Butler's Shelvin Mack

*Dime’s NCAA Tournament Day 1 coverage*

This is exactly what I wrote in my notes as Butler was putting the screws to UTEP in the second half:

“Butler down at half. Can’t run with UTEP. Put in their Black guys (‘athletic lineup’) and went on 22-4 run to take control.”

In the first half, it seemed every time I looked up, UTEP was getting a fast-break dunk or Derrick Caracter (20 pts, 9 rebs) was beasting some Brian Scalabrine-looking kid in the paint. Second half, it was Butler getting out in transition and raining threes. Even with their marquee guy, Gordon Hayward (13 pts, 0-6 3PA), having an off night, the Bulldogs were dominant in a game that would have made Tim Hardaway ashamed of his alma mater. Shelvin Mack dropped 25 points on seven threes.

I only watched Butler play once all the way through before this game, and I wasn’t impressed. That was when they went to MSG and got smashed by Georgetown, as Greg Monroe looked like an NBA All-Star against them. I figured Caracter would be enough to beat Butler by himself along with UTEP’s other athletes, but they just fell apart in the second half when Butler put in guys who could match their speed.

* Sam Houston State’s Gilberto Clavell is the first member of this year’s “Who the F*** is That Guy?” team with his dorky 21-century Kurt Rambis goggles. He was the Bearkats’ best player with 23 points in their loss to Baylor, but you’re probably never gonna hear from him again unless you follow the Puerto Rican pro league.

* Kansas State turned in the first beatdown of the day, 20-piecing North Texas. Dennis Clemente put up 17 points and 6 assists, while backcourt mate Jacob Pullen added 15 and 3 steals; and St. Mary’s knocked off Richmond behind Omar Samhan‘s 29 points and 11 boards.