Strong Guard Play Drives Dawgs to Dominant Wins

After the early week defeat at Penn State fans worried if the Dawgs would show the improvement from the 3-point line that we were expecting going into the year. The more pessimistic fans feared that this would be a weakness of the Dawgs despite reports that the stars had made strides throughout the offseason. In the past 2 games, the young Butler guards have shown what they're capable of, knocking down 25 threes in 2 dominant wins. 

St. Francis Recap 

The dominant guard played and hot shooting for the Dawgs starter early and stayed late in a 95-67 win over St. Francis. This was the performance Butler fans needed to see but it is a dominance we haven't seen in these early-season tune-ups in recent years. Our starting guards responded extremely well after the disappointment in Happy Valley by combining for 70 points while shooting 7-13 from 3. We know what these guys are capable of and it was great, and important to see their confidence grow after elite performances back in Hinkle The Dawgs were led by Chuck Harris who delivered a 22-point performance on 70% shooting while dishing out 7 assists. 

The Citadel Recap

Pierce Thomas does not abide by the laws of gravity. The rumors of practice dunks had circulated but when the red-shirt Freshman decided to throw down a reverse poster on Saturday night Hinkle was in disarray. That was a feat of athleticism that we haven't seen in Hinkle and, quite honestly, fans didn't know what they had just watched. This Dunk was the highlight but the Dawgs rode 17 made threes and another dominant performance by the backcourt to cruise to a comfortable 47-point win. Jaden Taylor continued his recent surge with 18 points, 13 of which came early in the first half. This output was matched by Sophomore fan-favorite Simas Lukosius who looked the part of a breakout candidate with a highly efficient 18-point and 8-rebound performance. This was a performance the Dawgs were desperate for to create momentum going into the Battle for Atlantis.

Disrespected Dawgs head to Happy Valley

 

Our Dawgs are facing their first real season test as they head to Happy Valley to face Penn State. The theme of this game will be putting the Dawgs back on the map. The Nittany Lions are 25-31 over their past 2 seasons yet started the week as a 9-point favorite over the Dawgs. Butler needs to set the tone that they are back to form in this game to shut down the critics and get back to national relevance. 

What to Expect from Penn State 

The Dawgs need to focus on dominating the paint and defending the three-point line. Penn State lacks a true presence inside which will allow Manny Bates to continue his dominant form and establish himself as the best player on the court. The one area that Penn State excels is behind the three-point line as they have hit 34 threes in their first 2 games this season. Limiting their efficiency from 3 is essential in stifling the offense and controlling the pace of the game.

3 Goals for the Game 

1. Dominate the pace of play: Butler has more talent in the open court than Penn State and they need to exploit this advantage at every chance they get. Speeding up Penn State and forcing contested shots outside their established offense will allow the Dawgs to limit his percentage looks and take away the Nittany Lion's main strength.
2. Run the offense through Bates: Most fans saw Manny Bates dominant game and thought his presence inside was the most important asset he brought to the offense. What I saw was how many more efficient looks it created for Harris and the company in the backcourt. In his first 2 seasons, Harris has had to create his own offense but BAtes allows him to find catch-and-shoot opportunities that will force defenses to stay honest and allow for a well-rounded offense to flourish. 
3. Knock down shots: The one critique from the first game would be the horrendous percentage from the 3-point line. Look for Harris, Lukosius, Hunter, Taylor, and company to knock down open threes today as they got rid of the first game jitters in a new system in front of an energetic Hinkle crowd. 

Score Prediction 

Butler: 84

Penn State: 75 

Bet of the Day (1-0)

Butler ML +205

New Orleans Preview

The Thad Matt Era (Part 2) begins this evening as the Bulldogs welcome the New Orleans Privateers to Hinkle. The Dawgs are 2-0 vs New Orleans all-time with their most recent win coming in the 2019-2020 season that saw the Dawgs reach #4 in the AP Poll. 

What to expect from New Orleans

The Privateers are coming off of an 18-14 record with a departure in the second round of the Southland Conference Tournament. They run a fast-paced, high-scoring offense that scored over 60 points in all 32 games last season. they are expected to be led by the front-court tandem of Tyson Jackson and Simeon Kirkland who were both selected to the preseason all-Southland teams. 

Hopes for the Dawgs 

To be honest this should be a game that the Dawgs are able to dominate so my hope is that it gives the new offense and new players to get their footing before bigger early season tests present themselves. I am looking for 3 main goals for the Dawgs to achieve during this game.

1. I want to see Manny Bates dominate the interior and make his presence felt on both ends of the court. New Orleans runs their offense through their big man but Bates has a clear skill and size advantage over their frontcourt pair. Look for Bates to get started early on the offensive end as we have seen in the exhibition games. 

2. The second goal is for our new fast-paced backcourt to completely control the pace of play. Hunter, Tate, and Harris will be the fastest players on the court so look for them to get out on the break and create good looks for threes and easy buckets at the rim. 

3. The third goal is for Pierce Thomas to put the entire city of New Orleans on a poster. We have seen his uncontrollable above-the-rim play through practice clips and exhibition highlights but it is time for the redshirt freshman to put the conference on notice that no one should jump with him this season. 

Score Prediction

Butler 85

New Orleans 60 

Best Bet of the Day 

Butler -11 First Half