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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INDIANAPOLIS – APRIL 03: Fans of the Butler Bulldogs cheer on their team. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

9. Thomas Jackson (1998 – 2002)

Career Stats (4 years): 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game

Thomas Jackson was one of the best pure point guards to ever walk the halls of Hinkle Fieldhouse. Even though he has been forgotten slightly over the past several years, he was an integral part of Butler’s success during their mid-major years. While with the program, Jackson competed in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference before and after it was renamed the Horizon League.

Despite being undersized at just 5’9″, Jackson was a magician with the ball in his hands. Even to this day, he is the program’s career leader in both assists (540) and steals (207). He was a First Team All-Horizon League selection in two seasons and also landed on the All-Defensive team twice. Jackson was only the leading scorer on one Butler team (2000-01) but his two-way impact as a playmaker and defender are what place him on this list.

Jackson helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament on two different occasions and won 20+ games in each of his four seasons in Indianapolis. His total record in games played was an astounding 95-32 (.748). Overall, Jackson played an important role in shaping Butler into what it is today. He functioned as a go-to playmaker under three different head coaches (Collier, Matta, Lickliter) and ushered in a new era of hoops.

There have been several great guards to play for Butler basketball but few have been as sensational with the ball in terms of creating for others in comparison to Jackson. His impact resonates despite the long gap between now and his playing days.