Busting Brackets
Fansided

Butler Basketball: 3 keys to success against Dayton

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball around Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball around Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 18: The Dayton Flyers mascot performs. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 18: The Dayton Flyers mascot performs. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Defend the paint effectively.

Last season, Dayton was one of the best teams in the nation when it came to finishing inside the 3-point arc. And while the team may have finished with a disappointing 14-17 record, it was hard to argue against the idea that forward Josh Cunningham was one of the best players in the Atlantic 10. Over the course of the year, Cunningham averaged 15.6 points (.646/.235/.691) and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Now a senior, Cunningham looks poised for a monster year. And he also has something that he didn’t really have last year in the frontcourt: a sidekick. Obadiah Toppin, a 6-foot-8 freshman, has already emerged as one of the best players on the Dayton roster through three games of this young season. He is averaging 15.0 points (66.7% from the field) and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game this season. (Cunningham has only played in one game so far and posted 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds.)

In this opening matchup of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, Butler’s frontcourt will have its hands full guarding this duo. Cunningham (6-foot-7) and Toppin (6-foot-8) are both difficult matchups due to their size and effectiveness in the paint. For Butler, the expectation is that forwards Sean McDermott/Christian David and the big man duo of Brunk/Fowler will be asked with covering these two.

And considering this group does not have the same defensive reputation as Butler’s guards, they will need to play well on that end of the floor. If the frontcourt for the Dawgs can hold their own defensively (while still operating to their usual standards on offense), then this game could heavily lean in their direction.