Butler vs. Old Dominion

Gearing up for the first game for the Bulldogs into today's round of 64 against Old Dominion. Of course this is a rematch of the 2007 first round that propelled the Dawgs to a Sweet 16 appearance.

Right now as we prepare watching the first game to tip - Clemson vs. West Virginia - the Tigers proving me right again that having a bye can be a bad thing come tournament time.

Diet Mountain Dew is ready - I'll probably go through six of those in the two hours of the game; sandwich ready; nachos and my wife's AWESOME nacho dip has been prepared - we are ready to go in just a few moments.

Tim Brando on truTV just called this a classic No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed matchup; he'll be joined by Mike Gminski.

The young professor - Brad Stevens with the glasses look again.

Brando calling Andrew Smith the difference maker

tip to the Monarchs and the Dawgs in man-to-man; Cooper got in for the layup

Mack from deep! SWISH! get them to come out of that zone!

Wait a second they weren't supposed to be a good 3 shooting team!

MACK AGAIN! The basket must look huge - nice pick by Howard

Smith stayed his ground but they still were able to get the offensive rebound bucket

great defense by Smith and Mack coming over on the low post; great hustle; when Hazzell gets the ball inside we have to double down on the post!

Brando - how can Stigall and Butcher both be in the game?

Under 16:00 media timeout and the Monarchs lead but I do like how we have played defensively. 9-6

Just some overall thoughts - we are blocking out and we look to be in good sync with the offense; it's just been a couple of lapses of not getting down on a double team on the low block; We still need to get them to extend the zone and get the ball into Smith; did that once, but didn't finish.

Howard with the rebound tip; Nored in after the media timeout

Smith with the steal and got the run going; Mack missed the 3; stayed ground but broke the vertical plane and foul was called; Finney got one of the two;

Howard with 3! Dawgs retake the lead amazing what a summer can do for a ball player

It's one thing to double team up top, but you got to get back and recover when they get the ball to their shooter

Smith nice little turnaround tied 13-13

Didn't someone write last night - get them to work deep into the shot clock? Hmmm...looks like I know what I am talking about sometimes

Mack picked up a bad holding foul 90 feet away; Smith I just wish he would DUNK THE BALL that close to the basket;

Suddenly ODU has found the long range. 16-13;

Fake and then go up; when you get the ball in the corner and you are doubled team by two taller players, you're trouble!

Hahn from way deep; just saw Marshall is into the game; under 12:00 media timeout 18-13 ODU!

ODU is just so strong and then a turnover out of the timeout! Nored dribbled it right off his foot

ball goes low post everyone collapse - great job on the defense

Marshall with his own rebound; Butler missed last five shots and Howard had a nice look to Marshall, but ODU hands too quick;

here they are picking up Nored full court; told you different looks is what we will see from them

cross court passing and we have to be able to get back over when the ball swings like that;

What a look from Howard to Smith - great court awareness; is there a weakness in Matt Howard's game?

Steal by Nored layup! 18-17

Copper misses Dawgs with the rebound; now we can't buy a 3.

Meanwhile in Tampa - Clemson proving me right!

It's one thing to rotate but when they swing we have to get back over; I think ODU has only missed two 3s so far.

Still like how we are rebounding and we are attacking the zone and finding the hi-lo with Howard and Smith; I believe we need to exploit that a little bit more

down 21-17 at the under 8:00 media timeout- 4-for-8 from 3 for ODU

Shawn inside through the zone for a jumper to cut the lead to 21-19

Smith picked up a second foul, but wow what a block by Howard getting over on the post

great pushoff foul called; we are doing a great job on Hazzell;

Howard taking the CHARGE! That's a extra-large milkshake for the Warrior in my book

Shawn rattles it home and the Dawgs have the lead

Howard just picked up his second foul - that's HUGE! Leaves with five points; now nice hands by Nored; Butcher got the rebound and then got it stolen

Going to be interesting to see how we defend down low now; Marshall with the steal of the inbounds

Butler calls timeout to design a play; will be interesting to see what the Professor has in store coming out of the timeout

remember truTV - not reality - actuality

Monarchs three points in last 7:30

Marshall develops a mid-range game over this summer and he's going to be dangerous

Nored picks up the holding foul coming across the lane

under 4:00 media timeout Dawgs 22, Monarchs 21

Smith back in with two fouls

Mack with the drive; I'm telling you working the clock and making them work on defense is to our advantage; Hassell only has four points

Mack is MONEY again five straight points - he is a scorer!

great steal by Nored under 2:00 in the half - let's work a good set here; Palming? Really in college? he didn't even gain an advantage doing it

Hassell jump hook under a minute and tied; it's beeen a great game so far

We had no direction on offense that time and Mack had to force up the shot from 3

ODU going for last shot; Brazemore missed the running jumper and Hassell there for the putback at the horn

Monarchs 29, Dawgs 27 at half

Winning the battle of the boards right now; it's just a matter now of keeping that up; I still look for ODU to show some different defensive looks in the second half and I am sure they are going to work it down low more and try to get the third fouls on Howard and Smith; It's been the slugfest I thought it would be and now it will be interesting to see what adjustments will be made for the second half; usually you get here and the first four minutes can be huge; I think this one comes down to the middle stretch of the game after seeing what changes were made and who adapts the best out of that.

Tom Crean in the studio - wonder if we can get him and Seth Davis to really get into it at each other today

 Dawgs have yet to go to the foul line

Andrew with the DUNK! That's how you do it!

and Stigall with the steal and out to Mack

tied up different look by ODU on defense a floating zone and VanZant for 3 and the 13th lead change of the game and Dawgs up 3

Offense board for Finney and a foul by Stigall and a made bucket for the Monarchs! UGH!

tied again

we penetrated that zone and got it down low; just hold on to the ball and then go up

wide open 3 didn't fall for Stigall

ODU gets down and Smith picked up 3rd foul; ODU back up two

when you go baseline you gotta make sure you know what you're going to do with the ball
Carter called for the hook - offensive foul back to the Dawgs

Smith with the hook and tied again

Smith got burned but Howard recovered but fouled Hassell; both now with 3 fouls, need to stay with them, I don't think they can go small and win this game

Hassell has scored nine of the 12 points for ODU

Smith with another hook and the Dawgs up 1

Smith just picked up his fourth foul and Hassell suddenly has taken over this game

15:56 to go and ODU up 1

It was a gamble, but I believe Stevens had no choice but to leave the bigs in because Hassell is just owning the inside now; whoever he brings in now has to come up big and I really think we need to make sure to double down on the post; I have said it all season long that's what we needed to do; we did it well against UW-Milwaukee and need to do it here as well. It is what is going to be the determining factor in this game

jiminy Christmas I am tired of saying 3s are our strength

reverse layup by the Warrior tied again

we have to stop bailing them out with stupid shooting fouls

Mack has went cold again but we worked well on the halfcourt set

ball goes down low - everyone collapse down and quick hands - that's what happens a steal

Howard is having a great look just wish Butcher was quicker

We are doing a decent job still on the defensive glass; Cooper called for displacement; Butler still has NOT shot a free throw and Mack hasn't scored in the second half.

Nored from the White House! 14th lead change

and already ODU shooting in the bonus; this is what happens when you have a team that plays man-to-man against a zone; it's because Butler is more aggressive

Butcher with the rebound bucket off the Howard misss

Blaine's not happy and a timeout called; 19 lead changes so far and the Dawgs up 1 43-42

Time for this upset alert - Louisville is losing to Morehead State 19-10

let them shoot the 3 now with the smaller lineup that's to our advantage

I can't stand this being called the second round

so when will Butler shoot free throws?

Hey I think we are going to the foul line!

Look it's not because the officials aren't calling the fouls, it's because when you play man you're going to commit more fouls than a team that plays zone; it's just a given fact of basketball

get a stop here off the made FREE THROWS

Hassell misses a bunny and we swat at it! Grab the ball

six straight misses for the Monarchs and Mack picks up the foul on the offensive rebound; missed free throw now time to stretch this lead

Butcher with the rebound pass-tip from Howard off the Mack 3 miss YES Butcher showing he's NEXT MAN UP!

Carter with the push off Mack and Mack to the line and bonus from here on out - Dawgs up 49-43

Huge 3 by the Monarchs

Stigall with the tripping foul; chance to cut the lead to 1

Smith coming back into the game - just play smart and stay the ground Butcher came up huge in subbing

now full court press by ODU - told you different looks by the Monarchs on their defense and we have to adjust to them

Cooper with the push-off foul; how many layups has ODU missed so far? With the free throws and those combined they should be up 10

ODU is 3-for-15 from the field and 1 of last 11

and we keep making wild passes because we aren't looking to see EXACTLY what ODU is doing defensively;

under 8:00 media timeout Dawgs 49, Monarchs 48

full court press by ODU and the Monarchs have a 1 point lead

now back into a zone looks to be a 2-3; Howard slips in pass from Mack for the layup nice seal

Dawgs up 1 again

Mack with his fourth foul now - UGH! Mack and Smith both with three; gotta keep him in Bazemore for a guard he just bricked that; Mack probably out here until the under 4:00 media timeout

missed them both; another empty possession for ODU

Hahn has been in a shooting slump all season; great offensive rebounding by Butler and now Howard going to the free throw line

great defense by Howard; Hahn still couldn't hit; Smith at the line got the first; four-point lead; Howard almost had the miss; get a stop here;

great coming over and getting set Andrew! That's worth an extra-large-monster shake from Musaliami's in Columbus. BTW - can't wait to meet up with Sam Simmermaker and Jeff Hester to have one of those this summer. YUM! And he drew blood! and now they are showing the elbow Howard got in the UIC game back in February.

Smith coming out since they can't stop the cut; now a zone press that floats by ODU;

Hahn misses again, Howard got the rebound and an errant pass;

Well West Virginia comes back and proves me wrong about the bye factor - 84-76 win over Clemson

up two after the two free throws and that floating zone press by ODU

BUTCHER HAS BEEN HUGE! Dawgs PLUS 5 on the boards!

Timeout to get Smith back in; two point lead; can it get any more intense in the first round (I don't care what the NCAA wants me to call it)!

stunted the screen allowing Mack to go to the basket for the layup

Defense wins games - rebounding wins championships

Howard with both and the lead is six 58-52

Hassell finally got open; UGH!

ODU now in man-to-man; Vanzant just a little off on the 3; ODU :30 timeout. This game has gone as I thought it would; Hassell again beginning to take over

nice thought but Hassell right there; gotta get a stop here

BUTCHER! The defense has keeps getting better every game and today they really have stepped up; the defense has created the offense for most of the game; now does ODU go for the final shot? They haven't been too good outside; I'd go inside and Hassell if I ws Blaine Taylor

Bazemore missed his last two and now sinks the first...and...the second

tied up at 58-58

10 ties and 21 lead changes in this one; Mack going one on one nope

Vanzant throwing something up and a tip in by Howard! 

Now did it go? That's the million of dollars question;

YES!

LET ME DECOMPRESS AND I'LL WRITE DOWN THOUGHTS IN A FEW.

DAWGS 60

MONARCHS 58