Butler Basketball: Keys for the Bulldogs in their rematch against Purdue

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Head coach LaVall Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Martin /

Ride the hot hands

In Butler’s first-round victory over Arkansas, three guys clearly had the hot hand. In Kelan Martin (27 points) and Kamar Baldwin (24 points), two of those guys were fairly obvious. The other, though, was Sean McDermott. The sophomore did all the right things for the Bulldogs in the win, securing plenty of rebounds, playing solid defense, and hustling for loose balls. He finished the game with 11 points (4-for-6 FG) and seven rebounds.

Throughout the season, McDermott has been the best catch-and-shoot player for the Bulldogs. As Martin and Baldwin consistently attack the basket, defenses will have to collapse on the ball, leaving McDermott open for three. We already know that Butler will run the offense through their top duo but they need secondary scorers to show up. This means that guys like McD, Paul Jorgensen, and Nate Fowler need to show up and play to their potential.

Big man Tyler Wideman was tremendous on the glass. Even though he was dealing with foul trouble throughout the game, he played 25 minutes. In this time, the senior was able to snag nine rebounds, five of which were offensive. Wideman will have his work cut out for him against Haarms but has the big body to do so.