First-year guard Jackson Keith impressed against Indiana State, with 10 points and four rebounds. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team bounced back from its exhibition loss to Notre Dame with a convincing 105-80 victory over Indiana State in the Bulldogs’ final tune-up.
The teams agreed to an altered format for the game, playing 12-minute quarters instead of the usual 20-minute halves.
Head coach Thad Matta explained the rationale for the deviation from the typical rules, adding eight extra minutes compared to a normal game.
“We wanted to get some of our main guys more minutes but also the young guys,” Matta said. “I loved how much we could get those [young] guys on the floor.”
Butler’s offense was a well-oiled machine, with 11 players getting on the scoresheet. Junior guard Finley Bizjack led the way as expected, tallying a game-high 24 points behind a 4-of-5 three-point shooting performance.
Bizjack credits his teammates for his success thus far.
“I’m surrounded by threats, both to the basket and three-point line,” Bizjack said. “I feel like that’s opened up for me. I always feel like I’m [at] my best whenever I give the ball up and it comes back to me. Thankfully, I have 13 unselfish teammates [who] are looking to get me the ball whenever I give it up.”
Evan Haywood has played the sixth-man role in both exhibitions and also put up a strong shooting night against the Sycamores. The sophomore guard made four of his six longballs and racked up 14 points for the Dawgs.
While triple-digit scoring output was impressive by Butler, the defense was the more impactful end of the floor for most of the night. The Bulldogs looked connected and hustled like they were playing a key conference game in February, not an exhibition in October.
Junior center Drayton Jones was key, adding three steals and two blocks to his 12 points.
Bizjack made it clear how much he appreciates the South Carolina State transfer.
“Drayton is the best human alive,” Bizjack said. “I love Drayton to death, he’s awesome. You tell him to do anything, and he’ll do it. He’ll box out his man, rebound and he won’t say a single word about it. He’s my favorite [big-man] I’ve ever played with.”
With team chemistry at an all-time high, the Bulldogs seem prepared to face the season ahead. The journey officially begins on Nov. 5 against Southern Indiana.
