Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: 3 takeaways from riveting win over Ole Miss

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Paul Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts after a three point basket during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Paul Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts after a three point basket during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

1. Dawgs still struggling with zone defenses

Despite clearly have the personnel to dominate against zone defenses due to their abundance of shooters, Butler basketball struggled greatly for the second time in this early season against a zone. In this one, it was Ole Miss’ 1-3-1 pressure in the halfcourt that got to Butler’s guards throughout the night to force turnovers and lead to some mistakes in setting up the offense. This was a major reason why Butler struggled so much in this game.

Of course, it is still very early in the season and the Dawgs have not had too much time to learn how to beat a zone but the hope is that they can turn this trend around in a hurry. As long as Butler continues to struggle against zone defenses, opponents are going to continue to throw them at the team. Beating the zone will come down to crisp ball movement from Butler’s guards, aggressive drives into the gaps of the zone, and strong perimeter shooting.

And, as already mentioned, Butler has the personnel to pick apart zones completely so there is no sense in worrying quite yet. The Dawgs have strong guards in Baldwin and Thompson to go with plenty of shooters around the perimeter. Zone offense will likely be a focal point in practice in the coming weeks and there is no reason to believe, yet, that the team will not improve against zones or pressure.