Senior Pierre Brooks had 13 points in the loss to Austin Peay. Photo by Makenna Frias.

CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu

In just the second game of the season, Butler lost its first game of the year. The Bulldogs were outplayed on their own floor against Austin Peay, suffering a crushing 68-66 upset defeat in a dismal performance. Let’s go beyond the box score.

Offensive ineptitude

For a coach of Thad Matta’s quality, the offensive output in the first two games of the season has been shambolic. The Dawgs have averaged only 69 points per game against seemingly inferior competition on paper.

Not only has the output been below par, the archaic offense does not pass the eye test. Butler struggled to move the ball around the floor due to their lack of movement and poor decision making. Austin Peay played smothering defense from the tip, and the Bulldogs did not have any answers.

“They just punched us early,” Matta said. “We’ve got to get better at taking a punch and fighting back. We didn’t handle [the pressure] well. They made us not ready to play tonight.”

Fighting back is exactly what the Bulldogs did not do. In fact, they rolled over in front of a packed home crowd and continued to play sloppy basketball. Butler gave up 16 shocking giveaways which the Governors converted into 23 points. On the opposite side, Austin Peay gave up the ball only eight times which the Dawgs turned into a mere eight points.

Another embarrassing spot for the Bulldogs was their presence in the paint. Out of 66 total points scored, Butler had only 26 points in the paint. The lack of a post player falls on the shoulders of fifth-year center Andre Screen, sophomore forward Augusto Cassia and sophomore center Boden Kapke.

“We had no real post presence tonight,” Matta said. “They were able to neutralize [Andre Screen], and he’s got to play stronger. I thought Boden [Kapke] did a good job [and] I thought Augusto [Cassia] did a really good job… especially on the defensive end.”

The combination of a stagnant offense, careless ball protection and no paint presence will continue to plague the Bulldogs if they do not change. In two games fans are not impressed, and Matta knows a mindset change is necessary.

“It’s got to be team team team team team team team. That [has to be] the only thing you think about on game day.”

Defensive submission

Fans would hope that Butler would be better on the other end of the court, but it was more of the same poor play on defense too.

The Dawgs were constantly gashed and exploited on drives. The Governors had 44 points in the paint, with those accounting for 64.7% of their total points. The Bulldogs had no answers, constantly getting beat on the drive and off the pick.

The star of the night for Austin Peay was junior guard L.J Thomas. Thomas took 27 shots and scored 29 points. He was the only Governor to get into double digits in the scoring column, contributing to 42.6% of his team’s total score.

“We had no answer for [L.J Thomas],” Matta said. “He’s a heck of a player. He just keeps probing… and finds a way to get the ball to the basket.”

Thomas’ massive night was helped by the Dawg’s inability to get around picks and challenge at the rim. Austin Peay constantly tried to make the Bulldogs switch, which is something they have struggled with so far this season.

Another blemish on the night defensively was Butler’s poor rebounding. While the Dawgs secured six more rebounds than Austin Peay, the Governors managed to grab 10 offensive boards. These rebounds gave the away side 15 second chance points.

One of these offensive rebounds came at a crucial point late into the second half. Thomas shot a floater that clanged off the rim, and the Austin Peay guard got his own rebound with Butler players all around him. This rebound allowed the Governors to run 26 precious seconds off the clock and get them closer to the upset victory.

At the end of the day, this game was a perfect storm of sloppy play and a poor mindset. Despite it being the second game of the season, the Bulldogs look dazed, disinterested and lethargic on both ends of the court. That attitude alone will doom a team no matter who the opposition is. Butler needs to figure out their issues and they have to do it fast because this quality of play will not fly during Big East play.