Things are busy in Indianapolis: they have some football team playing in a game in Miami on Sunday. However, they’re not the Butler Bulldogs.

We were able to snag the Indianapolis Star’s David Woods who covers the Butler Bulldogs and delivers the Bulldogs Insider. His book The Butler Way: The Best of Butler Basketball was published in November and is available on amazon.com.

SienaSaintsBlog: To College Basketball fans who haven’t seen Gordon Hayward play, how would you describe his style of play?
David Woods: He is unusual in that he is 6-foot-9 and can handle the ball and shoot outside so well. NBA scouts have been attending almost all of Butler’s games. He is not a finished product, but NBA drafts on potential, an Hayward has a lot of that. His rebounding and assertiveness (driving to the basket) have improved considerably.

SienaSaintsBlog: The Bulldogs have won their last ten games and started 11-0 in conference, what has been the most impressive thing about this team during this recent stretch?
David Woods: Most impressive has been Butler’s ability to win on the road (Butler’s 9-1 road record ranks No. 3 in NCAA) and ability to close out games. Butler is 5-1 in games decided by four or fewer points. Butler’s defense has improved since the pre-league games.

SienaSaintsBlog: The Bulldogs are so tough inside, how much of that is driven by the play of Matt Howard?
David Woods: Everything revolves around Matt Howard, although big teams (like Milwaukee and Detroit and the power conference teams) have made it hard on Butler. This Butler team rebounds better than previous versions, but it’s not what you would like a powerful inside force to be — not with a 6-foot-3 “power forward,” Willie Veasley, who does everything for this team.

Siena Saints Blog: You wrote a book that came out in November 2009, The Butler Way: The Best of Butler Basketball, What would you say is the best story you’ve covered in your experience covering the Bulldogs?
David Woods: I put that at the beginning of the book. In 2007 regional at St. Louis, Florida was the defending NCAA champion and had six future NBA players on its roster. Butler’s future pros were a doctor and dentist, plus four players whose basketball playing futures were in Europe. Butler led with 3 1/2 minutes left. It was unbelievable.