Butler Basketball: Top-10 Bulldogs of the century (2000-2018)

SALT LAKE CITY - MARCH 27: Matt Howard #54 and Gordon Hayward #20 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrate in the final moments before defeating the Kansas State Wildcats in the west regional final of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Energy Solutions Arena on March 27, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 63.56. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY – MARCH 27: Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward of the Butler Bulldogs celebrate. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball has been extremely consistent during the 21st century. Which players have been the most influential on the program?

There have been a lot of standout mid-major programs over the years. These are teams that have risen from the depths of auto-bid-only leagues to become competitors on the national stage. Among those programs, Butler basketball has been one of the best during the 21st Century. It seems as though the program has suffered very few down seasons despite roster turnover. There have always valuable members of the team graduating or coaches leaving for better opportunities during the 2000’s but the program has rarely faltered.

In addition, the program has succeeded regardless of conference affiliation. In just the last 19 seasons, the Butler basketball program has played in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, which was later renamed the Horizon League, the Atlantic 10, and the Big East. That same stretch of time saw the program make the NCAA Tournament 13 times and reach the national championship game in back-to-back seasons.

Basketball put Butler University on the map for students around the country and this century has truly been tremendous for the program. Some incredible players and coaches stepped foot on the court at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse over the years but the purpose of this article is to point who the most influential players to don the Bulldogs’ uniform have been during this century.

This piece takes into account players who spent time with the team from 2000-2018. With this being said, there is an important disclaimer for the selections and order: total impact is what was taken into account, not impact per year. Because of this, four-year players have a better chance to creep higher on the list while sensational transfers or players who left early to play in the NBA might have been slightly lower than their talent might show.

Without further ado, let’s jump into my top-10 list for Butler basketball players of the 21^st Century (through 2018).

Honorable Mention: Rotnei Clarke, Ronald Nored, Alex Barlow, Mike Green, Drew Streicher, Joel Cornette, Brandon Crone, Khyle Marshall, Brandon Miller, Kameron Woods, Andrew Smith, Pete Campbell, Brandon Polk, and Willie Veasley.