Butler Basketball: Keys for the Bulldogs to beat Arkansas in the first round
Butler basketball is one of the most consistently solid programs in the NCAA Tournament. What do the Bulldogs need to focus on defeat Arkansas?
The NCAA Tournament is finally upon us. College basketball fans everywhere are eagerly filling out their brackets and sporting their favorite team’s gear around town. There are several first-round games worth watching but few are going to be as entertaining as Butler basketball against Arkansas. Both teams are incredible on offense and this could end up being a fast-paced shootout with each team scoring in the 80s.
On the season, Butler is led by Kelan Martin. The senior is one of the best scorers in the country and can erupt for 30+ points at any time. He is incredibly dangerous both as a 3-point shooter and in attacking the basket. Although an excellent spot-up shooter, Martin hits a lot of incredibly tough shots. He takes advantage of the dying mid-range game and hits many shots off the dribble with a hand right in his face.
To say Butler’s success this season has been solely on the back of Martin, though, would be incorrect. Players like Kamar Baldwin and Paul Jorgensen have also had excellent offensive seasons. Of course, glue guys like Sean McDermott, Aaron Thompson, and Tyler Wideman have played their roles exceptionally well.
In order to gain a better perspective on the Arkansas Razorbacks, I enlisted the help Hawg Hoops on Twitter. While he admits that Arkansas’ defense is down compared to past years, he states that “when the Hogs get going offensively, it fuels their effort on the other end.” This makes sense considering that Arkansas plays at the 92nd-fastest pace in the country.
Mike Anderson‘s team likes to get out and run and failure to do so can lead to some ugly results. As Hawg Hoops says, “if the Hogs start settling for jump shots and miss them then the game will slow dramatically. That would be a bad sign for the Hogs.”
Leading the way for Arkansas this season has been Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon, and Daniel Gafford. Each of these players averages in double-figures per game and can be dangerous in a variety of ways. While Gafford is the defensive juggernaut of the trio, Barford and Macon make up one of the better shooting backcourts in the nation.
The 3-point shooting of these two leads me into my first key for Butler in this matchup.