After a resounding opening-night win — the first of the Ronald Nored Era — the men’s basketball team will be right back in action against FDU on Nov. 4.
Here is what you need to know before the Bulldogs take on the Knights:
Who: FDU vs. Butler
When: Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: ESPN+
Why not let it fly?
Butler did not just win, but entertained as well in its victory over Lafayette. The Dawgs embodied Nored’s desired pace-of-play by getting up and down the floor as quickly as possible for all 40 minutes and, for the most part, taking the first decent shot they got. The result was a program-record 44 three-point attempts, 16 of which were knocked down.
It was a stark contrast from the past few years of methodical, often ineffective isolation offense led by stars who emphasized strength over speed. Instead, this year’s squad is ready to get out and run, playing loose and sharing the ball.
The Bulldogs’ ball movement stood out in the opener, racking up 26 assists on 32 made field goals as a team. The home team did accumulate 20 turnovers to go along with those dimes, but only gave up 12 points as a result of the giveaways.
The starting guards — graduate Jalen Jackson and junior Eduardo Klafke, who combined for nine turnovers — will have to limit the mistakes going forward, but the Dawgs can get away with some sloppiness in buy games, especially when it means forcing their opponents to play at an uncomfortable pace.
Scouting the Knights
It would barely be appropriate to say that FDU’s season has gotten off and running, as the Knights walked straight into a buzzsaw in their first matchup, losing 120-45 to No. 3 Illinois.
Butler does not boast the same caliber of talent as the Illini do, but the lopsided result is still a reasonable indicator for how a projected middling Northeast Conference (NEC) team stacks up against a power-conference squad.
FDU possesses respectable size for a low-major roster, with three opening-night starters standing 6-foot-8 or taller, including guard David Jevtic, the 2026 NEC Rookie of the Year. The Serbian sophomore was the only Knight to reach double-figure points against Illinois. Jevtic’s length on the wings will be a necessary test for Butler to be cognizant of defenders in the passing lanes.
Head coach Jack Castleberry is also not afraid to test his own depth, with nine players seeing at least 10 minutes of action in the season-opener. This will better FDU’s chances of keeping up with the Bulldogs’ style of play.
Still, the talent gap is wide and the Knights do not have anyone to properly counter a high-low game involving Dawgs’ senior center Drayton Jones. If Nored exploits the right mismatches, this one will be over quickly.