Graduate guard Jalen Jackson played 11 minutes in Butler’s first exhibition against Notre Dame. Photo by Darcy Leber.
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team caps off pre-season play with another home exhibition game against the Indiana State Sycamores on Oct. 29.
Here is what you need to know:
Who: Butler vs. Indiana State
When: Oct. 29, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to listen: Fuego 92.7FM
Room for improvement
The Dawgs came up short in a 77-76 loss in their first exhibition game against Notre Dame on Oct. 17, coming back from a 16-point deficit midway through the second half to keep the game competitive down to the waning seconds.
However, the Bulldogs would not have had to battle back if it were not for a 29-point first-half performance that made it obvious this was the first live action the team had seen.
Shooting just 32% from the field in that sloppy first half, Butler was able to improve that mark to 46% in the second half. Despite the improvement from the field, a 62% clip from the free-throw line ultimately led to the Dawgs’ demise down the stretch.
Head coach Thad Matta experimented with various rotations throughout the game, playing 11 different players for at least eight minutes each. Junior guard Finley Bizjack and redshirt sophomore guard Jamie Kaiser Jr. impressed the most during their time on the court, combining for 28 points and seven three-pointers.
With the regular season opener against Southern Indiana just over a week away on Nov. 5, the Dawgs aim to rectify the mistakes made against the Irish before the games start to matter.
Scouting the Sycamores
This will be the first and only exhibition of the season for Indiana State as the Sycamores retain six players from last year’s 14-18 squad. Junior guard Camp Wagner is ISU’s lone returning double-digit scorer, who will be in line for a bigger role with three higher-scoring players ahead of him either graduating or transferring out.
Of the flurry of transfers head coach Matthew Graves was able to bring in to bolster his squad this season, graduate guard Sterling Young will likely give Butler the most fits throughout the exhibition. After two years at Pratt Community College, Young made the jump to Charlotte before transferring again to Florida A&M, where he won the Southwest Athletic Conference player of the year, averaging 17 points.
As the Dawgs continue to ramp up towards the regular season, expect different rotational looks from Matta as he figures out who works well together on the court. Additionally, anticipate more minutes from graduate guard Jalen Jackson, who played just 11 minutes against Notre Dame, rehabbing an ankle injury.
