The 2009 – 10 season also helped increase Butler 's recruiting profile . Asked if the increased fame would change things , Stevens said it better not spoil him or the university . " I look at this new challenge of not changing and sticking to your core values and making sure you remain humble as a great coaching opportunity . " Rankings by ESPN 's Andy Katz and Fox Sports ' Jeff Goodman released shortly after the 2010 Championship game both had Butler third for the 2010 – 2011 season . Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski agreed , saying Butler would be " right up there , No. 1 or No. 2 ... They 'll be a favorite next year . " However , Hayward chose to leave early for the NBA Draft and Butler went through a rough patch early in the season , at one point losing three straight games and having a 6 – 5 conference record . Bolstered by the emergence of Andrew Smith at center and Matt Howard 's success as a perimeter forward , Butler ended up winning a share of the conference title at 13 – 5 . The Bulldogs then won the Horizon League Tournament to secure an automatic NCAA tournament bid , and received an 8 seed
Horizon League Tournament
2011 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament
Brad Stevens