Butler Basketball: Keys to success on the road against Seton Hall

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Myles Cale #22 of the Seton Hall Pirates fights for the ball with Kamar Baldwin #3 and Tyler Wideman #4 of the Butler Bulldogs 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 18: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

2. Win the turnover battle.

In addition to just slowing down Seton Hall’s star player, Butler basketball should hope to win the turnover battle in this matchup. For the year, both the Pirates (15.6%, 21st) and the Dawgs (16.1%, 28th) are among the best teams in the nation when it comes to taking care of the ball and they also both rank in the top-100 in defensive turnover percentage. Because of this, it is reasonable to assume that the turnover battle will be incredibly important in this matchup. These two offenses are both highly-efficient and the team that ends the game with the most possessions (SH and BU are very similar in rebounding numbers as well) might be the one that comes out on top.

For Butler, specifically, this statistic will come down to their starting backcourt of Kamar Baldwin and Aaron Thompson. These two, on the whole, have taken care of the ball quite well so far this season but they have struggled at times when operating against man-to-man pressure or a zone defense. Butler’s offense, which records assists on 53.8% of made field goals, relies heavily on Baldwin and AT to create for themselves as well as others so their efficiency with the ball in their hands will be crucial for victory.

On the defensive end, it is reasonable to think that the Dawgs might look to bring a bit more pressure than normal. Seton Hall is a team that likes to play with pace offensively (16.1 seconds per possession, 59th nationally) and picking up their guards at halfcourt could take them out of their rhythm. Additionally, with the quick hands of Baldwin and AT (also Baddley), there is a reasonable chance that some pressure would result in turnovers and fastbreak opportunities. As long as Thompson stays out of foul trouble, he could harass some of Seton Hall’s guards for almost all 94 feet.