The men’s basketball team heads down to Tempe, Arizona to take part in the Arizona Tip-Off challenge on Nov. 28 and 29. Photo by Eleanor Angelly.
CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
Butler takes the court on Thanksgiving for a massive matchup with Northwestern at the Arizona Tip-Off in Tempe. The Bulldogs are riding high after three straight victories — most recently over Merrimack 78-39. The Dawgs outscored the Warriors 41-8 in the second half to capture a dominant win. Butler now sets its sights on the Wildcats, seeking to send the Big Ten squad home early on Thanksgiving break.
Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs prepare to battle the Wildcats.
Who: Butler vs. Northwestern
When: Nov. 28, 7 p.m.
Where: Mullett Arena
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
Starting faster
In the Bulldogs’ last game against Merrimack, Butler got off to a slow start to begin the game. The Warriors’ constant zone defense took different shapes throughout the contest, but was initially hard to figure out for the Dawgs.
That defensive puzzle combined with Merrimack shooting 46.4% from the field in the first half gave Butler only a six-point lead heading into halftime. The Bulldogs had a commanding lead, but a late 6-0 run from the Warriors put them back within striking distance at the break.
By now, Bulldog fans know how the second half went. The Dawgs’ now-electrified offense along with Merrimack shooting 13.8% from the field gave Butler a huge margin of victory.
Now heading into a schedule with harder opponents on the horizon, Butler cannot afford those slow starts again. If the Bulldogs come out of the gate and quickly go behind, it will be an uphill battle to even get back into the game.
The Dawgs will need to rely on fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort and senior forward Pierre Brooks to show up for them and carry the brunt of the offensive workload if the team struggles out of the gate. On defense, the emphasis will need to be on contesting shots and grabbing rebounds. If the Bulldogs can do all those things, they will be in good shape against the Wildcats.
Northwestern scouting report
The Wildcats come into this game at 5-1 with their lone loss against Dayton by five points. Northwestern finished at 22-12 last season, bowing out in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual champion UConn.
The tandem of junior forward Nick Martinelli and graduate guard Jalen Leach lead Northwestern. Martinelli averages 23.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while also leading the team in three-point percentage with a 66.7% hit rate from deep. Leach averages 15.8 points per game and has taken the second-most shots on the team behind Martinelli.
The key for Butler is going to be shutting down these two players defensively. Outside of Martinelli and Leach, senior guard Brooks Barnhizer is the only Wildcat who averages double-digits in points. If the Dawgs can play help-defense and force different players for Northwestern to contribute on offense, the Bulldogs will be in good shape.
This is an early chance for Butler to begin building a resume against a team that went to the NCAA Tournament last season. This upcoming stretch of the season will be very important for the Bulldogs before they start Big East play, so they need to start stacking victories now to prepare for the gauntlet down the road.
