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Butler faces one of nations toughest non-conference schedules
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Bulldogs will face tough competition in Anaheim, CA
Playing in a non-BCS conferences provides a challenge to different teams around the country. Without winning their conference tournament, small or mid-major conference teams are unlikely to gain an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
However, the Butler Bulldogs have defied the odds more than once in recent years.
The reason was their non-conference schedule and the willingness to play teams anywhere from any conference. This mentality and increased success against BCS conference teams has gained the respect from the committee members around the country.
Over the past 3 seasons Butler has dominated their oppenents from the larger conferences. Butler is 11-4 against BCS conference teams since the 2006-2007 season.
They have collected wins against Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame, Maryland, Northwestern, Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, and Florida State.
Their four losses came against eventual national champion Florida in the 2007 NCAA tournament, Tennessee in the 2008 NCAA tournament, LSU in the 2009 NCAA tournament, and Ohio State last season.
The 2009-2010 non-conference schedule might be the most diffcult schedule of them all for Butler. Butler begins the season November 14 against Davidson. The Bulldogs then travel to Northwestern and Evansville.
The Bulldogs then head west to the 76 Classic in Anaheim, CA on November 26 to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In the second round, the Bulldogs will take on UCLA/Portland State and then finish it off with a third game to finish the tournament.
The Bulldogs then take a trip to Ball State on December 2. They then take on Georgetown in New York at Madison Square Garden, Xavier and Ohio State at home, and then travel to UAB.
The final non-conference game will be a Bracketbuster game against an oppenent TBD.
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