Senior guard Pierre Brooks scored 14 points in the first match-up against Creighton. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
DAVID JACOBS | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team heads to Omaha on March 8 to take on Creighton in Butler’s last regular season game of the year.
In their preliminary match-up on Jan. 11, the Dawgs faltered in the second half against the Bluejays. After going down by as much as 12 points, the Bulldogs stormed back before graduate forward Patrick McCaffrey missed a game-tying look from three.
Here is what you need to know as Butler looks to gain some post-season momentum against Creighton:
Who: Butler vs. Creighton
When: March 8, 6 p.m.
Where: CHI Health Center Omaha
How to watch: FS1
A new low
All season long, the Dawgs have been competitive in most of their 17 losses — losing by single digits in 11 separate instances.
After being outclassed by Xavier by double-digit points twice in two weeks, the Bulldogs have fallen to a point of lethargy that even a nine-game losing streak to start the calendar year did not seem to have them fall to.
Despite a drastic free-fall of momentum over the last three games following a 4-1 stretch in the previous five games, it is clear that the Dawgs can compete with anybody in the conference for chunks of the game. Even in their most recent defeat to the Musketeers on March 5, Butler stayed competitive through the first half before succumbing to a 16-4 run to start the second half.
Scouting the Bluejays
In their 80-76 victory over Butler earlier this season, Creighton relied heavily on senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner as the seven-footer poured in 26 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. For the second bout, the age-old saying will likely apply: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
With the Dawgs leaning on a combination of senior center Andre Screen and sophomore forward Boden Kapke for interior protection as of late, Kalkbrenner will be able to exploit any matchup thrown at him.
Although Kapke can hold his own on the perimeter, Kalkbrenner will be able to beat him laterally and overpower him in the paint with his back to the basket. As for Screen, the seven-footer will be able to match Kalkbrenner in the paint but has little hope on the perimeter.
Against such a match-up nightmare at the center position, it can lead the Dawgs to utilize a zone defense to force the ball out of Kalkbrenner’s hands in hopes of forcing contested shots along the perimeter.
While Creighton is not the feared three-point shooting team they have been in the past — shooting a subpar 34% as a team — if the Bulldogs let them get hot from deep, it will certainly result in a loss.
A win against the Bluejays will not change Butler’s conference tournament match-up, as the Dawgs are already locked into a matchup against Providence on March 12. However, ending the current losing streak against a talented Bluejay squad will help build momentum for their date with the Friars.
