Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: Takeaways from home victory over Morehead State

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Phil Booth #5 of the Villanova Wildcats drives to the basket against Henry Baddley #20 of the Butler Bulldogs in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Butler 75-54. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Phil Booth #5 of the Villanova Wildcats drives to the basket against Henry Baddley #20 of the Butler Bulldogs in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Butler 75-54. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Thompson of Butler defends. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Thompson of Butler defends. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

2. It all starts with defense.

Computer metrics show that Butler’s offense has been more efficient than its defense in the early going this season but the eye test disagrees. Unlike last season, the Dawgs clearly appear to be locked in on defense and the players showing the most consistent effort on that end are the ones receive the most playing time. That was evident with Henry Baddley receiving 14 minutes of run against Morehead State despite not bringing much on the offensive end. The same could also be said for Christian David.

After a poor first half that led to a tied score, Butler seriously dialed up the defense over the final 20 minutes. The Dawgs came out of the tunnel for the second half with increased ferocity on that end of the court and actively cut off driving lanes. Morehead State was limited to just 7-for-25 (34.0%) shooting from the floor in the second half, including 1-for-11 (9.1%) from beyond the arc. Butler’s offense was more effective in 2H compared to 1H but their defense was what carried the squad to victory.

Diving deeper into individual performers defensively, Bryce Nze has arguably been Butler’s most impressive and consistent player so far this season and his effort defensively is a major reason for that. He is a strong interior stopper at 6-foot-7 but also excels with regard to switching on the perimeter. Nze oozes versatility on both ends of the floor as a true anchor for the Dawgs. He might playing in just his first few regular-season games with the program, but the junior forward has taken on a significant leadership role by fitting the “Butler Way” perfectly.

Nze summarized Butler’s mentality this season in postgame: “We pride ourselves on defense. When things aren’t going our way [on offense], we are going to grit it out and get things done on defense. That’s our motto.” If people didn’t think Nze was going to be a leader this season, they should certainly know that he is now.

Additionally, though, the team also features two of the best perimeter defenders in the entire country with Aaron Thompson and Kamar Baldwin. Their elite stopping abilities were on display again in this one as they held Morehead State’s two top backcourt scorers to just 17 combined points on 7-for-25 shooting from the field (0-for-10 from three). It’s hard to argue with that defensive effectiveness.