Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Miami (OH) in 2018-19

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Head coach LaVall Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs reacts during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Darious Hall #20 of the Arkansas Razorbacks fights (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Contain Miami’s sophomore trio

However, notching a season-opening win will take more than just strong shooting. Heading into this season, many have pegged defense as a major strength for Butler, especially on the perimeter. Aaron Thompson, Baldwin, and Jorgensen make up the three-guard trio in Coach Jordan’s starting lineup and they can make life difficult for just about any opponent.

In this matchup, the Butler defense will be tasked with slowing down Miami’s impressive trio of rising sophomores: Nike Sibande, Jalen Adaway, and Dalonte Brown. Even though none of these players are household names on the national stage, they each pose a threat to Butler as potential stars in the MAC this season. Sibande, a 6-foot-3 guard, is easily the most dangerous of the three based on his numbers from a year ago. After averaging 15.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season, Sibande was named the MAC Freshman of the Year.

However, in my opinion, the forward duo of Adaway and Brown will be the more difficult matchup for Butler. This is due to the fact that the tenacious defensive guards already mentioned above should be able to slow down Sibande’s scoring. Adaway (6-foot-5) and Brown (6-foot-7), though, could pose matchups for the Dawgs due to their size. They both averaged ~8 points and ~5 rebounds per game a year ago.

Because of the size of this duo, there are a few Dawgs that need to step up defensively to slow them down. Sean McDermott (6-foot-6), Henry Baddley (6-foot-4), and Christian David (6-foot-6) will be tasked with defending these two when on the floor. (Additionally, senior guard Darrian Ringo, who averaged 9.6 points and 6.9 assists per game last season, could cause problems for the Butler backcourt.)