Butler Could Win in Big Ten

It’s a common misperception (in my opinion anyway) that Todd Lickliter needs to recruit better players than he did at Butler to win at Iowa. Many have argued that Lickliter must get bigger, athletic and more well-rounded players to compete in the Big Ten.

Does that really make sense when you consider that Butler’s been a regular in the top 25 over the past three seasons? Isn’t a top 25 team good enough to compete in any conference?

Go ahead and take a look at the makeup of the Butler roster right now. The team is led by Matt Howard, currently a 6-foot-8 sophomore, and a Lickliter recruit. Howard came out of high school in Indiana rated as a top 100 player by rivals.com. Howard was a beast this past season, averaging 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. He proved he could succeed against top competition by scoring 22 points against LSU in the NCAA Tournament.

And what about the best freshman in the nation that nobody’s heard about? That would be Butler’s 6-foot-8 Gordan Hayward, who’s already ranked by espn.com as one of the top 100 prospects for this year’s NBA draft. Hayward dazzled Horizon League opponents, registering 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest, while shooting 44.8 percent from 3.

Beyond those two studs, Butler also started freshmen Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored. Mack immediately became one of the league’s best point guards and Nored was a credible role player.

Thus, Butler was a very young team and still managed to go 26-6, win its regular season league championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs’ youth ensures that the program will not go stale. Get used to seeing Butler in the top 25. Young head coach Brad Stevens has done an amazing job of reloading.

The Butler program has been adept at identifying overlooked recruits, getting the right fits and even nabbing a few players away from major conference in-state schools. The Bulldogs got Howard and Hayward even though Purdue offered both of them.

When Lickliter took the team to the Sweet 16 in has last season at Butler, he did so with a team full of unheralded recruits. No major school wanted A.J. Graves or Mike Green. Little did those schools know, the two became stars.

The point is that Lickliter recruited well enough to get Butler into the top 25. If he can do that at Butler, he may be able to do it at Iowa.

The problem is that Iowa may even be less attractive than Butler right now. The current class probably won’t make near the impact that Butler’s class did this past season. Eric May and Brennan Cougill might take time to develop. Cully Payne looks to be the most ready to play immediately, but it’s anyone’s call as to how good he’ll be as a true freshman.

If Lickliter could just bring in similar recruits to what Butler is doing right now, Iowa will find itself competitive in the Big Ten. Jake Kelly was the type of under-the-radar player that could’ve become Iowa’s Mike Green. If Lickliter finds the next Kellys, Graves and Greens, Iowa basketball will be just fine.