It may be early on in the season, but what the Butler Bulldogs have accomplished so far this season is pretty impressive–especially when it comes to Tuesday’s big win over the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Bulldogs pulled off an impressive 82-71 win over the Tar Heels in the second round of the Maui Invitational to set up a matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday. Rotnei Clark came up big once again for Butler by contributing 17 points to go along with five rebounds and considering how there seemed to be a reason for concern a few weeks ago after a 15-point loss to the Xavier Musketeers–it may be time to discuss whether or not Butler deserves to be recognized more on the national level with a possible spot in the Top 25.
Butler has been a team on the rise over the last couple of seasons and they’re set to begin their first year playing in the Atlantic 10 for the 2012-13 season. There’s still plenty of basketball to play over the next couple of months, but if the Maui Invitational is any indication of what to expect this season–the Bulldogs could be one of those teams to keep an eye on again once the big tournament rolls around in March.
It’s one thing to pull off an impressive win with your back against the wall, but beating a team like North Carolina may have been a statement for this Butler team from a recognition standpoint.
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