NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • INDYSTAR.COM
BUTLER BULLDOGS 5-1 · 5TH IN BIG EAST
5-1 · 5TH IN BIG EAST
Butler suspends starting point guard Aaron Thompson for first three games Aaron Thompson is suspended for this week’s three home games for an unspecified violation of team rules, the school announced.
Aaron Thompson - Suspended first three games Thompson has been suspended for Butler's first three games of the 2021-22 season, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Impact Thompson's suspension stems from an unspecified violation of team rules. It will prevent him from taking part against IUPUI, Central Arkansas and Troy, but it will allow the senior guard to rejoin the action for the first big contest of the season again Michigan State on Nov. 17. Thompson's early absence could lead to more of Chuck Harris and/or Simas Lukosius playing on the ball.
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bo Hodges - Out for opener, as expected Hodges (knee) will not play in Tuesday's season opener against IUPUI, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.
Impact Hodges suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee back in August and was said to be out indefinitely as of late-September. It wouldn't be surprising if this were a multi-game, or even a multi-week absence. The 6-5 wing worked his way into the starting five after transferring from ETSU last season, but that job appears to currently be occupied by freshman Jayden Taylor.
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Myles Tate - Won't play, as expected Tate (knee) will not take the court in Tuesday's season opener against IUPUI, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.
Impact No surprises here, as Tate was expected to miss regular season time all along as he works his way back from a major knee injury. The real question is how much. Butler has matchups against Central Arkansas and Troy on Friday and Saturday, respectively, but Tate should probably be considered questionable at best for those outings.
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Ty Groce - Won't play in opener Groce (knee) will not play in Tuesday's season opener against IUPUI, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.
Impact Groce sat out both exhibition contests for Butler, though he was considered closer to returning than teammates Bo Hodges and Myles Tate -- both of whom have been officially ruled out as well. Groce is a two-time double-digit scorer for Eastern Michigan who should be able to contribute off the bench for Butler in what would be his final year of eligibility. His next chance to suit up will be Friday against Central Arkansas.
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Butler basketball: TV, streaming, radio vs. IUPUI The Butler Bulldogs open the 2021-22 men's basketball season against the IUPUI Jaguars at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 • INDYSTAR.COM
Butler welcomes IUPUI in 2021-22 season opener
A pair of Indianapolis schools will meet as Butler begins its season by hosting the IUPUI JaguarsNOVEMBER 8, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Simas Lukosius - Leading reserve in exhibition Lukosius had six points (1-3 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four assists and four rebounds across 23 minutes in Friday's 73-68 exhibition victory over Indianapolis.
Impact Lukosius already had a bit of hype behind him as a candidate to see reserve point guard minutes for Butler, but Friday was one of the first real signs of evidence that he was going to be a rotation piece. He contributed across the board and collected both the most points and minutes of any Butler reserve. He brings size to the position at 6-6 and will help fill the void while Myles Tate and Bo Hodges work their way back from knee injuries. It's unclear if that means fantasy relevance outside of Big East only formats, but he's a player that should perhaps be on the radar in dynasty leagues.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Myles Tate - Likely missing regular season time Tate (knee) did not take the court in Friday's exhibition against Indianapolis and is expected to miss regular season time, Lukas Harkins of Heat Check CBB reports.
Impact Tate continues his recovery from March surgery to address a torn ACL, and while he was cleared for running and jogging in late-August, it doesn't look like he's ready for live game action just yet. Butler started a backcourt of Chuck Harris and Aaron Thompson in the Friday contest, and Jair Bolden should also see a fair amount of run until Tate is back in the picture.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Ty Groce - Sits another exhibition Groce did not take the court in Friday's exhibition against Indianapolis due to precautionary reasons, Lukas Harkins of Heat Check CBB reports.
Impact Groce has now missed both Butler exhibition contests, but unlike teammates Bo Hodges and Myles Tate, his recovery is expected to be much swifter. Harkins followed up in a later tweet to clarify that Groce "has a banged knee" and didn't feel the need to suit up for a relatively low-stakes exhibition. It's even possible he takes the court for the official opener Tuesday against IUPUI.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Chuck Harris - Drops 20 in Friday exhibition Harris (undisclosed) had 20 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT) and two assists across 33 minutes in Friday's 73-68 exhibition victory over University of Indianapolis.
Impact Harris missed Butler's first exhibition due to reasons that were never specified, but he was back in action for the team's final tune-up prior to the Nov. 9 season opener. He also started the contest over Jair Bolden, who logged just 11 minutes in the game. It's possible Harris just needed the tune-up minutes more, but given that this game was closer than most expected, the distribution of playing time could be telling of how the Bulldogs will handle their rotation early in the year.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bryce Nze: 'We decided to come back just to finish what we started' Butler seniors take advantage of pandemic waiver
NOVEMBER 7, 2021 • INDYSTAR.COM
Jayden Taylor - Surprising 25 points in exhibition Taylor led the Bulldogs with 25 points (8-11 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT) to go along with two assists and a steal across 27 minutes in Saturday's 94-84 exhibition victory over Tiffin.
Impact Taylor doesn't have much of a recruiting pedigree with an average three-star ranking, but he stepped up in a closer-than-expected exhibition and might see opportunity on the horizon. Butler is already missing the likes of Bo Hodges and Myles Tate due to respective knee injuries, and both Chuck Harris and Ty Groce missed Saturday's scrimmage for undisclosed reasons. The latter two are expected to be back in short order, which likely cuts into Taylor's minutes, but there's no denying the 6-4 combo guard made an impact here. He was likely already on the coaching staff's radar given he started this contest and may already represent a sleeper in daily and Big East-only formats.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bryce Nze - In mid-season form Nze had 23 points (11-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt,), 10 rebounds and two assists across 34 minutes in Saturday's 94-84 exhibition victory over Tiffin.
Impact The fifth-year senior has locked down the power forward position for Butler in each of the last two campaigns and is coming off a career-best 11.4 ppg a season ago. The stability Nze brings will be greatly appreciated while several Butler wings recover from injury. If there's any knock on Nze's game, it's his work from the charity stripe, as the 6-7 forward has been under 50 percent in three of his four collegiate seasons, including a mark of 47.1 percent a season ago.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Aaron Thompson - Double-double in exhibition Thompson had 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and 10 assists across 35 minutes in Saturday's 94-84 exhibition victory against Tiffin.
Impact Butler probably didn't expect to see 35 minutes out of its presumed starting point guard, but with fellow ball-handler Chuck Harris (undisclosed) sidelined and the game relatively close, Thompson's presence was needed more than anticipated. Thompson missed time early last year due to a knee injury and was later sidelined due to a season-ended shoulder injury that he was just cleared for in mid-October. While he was only on the court for 14 games, he did set a career-best scoring average at 10.4 ppg while shooting 52.7 percent from the field.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Ty Groce - Misses exhibition Groce did not take the court in Saturday's exhibition victory over Tiffin, Lukas Harkins of Heat Check CBB reports.
Impact All the report specified was that Groce was out for "precautionary reasons," so it's unclear what type of injury may be afflicting him at this time. We'll likely get a better picture of the Eastern Michigan transfer's status next Friday, when Butler hosts Indianapolis for a final exhibition matchup. Groce was a back-to-back double-digit scorer during his final two seasons with the Eagles, and should play a role early with the likes of Myles Tate and Bo Hodges nursing their way back from injury.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Chuck Harris - Sits out first exhibition Harris did not play in Saturday's exhibition against Tiffin due to undisclosed reasons, Lukas Harkins of Heat Check CBB reports.
Impact Fortunately, the report suggests that Saturday will be the only missed game for Harris, so look for him back on the court for the Nov. 5 exhibition against Indianapolis. Harris might have a tough time replicating last season's scoring average of 12.9 ppg with a healthy Aaron Thompson back in the mix, but he'll be a rotation player nonetheless for a team struck hard early by the injury bug.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Myles Tate - Sits out exhibition Tate (knee) did not take the court in Saturday's exhibition victory over Tiffin.
Impact Tate received late-August clearance for running and jogging, but the status of his participation in full basketball activities in unknown at this time. According to Lukas Harkins of Heat Check CBB, Tate has since progressed to shooting drills and other various practice work, but he speculates Tate might not see the court for Butler until conference play, which would suggest a late-December return. Even in Big East-only formats, it wouldn't be wise to put much stock in Tate until more clarity on the situation emerges.
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Butler basketball's Aaron Thompson is back for year 5 Butler men's basketball point guard Aaron Thompson says the Bulldogs must ‘bring it’ on defense.
OCTOBER 27, 2021 • INDYSTAR.COM
Christian David - Clean bill of health David (knee) has been fully cleared for all basketball activities, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.
Impact David missed the first 13 games of the shortened 2020-21 season due to a knee injury before gradually easing back in. He even drew a couple starts in conference play before another knee issue resurfaced. While he was able to finish out the season playing single-digit minutes, it's noteworthy that Rothstein felt he needed to check his status with the head coach. David is unlikely to start for the Bulldogs this year, but he's still a fifth-year senior who brings valuable experience to the rotation.
OCTOBER 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Aaron Thompson - Cleared for basketball activites Thompson (shoulder) has been fully cleared to take part in basketball-related activities, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.
Impact Thompson's 2020-21 season ended with him on the sidelines due to the shoulder issue, but he appears to be in good shape with the 2021-22 campaign just around the corner. Barring a setback, Thompson should be available for the regular season. The Bulldogs being exhibition play Oct. 30 versus Tiffin (Ohio), which will mark his first opportunity to get into game action.
OCTOBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Butler guard Bo Hodges to miss start of season with knee injury Hodges averaged 8.2 points and 6.0 rebounds last season
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 • INDYSTAR.COM
Bo Hodges - Sidelined indefinitely Hodges will sit indefinitely due to a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee that occurred in late August, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Impact Hodges posted some solid numbers in his brief run of games for the Bulldogs last season averaging 8.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Unfortunately, the injury bug has bitten him again and will cost the senior the start of his 2021-22 season. it's unclear at this point exactly how much of the campaign he will miss.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
