Butler Basketball: 3 reasons why the Bulldogs can still make the NCAA Tournament

1. Two words: Kelan Martin

Arguably one of the most underrated players in the country this season, Kelan Martin is one of the best players in the Big East Conference. Night in and night out, the Butler senior shows up to play as an elite scorer. Over the course of the season, Martin has become a more versatile offensive player with his ability to finish around the basket as well as defer to the open man when necessary.

Martin can operate in catch-and-shoot situations, in the post, or simply by going one-on-one in isolation on the perimeter. He has excellent size on the wing at 6’7″ and can often bully his way to the basket. In 14 Big East games this season, Martin is leading the conference with 23.4 points per game. The biggest reason for this success in conference play has been his 3-point shooting. After shooting just 28.6% from deep during the non-conference schedule, Martin is knocking home 41.6% of those attempts in the conference portion of the year.

With his deadly scoring, Martin is a difficult matchup for every team in the country. When he is on, Butler is incredibly difficult to beat. With the Bulldogs firmly on the bubble in his senior season, you can expect Martin to turn up the heat down the stretch and will the team to the Big Dance. Yes, he is that talented.