Butler basketball has recovered from its three-game losing streak with back-to-back wins. What will it take for the Dawgs to take down Providence at home?
Butler basketball has won its last two games to get back on track following a three-game losing streak. Although it might not seem all that impressive for a Top 25 team in the nation to win games over Marquette (home) and Georgetown (away), the Dawgs overcame significant adversity in both contests. Most notably, Butler was forced to play without two major rotation pieces in Aaron Thompson (day-to-day) and Christian David (out for season) for the first time all season.
With those two victories in the past, though, Butler will now return home in hopes of completing a season sweep of Providence. The Friars have consistently been a thorn in the Dawgs’ side for the last several years and this has the makings of another very tough game. Winning three straight in the Big East is something that not many teams will be able to do this season but Butler is on the verge of its second such streak.
Providence, on the other hand, will enter this game having dropped its last three contests. While the Friars still sit alone in sixth-place in the Big East at 4-4, this recent stretch has been disappointing considering they have had chances to pull off some big wins. Providence is currently 0-4 against the “Top 4” of the conference and it will be eager to pull off the upset in this one.
Providence seemingly always finds a way to give Butler fits and that could be the case once again. Will the Dawgs be able to answer the call and defend its home court? We will soon find out.
With tip-off approaching between the Dawgs and Friars, let’s dive a bit deeper into this matchup from the perspective of the home team. This piece will break down three potential keys to success for the Dawgs and then include a pregame edition of my Hark’s Bark. Since Butler has already played Providence this season, there will not be an opponent intel section in this preview.