pretty solid and they constantly run the screen-and-shoot sets that you’ve grown to hate from schools like Duke (formerly) and Florida (currently).

Could lose because…Drake is undersized and many people have been astonished that they’ve been able to get their record to where it is today. Butler is no giant, but if the Bulldogs (Drake’s) don’t have access to long caroms, their lack of size and and slow-to-get-back in transition could doom them.

BUTLER (24-2): The Bulldogs are in a battle with Xavier for which mid-major team can be seeded highest come March. A.J. Graves is the household name, but Mike Green (guard) and Matt Howard (forward) are the frame to this vessel. A.J. Graves is the most clutch player they have, but it’s time to get to know the rest of the crew, who made the Sweet 16 last year as is.

Could win because…Hinkle Fieldhouse is awe-inspiring and could pose a bit of nervousness for Drake. It sounds crazy, but everyone seems to believe that it’s one of the tougher places to win at in all of mid-major (and maybe major) college basketball. They also have the edge in size and in toughness.

Could lose because…Maybe they’re due? Butler has won their past few games by 3, 5, overtime by 8, 5 and 5 points. They’re a hot-and-cold team when it comes to the 3, but they also have the discipline to abandon that type of game and look for points down low with Howard and Pete Campbell. (Man these names really scare you, don’t they?)

Friday, February 22nd, 2008 @ 12:36 pm Student Section Supports
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