2021–22 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2021–22 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . They were coached by LaVall Jordan , in his fifth year as head coach of his alma mater. The Bulldogs played their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana as members of the Big East Conference . They finished the season 14–19, 6–14 in Big East play to finish in ninth place. They defeated Xavier in the first round of the Big East tournament before losing to Providence in the quarterfinals.
On April 1, 2022, the school fired head coach LaVall Jordan.[ 1] Two days later, the school named Thad Matta the team's new head coach.[ 2] Matta previously was the head coach at Ohio State and Xavier and was the head coach at Butler for the 2000–01 season .[ 3]
Previous season
In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , the Bulldogs finished the 2020–21 season 10–15, 8–12 to finish in 10th place in Big East play . In the Big East tournament , they defeated Xavier in the first round[ 4] before losing to Creighton in the quarterfinals.[ 5]
Offseason
Departures
Name
Number
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Notes
Campbell Donovan
0
G
5'11"
185
RS Senior
Fort Wayne, IN
Graduated; chose not to take advantage of the NCAA's blanket COVID-19 eligibility waiver
Markeese Hastings
24
F
6'7"
210
Sophomore
Wyoming, MI
Transferred to Western Michigan
Jakobe Coles
21
F
6'7"
225
Freshman
Denton, TX
Transferred to TCU
Carlos Johnson
11
F
6'6"
230
RS Freshman
Benton Harbor, MI
Dismissed and unenrolled[ 6]
Incoming transfers
Name
Number
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Notes
Ty Groce
4
F
6'8"
220
Graduate Student
Ypsilanti, MI
Transferred from Eastern Michigan . Immediately eligible to play as he graduated from Eastern Michigan . Despite having played four full seasons previously, due to an NCAA ruling that all individuals who participate in winter sports in 2020–21 will receive an extra year of eligibility, he will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Recruiting classes
2021 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Jayden Taylor SG
Indianapolis, IN
Perry Meridian High School
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
Sep 19, 2019
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Pierce Thomas SF
Brownsburg, IN
Brownsburg High School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
Feb 27, 2020
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
DJ Hughes PF
Indianapolis, IN
Lawrence North High School
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Jun 26, 2020
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Simas Lukosius G/F
Kaunas, Lithuania
Vilnius Minties Gymnasium
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
N/A
Aug 31, 2021
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : N/A 247Sports : N/A ESPN : N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note : In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
2022 recruiting class
Roster
2021–22 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
F
0
DJ Hughes
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Fr
Lawrence North
Indianapolis, IN
G/F
1
Bo Hodges
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
RS Sr
Maplewood (East Tennessee State )
Nashville, TN
G
2
Aaron Thompson
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
GS
Paul VI Catholic
Glenn Dale, MD
G
3
Chuck Harris
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
So
Gonzaga College
Ashburn, VA
F
4
Ty Groce
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
GS
Lincoln (Eastern Michigan )
Ypsilanti, MI
F
5
Myles Wilmoth
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
So
St. Andrew's School
Chestnut Ridge, NY
F
10
Bryce Nze
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
GS
Arrowhead (Milwaukee )
Hartland, WI
G
12
Myles Tate
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
So
Dorman
Roebuck, SC
G
13
Jayden Taylor
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Fr
Perry Meridian
Indianapolis, IN
G/F
14
Pierce Thomas
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Fr
Brownsburg
Brownsburg, IN
F
25
Christian David
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
RS Sr
Vermont Academy
Milton, Ontario
F
30
Mike Parker (W)
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
RS Jr
Coastal Christian
Wilmington, NC
F
33
Bryce Golden
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
Sr
St. James School
Richmond, VA
F/C
35
John-Michael Mulloy
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Jr
Carmel
Carmel, IN
G/F
41
Simas Lukosius
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Fr
Vilnius Minties Gymnasium
Kaunas, Lithuania
G
52
Jair Bolden
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
GS
Westtown School (South Carolina )
Brooklyn, NY
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster Last update: July 12, 2021[ 7]
Schedule and results
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
October 30, 2021 *2:00 p.m.
Tiffin
W 94–84[ 8]
–
25 – Taylor
10 – Nze
10 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,458)Indianapolis, IN
November 5, 2021 *7:00 p.m.
Indianapolis
W 73–68[ 9]
–
20 – Harris
11 – Nze
6 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,986)Indianapolis, IN
Non-conference regular season
November 9, 2021 *6:45 p.m., FS1
IUPUI
W 56–47[ 10]
1–0
16 – Harris
7 – Tied
4 – Harris
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,134)Indianapolis, IN
November 12, 2021 *6:30 p.m., FS2
Central Arkansas
W 85–53[ 11]
2–0
18 – Taylor
7 – Nze
3 – Tied
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,390)Indianapolis, IN
November 13, 2021 *8:00 p.m., FS2
Troy
W 70–59[ 12]
3–0
23 – Harris
8 – Nze
5 – Nze
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,227)Indianapolis, IN
November 17, 2021 *7:00 p.m., FS1
Michigan State Gavitt Tipoff Games
L 52–73
3–1
15 – Groce
8 – Groce
4 – Harris
Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100)Indianapolis, IN
November 22, 2021 *4:30 p.m., ESPN2
vs. No. 12 Houston Maui Invitational tournament quarterfinal
L 52–70
3–2
16 – Bolden
7 – Groce
6 – Thompson
Michelob Ultra Arena (2,937)Paradise, NV [ 13]
November 23, 2021 *2:30 p.m., ESPN2
vs. Texas A&M Maui Invitational Tournament consolation game
L 50–57
3–3
10 – Bolden
6 – Thompson
3 – Thompson
Michelob Ultra Arena Paradise, NV
November 24, 2021 *9:00 p.m., ESPNU
vs. Chaminade Maui Invitational 7th place game
W 84–51
4–3
21 – Taylor
7 – Golden
6 – Bolden
Michelob Ultra Arena Paradise, NV
November 30, 2021 *5:00 p.m., FS1
Saginaw Valley State
W 68–57
5–3
15 – Tied
8 – Golden
6 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,706)Indianapolis, IN
December 7, 2021 *9:00 p.m., ESPN2
at Oklahoma Big East–Big 12 Battle
W 66-62 OT
6–3
26 – Harris
7 – Golden
3 – Thompson
Lloyd Noble Center (8,654)Norman, OK
December 11, 2021 *4:00 p.m., FS1
Eastern Illinois
W 66–54
7–3
20 – Golden
7 – Groce
10 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,654)Indianapolis, IN
December 18, 2021 *12:00 p.m., FOX
vs. No. 3 Purdue Crossroads Classic
L 48–77
7–4
17 – Golden
5 – Lukosius
6 – Thompson
Gainbridge Fieldhouse (17,905)Indianapolis, IN
Big East regular season
December 29, 2021 5:00 p.m., FS1
DePaul
W 63–59
8–4 (1–0)
15 – Lukosius
5 – Tied
7 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,655)Indianapolis, IN
January 4, 2022 8:00 p.m., CBSSN
No. 24 Seton Hall
L 56–71
8–5 (1–1)
19 – Golden
5 – Nze
3 – Tied
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,234)Indianapolis, IN
January 7, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1
No. 22 Xavier
L 72–87
8–6 (1–2)
20 – Thompson
5 – Nze
4 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,557)Indianapolis, IN
January 13, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1
at Georgetown
W 72–58
9–6 (2–2)
23 – Bolden
7 – Tied
3 – Tied
Capital One Arena (4,117)Washington, D.C.
January 16, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1
at No. 14 Villanova
L 42–82
9–7 (2–3)
10 – Nze
4 – Tied
1 – 5 Tied
Wells Fargo Center (17,009)Philadelphia, PA
January 18, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1
at No. 25 UConn Rescheduled from January 1
L 59–76
9–8 (2–4)
19 – Taylor
7 – Nze
2 – Tied
XL Center (11,538)Hartford, CT
January 20, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1
No. 25 UConn
L 56–75
9–9 (2–5)
16 – Harris
7 – Nze
5 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,797)Indianapolis, IN
January 23, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1
at No. 21 Providence
L 62–69
9–10 (2–6)
21 – Harris
8 – Hodges
6 – Thompson
Dunkin' Donuts Center (10,561)Providence, RI
January 26, 2022 7:30 p.m., FS2
Creighton
W 72–55
10–10 (3–6)
18 – Hodges
7 – Hodges
6 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,920)Indianapolis, IN
January 29, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1
Georgetown
W 56–53
11–10 (4–6)
13 – Lukosius
12 – Nze
3 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,156)Indianapolis, IN
February 2, 2022 7:00 p.m., CBSSN
at No. 21 Xavier
L 66–68
11–11 (4–7)
18 – Harris
6 – Nze
4 – Golden
Cintas Center (9,969)Cincinnati, OH
February 5, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1
St. John's
L 72–75
11–12 (4–8)
22 – Hodges
7 – Hodges
7 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,363)Indianapolis, IN
February 8, 2022 9:00 p.m., CBSSN
at Creighton
L 52–54
11–13 (4–9)
13 – Taylor
9 – Tied
2 – Tied
CHI Health Center Omaha (15,375)Omaha, NE
February 12, 2022 4:30 p.m., FS1
No. 18 Marquette
W 85–79
12–13 (5–9)
22 – Golden
11 – Hodges
5 – Tied
Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,086)Indianapolis, IN
February 15, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1
at DePaul
W 73–71
13–13 (6–9)
18 – Harris
5 – Tied
4 – Thompson
Wintrust Arena (2,687)Chicago, IL
February 18, 2022 5:00 p.m., CBSSN
at St. John's Rescheduled from December 23
L 57–91
13–14 (6–10)
19 – Taylor
6 – Taylor
4 – Taylor
Carnesecca Arena (4,527)Queens, NY
February 20, 2022 1:00 p.m., FS1
No. 8 Providence
L 70–71 OT
13–15 (6–11)
17 – Harris
8 – Hodges
4 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,588)Indianapolis, IN
February 23, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1
at Seton Hall
L 60–66
13–16 (6–12)
25 – Hodges
10 – Nze
3 – Thompson
Prudential Center (8,705)Newark, NJ
February 26, 2022 1:00 p.m., FOX
at Marquette
L 56–64
13–17 (6–13)
14 – Golden
11 – Nze
6 – Thompson
Fiserv Forum (17,504)Milwaukee, WI
March 5, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX
No. 11 Villanova
L 59–78
13–18 (6–14)
19 – Harris
9 – Nze
3 – Thompson
Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,163)Indianapolis, IN
Big East tournament
March 9, 2022 4:30 p.m., FS1
(9)
vs. (8) Xavier First round
W 89–82 OT
14–18
29 – Harris
13 – Nze
4 – Thompson
Madison Square Garden (17,163)New York, NY
March 10, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1
(9)
vs. (1) No. 11 Providence Quarterfinals
L 61–65
14–19
14 – Harris
15 – Hodges
3 – Hodges
Madison Square Garden (19,812)New York, NY
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Eastern Time
[ 14] .
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: — = Not ranked RV = Received votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Final AP — Coaches RV
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings.
Awards
References
^ "Butler fires Jordan after five seasons" . WANE 15 . April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022 .
^ Chavkin, Daniel. "Butler Hires Former Ohio State Coach Thad Matta" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved April 4, 2022 .
^ "Butler hires Thad Matta: Ex-Ohio State, Xavier coach returns as Bulldogs program makes splash move" . CBSSports.com . Retrieved April 4, 2022 .
^ "Harris sinks game-winning FTs, Butler ousts Xavier in OT" . AP . CBS Sports. Retrieved July 12, 2021 .
^ "McDermott, No. 17 Creighton rout Butler 87-56 in Big East" . ESPN . ESPN . Retrieved July 12, 2021 .
^ "Former Butler University basketball player charged with rape" . WTHR . WTHR. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021 .
^ "2021-22 Men's Basketball Roster" . Butlersports.com . Butler University. Retrieved July 12, 2021 .
^ "Men's Basketball vs Tiffin (Ohio) on 10/30/2021 - Box Score" .
^ "Men's Basketball vs University of Indianapolis on 11/5/2021 - Box Score" .
^ "IUPUI vs. Butler Box Score, November 9, 2021" .
^ "Central Arkansas vs. Butler Box Score, November 12, 2021" .
^ "Troy vs. Butler Box Score, November 13, 2021" .
^ "Maui Invitational to be played in Las Vegas in 2021" . Seattle Times . October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021 .
^ "2021-22 Men's Basketball Schedule" .
Venues Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA Final Four appearances in italics