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Butler upsets Villanova: 3 things we learned

By Chris Stone

Jan 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler University guard Kamar Baldwin (3) passes the ball during the first half against Villanova University at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler University guard Kamar Baldwin (3) passes the ball during the first half against Villanova University at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Butler knocked off Villanova on Wednesday night. Here’s a look at what we learned.

It had been five weeks since college basketball’s top team had been knocked from its perch, but on Wednesday night, that all changed.

The Butler Bulldogs upset the Villanova Wildcats, 66-58, at Hinkie Fieldhouse to push themselves to 2-1 in the Big East and end the Wildcats’ chances at a perfect season.

Here’s a look at what we can takeaway from college basketball’s biggest surprise.

1. Butler deserves some love

Having suffered a pair of road losses to questionable foes — Indiana State and St. John’s — already this season, the Bulldogs entered Wednesday’s contest ranked no. 18 in the AP Top 25. That doesn’t quite do the program justice, though. Butler owns non-conference wins over Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana and NCAA Tournament hopeful Northwestern. Those are four quality wins that the selection committee can point to come March.

Now, the Bulldogs have a signature win. Knocking off the nation’s top-ranked team should help Butler find a place in the country’s consciousness. The Bulldogs will be a tough out in March, and it’s not hard to understand why.

2. The Bulldogs can score, but they can also lock you down on defense

Behind sharpshooting forward Kelan Martin, Butler has one of the nation’s top 20 offenses. On Wednesday, it showed as four players reached double figures, and the Bulldogs managed to score 1.12 points per possession against a stout Villanova defense.

Butler also played some impressive defense of its own, though, holding the Wildcats’ second ranked offense to 0.97 points per possession. Villanova finished the game shooting 37.3 percent from the field and just 6-for-26 from behind the three-point line. If Butler can play defense like that come NCAA Tournament time, the team can be a Final Four dark horse.

3. Josh Hart is still human

Villanova’s Josh Hart is no doubt the National Player of the Year, and despite not having a terrible game at Hinkie, he reminded us all that he’s still human. Hart finished with 13 points and eight rebounds but shot a poor 3-for-11 from the field, including 1-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc.

Next: Takeaways from week 8 of college hoops

Hart’s intangibles — namely his toughness and on-ball defense — don’t often show up in the box score, but his ability to put points on the board has been a significant factor in helping the Wildcats stay atop the polls. Everyone has off nights, though, and Hart is no exception.