Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: 3 potential keys to success against Detroit Mercy

By Lukas Harkins

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 02: Jordan the head coach of the Butler Bulldogs gives instructions to his team against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center on January 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 02: Jordan the head coach of the Butler Bulldogs gives instructions to his team against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center on January 2, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 06: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 06: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

2. Continue to attack in the paint

Butler excelled offensively in the season-opener against Miami (OH) because of the aggressive play of the entire team. In the backcourt, Baldwin and Thompson were particularly successful at probing the inside and either finishing themselves or finding a teammate for an open shot. Additionally, the Bulldogs continuously fed their bigs (and Baldwin as a guard) in the post and they responded with strong scoring and rebounding.

Because of this, the Dawgs were able to score 48 points in the paint and secure a +16 rebounding advantage against the RedHawks in the opener. Sophomore big man Joey Brunk, who scored 17 points (on 7-for-7 shooting) and grabbed six rebounds (four offensive), was a major reason why the team was so successful inside the paint. Nate Fowler, the team’s starting center, also scored seven points and recorded a team-high seven rebounds despite foul trouble.

In regards to this upcoming matchup, Butler’s gameplan should once again focus on attacking the paint and crashing the glass. And this is due to the idea that Detroit Mercy has really struggled to slow down opponents in the paint so far this year. In fact, the Titans are allowing a 49.4% offensive rebounding rate through two games this season while exhibiting one of the worst adjusted defensive ratings in the country (110.3 – 344th nationally).

Given this, Butler should be able to control the paint once again against Detroit Mercy and we could once again see strong performances from Brunk, Fowler, and Baldwin down low.