Butler Basketball: 3 keys to success against Northern Illinois

1. Bury open 3-point attempts

With Paul Jorgensen and Sean McDermott roaming the perimeter, Butler basketball has some elite 3-point shooting threats on the roster. And while the team is shooting just 34.2% from distance as a team so far this year, the duo mentioned above is at 45-for-11, 40.5%. (The main reasons for Butler’s struggles from deep are Kamar Baldwin and Henry Baddley, two traditionally solid perimeter threats, who are at just 16-for-61, 26.2%.)

With this said, the Bulldogs are a team that can do serious damage from beyond the arc when they get going. In addition to the fact that Jorgensen and McDermott are elite shooters, it is also important to mention that Aaron Thompson and Baldwin are excellent playmakers. These two guards play with superb pace and can often draw the defensive attention needed to find open shooters.

Additionally, Northern Illinois has been one of the worst teams in the country in regards to defending the 3-point arc so far this season. Through eight games, the Huskies are consistently allowing great looks from deep and it is showing up in the statistics. For reference, 3-pointers are representing 48.0% of total opponent field goal attempts against Northern Illinois (341st nationally) and those opponents are knocking down those trifectas at a 39.6% clip. (326th nationally).

Because of these statistics, it seems likely that Butler’s head coach LaVall Jordan will prioritize getting McDermott and Jorgensen going early. Oh, and it would be a mistake to leave Baddley open as well, especially in the corner. If these three are able to bury some open shots early, then this one could get out of hand.

Northern Illinois, though, does play a fair amount of zone defense and that has been Butler’s kryptonite a bit early on this season.