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Butler Basketball: Keys to success vs. St. John’s in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 01: Kamar Baldwin #3 and Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs talk to head coach LaVall Jordan during a game against the Providence Friars at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 1, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Providence defeated Butler 65-61. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 01: Kamar Baldwin #3 and Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs talk to head coach LaVall Jordan during a game against the Providence Friars at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 1, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Providence defeated Butler 65-61. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 31: The Butler Bulldogs huddle. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 31: The Butler Bulldogs huddle. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

2. Probe and kick on the offensive end.

St. John’s forces a ton of turnovers on the defensive end of the floor but does not create a ton of stops otherwise. With the majority of Big East play now complete, conference foes are shooting 51.9% inside the arc, attempting free throws at a 41.0 FTA/FGA mark, and snagging offensive rebounds on 32.2% of misses against St. John’s. All of those statistics rank dead-last among defenses in the conference. The Red Storm are also surrendering their share of open looks from three.

Butler should look to attack these potential weaknesses by probing the ball inside on each possession. Breaking the pressure will be a team effort as will be accomplishing this goal of getting the ball inside 15-feet whenever possible. Aaron Thompson, though, will be the most important player to watch in this facet of the game. Butler’s junior point guard is well-known for his probing and ability to create out of the paint. This will need to be on display in order to create open looks at the rim or on the perimeter.

Thompson’s ability to get inside can yield one of three positive results if executed well: 1) a floater if the interior defense doesn’t step up, 2) a dump-off to a big underneath, or 3) an open look from the perimeter. It is also important to note that the Dawgs could simply look to Bryce Golden and Bryce Nze on post feeds as both are strong finishers with the ability to find an open shooter or cutter when available.

Butler has really struggled from beyond the arc lately but this could be the game for inside-out passes to players such as Sean McDermott and Jordan Tucker. Now would be a great time for the team to post its first 3-point shooting performance of >33.3% since Feb. 12th. In order for this to occur, the Dawgs should look to get the ball below the free-throw line and work their offense from there.