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Butler Basketball: Keys to success in bubble battle with St. John’s

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 06: Head coach LaVall Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs reacts in the second half of a game against the Xavier Musketeers at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Xavier defeated Butler 98-93 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 06: Head coach LaVall Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs reacts in the second half of a game against the Xavier Musketeers at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Xavier defeated Butler 98-93 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 30: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs is seen. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 30: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs is seen. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball is seemingly starting to gain some momentum as winners of two straight. How can they keep this going with St. John’s next on the schedule?

Living on the bubble is fun, right? Okay…maybe not but that is the case for a lot of teams in the Big East at this point in time. With five teams tied for third place in the league, just about everyone still has a shot at an NCAA Tournament bid but none of them is a lock. Among all those bubble teams, though, Butler basketball and St. John’s might be the most likely to go dancing and they will be meeting for a crucial battle during this week.

Both of these teams are currently on the right side of our bracketology cutline here at Busting Brackets (new update coming on game day) but not by all that much. Because of this, the magnitude of this matchup should be understated. Butler won the first matchup between these two teams a month ago but it will not be easy for them to complete the season sweep over St. John’s.

For a brief overview of each team, the Red Storm have arguably the best starting five of any team in the Big East while the Bulldogs boast an elite bench. This is an interesting contrast in rotation styles but the teams actually play fairly similar styles. They both take (and make) a lot of 3-pointers, rebound poorly, and create their fair share of turnovers defensively. Additionally, they are separated by just one spot in the current KenPom rankings (Butler at No. 52 – St. John’s at No. 53).

With all of this said, a close game should be expected when these two meet up in Jamaica (the one in New York) this weekend. Watch out for a fun meeting between two teams that are fighting for third place in the Big East. Now, without any further ado, let’s dive into previewing three potential keys to success for Butler against St. John’s. (Note: All statistics used in this article were found via KenPom or Sports-Reference unless otherwise noted.)