Winthrop, Keon Johnson hoping to give Butler trouble

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Winthrop won't have to wait long to get a taste of the Madness, as the Eagles will square off with Butler in one of the early games Thursday. A Big South title brought Winthrop to the Big Dance for the first time since 2010 and it will be hoping to get to the Round of 32 for only the second time in program history.

The Eagles finished with a 26-6 record on the campaign, including winning eight games in a row and 16 of their past 18 heading into the tournament. Pat Kelsey and Co. will be hoping to ride that momentum to a first-round upset, while destroying a few brackets in the process.

Keon Johnson leads a potent offense: Winthrop only had two players this season that averaged more than double figures in Johnson and Xavier Cooks, but that was more than enough for the Eagles to average nearly 80 points per game.

Johnson leads the way with more than 22 points per game and shoots it better than 40 percent from 3-point range, so the Bulldogs will be in tough trying to prevent Winthrop from filling the basket.

Season Summary: The Eagles may be the underdogs against Butler, but they have plenty of experience dealing with tough competition. Winthrop beat Illinois in non-conference play this year and lost to fellow tournament teams Dayton and Florida State, although they were without Johnson against the Seminoles.

The Eagles settled down once conference play began, going 15-3 and capturing the Big South tournament. It won't be easy, but don't expect Butler to have a cake walk to Round 2.