Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: Keys to success in rivalry matchup against Xavier

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball and Xavier will rekindle their Big East rivalry this weekend. What do the Dawgs need to do to notch the victory on the road?

These programs don’t like each other. Not one bit. Despite only together in the Big East for a short period of time, the Xavier and Butler basketball programs have quickly developed a distaste for each other that shows up on the court. Each battle, and they are definitely battles, is hard-fought and each fanbase always wants to earn those bragging rights. So, with the first meeting between the rivals approaching, let’s dive into previewing.

For the year, Butler basketball has been led by star guard Kamar Baldwin. One of many extremely talented players in the Big East’s current junior class, Baldwin is posting 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He is also well-known as one of the best perimeter defenders in the conference. Alongside him, Butler’s scoring depth is also superb; eight total players, including Baldwin, average at least five points per game.

The Dawgs currently sit at 10-6 (1-2 Big East) on the year as they have dropped three of their last four games. With that said, though, this is a team that is firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble at this point in time and they need to take advantage of two winnable road games coming up (at Xavier, at DePaul).

And while their rivals might not be competing for an at-large bid this season (weak resume, NET ranking, and standing in predictive metrics), Xavier can still be a very threatening team. The Musketeers, who stand at 10-7 (2-2 Big East), have largely disappointed under first-year head coach Travis Steele but the talent and effort are certainly there. Five different players are currently averaging in double-figures in points for the Musketeers.

With all of this introduction out of the way, though, let’s dive into analyzing what Butler basketball needs to do in order to secure this win over their rivals. (Unless otherwise noted, all statistics used in this piece were found via Sports-Reference or KenPom.)