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Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Louisiana Monroe in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 21: Derrik Smits #21 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 21, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 21: Derrik Smits #21 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 21, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs calls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs calls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Butler basketball has been impressive during the non-conference schedule but one more challenger awaits. How should the Dawgs attack Louisiana Monroe?

There aren’t many words left to describe how well Butler basketball has performed to begin this season. Ranked as the No. 12 team in the country by the AP Poll (No. 7 here at Busting Brackets), it is clear that the Dawgs have quickly dispelled their preseason expectations. Head coach LaVall Jordan’s team is among the most balanced nationally and that has been proven time and time again.

With only one non-conference game remaining, Butler sits at 11-1 with wins over Minnesota, Missouri, Stanford, Ole Miss, Florida, and Purdue. Four of those victories also came away from the friendly confines of Hinkle Fieldhouse as the mental fortitude of this team has been on full display.

Butler’s lone loss to date came on the road by just one point against a top-10 opponent in Baylor. If only Kamar Baldwin has made the potential game-winning shot in that game, we might be talking about Butler as possibly having the best resume in the country right now. Regardless, the Dawgs still landed a No. 2 seed in our most recent bracketology at Busting Brackets.

All of those performances, though, are in the past and Butler needs to stay focused on the future. The Dawgs have put a target on their heads as arguably the favorite to win the Big East this season and they need to stay diligent in playing excellent basketball to remain among the top-15 nationally. Perhaps most importantly, Butler will need to take care of business in the games that it “should” win, such as its next game.

On Dec. 28th, Butler will finish its non-conference schedule by returning home (for the first time in two weeks) to take on Louisiana Monroe. The Warhawks enter this game with a 4-6 record and are slotted at No. 274 in KenPom. Butler will likely be favored by 20+ points as a result and the team will need to come out ready to prove a point once again.

Now, with tip-off approaching, let’s dive a bit deeper into this matchup with some opponent intel, keys to success for Butler, and a pregame Hark’s Bark.