BUTLER INSIDER

Butler attendance 9th in Big East

David Woods

david.woods@indystar.com

The Dawg Pound raise their hands in the air and watch in anticipation as Butler Bulldogs forward Roosevelt Jones (21) shoots a free-throw in the second half of their game against the Georgetown Hoyas Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Georgetown defeated Butler 60-54.

Butler annually led the Horizon League in average home attendance in men's basketball.

The fact that the landscape has changed in the Big East is reflected not only on the court, but in attendance.

In figures released Monday by the NCAA, Butler is ninth (out of 10) teams in the Big East and 66th nationally with average home attendance of 7,373. Hinkle Fieldhouse's reduced capacity is 9,100, so even if the Bulldogs sold out every game, they would rank sixth in the Big East.

"In an era of bigger and bigger arenas that may only be half to two-thirds full, I love the size and atmosphere of Hinkle on game day," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. "An average of over 80 percent capacity and multiple sellouts this year. Nothing like it."

Indeed, the game-day environment of the renovated, 87-year-old fieldhouse is one of the components that makes Butler appealing to many fans.

Following are Big East attendance rankings, prefaced by national ranking:

6, Creighton, 17,048

22, Marquette, 13,657

42, Xavier, 9,998

44, Villanova, 9.369

45, Georgetown, 9,630

52, Providence, 8,614

63, Seton Hall, 7,587.

65, St. John's, 7,463

66, Butler, 7,373

83, DePaul, 6,238

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Bulldog bits:

-- This cannot be taken as definitive at such an early stage, but 247 Sports ranks Butler's 2016 recruiting class of Joey Brunk and Howard Washington Jr. at No. 11 in the nation and first in the Big East so far.

-- USA Basketball tryouts for the Pan American Games run from Tuesday through Sunday. Butler guard Kellen Dunham is among the 16 college players out of 22 trying out at Colorado Springs, Colo. The 12 players picked will practice July 13-16 at the Chicago Bulls' training facility. Pan Am basketball runs from July 21-25 in Toronto. Gonzaga's Mark Few is the U.S. head coach, and former IUPUI coach Ron Hunter of Georgia State will be among the coaches at training camp.

-- Butler recently added one staff member and promoted two others.

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Call Star reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195 or e-mail david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.