Indiana Basketball: 2020-21 keys to take down Butler in Crossroads Classic
By Drew Nixon
2. Throw The first Proverbial Punch
Momentum is key in any sport. In basketball, momentum is a powerful thing and you might have heard people describe basketball as “a game of runs”.
A good start sounds like a basic key to a game, but it can be the difference after 40 minutes of play.
Getting on the front foot and taking the lead early will help the Hoosiers.
Butler, as mentioned before don’t score the highest amount of points by any means, averaging 66 points per contest and the Bulldogs allow 73.5 points per game. That -7.5 ratio puts the Hoosiers as the favorite to win.
Indiana’s ratio of points scored versus points allowed is an impressive +13, as they score 74.2 points per game and allow just 61.2.
Say Aaron Thompson is able to give it a go, the Hoosiers need to keen in on both him and Bolden to limit their looks. Possibly getting them into foul trouble early by staying strong in the attack will allow control of the game for Indiana.
If the Hoosiers can keep up with their defensive efforts, throwing the first punch and getting off to a good start is something that Indiana can really benefit from not just for this game, but the rest of their season.