The Dawgs swept Seton Hall last year, including a 30-point road win. Photo by Jonathan Wang
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
Coming off one of its worst performances of the season against Xavier, the men’s basketball team makes its way to Newark, N.J., to take on No. 25 Seton Hall.
Here is what you need to know before the Dawgs take on the Pirates:
Who: Seton Hall vs. Butler
When: Jan. 17, Noon
Where: Prudential Center
How to watch: TNT and TruTV
Repeating history
After losing nine consecutive games following a 7-1 start last season, the Bulldogs are nearly halfway through accomplishing the lowly feat once more after four defeats in a row following a 10-3 start this season.
In fact, a loss against the Pirates would mark the fifth season in a row that Butler has had a losing streak of at least five games. Which is far from the standard any team wants to have.
Yet, in year four under head coach Thad Matta and year eight since the last tournament berth, this appears to be the new norm for a team that was once a March Madness staple.
Scouting the Pirates
While Butler swept Seton Hall with ease last season, including a road 84-54 triumph in February, this is a far different Pirate team than in years past.
As the Dawgs spiraled, Seton Hall has been surging all year long with a near-perfect 14-3 record on the season following its poor 7-25 showing last season.
One of the reasons the Pirates have found so much more success this season has been the impressive depth they have displayed. No player averages more than 28 minutes, as head coach Shaheen Holloway has been able to get consistent minutes out of 11 rotational players.
Such a deep rotation results in graduate guard AJ Staton-McCray leading all scorers with just 11 points per game, while six others average above seven. That does not bode well for a banged-up Butler squad that has continually fizzled out in the second half of games amid its mid-season slump.
To get back in the win column, the Bulldogs will need to win the battle of attrition against the defensive-minded and scrappy Pirate squad. Which, frankly, is easier said than done if the Dawgs come out with the same energy they have displayed over the last month.
