Butler Basketball: Keys to success vs. Purdue at the Crossroads Classic
Nationally-ranked Butler basketball will face another test at the Crossroads Classic by facing Purdue. What will it take for the Dawgs to take the win?
Butler basketball’s success this season is no longer a secret. With a 10-1 record and a spot in the AP poll, the nation is now completely aware of the Dawgs. They are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the Big East and LaVall Jordan is rightfully receiving some discussion as an early-season candidate for National Coach of the Year. With that said, though, Butler’s non-conference schedule features one more massive test with a neutral-site battle against Purdue at the Crossroads Classic on Dec. 21st.
This should be yet another difficult challenge for the Dawgs, who have already faced six high-major opponents so far this season (5-1 in those games). It is also important to mention that this team has already been tested in four games outside of Hinkle Fieldhouse and they have performed admirably in those contests. In fact, Haslametrics notes that Butler has been a better team away-from-home compared to in Hinkle so far this season. That will hopefully continue into this game as Purdue represents a very good team capable of competing near the top of the Big Ten.
On the whole, these two squads share several similarities and are evenly-matched across most metrics. Here is a quick summary of where the in-state opponents rank nationally:
NET Ranking: Butler – 4th | Purdue – 34th
KenPom Ranking: Butler – 10th | Purdue – 9th
Adjusted Tempo: Butler – 341st | Purdue – 342nd
Adj. Off. Efficiency: Butler – 20th | Purdue – 40th
Adj. Def. Efficiency: Butler – 16th | Purdue – 5th
On the whole, this has the makings of one of the best non-conference games in the entire country. The Crossroads Classic is always an engaging event featuring the four high-major programs from the Hoosier State and this should be a fun edition this year. Butler vs. Purdue might not be the most fast-paced game of the season but it should be a hotly-contested affair between two of the better teams nationally. There is a strong chance that both of these squads stick in the AP Top 25 for extended stretches this season.
With tip-off starting to approach, let’s break this game down a bit further from the Butler side by providing some opponent intel on Purdue, three potential keys to success, and a pregame edition of Hark’s Bark.