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Butler Basketball: Takeaways from victory over New Orleans

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs passes the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs passes the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs calls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs calls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball moved to 2-0 on the 2019-20 campaign with a home victory over New Orleans. Here are some key takeaways from the performance.

Butler basketball has definitely exceeded expectations through the first two games of its 2019-20 campaign. The Dawgs might have entered this season picked to finish just eighth in the Big East but it is hard to imagine that occurring now that the team has taken the court. Despite dealing with injuries and other issues, Butler has been flat-out spectacular. This is especially true with regard to the team’s playmaking and all-around chemistry. That was once again on display when the Dawgs controlled New Orleans for the entirety of their battle in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 9.

Right from the opening tip, the Dawgs exerted their dominance on both ends of the floor. Butler entered the game as 19.5-point favorites and quickly jumped out to a 23-5 lead over the first eight minutes. New Orleans was never able to recover as the Dawgs essentially coasted for the remainder of the game. The team performed at an elite-level with regards to constant ball-movement, excellent set execution, and strong discipline. The coaching staff and the entire roster deserve credit for this all-around performance.

By the time the final buzzer sounded in Hinkle Fieldhouse, the score showed a 26-point advantage in favor of the Dawgs. Butler was able to slow down the pace of this game and once again held their opponent to fewer than 55 total points while scoring nearly 80 themselves. As a result of this performance, Butler took another step forward in national perception by climbing to No. 25 in the early-season KenPom rankings. The Dawgs are currently exhibiting the 20th-best offensive and 39th-best defense by adjusted efficiency standards.

With Butler’s first high-major opponent approaching early next week, let’s take a deeper look into the team’s performance against New Orleans. Here were my biggest takeaways from the 79-53 victory.