Butler Basketball: Keys to success on the road against Georgetown

1. Keep Georgetown off the free throw line.

Georgetown has one glaring advantage on paper for this matchup and that is free throw attempt rate. Thanks to the Hoyas’ attacking mentality, they get to the foul line almost at will while also limiting their opponents on the other end. To this point in the year, Georgetown is averaging a +5.4 FTA advantage per game. This has been extremely beneficial to their success this season, especially when you consider they shoot a very solid 73.3% from the free throw line as a team (80th nationally).

Butler, on the other hand, is among the nation’s worst when it comes to free throw differential. Despite featuring a couple of attacking guards and strong finishers, the Dawgs never get to the free throw line and commit more than their fair share of fouls around the basket. So far this season, Butler is averaging a -2.4 FTA differential per game (and this is not pace-adjusted). It is definitely a weakness of the team that Georgetown will look to take advantage of.

Also, considering this game will be played in Capital One Arena, it is reasonable to assume that whistles might trend in favor of the home team. And with how poor Butler already has been this season in the free throw disparity, they need to find a way to avoid contact and force Georgetown into tough shots away from the rim. This, though, is much easier said than done.