Butler - South Alabama Preview

East- Round One
Butler Bulldogs (7) Vs. South Alabama Jaguars (10)
Friday, March 21 @ 2:45 pm
Betting Line From Bookmaker: Butler -4.5

The Butler Bulldogs (16- 2 HOR, 29- 3) enter the tournament ranked 10th in the nation. The Bulldogs took the Horizon Tourney after winning top spot in the regular season. Last year, the club made it to the Sweet 16. That means there’s a lot expected of them this year.

Senior guards Mike Green (14.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.1 APG) and A.J. Graves (13.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.1 APG) now have a man up front who is a huge asset—frosh forward Matt Howard (12.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG). Green is simply an athletic and smart player who sets up plays, can take it to the basket and grabs his own rebound. Graves is sound from the floor and hits foul shots 88% of the time. Along with being a fine defensive presence inside, Howard is the team’s best shooter, hitting 60% of his attempts.

It’s been over a dozen years since the Sun Belt sent two teams to the Big Dance. This year, along with Western Kentucky, the Belt’s South Alabama Jaguars (16- 2 Sun Belt, 26- 6 overall) received an “at-large” bid due to their fine record.

For the Jags, senior guard Demetric Bennett (20.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.6 APG) is the club’s top scorer. His 49% accuracy rate from the floor and 41% from three-point land are both a team best. He’s also got fine defensive hands, notching 1.3 SPG. The guard-led offense features junior Domonic Tilford (12.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG) and senior Daon Merritt (11.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.6 APG). Merritt is the team’s point man, while Tilford, a transfer from Cincinnati, brings a fine shot to the floor. The frontcourt features two solid transfers—Brandon Davis (10.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG) and DeAndre Coleman (7.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG).

This should be an interesting contest. Butler’s Green could be the difference maker. South Alabama’s Bennett could tip the scale in the Jaguars’ favor.

Enjoyed this game preview? Read all of the 2008 March Madness Tournament coverage Maddux Sports is putting out this year. This includes brackets, picks, and live betting lines.