INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Suddenly, Butler’s lock on a third straight Horizon League championship isn’t so certain.
The No. 21 Bulldogs could have clinched at least a share of the regular-season title, but Sunday’s home loss to Loyola came against the same team they beat by 30 points a month earlier in Chicago. Now, a 33-point win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee last month doesn’t seem much of an indicator for their rematch Wednesday night, either.
It’s what happens when a team, no matter how good, loses focus, coach Brad Stevens said.
“I don’t get too high after a win and I’m not going to get too down after one loss,” he said. “You just look at it realistically, and realistically we got outplayed in the game. We talked about it, we talked about why, and we’ll just change that next time.”
nd the nation’s scoring leader, Stephen Curry, as part of the ESPN BracketBusters.
“Our opportunities are all tough. This week’s an absolute bear coming up. So we’ll have an opportunity to respond,” Stevens said.
Curry, who averages 29 points a game, missed practice Monday because of an ankle injury he sustained Saturday against Furman. He’s confident he’ll be back this week, though, and the game could affect the NCAA seedings for both Davidson and Butler.
Butler’s Avery Jukes sprained his knee in practice last week and has missed the past two games; teammate Shawn Vanzant has missed the past three games with a knee injury, although Stevens said there’s a chance he might play Wednesday night.
Stevens said the Bulldogs’ youth – three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior in the starting lineup – can’t be an excuse for the sloppy play against Loyola.
“The great thing about basketball is what happened yesterday has no impact on what happens today,” he said.
“It’s basketball. Twenty-two out of 25 times, we’ve been pretty good. We’re in league play. Guys know us; guys don’t care who you are. They don’t care that there’s a (ranking) number next to your name. You just have to go out and play, and we didn’t play well enough.”
deficit all season.
“At the beginning, I was a little too tentative, not attacking. Coach really got on me, and deservedly so,” he said. “When I come out that way, we struggle as a team.”
Junior Willie Veasley had 13 points but missed a shot under the basket that would have tied the game in the closing seconds.
“So far we’ve done good at coming back,” Veasley said. “It’s tough coming off a loss, but you’ve got to go out and concentrate on the next game and come better prepared the next time. … We’re playing for a championship, and losing right now is not going to get it done.”
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