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Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Indiana in 2018-19

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 30: Paul Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs walks off the court after defeating the Villanova Wildcats at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 30, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 30: Paul Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs walks off the court after defeating the Villanova Wildcats at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 30, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Jorgensen #5 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

3. Light it up from the perimeter

Part of what makes Butler basketball so dangerous this season is the presence of microwave shooters in Paul Jorgensen and Sean McDermott. On any given night, these two can get going from beyond the arc and, with their insane range and quick releases, they can be extremely hard to stop when hot. Additionally, the probing abilities of Baldwin and Thompson can consistently create looks on the perimeter when the shooters are “feeling it.”

Oh, and Jorgs and McD are not the only quality shooters on the roster. Christian David, Henry Baddley, and Baldwin are all quality shooters who can do plenty of damage if left open on the perimeter. Additionally, this will be the first game in a Bulldogs’ uniform for former top-100 recruit Jordan Tucker. A well-documented shooter and scorer, J-Tucks is facing high expectations from many of the Butler faithful. He is known as a confident individual and he has the opportunity to really make a name for himself on the national stage in his first true collegiate game.

If Butler is able to knock down threes and build an early advantage in this game, there could be two positive consequences. For starters, this would effectively neutralize IU’s potential crowd advantage. Even at a neutral-site, the Hoosiers’ faithful will likely greatly outnumber the Dawgs’ fans. Additionally, given Butler’s low turnover rate and Indiana’s low 3-point attempt rate, an early lead for Butler could easily grow into a big one. That is, though, a tall task.

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The Crossroads Classic is one of the best annual events in college hoops every single year. With the four biggest programs all getting together, fans from around the state flock to Bankers Life to watch their favorite teams play. In order to take a victory in this year’s event, Butler basketball will need to get off to a hot start to stick to their gameplan. Indiana is a very tough opponent and these teams are fairly evenly matched on paper. In the end, though, I think Butler’s vastly better free throw shooting (75.8% to 63.6%) could be the difference down the stretch even if they attempt less foul shots over the course of the game.

Final Prediction: Butler Bulldogs: 74 – Indiana Hoosiers: 70.