Butler basketball is hoping to get back on track at home against DePaul. The Bulldogs have had all week to rest and prepare for this contest.
Butler basketball has lost three straight games with its most recent defeat coming by 22 points (and it could have been worse). It is absolutely no secret that the team has been struggling greatly over the past month and injuries are only one reason for that. The issues go beyond missing some rotation players for long stretches but the Dawgs are still a lock for the NCAA Tournament and have time remaining to right the ship. There is no better time to start getting back on track than right now as the team will look to defend its home court against DePaul.
The Blue Demons destroyed the Bulldogs at their place last month but have since lost nine of their last 10 games. They most recently fell on the road to Xavier on Feb. 25th. Butler will have the home-court advantage in this game and it has also been able to rest a bit more as well. The Dawgs have had the last five days to rest and prepare.
With tip-off approaching here are my three keys to success for the Dawgs:
1. Come out strong.
Butler has struggled recently with regard to starting games slowly on both ends of the floor. That cannot happen in this one as the Dawgs will need to come out with a strong gameplan to limit open shots for DePaul and get the crowd into it with big-time offensive plays. The Butler fanbase is hungry for a win after this recent stretch of poor play and hopefully, this past week off has helped the team rest up and build a plan for success in this game.
Kamar Baldwin and Aaron Thompson were injured in last week’s loss to Creighton but both are expected to be ready to go for this contest. They will need to set the tone in the backcourt on both ends of the floor. Additionally, finding Sean McDermott to set Hinkle on fire with some 3-pointers or allowing Bryce Golden’s energy to exude on the court would be ideal.
2. Display improved perimeter defense.
Arguably Butler’s biggest weakness in conference play has been defending the 3-point line. This can be partially attributed to losing Aaron Thompson for a few games but the issue is far more widespread than just in one position. Big East opponents are scoring 35.6% of their total points against Butler from beyond the arc (38.4% efficiency on high volume) and that flat-out cannot continue.
DePaul is one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in the conference as it has connected on just 30.3% of its 3-point attempts over its 15 Big East games. The Blue Demons also rank dead-last in the BE in 3PAr in the conference. With that said, though, they managed to shoot 10-for-17 (58.8%) in their home win over Butler over a month ago. Will Butler’s perimeter defense actually find a way to stop 3-point shooters?
3. Bury the open looks from three.
DePaul has been similarly poor at defending the arc in the Big East season as it is surrendering 37.5% shooting (9th in conference) on the highest 3PAr of any defense. The Blue Demons are very opportunistic and force plenty of turnovers but that overextension also leads to open looks. Butler has struggled from three in conference play at just 32.1% as even its best shooters have been below their usual marks. For example, Sean McDermott is shooting just 34.9% from three since the beginning of conference play.
Butler should be able to create perimeter looks in this game, especially with Aaron Thompson healthy and on the court. Finding McDermott and Jordan Tucker is just one step, though. Those two guys actually have to connect on those attempts in order for Butler to succeed.
That concludes this preview for Butler’s upcoming home matchup with DePaul. The Dawgs have had a whole week to prepare for this game and they should come out desperate for a win. While the Blue Demons certainly dominated the Bulldogs last month, it could be a different story this time around. At least, Butler fans are hoping that to be the case.
Final Prediction: Butler Bulldogs – 71, DePaul Blue Demons – 63