Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: 3 keys to success against Northern Illinois

By Lukas Harkins

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates his shot in the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates during quarterfinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City.The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 75-74. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates his shot in the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates during quarterfinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City.The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 75-74. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball snagged a win in their last game. Which facets of the game will need to be prioritized in order to take down Northern Illinois?

Butler basketball has played, for the most part, to expectations so far this year. Despite obvious offensive inconsistencies, the team stands at 6-2 with a couple of solid wins already on the resume. And as the non-conference schedule continues, there are some facets of the game the Dawgs still need to work on. With a matchup against Northern Illinois coming up this weekend, Butler basketball will hopefully flash a bit more of their all-around game.

To this point in the year, the Bulldogs have been led by the scoring duo of Paul Jorgensen (17.4 points) and Kamar Baldwin (17.0 points). Jorgensen, in particular, is having a sensational season from beyond the arc so far this season at 42.1% on 7.1 3-point attempts per game. Baldwin, on the other hand, has struggled with his shot but is still getting it done as a scorer. These two will be relied on heavily throughout the year.

In regards to the opposition in this game, Northern Illinois (5-3) is an upperclassmen-led team. In fact, the top six scorers for head coach Mark Montgomery’s team are all juniors or seniors. Having said this, though, it is important to mention that the Huskies have not made the NCAA Tournament since the 1995-96 season and they are currently rated as the No. 149 team in the nation by KenPom. Levi Bradley (17.5 points) and Eugene German (21.8 points) are the leading scorers for the team.

This will be the last true home game for the Dawgs prior to the students (myself included) going home for Winter Break. Many may also regard this game as the final tune-up game before taking on the Indiana Hoosiers at the annual Crossroads Classic. So, without any further ado, let’s break down some potential keys to success for Butler as the team takes on Northern Illinois this weekend.

(All statistics found for this article are via Sports-Reference and KenPom.)