DETROIT _ Butler pulled off an upset victory in coach LaVall Jordan's NCAA Tournament debut.
Butler, the No. 10 seed, advanced with a 79-62 win over No.7 Arkansas on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's East Region at Little Caesars Arena.
Butler (21-13) will face No. 2-seeded Purdue (29-6) on Sunday in the second round. Jordan, an Albion, Mich., native and former Michigan assistant, has now led Butler to at least a first-round win in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row.
The win turned out to be more difficult than it needed to be, considering the Bulldogs held an early 21-2 lead.
Senior forward Kelan Martin led the Bulldogs with 27 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin added 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Redshirt sophomore forward Sean McDermott chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
Arkansas (23-12) was led by senior guards Jaylen Barford (15 points) and Darryl Macon (12 points, four assists).
