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Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Minnesota in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 15: Butler Bulldogs players react from the bench against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 15, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 71-68. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 15: Butler Bulldogs players react from the bench against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 15, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 71-68. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs looks on. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs looks on. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball has impressed through two games this season but Minnesota will provide a much tougher test. What should the Dawgs prioritize?

Butler basketball is off to a strong start for the 2019-20 campaign. Although the team is yet to truly be challenged by a top-tier opponent, fans have to be excited about how the Dawgs have performed to reach their current 2-0 record. Butler is moving the ball diligently, scoring both inside and out, and showing a ton of discipline on the defensive end of the floor. Even though it still early, it appears as though the team has corrected most of the items that fans complained about last season. With that said, though, Butler’s level of competition is about to be increased significantly as Minnesota will be the next challenger to take the court in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

While the Golden Gophers might not be a top-25 team in the nation, they are still a Big Ten program fresh off reaching the NCAA Tournament during this past season. They will definitely be the toughest test that Butler has faced so far this season and it will be interesting to see how the home team responds.

It is definitely way-too-early to call any matchup a “must-win”, but this could be an incredibly important game for Butler. The Dawgs are hoping to return to the NCAA Tournament this season after a one-year hiatus and winning these types of games are almost mandatory. Butler’s non-conference schedule is an absolute gauntlet that features several top-25 caliber opponents. Beating just a middle-of-the-road high-major team like Minnesota will be crucial to escaping the first couple of months with a strong record and resume.

With tip-off approaching at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday (Nov. 12th), let’s take a deeper dive into this matchup for Butler basketball by providing some opponent intel and then a few keys to the game.